tankjonah Reviews

Enemy (2013)

Brilliant, tense battle between the Id, Ego and Superego

[9/10 · 8 November 2015]

A History professor (Jake Gyllenhaal) becomes aware of a bit-part actor who is his exact double. When he decides to contact and meet him, the actor's pregnant wife (Sarah Gadon) becomes suspicious given her husband's philandering past and the professor begins to have second thoughts. An astonishing film by Denis Villeneuve this is brilliantly tense throughout and a genuine mystery that deserves multiple viewings.

The acting is impressive (particularly Gadon whose dawning horror that her husband may have a split personality is brilliantly conveyed) and there's enough symbolism and seemingly random scenes that deserve scrutiny.

Ultimately, I read the film as, among other things (e.g masculinity's fear of control/domestication), a clash between Gyllenhaal's Id, Ego and Superego that have manifested with the actor representing the Id who is trying to be reigned in by the Ego and, especially, the Superego. The Id represents the selfish, wandering male who can't bear to be tied down to the one woman and the Ego wants the Id to experience his sexual desire to be/see other women in 'socially acceptable' ways; hence the sex/gentleman's club represents a necessarily crucial element where attendance is far more forgivable than cheating on your wife/girlfriend. Then there's the Superego of professor Jake who is trying to guide actor Jake to the morally appropriate action of staying with his wife, avoiding sex clubs and especially avoiding his true desire to stray.

Does his girlfriend (played by Melanie Laurent) even actually exist or is she merely a fantasy of actor Jake's desire to escape the web of marriage/domestication? I think she ultimately does exist on some level; his wife has strongly implied that he's cheated on her in the past (perhaps with Laurent). However, when he does take this bait again it ends disastrously, the car crash's shattered windscreen is, not coincidentally, just like a spiderweb as it symbolises his trapped life. His wife, at the end, symbolised by the giant tarantula (ironically, they don't spin webs) epitomises his fear of what marriage and fatherhood will mean, but interestingly the tarantula strongly recoils against him when he walks in as she perhaps fears his inability to remain faithful and not hurt her (emotionally) again.

This is a great, or close to great, film. It's an intelligent and cynical look at fidelity and masculinity and to top it off, its creepiness and mood of unease throughout, pushes it into the horror genre.

The Human Centipede 2 (Full Sequence) (2011)

Far better than the first.

[7/10 · 13 December 2011]

A semi-retarded underground car park attendant (Laurence R. Harvey) obsessed with the film The Human Centipede gradually kidnaps enough victims so he can make his own 12 person centipede.

Well acted by Harvey, well made and well shot; the cinematography suits the grim, grimy surrounds and this is a vast improvement over the first with the superior acting and some characterisation. For most of the film you may ask, what is the point? You also need to suspend disbelief; are we really expected to believe that Harvey, whose intelligence is obviously below average, is really able to carry off his plan and set up one of the actresses from the first film (Ashlynn Yennie) to meet with him thinking he's involved in casting for a Tarantino film? All of this nonsense and indeed the former question, I think, are answered by a very clever twist ending which suggests that all we have seen is merely a fantasy of Harvey's. The former question is then answered with the idea that the film is suggesting that perhaps there are concerning effects on viewers of these types of films, which is, of course, highly ironic. Ultimately, the film's raison d'tre is the gore and depravity and here, thanks to laxatives forced upon his 'creation', the audience views faeces splurting out of anuses and into and out of mouths of the next link. Scenes, such as this are, of course, disgusting but at the same time amusing in their depravity and absurdity. There are genuine gore moments such as one of the victims, a bullying brute who often terrorised Harvey and his mother, having his teeth hammered out and a scene where he later tears his stapled mouth away from the anus he's attached to. Certainly recommended for gore fans.

Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)

Don't be fooled by the title!

[7/10 · 30 December 2009]

The title strongly implies that this will be a campy, foolish adaptation of Stevenson's classic tale. This could not be further from the truth.

In the 1880s Dr Jekyll (Ralph Bates), working on an elixir, discovers that the female hormones required for it to work turn him into his female alter ego, an attractive, dangerous woman (Martine Beswick) whom he calls his sister to keep his interested neighbours at bay. One (Susan Brodrick) is attracted to him, the other,(Lewis Fiander), Brodrick's brother, is attracted to Hyde.

