Gummo (1997) Review

Title: Gummo
Year: 1997
Director: Harmony Korine
Country: US
Language: English

Audiences have very visceral, polarizing reactions to Harmony Korine's controversial film Gummo. Some people find it to be disgusting poverty exploitation, while others find it a remarkable, innovative venture into a rarely seen part of low-income America. I was warned - and advised - to see this surreal, haunting film. I didn't think I could get through it, because honestly it is quite depressing, but I did and I found myself astounded by the images onscreen. 

In this, lonely residents of a tornado-stricken Ohio town wander the deserted landscape trying to fulfill their boring, nihilistic lives.

Objecting to traditional narrative, Harmony Korine instead opts for a disjointed, non-linear, documentary-style storytelling that is steeped in experimental film-making. Lacking a clear plot; instead we get fractured snippets of the resident's lives marked by a grainy cinematography and frequent use of disorienting shots. It all comes together to create an unsettling feeling that our characters are a product of their bleak environment. 

The film is chaotic; with moments of violence, neglect and absurdity. In one infamous scene, there is a child having a bath in brown water, while eating dinner consisting of spaghetti and a strawberry milkshake. In another scene adults are having a furious fight against a chair. Few Directors are actually interested in exploring the lives of the lowest class, so in a way, this is fairly innovative. The types of people portrayed in this film do exist; they may even be our family members. 

Gummo is a very raw, unfiltered look at the human condition. Its anarchic nature is oddly endearing to me, albeit I found a lot of the material upsetting rather than funny. It's a hard recommendation for sure, but if you like experimental cinema then you might find this absurdly enjoyable. 

The Babadook (2014) Review

Title: The Babadook
Year: 2014
Director: Jennifer Kent
Country: Australia
Language: English

"If it's an a word, or if it's in a look, you can't get rid of the Babadook." Australian writer-director Jennifer Kent crafted an endlessly rewatchable horror movie icon with The Babadook. The film is a frightening, and fun, psychological horror that explores themes of mental health, in particular grief. In retrospect it helped usher in a renaissance of  spooky films (Midsommar, Get Out) that challenged convention with challenging and innovative narratives. 

A single mother (Eddie Davis) and her child (Noah Wiseman) fall into a deep well of paranoia when an eerie children's book titled "Mister Babadook" manifests in their home.

The Babadook is a sophisticated technical masterpiece. The set design was created in such a way that the film, excluding outdoor scenes, looks like its part of a stage performance akin to Lars Von Trier's Dogville. The director uses our imagination to build up The Babadook and then delivers on our expectations to frightening cinematic reality. Cinematographer Radoslaw Ladczuk does a tremendous job at making each scene as claustrophobic and eerie as possible. 

The Babadook walks a fine line between reality and fantasy; we're never quite sure if the Babadook is a real monster or the product of a mind gone mad. The effects, many of them practical, give the picture an uncanny valley feel. Kent truly innovates the horror genre by using the eponymous villain to deconstruct our characters' emotional turmoil and create an alarming profile of a maternal affection gone haywire. 

Comparisons could be made to Stanley Kubrick's The Shining in regards to the film's careful analysis of mental illness. The Babadook is a remarkable film, a new staple of the horror genre that will inevitably be considered a classic. I look forward to rewatching it in the future. 

Empire Records (1995) Review

Title: Empire Records
Year: 1995
Director: Allen Moyle
Country: US
Language: English

There are few movies so undeniably 90's like Empire Records. The film is a snapshot of the culture at the time; fully capturing the youthful spirit that permeated throughout society. The film has an edge, a counter-culture attitude that seems to be missing from the 2020's. It features actors that would later go on to become big movie stars, including Liv Tyler, Renée Zellweger, Rory Cochrane, and Johnny Whitworth.

The film is about Twenty-four hours in the lives of the young employees at Empire Records when they all grow up and become young adults thanks to each other and the manager. They all face the store joining a chain store with strict rules.

