A Man For All Seasons (1966) Review

 Title: A Man For All Seasons
Year: 1966
Director: Fred Zinnemann
Country: UK
Language: English

A Man For All Seasons  won six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Paul Scofield). It's a dialogue heavy, well made film about one's moral conviction in the face of political turmoil. Based on a true story, the film's principle lessons are as relevant now (see: Kaepernick taking a knee) as they were when the film came out. 

This is the story of Sir Thomas More (Peter Scofield) , who stood up to King Henry VIII (Robert Shaw) when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.

"When a man takes an oath," Sir Thomas explains to his daughter Margaret in a crucial scene, "he’s holding his own self in his hands. Like water." The film is full of poetic dialogue, which helps craft the time period and give us well rounded characters. 

A Man For All Seasons also has an excellent score, remarkable set design and glorious costuming. The cinematography and art direction capture the opulence of the Tudor period. The grandeur onscreen is admirable; it's a rich film that deserves to be admired by generations to come. 

The film's incredible attention to detail absorbs the viewer into a bygone era. A Man for All Seasons is a beautiful counter-culture anti-establishment film that will surpass your expectations. 

Smooth Talk (1985) Review

Title: Smooth Talk
Year: 1985
Director: Joyce Chopra
Country: US
Language: English

Adapted from Joyce Carol Oates' short story "Where are you going? Where have you been?" Smooth Talk is a remarkable time capsule picture that captures the exuberance, energy, and danger of being a teenage girl in the 1980's. Director Joyce Chopra creates an intoxicating narrative revolving around the transition period between youth and adulthood. 

In this,  a free-spirited 15-year-old girl (Laura Dern) flirts with a dangerous stranger (Treat Williams) in the Northern California suburbs and must prepare herself for the frightening and traumatic consequences.

Smooth Talk is beautifully shot; we are treated to incredible shots of beautiful girls and sun-soaked landscapes. The first half of the film is a construction of Laura Dern's character. We really get to know this girls' world, her growing pains, and generational conflict with her mother. The initial innocence of the picture slowly builds into a semi-horror movie when a stalker named Arnold Friend shows up. 

The writing, staging, acting, direction and score all add to a well-crafted picture that is compelling throughout as it deconstructs an age of innocence. Its exploration of human nature, in the context of sexuality and power, proves to be quite captivating. 

Prior to this picture, I only remembered seeing Laura Dern in Noah Baumbach's Marriage Story. She has had a pretty long film career that I am certainly going to check out. I recommend you doing the same. 

             

Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) Review

Title: Killers of the Flower Moon
Year: 2023
Director: Martin Scorsese
Country: US
Language: English

Martin Scorsese's Killers o f the Flower Moon is releasing at an interesting time in Canadian Indigenous politics. The public inquiry regarding investigations into Missing and Murdered Indigenous women is steadily increasing. The demand to search Canadian landfills for remains has put enormous pressure on politicians. On a monthly basis we're finding mass graves of residential school victims.
 

When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one - until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.

Scorsese's film highlights the historical injustices that faced the indigenous peoples of North America. The negative affects of colonization and forced assimilation are present in Killers of the Flower Moon. The casual racism that was accepted during this time period proves shocking and accurate. 

On a technical level, this film is one of Scorsese's best works. The score, by Robbie Robertson, plays like a haunting heartbeat. The set design, costuming and cinematography perfectly capture the time period. The editing is remarkable as the pace is brisk. The acting, by pretty much everybody, is A level. Lily Gladstone doesn't talk much, but her body language tells us a tremendous amount about the scene. 

Although I do wish we had even more of the indigenous perspective, I think Killers of the Flower Moon will be considered a classic a decade from now, similar to There Will Be Blood. This was a great cinematic experience; I look forward to watching it again. 

Nashville (1975) Review

Title: Nashville
Year: 1975
Director: Robert Altman
Country: US
Language: English

Directed by Robert Altman, Nashville is a classic American picture that won me over with its remarkable soundtrack. The bluegrass music is a character in itself as it paints a picture of a country transformed by the hopes, dreams and politics of the day. 

Over the course of a few hectic days in Nashville, numerous interrelated people prepare for a political convention.