This surprisingly good take on the Jekyll and Hyde story also works in the Jack the Ripper murders with Jekyll and Hyde responsible for them as they kill to obtain the necessary female hormones for the experiments. The film is quietly amusing throughout. Highlights include: Bates caressing his well proportioned breasts when he first 'changes'; the truly bizarre triangle between the neighbours as Bates begins to realise that Susan will be a target of Hyde who wants to take over completely; Jekyll caressing the face of the brother unaware that he's changed from Hyde back to Jekyll. Well made and well acted with Bates and Beswick's facial similarities a major plus.

Mr. Brooks (2007)

Interesting but a failure all up.

[6/10 · 23 March 2008]

Successful, respected businessman, Mr Brooks, (Kevin Costner) can't overcome his addiction to murder and is driven by his dark conscience (William Hurt) who encourages him. A detective (Demi Moore) with her own problems is on his tail and Brooks soon finds himself blackmailed by a voyeuristic neighbour (Dane Cook), who witnessed and photographed his most recent murder, and who wants to go along with him on future killings.

Interesting addition to the serial killer genre, but ultimately done in by having too much crammed into it in a superficial way. For example, Moore's divorce proceedings seem tacked on and forced and also having her on the tail of a pair of other serial killers, who try to kidnap her at one point, is silly and belongs in another film. Costner's wrestling with his demons never seems too convincing; we ultimately never believe he's going to really stop, or really wants to. There's also the matter of Costner's daughter, home after having quit college and herself a suspect in an on-campus murder. The film flirts with a like father, like daughter scenario, which is too unconvincing and almost ridiculous. Indeed, the final dream sequence where Costner was stabbed in the face by her and dies, is dreadful. The denouement is also a misstep with Costner organising for Cook to have his taste for killing satiated, by actually shooting Costner and leaving him in an, as yet, unused grave. However, it was all a ruse and Cook becomes the next victim. Ultimately although watchable and promising, there's simply too much in this film that isn't convincing.

Hostel: Part II (2007)

Not just more of the same.

[6/10 · 1 November 2007]

Three American girls (Lauren German, Bijou Phillips, Heather Matarrazzo) on holiday in Europe are enticed to Slovakia by an Italian girl they've met on their travels, who is setting them up for their torture and deaths by the organisation set up to allow sickos to indulge in this.

Eli Roth's follow up to his disturbing and gory film of 2005 delivers much of the same in terms of extreme gore and a desire to shock, if not offend audiences. However, it does explore a concept only touched on in the first film. But first the gore.

The potentially most offensive scene involves the naked woman who lies in a tub beneath a naked, strung upside down Matarrazzo. She precedes to slash her back from side to side revelling in the blood that pours down and eventually drenches her whilst she gets off. This scene is perhaps inspired by Countess Dracula (1972), where the lead bathes in the blood of murdered virgins, as here Matarrazzo is presented as a naïve virgin. The final scene of gore involves a man's penis being sliced off in full view before being thrown to dogs which pays homage to various Italian cannibal films of the 70s and 80s (e.g. Cannibal Ferox 1980) where the mutilation of genitals was almost standard. However, what's more disturbing than the violence in Hostel 2 (like the first film), except fleshed out here much further, is the depiction of the rich, around the world, bidding on German, Phillips and Matarrazzo via the Internet for the 'privilige' to torture and kill them. This is a more grim extension of the concept explored in The Most Dangerous Game (1932), but somehow feels more realistic and possible today. That such people exist is likely (aside from whether such a thing has actually happened in the real world or not) and this is what makes it disturbing. How far and how low would some people be willing to go? Roth is going for a comment on the evils of excess and rampant capitalism gone mad. The fact that we follow two of the winning bidders (two American businessman), one all talk, the other seemingly hesitant and in two minds about what he's agreed to, brings the film a decidedly different approach than the first film. However, somehow Hostel 2 is ultimately not as good(at least for me). Perhaps it's the lack of real mystery and surprise that the first film had and that none of the three lead characters are particularly likable. Hence, we don't particularly care for them and it's almost annoying that German escapes because she's wealthy. Of course, this is a further comment that Roth wants to make about capitalism, but the point is laboured by this stage. A nice touch (as the first film did with Takashi Miike) is the cameo by Ruggero Deodato, director of Cannibal Holocaust (1980), as a cannibal. A must for fans of gore. Others will no doubt wonder why such films are allowed to exist.

