My last post about the wonderful MIFF2012. Just a quick run- down of the films that I didn’t enjoy. This is a tricky thing, personal responses to the creative arts are just that – personal! And one person’s bread etc., actually I forget that saying, but you know what I mean. Anyway here are those films I chose with high expectations, that in my case were dashed.
First are three that just missed the target, but were pretty good attempts. Having read lots of the first hand accounts of the Beats, including from the women involved I was disappointed in ON THE ROAD. A fine but ultimately failed attempt to transfer book to screen. I think the main problem was the wrong casting for Jack, who is a much more muscular fellow than the one portrayed. Having seen real footage of Neil Cassidy in the film of Ken Kesy’s bus ride (at last Year’s MIFF) I don’t think his peculiar manicness is captured either. So disappointing. I was also disappointed in THE INTOUCHABLES which was highly recommended by many. It should have been compelling; a true story of an unlikely coupling. An immigrant in trouble with the law is hired by very rich quadriplegic guy as his full time carer. I can’t believe there would have been no conflict when these two came together, but the story in the film seems sanitized. Resulting in no real emotional engagement by the viewer. It can’t have been that easy! Best bit for me was the footage of the two real people on whom it is based, seen together as the credits rolled. Another disapointment was THE HUNT. Mads Mikkelsen who I like a lot (from TV’s Unit One as much as anything) just played the usual Mads character, not much range – steely resolve while being tested to the limit. I am not sure why he won Best Actor at Cannes for this performance. The little girl who accuses him of abuse is great – a nose straight out of Bewitched. If this is how the Swedish legal system works – quick to judge and then escalate without much right to hear and respond to accusations – it makes you worry for Julian Assange. Nasty local response to accusations, severing of friendships and then it is all over – or is it. A bit unsatisfactory.
Then there were the truly bad ones. I gave all of these a bare one star. Three terrible French ones. LE GRAND SOIR was too slow, flagging where it was going miles in advance, unattractive leads, two brothers raging against modern French life, but chucking everything in and attacking ordinary people going about their business, including an attempted rape at a wedding reception. Not very appealing. THE MINISTER was a whacky exploration of political life. Perhaps I was hampered by lack of knowledge of the French system of government but dreams about nude women being swallowed by crocodiles and dismembered bodies in car crashes put me off. Bits were realistic – the media requirements, policy reversals and inter Ministerial rivalry are features of modern politics everywhere. But I certainly didn’t care what happened to this Minister. A documentary about Serge Gainsbourg was excruciating. There were actually two; SOUVENIRS OF SERGE was a montage of home movies taken and breathlessly voiced by Jane Birkin was bearable for a look inside the lives of the rich and famous, though too long. The second, GAINSBOURG BY GAINSBOURG: AN INTIMATE LIFE was self-serving rubbish. Focussed on singing and women – both aspects unappealing. No insights into why he was ever an influential figure in France – the Andy Warhol of his time and place. His final appearance at a huge stadium as an older man, being feted by an adoring crowd was grotesque! I wondered about whether there is a French sensibility here that I am missing. But there are many French films that I love. A mystery.
DARK HORSE was described as a compelling study of self delusion but was nothing of the kind. Christopher Walken and Mia Farrow could not save this silly, pompous film. Intended as a modern fable about the need to grow up (I think) the jerk of a son stayed a jerk, his girlfriend was a goose and his parents mad. So proves good actors can’t make up for lack of vision. MODEST RECEPTION was a well made Iranian film with very attractive actors and fantastic scenery. But it was an increasingly nasty story of a brother and sister giving away money, and asking people to do increasingly awful things to get it. And never clear about why. Left very sour feelings about humanity.
ALMAYER’S FOLLY was just too slowly moving (oh so slow!) to engage an audience – at least me. There were some nice Conradian bits – the wooden ship sliding through the black waters, Captain at the helm looking soulful; lush green jungle, pouring rain, open verandahed house. But oh so slow, and such cliched characters. Wagner’s music couldn’t compensate! LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE was very disappointing. Lots of interior car shots well done. A taxi ride to an out of the way location, taxi driver wondering and probably guessing correctly the purpose of the journey, a prostitute on her way to a client. That client, a professor, muddled and having his small expectations disappointed. Still driving her to Uni next day but with no words of advice about her predicament, him in the car with her violently jealous boyfriend – some words of advice here, but to what end? Nothing interesting to say. Stock characters. No resolution but who cared? Not me.
OSLO 31 was a gloomy, a day in the life of a recovering drug addict, but no insights into why, except perhaps the suggestion that his problems weren’t about addiction, but the fact he was a spoilt brat wreaking havoc on those around him. We follow him on a day put of rehab: seeing old friends, hanging around like a bad vibe. Predictable and dreary. 7 DAYS IN HAVANA was a disappointing, occasionally diverting, series of vignettes illustrating ordinary life in Cuba. Grime, frugality, music, spiritualism. Local singer is tempted to leave it all for a sleazy Spanish music impresario. A psychologist is forced to take catering work to make ends meet. An American tourist is taken for a ride – several in fact. Drunken movie director attending film festival to receive the Red Coral award discovers a trumpet playing taxi driver. A young woman is subjected to a voodoo ceremony to overcome lesbian tendencies. Tenants of a building build a shrine in response to a dream. Certainly not tourism bait.
Seeing a bad film gets you thinking about the craft of film-making. What went wrong? Characterization – schmaltzy or offensive or vacant? Casting – good actors in the wrong roles? Speed of story-telling – too fast or slow? Vision – does the Director have something to say or are we meandering around the place? Seeing a bad film makes you really appreciate the good ones. Gives some insight in what it takes to get all of the elements right and then, in the great films, to get that extra depth and emotional involvement. All too rare.
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