by Oscar O’Sullivan

Before we get into this week’s reviews, I’d like to point you in the direction of another piece I wrote recently for the wonderful UCC Film Writers Blog. Have you ever wondered what the deal is with the Wachowski Sisters? Good news! I’ve slapped together 3000 words of a whirlwind beginners guide to the exceptional directing duo. As well as some background and basic info on the pair, I’ve highlighted three of their films as being great places to start – their actual first film, their most famous work and my personal pick for a hidden gem, giving a brief analysis of each and how they fit within the wider themes and techniques favoured by Lana and Lily. Think of this as a beginner’s guide to the auteur theory (that being thinking about films as primarily the work of a central author) applied to the Wachowskis. You can give that a read right here.

Monday – Moonraker

I now feel that I was too harsh when I called the later Connery Bond films silly or cartoonish – I simply had no idea how much further into the stratosphere they could still ascend. Moonraker is more Austin Powers than James Bond, everything done with a wink to the camera and a knowing smile. Moore’s previous outing had already shown signs of comic self-awareness, with this being the logical next step. Plot is merely a suggestion, lacking in any serious mystery or intrigue, a vehicle for increasingly absurd set-pieces for Moore to mug his way through as he once again takes on a mad billionaire with dreams of world domination. The sloppy buffoonery of it all makes the film quite grating to begin with, as you feel the joke is at the expense of the audience. But as it goes on and the absurdity escalates, I couldn’t help but fall in love with the glorious nonsense of it all. And how could I be mad at a film that brings back standout henchman Jaws (Richard Kiel), plays up his invincibility to even more superhuman levels (see Moore casually quipping that Jaws will be just fine as he watches him inside an exploding space station falling to earth), gives him a girlfriend and has him triumphantly team up with Bond in the midst of a cacophonic outer space laser battle? Stupid and thinly plotted it may be, but it still delivers those all important action set-pieces, flexing the ever-increasing budget of the franchise with more locations, grander sets and stunts that wouldn’t be out of place in a Mission: Impossible film. Though I can’t help but be disappointed that this carries the name of one of the more grounded and politically fascinating Bond books – a more faithful adaptation of Moonraker would be surprisingly timely today. 7/10.

Tuesday – Rebel Without a Cause

James Dean isn’t simply cool in this film, though of course that is a big part of the appeal and what has made this performance so iconic. Jim Stark is the image of teenage rebellion, in his blue jeans and slick red jacket, scowling and smouldering and not giving a damn what anyone thinks. But, vitally, he is also stunningly sensitive. He seems fit to burst with emotions at times, his cool-headed facade a coping mechanism for a sadness he doesn’t understand himself. He is also kind, kinder than even he seems to realise, slipping easily into the role of “father” in the impromptu found family he creates with Judy (Natalie Wood) and Plato (Sal Mineo). It’s no coincidence that Jim has a difficult dynamic with his own father, who he obviously loves but resents for being weak. He longs for a real role model and, in the absence of one, finds himself becoming a role model to Plato instead, becoming the strong and fearless father he wishes he had for himself. I could go on and on about the richness of the themes and the deeply complex interplay of the various character dynamics, but I’d be wasting my breath – there’s nothing I can tell you that the film doesn’t deftly communicate by itself. A magnificent script is complemented by moody cinematography, with transformative use of shadows, and a nimble, evocative score. A bona-fide cultural landmark. 10/10.