Singapore Sling (1990)

Bizarre, one of a kind film!

[7/10 · 27 September 2007]

A detective (Panos Thanassoulis) arrives at an isolated villa looking for a missing girl, Laura, and is imprisoned and sexually tortured by a mother/daughter (Meredyth Herold, Michele Valley) duo who have killed Laura, among others, and buried them in their backyard.

This thoroughly bizarre film contains obvious homages to the great film noir, Laura (1944), from the initial plot (a detective in love with a dead girl, whose painting is on the wall) to the beautiful black and white cinematography, to the detective's voice over narration but moves off into directions that are totally unexpected if not downright silly (for example another homage, this time to The Mummy (1932) where one of the main characters is being sodomised by her father who's dressed as the mummy).

Although there's much nastiness and depravity on show (from Thanassoulis being tied down and given electro-shock treatments before Herold urinates on his face, to Valley raping him and then vomiting on his face, to the denouement where Thanassoulis kills Valley with a knife he has strapped on like a dildo), the film never really feels nasty and sick. This is obviously quite incredible and an achievement in itself. How does it pull it off? Well there's a very playful air about the proceedings (some even call this a comedy); Valley and Herold's relationship is almost child like and Valley often speaks to the camera (which is an irritation) in her sweet, pleasant voice discussing what has happened. The whole situation is like a game, albeit fetishistic and depraved games, which, in spite of the fact that we know they're killers, doesn't create any real sense of danger or dread. Interestingly Thanassoulis never really speaks to the ladies, they speak predominantly in English and a little French whilst all we hear from him is the voice over (another common noir technique that the films employs), which is in Greek. Is he consigned to a dreadful fate or does he also not really feel in any real danger? The latter is unlikely but he never really tries to turn the tables on his captors. A truly bizarre film, well made and shot, with excellent and appropriate music in the style of 40s noir. Obviously not for all tastes but certainly worth a look for viewers of challenging and offbeat cinema.

Babel (I) (2006)

The Best film of the year! See it!

[9/10 · 9 January 2007]

In Morocco a man purchases a rifle to help keep jackals away from his goats. One day, whilst he is in town to pick up supplies, his two young sons decide to test out the range of the rifle and begin firing toward a tourist bus. Aboard the bus an American tourist (Cate Blanchett) is hit and her husband (Brad Pitt) tries frantically to get her help as they are miles from a hospital or help. Just prior to this, via phone, he had insisted that his housekeeper, an illegal Mexican, (Adriana Barraza) miss her son's wedding to look after his children. She instead crosses the border into Mexico and takes them to the wedding. Meanwhile in Japan, a deaf mute girl (Rinko Kikuchi) increasingly depressed about the suicide of her mother and her inability to find a boyfriend, fears for her father (Kôji Yakusho) when police arrive to question him.

An outstanding film. Too often with films of this type (multi-layered interlocking stories) the stories are not all of sufficient quality and interest and therefore the film as a whole suffers. Not so the case here. Each story is powerful, unpredictable, surprising and moving. The acting is excellent but it is the quality of the script and direction which really elevate the film. Iñárritu maintains tension by cleverly cutting between scenes at key moments. Rather than irritate, this adds suspense as the next key moment of the next story is then revealed whilst we wait to learn about the scene we have just left.

The film explores such themes as dislocation from family; early on Blanchett asks Pitt "why are we here?"; their kids are back at home and she clearly isn't enjoying their tour, Barraza herself is dislocated from her son whose wedding she is almost forced to miss and finally Kikuchi has been distant from her father since her mother's suicide. The link used to interlock the Japan story with the rest of the events is well done and recalls Winchester '73 (1950) where a weapon changing hands drives the narrative. The film also makes minor but telling comments on American political hypocrisy and disinformation - the US government had immediately and without any evidence claimed that Blanchett's shooting was the result of a terrorist - sheer nonsense and sheer lies. It's this and other minor moments - Pitt exploding (understandably stressed as Blanchett lies dying and awaiting medical help) about 'this piece of s%$t country'- that had me thinking (in terms of their current political climate) F*&^ing America! Quick to belittle and misrepresent others. This is a great film with irony; ultimately the only family/people who come away okay from the series of events are the Americans, although it could be argued that the Japanese father and daughter are brought closer together by the events. Certainly the best film of the year and the best film since Mystic River (2003).

