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gudpaljoey
Reviews
Happiness (1998)
A funny picture but...
The writer/director has authored a fascinating movie that is technically brilliant and he's assembled an outstanding cast of actors that don't miss a beat. Every role is well cast with veterans like Ben Gazarra and newcomers like Hoffman. The picture is rich in irony and avoids satire which justifies its description as a dark comedy. My main issue after seeing it was to try to understand the film's purpose. I like ambiguity but this movie tears me between humor and pathos. If the film maker wanted me to laugh, he was successful. Even at the aberrant behavior of its characters. But when the laughter ends, like in the emotional scene between the perverted father and his son, this viewer felt guilty for laughing in the first place. Am I to think of aberrant sexuality as amusing? Are we to glory in someone who rapes women over the telephone, or who sodomizes 11 year old kids? If that's the purpose, then it denies any nobility the picture otherwise has. Without that scene, and the feeling of being jerked around, we have a picture about the strange routes that some of us take to achieve happiness, and I can have a guilt-free laugh at their foolishness.
French Cancan (1955)
Wonderful film
I just viewed Jean Renoir's wonderful film, French Can Can. It is a visual delight and a great entertainment. The recently produced Moulin Rouge pales by comparison. I didn't quite get all of the praise that the recent movie received. Now I'm convinced more than ever, that my appraisal was correct after seeing a master film maker like Jean Renoir's version of the same story. He succeeded in getting great performances out of his entire cast, and the great French actor, Jean Gabin was in rare form. The dance sequence near the end was one of the most exciting one I'd ever seen. It was long, but I didn't want it to end. This film deserves to receive more recognition than it's got.
Historias mínimas (2002)
Umberto D in Patagonia
A charming film that reveals the innocence still remaining in the world. Mr. Sorin takes us to desolate Patagonia to find it. The performance of the old man was magnificent, and it reminded me of DeSica's wonderful Umberto D. The film allowed me to meet lovable characters in a simple romp through one of the more desolate places on earth. Yet the photographer has squeezed considerable beauty out of the landscape. I was intrigued by the musical background, which sounded something like cajun. Also impressive was the way Mr. Sorin got performances out of unprofessional players that were not self-conscious in the least. This film is definitely family fare without being boring for adult viewing.