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kilorilee
Being gunlike, gunesque, gunonic.
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The Bourne Supremacy (2004)
choppy chop-socky *minor spoilers*
The Bourne Supremacy is a flawed sequel compared to the Bourne Identity. The formerly baby-faced Matt Damon burned off his fatty cheeks for the first movie, but he still isn't convincing as a stone-faced, unfeeling killer. He pulls off the athletic moves well but seems a bit of a miscast, especially with the female balance from the first movie playing a lesser part. Listening to the director's commentary, intentions of portraying Bourne as a "seeker of truth denied" did not go so well either.
The editing has got to be the worst part of the movie. Sure, the MTV-style edits are excellent and wholly complement the quick-draw, Kali-trained fists of Jason Bourne, but they absolutely do not work for CIA office politics. The talkie parts cut and swung back and forth like an undisciplined drunken ninja, from the steely Landy to the wily Abbot, giving each maybe three seconds (I counted) before cutting away again. Maybe it suggests chaos, competition and conflict, but it came across as amateur, as if a naked hairy circus strongman were to suddenly appear on frame, and they had to do a big CIA cover-up through editing. I did enjoy the exposition, but the camera-work just did not fit. Another plus is the fantastic European setting, although they cut away from the scenery and did not use it to its fullest. Moderate effort, but I would stick with The Bourne Identity.
La chute de la maison Usher (1928)
Gothic love and longing, 7.5/10
**minor spoilers**
In my room right now is a paperback collection of Poe's stories, which contains the Fall of the House of Usher. From that, and the summaries I've read, the text is more darker and more sinister than this movie, which says a lot.
The movie does a good job of capturing the mood of the text with scant words, translating an entire short story into little more than twenty or so inter-title screens. Surprisingly eerie shots of Roderick's face, billowing curtains, a haunting soundtrack and Madeline's degenerating form create a sense of dread and macabre. Certain scenes involving cats and toads highlight the dread and unnatural nature of the Usher state in a comical way. And what can only be described as a weird cross between a getting' crunk hip hop video and a Satanic ritual works surprisingly well to highlight the plodding nature of time and arduous task at hand, as well as being unique for the sake of being unique. However, besides the Usher's creepiness and the amicability of the narrator/Allan (a true friend till the end), I didn't know what to think or make of the characters until the end.
The slightly more optimistic twist of the original story brings everything together and creates sympathy for the weird characters by demonizing the house even more. It's a prison driving them mad, not the Usher's parasitic relationship. See this if you want a relatively happy variation of Poe's stories that works well. I think this film is incredibly accessible, a lot more than the text anyway.
Goods: the dread and spookiness, close up shots of the objects in the house, a positive spin on things, "hip-hop" coffin Bads: the first third... and the general direction less aim of the characters may put you off a bit at first, but the movie is only an hour long