Along the Rio Grande (1941)

Passable B western that served as an influence?!

[5/10 · 3 October 2006]

To avenge the death of their boss three men (Tim Holt, Ray Whitley, Emmett Lynn) pose as bank robbers to infiltrate the gang of the man (Robert Fiske) responsible so that they can bring him to justice. An interesting early western, one of the first of Holt's long career in the genre. There's very little that is inspired here, as there are numerous dull songs sang at the hideout to help pad the film out to feature length (for a B-film), and the story is fairly conventional and predictable. However, Holt and his friends infiltrating the gang is reminiscent of For a Few Dollars More (1965), as they try to do what they can to bring the gang down without giving themselves away. Also the fact that the hideout is a saloon 'over the border' is somewhat like Rancho Notorious (1952) another superior western. Having come before both those films, is it possible that this minor B-film had an influence on two of the more memorable films of the genre? The answer is probably not, but with Leone having seen countless westerns with the desire to incorporate key moments into his own films, it's possible. Overall, this is a passable western with Whitley doing an amusing job as a loquacious fibber.

You Only Live Once (1937)

Bleak film for its time with fine direction.

[8/10 · 21 September 2006]

Upon release from prison an ex-con (Henry Fonda) tries to go straight and start a decent life with his new wife (Sylvia Sidney). However, he is sacked by his former employer and increasingly desperate considers returning to a life of crime.

An impressive film with excellent direction by Fritz Lang who brings his unusual camera angles to bear on a bleak story. The film is said to be somewhat inspired by Bonnie and Clyde, but more than anything is an interesting exploration of how fate and circumstance can lead to disaster and tragedy. Moving at a crisp pace the film delivers plenty of suspense and surprises as Fonda is framed for murder not long after his release and, interestingly not long after he is fired, threatens to return to his miscreant ways. This keeps the viewer guessing as to whether Fonda's proclamations of innocence are true when he is arrested. The film is quite bleak for its time and contains quite an uncharacteristic performance from Fonda as a man desperate and disgusted by the callous treatment given him by society. Fonda doesn't entirely convince, but the film is still very good.

Superman Returns (2006)

Thankfully a fine return to the big screen for the Man of Steel.

[7/10 · 28 June 2006]

After 5 years away in space, the Man of Steel (Brandon Routh) returns to Earth. He finds Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) in a serious relationship and with a young son and Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) released from prison and typically up to no good.

The long awaited return to the big screen for the world's most famous comic character is a fun, exciting film with magnificent special effects that befit this great character. Terrific scenes with Superman trying to stop an out of control airplane (with Lois Lane aboard of course), a slow-mo scene with a bullet that bounces off his eye and various other rescue moments show how far effects have come (even in the last 6-8 years). The casting is generally good. Routh is solid but can't match Reeve, particularly in the scenes as Clark Kent. However, he does look the part and his naturally deeper voice fits Superman more naturally than Reeve's softer voice. It was also a fine idea to cast an unknown (who thankfully was capable in the role)who had no baggage or persona from previous films. Spacey is typically good as Luthor and, like Hackman in the previous films, brings a nice balance between tongue in cheek and the sinister. Langella is fine as the gruff Perry White, but Bosworth is a little weak. She's simply too young for Lois and, fault the writers here, shows little genuine concern or interest when Clark returns (his absence is fleetingly mentioned; he was on sabbatical). What's most interesting and challenging for fans of the previous films is trying to work out which elements the writers here have decided to keep and expand upon. There's no real consistency in this regard; it seems to be a matter of a taking what's convenient and discarding what isn't. This itself is fine, but why be so covert about the elements that were taken from the previous films (e.g. Luthor returning to the Fortress of Solitude but not explicitly saying so, or Lois and Clark explicitly mentioning moments that they had together in Part 2). Personally a bigger annoyance for me was the soap opera moment where we learn that Lois' son is also Superman's. This aspect was just so unnecessary. That and a few other minor quibbles aside, such as Supeman's costume being darker than it has been previously, this is terrific fun and well worth seeing for fans old and new. Let's hope this does well enough to lead to sequels with some of Superman's other villains such as Braniac, Parasite etc.

Road Agent (1952)

Enjoyable albeit routine Tim Holt western.