Set in a record store, the soundtrack proves to be an eclectic mix of '90s rock and alternative anthems, including tracks by Gin Blossoms, The Cranberries, and Better Than Ezra. The music compliments Empire Records' tone, elevating dramatic moments when appropriate, and providing levity during funnier moments. The film hits a strong emotional nerve, capturing the chaos of youth and the bittersweet moments of adolescence. 

Empire Records is not perfect however; it is a bit disjointed and awkwardly paced. Character issues are not fully resolved, and some moments are off-putting with how bizarre they become. It's a quirky film with a tremendous amount of soul, but the surreal moments in an otherwise down-to-earth movie might rub people the wrong way. I can honestly see how people could go either way with this movie.

I think Empire Records is an important movie that. at the very least, will serve as a nice slice of nostalgia for older Millennials and Gen X-ers. I was 4 years old when this movie hit theatres, I don't fully see myself in these characters, but I still connect with them on an emotional level. I hope today's youth can as well. 

 

Django Unchained (2012) Review

Title: Django Unchained
Year: 2012
Director: Quentin Tarantino
Country: US
Language: English

After Kill Bill Vol.2 (2004) I took a long break from the filmography of Quentin Tarantino. I didn't have an appreciation for his style of gratuitous, hyper stylized violence. Specifically, I felt that Inglorious Basterds & Django Unchained could be exploitative, and offend the marginalized groups that the film portrays. However, my opinion on Tarantino's films changed when I saw Once Upon A Time in Hollywood (2019) and now I'm willing to give Django my full attention. 

With the help of a German bounty-hunter (Christoph Waltz), a freed slave (Jamie Foxx) sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner in Mississippi.

Django Unchained is Tanrantino's remix of the American Western; referencing dozens of classics throughout cinema to construct a revenge film that is unapologetically brutal. The film's treatment of its subject matter - slavery and racism - straddles a line between exploitation and truth. It shows the dehumanizing effects of slavery, and the horrors of it, but too often it injects humor in places where it's not appropriate for the scene, which undercuts the established tension. 

Tarantino does a great job at making Django look like a superstar. The cinematography, score and editing do a tremendous job in framing the character as a "Man with No Name" hyper-masculine badass. The film's antagonist, Calvin Candie (Leonardo DiCaprio) is also a formidable foe. DiCaprio acts his ass off to make Candie a memorable character. A less capable Director might have made Django look like a Marvel film. 

Thankfully, Django Unchained is in the hands of one of the rare cinema auteurs. Its writing, directing and cinematography is unmistakably Tarantino. Its costume, set design and production is incredible, evoking Spaghetti Westerns of old. I enjoyed the film and would recommend it. 

Barry Lyndon (1975) Review

Title: Barry Lyndon
Year: 1975
Director: Stanley Kubrick
Country: UK
Language: English

I've heard about Stanley Kubrick's Barry Lyndon since I was a teenager, watching A Clockwork Orange (1971) and Eyes Wide Shut (1999) in secret. I've been a big fan of his work, but I suspected that at least one of his films would be a dud. Barry Lyndon is a 3 hours long period piece that isn't a talking pointin popular culture anymore. Lyndon has to be the dud...right? I'm not going to waste that much time on a bad movie that's abs- oh wait, it's a MASTERPIECE!? Every frame looks like a painting!? Its easily one of the best Kubricks!? Oh my! 

An Irish rogue (Ryan O'Neal) wins the heart of a rich widow and assumes her dead husband's aristocratic position in 18th-century England.

Initially Kubrick had set out to make a film about Napoleon, but financing collapsed. Despite the setback, he chose to adapt an obscure novel, The Luck of Barry Lyndon, for the big screen. It's a fairly balanced film, in terms of drama and comedy, that reminds me of Best Picture winner Tom Jones (1963). Both characters are dumbasses who stumble upwardly into wealth & nobility. Both characters create their own problems that are somehow resolved via blind luck. Both are rare films that make a mockery of nobility, while also being in reverence of it.

