apprenticepoet Reviews

Hale County This Morning, This Evening (2018)

Lovely poetic flowing vignettes of life, with clear influences

[7/10 · 11 February 2019]

This film, with its free-form flowing scenes of life in Hale County has been praised to the skies by various critics, and in many ways deserves it. That said, sadly all of them have missed its indebtedness to 'A Shimmer of Possibility', a very influential 12 volume photographic work/ book released by Paul Graham in 2008. It pioneered the flowing visual poetics, into a stuttering non-narrative vision of everyday life, finding beauty and meaning in the most ordinary of situations. There are extended film -like sequences of images at the core of this work, that remind me of 'Hale County', especially one of a young African American couple playing basketball in the twilight.

Mr Ross, clearly knows this work - he is an art-photographer and teacher himself - and Mr Graham's work was highly praised, and even given a solo show at MoMA, NYC. RaMell Ross has absorbed the lessons from this work, and transferred them to his film-making, with great skill. The success is his, and I don't wish to take away from it, but it is important to acknowledge a debt and influence, when it is due.

Shame (2011)

One word review:

[1/10 · 14 March 2012]

Is not allowed. Apparently I have to write 10 lines before I can write the one word which sums up exactly what I feel about this movie. Yes I have seen Mr McQueen 's movies and a lot of his art from the UK before he was remotely famous. I thought 'Hunger' was a promising effort, although I was ashamed when at an NY screening with the director, he had no idea what UVF meant (it is a film about Irish paramilitaries...) He obviously did not care. Embarrassing. I have no idea why serious artists wish to make mid level (at best) movies. These are not pearls from Tarkovsky or Bresson or Ophuls, or even Altman. They are distinctly average. And this one is worse than that - it is simply BOGUS

The Darjeeling Limited (2007)

what happened to one of our most promising directors?

[3/10 · 5 October 2007]

"Amara Karan also is great support, let down only by her English accent slipping through"

plonker.

a lot of Indian people, and people of Indian descent, have very plummy English accents, as, apparently, India was part of the British Empire once... duh.

OK. with that out of the way. boring film. why is everyone being so kind about this tedious indulgent work? I loved Tenenbaums and Rushmore. excellent movies, but... two duds in a row now.

WA needs to challenge himself much more, this was a lazy ill conceived work. probably wont bother to see another movie by him unless it is a definite change of course.

Red Road (2006)

great cinematography

[7/10 · 18 April 2007]

really excellent cinematography and locations, though deeply influenced by contemporary UK art photography - I spotted Richard Billingham, (dog eating from floor) Paul Graham (party scenes) and Tom Wood (bus and city views) all as major reference points for the visuals. totally worked though, and great references to steal from!

good cast and tension, the music/ sound track annoyed on occasions, but it came together towards the end. brilliant ensemble acting, from everyone down to the smallest of parts - the father in law, the 'mate' the other employees at the surveillance office, all were excellent. a bleak movie, but well worth seeing for anyone interested in gritty film making.

Fur: An Imaginary Portrait of Diane Arbus (2006)

That special Shainberg tone again...

[10/10 · 22 October 2006]

I don't understand how Steven Shainberg does it, but this film has the same great unique style and damn weird tone to it as 'Secretary'. It's smart that he kept the same writer/producer/set designer thang going on, and it shows in the strange kinky ambiance to everything in the movie.

Kidman is good, but I have to say for me is ultimately miscast. Great supporting team, led by Downey who is excellent considering he's working behind masks and without it being a spoiler, I can say there's the oddest shaving scene anyone could wish to watch.

I am a big Arbus fan, and its got the usual issues of portraying someone finding the font of creativity - that never works in movies, but this is a decent try.

I dread to think how many young womens life-paths are going to be altered by this...