[6/10 · 22 June 2006]

Two cowboys (Tim Holt, Richard Martin)help cattle drivers against a ruthless land baron (Stanley Blystone) by stealing from him and giving the drivers the money so that they have enough money to buy a permit from him that will allow them to move their cattle across his land.

Watchable Tim Holt western, typically fast paced and quite enjoyable, albeit routine. There are a number of shoot outs, bar room brawls and obligatory love interests thrown in to please fans of the genre looking for a decent time waster. Holt ensures that the audience knows that he and Martin are inspired by Robin Hood by explicitly making reference to the famed man's deeds.

Mean Creek (2004)

Fine drama/thriller with excellent acting

[7/10 · 5 May 2006]

Sam (Rory Culkin) has been bullied by fat, mean and obnoxious George (Josh Peck) with the latest incident (which opens the film) seeing him bashed leading to substantial bruises. Soon there is talk of revenge and with encouragement from his older brother (Trevor Morgan) and especially his brother's friend (Scott Mechlowicz) they ask George to a day on their boat to celebrate Sam's birthday. This is all just a ruse to humiliate George but, not surprisingly, things get out of hand. The plot is simple, perhaps even clichéd and in some ways predictable. However, the reason the film works so well is because of its excellent and convincing performances and realistic, believable characters. Sam's girlfriend (Carly Schroeder) is also along for the trip but she was unaware of the plans and in a way could be argued to be the film's stock female character. The film manages to remain suspenseful and gripping with some unexpected revelations which irrevocably change the character's lives.

Django Strikes Again (1987)

Official sequel to Django (1966) - a disgrace!

[2/10 · 17 March 2006]

Django (Franco Nero) has given up his brutal past and spent the last ten years in a monastery. When he is captured by slave traders and learns that one of the kidnapped children is his daughter, he escapes and seeks revenge. This woeful update of the Django series, considered by some the official sequel due to bringing Nero back to the role, is not even a western and doesn't even seem to be set in America! The film is in English and is terribly predictable with Django digging up his fake grave which contains his machine gun coffin and just when all seems lost toward the end, the main villain's (Christopher Connelly) jealous servant sets Django free. Although the film seems proud to be associated with the original Django (1966) going to the trouble of listing - "Django created by Sergio Corbucci," this is a disgrace to the original. Co-starring the ubiquitous Donald Pleasance.

Opera Ball (1998 TV Movie)

Slow but bleak and worthwhile thriller

[7/10 · 16 March 2006]

After the death of 4000 people, including many high ranking government officials, from a deliberate cyanide release at an extravagant opera ball, a journalist tries to uncover who was responsible and finds it to be a seemingly misfit neo-nazi group. Slow to start but ultimately a bleak and cynical thriller which plays as a disturbing precursor to 9/11. The discovery is that ultimately the terrorist group were merely pawns used by the government intent on having an excuse to introduce a radical and racist agenda, not too unlike the Nazis. The film's cynicism with government can today be read as an allegory, that is, America using 9/11 as an excuse to invade Iraq (who clearly had nothing to do with the attacks on the Trade Centre). The film does offer a glimmer of hope as the journalist manages to smuggle out the tape he has (of an interview by the last survivor of the group) that incriminates the government officials. With Frank Giering who played Fatty in Funny Games(1997) and Franka Potente.

Der Kopf des Mohren (1995)

Stick with it. Impressive albeit rarely seen film!

[7/10 · 16 March 2006]

A scientist (Gert Voss) increasingly alarmed at the violence, death and suicide in the world, begins to lose his mind, turning his apartment into self sufficient quarters with rabbits, chickens and vegetables grown under artificial light. Written by Michael Haneke this ultimately worthwhile film tests the patience in the first two thirds and comes across as an art-house version of Falling Down (1993). The direction is assured and cleverly conceals matters through deliberate framing. This causes the viewer to wonder whether the events we are seeing are chronological and indeed to question what is actually happening. The final third where Voss' wife (Angela Winkler) and children return to find Voss' obsessive behaviour overwhelming everything illuminate on prior events and make for a tragic and sad end.

A Bullet for the General (1967)

Unusual spaghetti western with a political subtext.