Wednesday – Maria

A biopic that maybe thinks its saying a lot more than it is, or at the very least wants to convince the audience of that idea. Visually gorgeous (earning a much-deserved cinematography nod at this year’s Oscars), the locations in particular are beautifully realised, from Maria’s opulent home to the Parisian streets and the grandeur of the Opera Houses where we glimpse her past glories. Angelina Jolie gives a very stately performance as Maria Callas, unable to perform and wasting away in private, confronting the ghosts of her past through memories and illusions as it becomes increasingly clear that she knows her life is nearing it’s end. Maria craves control, holding onto her dignity above all else, refusing to let the tragedies of her life hold her back. Jolie’s performance is fabulous, but I can’t help but feel that the character winds up somewhat one-note, though this is more the fault of the writing than anything. Practically every exchange she has follows an increasingly predictable formula of Maria icily snarking at whoever she meets, very rarely allowing herself a genuine or unguarded exchange, even during the most emotionally tense moments. All of the visual shine and sparkle winds up feeling at odds with the simplicity of the story, which fundamentally offers little in the way of insight or revelation. Why are we playing around with floating timeframes, illusory characters and jarring shifts in form when the story being told never wavers from the most obvious path? It does feel a shame that the only stories that get made about famous women are when they are tragically dying. 6/10.

Thursday – Mulholland Drive

RIP David Lynch. Rather than review this titanic film again, I wrote a small piece reflecting on Lynch, his work and what it means to me. You can read that here.

Friday – Paths of Glory

It’s interesting that, of all the genres that Kubrick flitted between, war should turn out to be his most revisited. This is his fourth feature and his second attempt at the genre – and he completely blows his prior effort out of the water. History has shown that it is exceedingly difficult to make war unattractive or repellent onscreen. Even the most successful examples, such as Apocalypse Now and Kubrick’s own Full Metal Jacket, are inevitably gobbled up without irony by the braindead and bloodthirsty. Paths of Glory wisely avoids lingering on direct depictions of warfare (outside of the obviously stunning trench charge captured with a steady mobile camera), instead focusing on the heavy toll that warfare takes on man’s morality even off of the battlefield. Kirk Douglas is captivating as the righteous Colonel Dax, a former lawyer who steps in to try and prevent the unjust execution of three innocent men for muddy political reasons. Douglas is very much in control of the film in a way that few actors ever have been under Kubrick. Their second collaboration, Spartacus, would be the impetus for Kubrick to adopt the draconian levels of control he would become famous for. It seems that they were in sync here, and the rest of the cast also shine, even the most minor player fulfilling their role in the story to perfection. The injustice of the whole scenario is infuriating as we increasingly identify with Douglas’ straight-backed indignation. When he does briefly snap and let loose with what he really thinks, it is both cathartic and fruitless – the forces of the war are so beyond the control of anyone involved as to be abstract. More legal drama than war film, yet a still a perfect distillation of the banal evil that drives war forward from behind the scenes, and the innate goodness in the hearts of men quashed by the grim reality of circumstance. 10/10.

Saturday – A Complete Unknown

Like a rolling stone, you should roll on over to my full review – read it here.

Sunday – Rio Bravo

A truly fantastic opening sequence throws us right into the action of Howard Hawks’ Rio Bravo, the tale of a small-town sheriff and his rag-tag posse of deputies facing down insurmountable odds. We are thrown in cold, unaware of who anyone is or what their relationships are, during an entirely silent sequence in the local saloon. It’s almost balletic in its construction, delicate in the way it’s framed and edited. After a sequence of meaningful stares and swift, sharp violence, the stage is set – John Wayne is the sheriff who has to hold out for a week against the hired guns of a local crook, who will stoop to all kinds of dirty tricks to bust his brother out of Wayne’s jail. Wayne’s only allies are a drunk, a crippled old man and a bored young gunslinger, as well as a handful of ineffectual local characters who dip in and out to lend a hand when needed. This is a film that contains multitudes – it’s a tense thriller, a rip-roaring action film, a hangout comedy, a blistering romance, even briefly a musical. This willingness to branch out and experiment prevents the limited setting from ever getting stale, while the increasingly inventive and dangerous methods the outlaws use to menace the heroes keep the plot exciting. An undeniably fun time and an example of the Hollywood Western at it’s best, not trying to be anything more than what it is – damn good entertainment. 10/10.