Barry Lyndon is a gorgeous film; its set design and scene composition allows each frame to look like a painting. It is a lavish, opulent piece of exquisite cinema that allows a breathtaking score, remarkable cinematography and beautiful costume design to flourish. Honestly, this is one of the best looking films I have ever seen. Its a lengthy film, but no minute is wasted in giving an encompassing, engaging story. Its use of natural lighting - many scenes are shot in candlelight  - is utterly remarkable. 

Barry Lyndon is a must-watch for anybody who is interested in Kubrick. It is a great film that certainly has become one of my favourites. A technical marvel - every sequence is a sight to behold. 

Marie Antoinette (2006) Review

Title: Marie Antoinette
Year: 2006
Director: Sophia Coppola
Country: US
Language: English

I avoided Sophia Coppola's Marie Antoinette (2006) for a long time because I had a strong distaste for period movies with modern soundtracks. I felt that Bow Wow's I Want Candy had no place in 18th Century aristocratic France. However, overtime my tastes have changed. Not every film has to have the period accurate film score of Milos Forman's Amadeus (1984). Therefore I decided to give this a chance...and I'm glad I did! 

This is the retelling of France's iconic but ill-fated queen, Marie Antoinette (Kirsten Dunst). From her betrothal and marriage to Louis XVI  (Jason Shwartzman) at 14 to her reign as queen at 19 and to the end of her reign as queen, and ultimately the fall of Versailles.

Something else that would have triggered me into a rant would be Marie Antoinette's complete lack of interest in politics. The film briefly discusses the trials and tribulations of the time, "My dear, you're overspending/" but its interest primarily lies in the character study of a woman overwhelmed by strange customs and her desire to escape via lavish parties. It's more a commentary patriarchy, the absurdity of rigid customs, and what it means to be a woman. It is quite difficult to empathize with the absurdly wealthy, but this film does a good job at constructing a complex character. 

Like Kubrick's Barry Lyndon, Marie Antoinette is a vibrant picture filled with magnificent set design, eye-popping costumes and remarkable cinematography. Kirsten Dunst truly shines as the alleged "let them eat cake" queen of France. I actually was impressed with the soundtrack, as it gave the film a modern feel; giving it more accessibility to younger audiences who might be put off by a period piece. 

I went into the viewing expecting to dislike the film, but I'm glad I was wrong. Marie Antoinette was a joy to watch, even during the sadder moments (hey, she sort of deserved her fate). Sophia Coppola has an excellent cinematography, she's a director who proves my skepticism wrong on every occasion. 

I Walked With a Zombie (1943) Review

Title: I Walked With a Zombie
Year: 1943
Director: Jacques Tourneur
Country: US
Language: English

I have a great affection for RKO Studios' films of the 1940's. From grand melodramas like Orson Welles' Citizen Kane to creepy thrillers like Jacques Tourneur's Cat People (1942), the studio is a showcase for old Hollywood classics. I Walked With a Zombie (1943) is a studio film that alluded me for quite some time. I imagined it being a lesser version of Night of The Living Dead, but actually the film is far more about an atmosphere of dread, rather than a creature feature. 

A nurse (Francis Dee) is hired to care for the wife of a sugar plantation owner, who has been acting strangely, on a Caribbean island.

I Walked With a Zombie is Val Lewton's second collaboration with Tournuer, who had directed Cat People a year prior. The story, partially lifted from Jane Eyre, is a powerful story about the power of belief, free will, race relations, and the problematic history of our ancestors. It is a film remarkably ahead of its time in regards to its anti-colonialist message; showing how African culture could be co-opted by the white man as an element of control. 

Director Tourneur and cinematographer J. Roy Hunt give us a surreal macabre film that jolts the senses in both a visual and audio presentation. Each time we hear the sound of the villagers' drums our hearts beat with more intensity. I Walked With a Zombie also has power in its silence; there are many quiet scenes that rattle the senses.