[6/10 · 16 March 2006]

An American (Lou Castel) teams up with a Mexican revolutionary (Gian Maria Volonte) to sell arms across Mexico. Watchable spaghetti western with a political and social subtext, which is somewhat unusual for the genre. Unfortunately, the plot isn't always particularly coherent which may be due to the fact that the film is said to exist in several versions (135/117/97/77 minutes!) (I saw the 117 minute version). Castel may be an assassin for the American government whose ultimate job is to kill Volonte. However, this aspect of the film isn't well explored or clear. The film contains plenty of action but virtually no one on one gunfights. The end is surprising and unusual and at the very least it's cool to see Volonte in another fine western (after Fistful of Dollars (1964) and For a Few Dollars More (1965)). Klaus Kinski also has a role as Volonte's brother.

Seven Hours of Gunfire (1965)

Spaghetti western with famous cowboys teaming up.

[5/10 · 13 March 2006]

Wild Bill Hickock, Buffalo Bill and Calamity Jane are hired by the government to help learn who is selling arms to the Sioux and to put a stop to their warpath. This is a watchable spaghetti western. Director J.L Marchent provides some good action sequences such as the Indian attack on the homesteader's small town and the final battle sequence with the cavalry. However, the film is generally never better than routine. The Indians here are the most inauthentic you'll ever see and clichés abound (shoot outs, barroom brawls, love interest, etc.). In the end the trio help defeat the Sioux but Wild Bill is killed in the process.

Match Point (2005)

Fine and unexpected thriller from Woody.

[8/10 · 12 March 2006]

A tennis coach turned businessman (Jonathan Rhys Myers) begins an affair with his brother in law's former fiancée (Scarlett Johansson) but can't decide whether to leave his wife (Emily Mortimer), whose family has provided him with upper-class comforts, or to break it off with the mistress.

Impressive film written and directed by Woody Allen, this is very much a change of pace for the veteran filmmaker. The film is very well written as Allen ensures his script touches on themes of fate and luck, which ultimately have an enormous bearing on the climax, and class struggle and the desire to enter 'higher society'. The acting is excellent as Myers' character is both shifty and almost likable. Allen draws considerable suspense throughout the film as we (the audience) ultimately follow Myers and, in the tradition of the best of Hitchcock, want him to succeed even when his intentions take a turn for the worse. Perhaps a tad slow in parts and hence slightly overlong, but overall a very impressive film. This was likely influenced by A Place in the Sun (1951), which is also recommended. Also with Brian Cox.

Snuff (1975)

Perhaps the most boring, inept and pathetic 'notorious' film of all time.

[1/10 · 3 March 2006]

Notorious film which tried to pass off its obviously staged murder at the end as real and hence we get the title of the film. Defenders of the film, although God knows why anyone would defend this boring and embarrassing piece of trash, may claim that it's obviously easier these days (where we've become accustomed to superior special effect)to say that it's obviously fake since the special effects are crude by today's standards. But really the special effects in the final scene in Snuff are no better than those in Hershell Gordon Lewis' trashy films of the 60s and 70s. At least his films had loads of gore and were funny-bad. Snuff has nothing to recommend it. The first 75 minutes seem to be an inept and boring Argentinian film dubbed into English, with some absurd plot about an actress being exploited to appear in porn, her new boyfriend and the Mansonesque leader whose hippie biker chicks end up doing him and her in. We then get the final five minutes (the so-called 'snuff' footage) before the film 'runs out'. Don't waste your time as I did.

Stagecoach Kid (1949)

Another passable Tim Holt western.

[5/10 · 27 February 2006]

A young woman (Jeff Donnell) wants to escape to the big city and disguises herself as a cowboy but falls in love with a stagecoach guard (Tim Holt) who wants him/her to identify a bandit who robbed his stagecoach. Watchable B-western which is very lightweight and tries for much silly comedy, particularly the scenes where Donnell is confused as a real cowboy and not as a cowgirl. Most of the comedy fails to raise a grin let alone laughs. Perhaps the most amusing and bizarre thing about the film is the real name of the girl disguised as a boy - Jeff Donnell, sometimes billed as Miss Jeff Donnell! Given the gender-twist in the plot it really is funnier than anything that's actually in the script.

Funny Games (1997)

Disturbing and uncomfortable, but a masterpiece!

[10/10 · 25 February 2006]

Michael Haneke's film Funny Games is far from an enjoyable movie as the family are tortured and humiliated in a frighteningly realistic manner. However, as an exploration of cinema violence, subversion of the conventions of the thriller/horror genre and the role of audience as voyeurs complicit in the actions on screen, this is a masterpiece. Almost all of the violence and humiliation inflicted on the family is off screen, the agonizing cries of the victims are horrible enough.

