Oh man I'll have to watch that. Thanks for the tip.
I saw him interview Wes in a video last year, and it was awesome to see them shoot the shit, especially as indie filmmakers from Texas who have that camaraderie. It's funny they went on to both be Oscar nominees (who both lost, but you know).
A man is murdered, and chasing up the beneficiary turns what should be a regular pay job into a hunt for the person that contracted the murder. The insurance investigator is a little too keen if you ask me...
Great piece of noir, with the story essentially being told through flashbacks, as the investigator, Jim Reardon, talks to anyone involved with the murdered man, and slowly pieces the story together. Classic noir story, with tense dialogue, double crosses, shoot outs and shadows, those shadows. I didn't feel it was as rich as the other Siodmak directed feature which I saw earlier this year, with this having more clearly defined characters of who is good and bad. The story was more clear cut and a little more predictable, but it was still a masterclass of well directed film. Everything looked great, and the staging of some scenes was pretty fantastic.
I likey.
8/10
My Colt is My Passport
Another noir, this one is from Japan. More of a yakuza picture, with a contracted hitman becoming the target of a gang after taking out their boss, and the gang who contracted the killer virtually wiping their hands clean of him once they pay him for the job.. I found this more interesting because each time the hitman and his partner tried to escape Japan, it always failed. It was like the world was slowly crumbling around them, and it was interesting to watch a normally calm and collect man under such pressure. There was this tense feeling that around any corner there could be a goon from the gang behind a door, waiting with a shotgun.
Also the lack of a hideout, and the two of them having to stay in a small hotel made the claustrophobia feel more intense. There was a love story, but it never felt forced, and in many ways it never even felt like a love story, more of a mutual need to escape their situation. The ending to this part of the story was heartbreaking, and well done.
The final showdown was great, and the way it ended was unexpected, but awesome. I heartily rec this one for fans of Seijun Suzuki's work, although it's much more plot based and a lot less surreal.
No change from the last time I saw it, still great. Thought I feel this time, knowing the story as I went in, the opening was more symbolic. Crispin Glover's speech gave more of a meaning on later events, rather than just a madman's ravings. Maybe William Blake was always dead, and the train ride to "hell" was his trip to purgatory.
As his journey continued, Nobody was his guide through to the otherside.
Just a thought.
Also this is quite bittersweet, it's Mike D'Angelo's review of a film on Letterboxd with a foreword, explaining that it was meant for The Dissolve. I'll post the relevant information here;
"Sadly, this turned out to be the last review I ever wrote for The Dissolve, which unexpectedly had its plug pulled on Tuesday afternoon. (I'd been assigned Irrational Man and Alléluia for next week, but obviously that won't be happening.) Since it's never going to run on the site, I'll reproduce it below. Thanks for two great years, Team Dissolve. It was a privilege and an honor to contribute every week; I'll miss Scott's weekly email of review options, which always bore the enthusiastic subject line "Movies!" The Dissolve philosophy in a nutshell."
I don't even know what to say about this, it's so strange. The film doesn't really start, it more or less fades into view, and then things just start happening. It never really settles, which is kinda nice for a thriller. You're never comfortable, you don't have a grasp on the story. Everything seems to move a step ahead of the viewer, with all the symbolism and unexplained information being shared in conversations, as the viewer I felt I was simply playing catch up. The story reminded me of Dead Ringers, but with a still, stale air surrounding everything, making what Cronenberg made feel off kilter and strange down right creepy. The film feels stuffy, with a mouldy and dusty look to everything. The film is very yellow and sepia, but it's not a warm yellow, it's a sick, putrid yellow. Like mustard. I hate mustard.
I felt echoes of Lynch through out, but as I said, the film is very still. It moves at a snail's pace, with a lot of tension just being drawn from the cinematography and extended shots of Jake Gyllenhaal's various troubled expressions. It has a surreal feel, but purely because of the way it begins, and the slow, uneasy feel of the film. And the occasional spiders, of course. I liked the wives of the main character(s), I wanted them to play a bigger role, but how, I'm not sure. It's definitely what I look for in a film, and I was fascinated much more by this than other films I've seen which I've given higher ratings. The thing is that I don't know if the obtuseness of the film worked, or if it hampered my enjoyment. All in all, it kinda left me confused, it will definitely be one to revisit.
Comments
He's even done one for Fanny & Alexander @Dallas
But smarter.
The Killers
Also the lack of a hideout, and the two of them having to stay in a small hotel made the claustrophobia feel more intense. There was a love story, but it never felt forced, and in many ways it never even felt like a love story, more of a mutual need to escape their situation. The ending to this part of the story was heartbreaking, and well done.
The final showdown was great, and the way it ended was unexpected, but awesome. I heartily rec this one for fans of Seijun Suzuki's work, although it's much more plot based and a lot less surreal.
Maybe William Blake was always dead, and the train ride to "hell" was his trip to purgatory.
Also this is quite bittersweet, it's Mike D'Angelo's review of a film on Letterboxd with a foreword, explaining that it was meant for The Dissolve.
I'll post the relevant information here;
The story reminded me of Dead Ringers, but with a still, stale air surrounding everything, making what Cronenberg made feel off kilter and strange down right creepy. The film feels stuffy, with a mouldy and dusty look to everything. The film is very yellow and sepia, but it's not a warm yellow, it's a sick, putrid yellow. Like mustard. I hate mustard.
I felt echoes of Lynch through out, but as I said, the film is very still. It moves at a snail's pace, with a lot of tension just being drawn from the cinematography and extended shots of Jake Gyllenhaal's various troubled expressions. It has a surreal feel, but purely because of the way it begins, and the slow, uneasy feel of the film. And the occasional spiders, of course.
I liked the wives of the main character(s), I wanted them to play a bigger role, but how, I'm not sure.
It's definitely what I look for in a film, and I was fascinated much more by this than other films I've seen which I've given higher ratings. The thing is that I don't know if the obtuseness of the film worked, or if it hampered my enjoyment.
All in all, it kinda left me confused, it will definitely be one to revisit.
http://l.gamespot.com/1HEmUyV
you'll be posting about Joe Dirt II over and over.
*a year from now*
"Hey guys, it's actually pretty good"