An island in New Hampshire: for a magazine commission, a photographer visits the site of a murder in the 1900s together with her lover, his brother and new girlfriend.
In the course of her visit, the murder case is examined using flashbacks.
The films falls on its own seriousness, becoming self-important despite the good acting. I suspect the director wished to make a serious film, but did not, in truth, really know what she wished to say. The film is completely without humour- an essential ingredient in all truly serious art, ironically enough.
Contrast with the same director's "Hurt Locker", which is defintely serious, and yet which contains flashes of dark humour. For it is in humour, far more than tragedy that artists shows their ability to relate to their audiences.
Monday, July 12, 2010
Brüno (2009): review- 6.5/10
Extended satire, using a documentary format, on fashion, flamboyant homosexuality, reality television, celebrity, and conservative American values, with some spontaneous silliness thrown in for the apparant hell of it.
The effect is rather "spattergun", and undirected, but almost always entertaining and often extremely funny.
Though "Bruno", has much of "Borat"'s naivity, he lacks his charm, and the film seems driven by a real anger against contemporary sillinesses.
The effect is rather "spattergun", and undirected, but almost always entertaining and often extremely funny.
Though "Bruno", has much of "Borat"'s naivity, he lacks his charm, and the film seems driven by a real anger against contemporary sillinesses.
The Hurt Locker (2008): review- 8.5/10
The story of three members of a bomb disposal team in Iraq and the tensions arising from their work and their relations.
The film conveys intelligently certain masculine, soldierly attitudes; stoicism, valour, cheerfulness, camraderie, efficiency and aggression: the acting is univerally excellent.
The description of the situation in Iraq is also supurb, full of tension- showing the sense of ambiguity, of uncertainty and strain and the difficulty in defining the enemy.
The film is only let down by the scenes set in the USA, where the lead character's personality bent is given a pat "explanation".
The film conveys intelligently certain masculine, soldierly attitudes; stoicism, valour, cheerfulness, camraderie, efficiency and aggression: the acting is univerally excellent.
The description of the situation in Iraq is also supurb, full of tension- showing the sense of ambiguity, of uncertainty and strain and the difficulty in defining the enemy.
The film is only let down by the scenes set in the USA, where the lead character's personality bent is given a pat "explanation".
Waking Life (2001): review- 8/10
Curious animated film in which the protagonist meets a run of people who espouse a range of philosophies.
Some may find the film naive and rambling, others might see it as Bergsonian; for me, Linklater manages to convey a incredible enthusiasm for his subject, indeed for life itself; and his film has an endearing American optomism about it.
Some may find the film naive and rambling, others might see it as Bergsonian; for me, Linklater manages to convey a incredible enthusiasm for his subject, indeed for life itself; and his film has an endearing American optomism about it.
The Horse Whisperer (1998): review- 8/10
A girl she loses her leg and her friend is killed because of a riding accident. Her horse is also badly hurt.
The film tells the story of how the girl's mother takes her daughter and horse to be psychologically healed at a ranch in Montana.
The film is terribly wholesome, and occasionally twee, but it is so well acted and describes with such care the psychological changes in its characters that it deserves considerable praise.
It is also beautifully shot with a great soundtrack.
The film tells the story of how the girl's mother takes her daughter and horse to be psychologically healed at a ranch in Montana.
The film is terribly wholesome, and occasionally twee, but it is so well acted and describes with such care the psychological changes in its characters that it deserves considerable praise.
It is also beautifully shot with a great soundtrack.
The Cider House Rules (1999): review- 2/10
In Maine: an orphanage, an abortionist and his assistant. The assistant decides to leave the orphange to "make himelf useful": he picks apples.
This is a dawdling, pretentious film that fails to deal with the issues it raises about abortion and identity.
It is also extremely boring.
This is a dawdling, pretentious film that fails to deal with the issues it raises about abortion and identity.
It is also extremely boring.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
A quiet street 2, X-factor
A quiet street 2, oil on card, 6.7 x 13.2 cmThis is the sister painting to that of two days ago, showing the same street but facing the other direction.
To me, this ´picture is less interesting, either because of the excessive use of black paint to mix the greys- which tends to kill the palette- or perhaps the heavier brushwork or perhaps because of some x-factor related to mood, which here is less delicate somehow. The picture was painted from the car because it threatened to rain: this always, obviously, makes one experience the world less keenly.
The notion of an x-factor in making art is one that is critical in distingusing art from craft: a craft object, to me, being one that is capable of being reproduced; while a successful art object contains always the element of surprise and of individual authorship.
*
I am glad to have worked here on a wide scale: it will be nice to do a series of the quiet roads round here. They have their subtle differences of mood which are charming to relate.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
.jpg)