The plot is simple. A wealthy family (Susanne Lothar as mother, Ulrich Muhe as father and Stefan Clapcynski as 8 year old son) arrive at their secluded holiday home. Soon after, a young man (Frank Giering), seemingly a friend of the neighbour, arrives asking to borrow some eggs. When he is soon joined by his friend (Arno Frisch, who played Benny in Haneke's earlier film) the two attack and terrorize the family.

Frisch and Giering treat the situation as a game with rules that should be followed. Hence, after Giering wrongly shoots Clapynski who should (according to the rules) have been left alive after being counted in, not out, the two men briefly leave. Refreshingly, it is Muhe who breaks down sobbing uncontrollably after his son's death and it is his wife who comforts him, rather than the reverse as the convention of the genre so often dictates. Throughout the film Haneke revisits his theme of the audience as voyeurs by having Frisch speak directly to the camera (i.e. at us). This may disconcert some, but it is here that the film identifies itself more as an essay on the thriller/horror genre and its conventions, than as violent spectacle for the masses to lap up. Indeed, the majority of the violence is off screen further subverting expectations of audiences desensitized to accepting periodic killings in many a Hollywood thriller. Frisch asks us what he should do in certain situations. He also asks us who we bet on to survive. We're all rooting for the family he tells us. Indeed, given the conventions of the genre we should expect them to survive.

The most unexpected, unusual, audacious and possibly groundbreaking moment in the film totally evidences the fictional construction of film, here explored in a different way to say, Bande a Part (Godard, 1965). Here, Lothar manages to snatch the rifle and blow Giering away. Frisch then confiscates the rifle, pushes her aside and then screams for the location of the remote. When he locates it, he rewinds what we have just seen, bringing Giering back to life and preceding to thwart Lothar's effort. This scene may be interpreted in several ways. For the briefest of moments the audience is given what they want to see - the convention of the genre is fulfilled - before Haneke audaciously and cruelly says sorry, screw you and your expectations of the genre. That the film had effectively been thwarting audience expectation throughout, can be evidenced by the fact that when I saw the film various audience members cheered when Lothar killed Giering. Stunned silence and nervous laughter followed Frisch's action with the remote. The scene may also be interpreted as titillation (indeed it is the most explicitly violent moment in the film) which erodes the film's point about violence in film being used as gratuitous entertainment (a view I don't espouse). Finally the scene may also be read as a further point about thwarting expectations that we've all acquired by watching thrillers. Haneke's interest in subverting convention can also be seen via the relationship depicted between the two killers. Frisch often refers to Giering as "Fatty" much to the latter's annoyance. This is another means to cue audience expectation. So often, as in Scream (Craven, 1996) for instance, killers working together can become their own worst enemies, ultimately leading to their downfall. Here Giering's displeasure doesn't lead to the two turning on each other, further subverting the expectations and hopes of an audience accustomed to 'the wicked being punished.' Indeed, Haneke refuses to give the audience any simple reason for the behaviour of the killers. Unlike, the multitude of Hollywood thrillers where the killer is revealed to have a history grounded in psychological or sociological disturbance, drug abuse or poverty, Frisch and Giering's characters clearly do not fit into such simple and naïve categorisations. Indeed, throughout Funny Games both killers are referred to as Beavis, Butthead, John, Paul etc, presumably to present them as diverse and non-classifiable. Both are articulate and polite, neither is looking for their next fix and neither are poverty stricken. Rather than depicting the killers as the 'other' Haneke presents them as white, middle class, well dressed and intelligent. The only recent Hollywood film that springs to mind which draws such a complex and disturbing killer is Se7en (Fincher, 1995). Ironically, the denouement in that film dared to subvert expectations and yet (its predictability not withstanding) is considered by some critics to be a weakness.

The performances in Funny Games are excellent; Lothar and Muhe particularly stand out. Haneke has created a brilliant, audacious film which is a must see for any serious film buff interested in a commentary on film violence and its effects. The film will invariably stimulate discussion and/or argument amongst its viewers.