The stories of an ensemble cast of characters are intertwined in a surprisingly palatable way. Altman's use of a sprawling camera and long tracking shots, in addition to flowing & overlapping dialogue allow us to weave in and out of these people's lives. It feels simultaneously intimate and epic. 

In creating a rich tapestry of characters,  Nashville also manages to show what life was like in the 1970's. it explores the bridge between entertainment and politics, the power of celebrity, the power of music and the search for meaning in a post Vietnam world. 

Nashville didn't immediately make an impression upon me, but as the film unfolded I found myself quite touched by this impressive artistic feature. I will certainly see this again to get more depth our of it, 

After Hours (1985) Review

Title: After Hours
Year: 1985
Director: Martin Scorsese
Country: US
Language: English

 A departure from Martin Scorsese's typical gangster affair, After Hours is a unique, underappreciated gem within his impressive filmography. Apart from Silence (2016) I think its my favourite Scorsese flick. For my money, the film is his most surreal, suspenseful and inventive work/

In this, an ordinary word processor (Friffin Dunne) has the worst night of his life after he agrees to visit a girl in Soho he met that evening at a coffee shop.

Cinematographer Michael Ballhaus  uses his camera to compose shots that create an eerie and otherworldly atmosphere. The use of lighting and the film's score add to a surreal tone, appropriate for this Kafka-esque tale. 

The writing is remarkable; perfectly blending dark comedy with intense thriller elements. The story begins innocently and slowly escalates into increasingly absurd situations. After Hours is a creative, imaginative picture that will keep you excited throughout the picture. 

After Hours is a cult classic that deserves to be seen by a much wider audiences. Thankfully Criterion Collection has released this picture on 4K and Blu Ray. I will be certainly buying this to show my friends. 

Fear of a Black Hat (1993) Review

 Title: Fear of a Black Hat
Year: 1982
Director: Rusty Cundieff
Country: US
Language: English

Fear of a Black Hat (1993) is a mockumentary that makes fun of political hip-hop/rap movements like NWA and Public Enemy (the title being a take on their Fear of a Black Planet album). It's an attempt to be a more urban This is Spinal Tap, but unlike that picture this film misses the mark on its humor. 

Fear of a Black Hat chronicles the rise and fall of NWH, a not particularly talented--or particularly bright but always controversial--hip-hop group.

The "satire" presented to us is little more than lazily written dad jokes. "There's Iced Tea, Iced Box, Iced Water..."  I get it, every character is a slightly different variation of their real life counterpart. "This is Vanilla Sherbert!" Every scenario our characters are put in reinforce negative stereotypes instead of challenging or subverting our expectations. 

Weird Al could make a better point about the 90's rap industry in a 5 minute music video. Fear of a Black Hat lacks any depth or nuance; its message is muddled in a plot that often meanders and feels disjointed. I felt bored more often than I was amused. 

Fear of a Black Hat's reliance on using stereotypes to amuse its audience makes the picture feel immediately dated. I wanted to like this as much as I did other satires (see: The WeirdAl Story) but instead I found myself impatiently waiting for it to end. 

No Stars

Chan is Missing (1982) Review

Title: Chan is Missing
Year: 1982
Director: Wayne Wang
Country: US
Language: Mandarin/English

Chan is Missing (1982) is a culturally groundbreaking film that explores identity. cultural displacement, and the complexities regarding Chinese integration into the melting pot of American society. Prior to watching this film I had no idea that Chinese Americans faced so much turmoil and angst in North America. This is an eye opening experience. 

The film follows two Chinese-American cab drivers, Jo and Steve, as they embark on a quest to find their missing friend, Chan Hung. The film unfolds against the backdrop of San Francisco's Chinatown, 

This detective narrative alone would be intriguing enough, but director Wayne Wang enhances the film by exploring cultural stereotypes and misconceptions. By weaving humor, drama and social commentary, Chan is Missing  becomes a nuanced exploration into empathy. 

This picture was groundbreaking at the time, and remains incredibly compelling. Its documentary-style approach, complete with non-actors and handheld cameras gives the film a unique visual flair that ought to be seen by new generations of cinephiles.