Benny's Video (1992)

Typically fine and disturbing film by Michael Haneke

[8/10 · 25 February 2006]

A teenage boy (Arno Frisch) who watches violent videos brings a girl back to his parent's apartment whilst they are away and films his murder of her. Michael Haneke's disturbing film suggests that violent videos may not only desensitize, but influence some to commit violent acts. Benny is ultimately a distanced boy who can't really seem to connect to anyone on a meaningful level despite his intelligence and middle-upper class upbringing with supportive parents. The moral dilemma faced by his parents after he shows them the video is powerful and grim as his father (Ulrich Muhe) logically, but somewhat coldly, weighs up the pros and cons of the dilemma. The film does lose some momentum as Benny and his mother go away for a week whilst his father disposes of the body on their farm in the country. It is probably intentional that Haneke leaves the viewer in the dark as to how Muhe is getting along, just as Benny and his mother are. The unrest and boredom that they feel as they wait for the week to be over is perfectly conveyed and instilled in the viewer. The final twist where Frisch turns in his parents after having recorded their conversation about what to do and to ultimately dispose of the body again shows Haneke's interest in subverting expectations. As usual Haneke doesn't offer any easy answers. We never quite know why Frisch committed the murder, it wasn't really premeditated and he himself can't really articulate why he did it, when he is finally asked by Muhe.

The Great Silence (1968)

Astonishing ending in one of the best non-Leone westerns ever made.

[7/10 · 25 February 2006]

A mute bounty hunter (Jean Louis Trintignant) is hired by a woman (Vonetta McGee) to kill a fellow bounty hunter (Klaus Kinski) who has killed her husband and has been ignoring the law by killing wanted men rather than attempting to take them in alive. A typically violent spaghetti western by Sergio Corbucci with all of the staples of the genre. We are given flashbacks to Trintignant's childhood where we learn that his tongue was cut out to keep him silent by thugs who murdered his parents. The film contains striking scenery set amidst a snow bound landscape. The ending is astonishing with Kinski and his thugs killing Trintignant and McGee (the two had become lovers) and then the people that they were holding hostage. A tough realistic ending that you'd rarely find in a Hollywood film. The film is ultimately critical of the law in the US which allowed for the proliferation of bounty hunters and ultimately a lawless society. The bounty hunters in the film, ultimately confident with their speed with a gun, often stirred trouble and drew second relying on their superior speed to shoot a man in self defence. Ultimately this is a cynical, morbid film, which is gutsy and commendable and apparently based on real incidents; the 'Snow Hill massacre'. In terms of consistency, not one of Ennio Morricone's best scores; parts of it are conventional. However, its best moments are eerie and effective.

The Price of Power (1969)

Flawed but fascinating and worthwhile spaghetti western.

[7/10 · 28 January 2006]

In post civil war America the President, (Van Johnson), travels to Dallas and is assassinated by corrupt officials and businessman interested in installing the vice President whom they can blackmail due to incriminating documents. A gunman (Guiliano Gemma) convinced that his black friend is wrongly accused of the assassination aims to uncover the truth. Tonino Valeri directed this fascinating, if flawed film which obviously is an allegory for the Kennedy assassination. The film may wrongly present blacks as slaves working on plantations in Texas but the film is nonetheless enjoyable and presents an interesting interpretation - that Kennedy's death was the result of a coup de tat- which many Americans could not accept at the time. Oswald's murder is replayed here as the black accused of the assassination is murdered by the men responsible, on route to Fort Worth prison. This moment in the film is more melodramatic than Oswald's death with his various escorts shot down before his over the top death scene. Nonetheless this is definitely one of the more interesting and worthwhile spaghetti westerns. Worth a look!

Cavalca e uccidi (1964)

Watchable and very early spaghetti western

[5/10 · 28 January 2006]

Corrupt officials enlist the services of a bandit, Moody, to kill a farmer in order to seize his property. The town drunk, Brandy, is enlisted as the new sheriff after Moody kills the former. He is expected to be too incompetent to see justice be done but with the help of the townsfolk defeats Moody, his gang and the corrupt officials. Reasonable spaghetti western which starts slowly but improves in the second half by borrowing or ripping off, depending on one's view, Rio Bravo (1959) and High Noon (1952). The villain is clad entirely in black; he even wears black gloves. The film is unintentionally hilarious in a scene where the sheriff, Brandy and a few others break into song, so hopelessly dubbed it's ridiculous. Why would they suddenly sing in English? Not violent a la later spaghetti westerns.