Walter M.
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Walter reviewed...
Upstream Color (2013)
"Upstream Color" starts with a couple of guys discovering slugs that… More
"Upstream Color" starts with a couple of guys discovering slugs that allow them to share minds. That biotechnology falls into the wrong hands(Thiago Martins). He first tries to introduce them via a drug in a nightclub before falling back onto plan b which involves tasering Kris(Amy Seimetz) and dragging her outside into the rain, where he forcibly injects one into her. Hypnotically, he proceeds to clear out her bank account and rare coin collection before leaving. Kris awakens to an audio signal from an engineer(Andrew Sensenig) who leaves her in her car on a highway median with no memory of what happened.
Instead of using physics, Shane Carruth(who also co-stars) uses biology this time around in "Upstream Color" to not only play with viewers' heads but also to literally get under their skin.(What next? Chemistry?) Without explaining much of anything, he looks at how two people try to put their lives back together after losing everything and being violated in such a way. That having been said, sometimes it seems like the pigs have the more compelling storyline. Plus, Carruth is at his best when he is being ambiguous, not when he is trying so hard to connect the dots to tie everything neatly up. And I don't see how "Walden" works into the larger narrative, such as it is, when any book would have sufficed, even "The Little Prince" which actually would have been kind of funny.
22 hours ago via Rotten Tomatoes
Walter reviewed...
In the House (2013)
Germain(Fabrice Luchini) is a high school literature teacher who… More
Germain(Fabrice Luchini) is a high school literature teacher who despite the new uniforms, has little hope for his students. That changes when he reads an assignment from Claude(Ernst Umhauer) about the weekend that he spent at his friend Rapha's(Bastien Ughetto) house. It is so good that even his wife Jeanne(Kristin Scott Thomas), an art gallery manager, admires his turn of phrase, even if they feel he might be getting ahead of himself there. That turns to anticipation when Claude delivers a sequel for his next assignment.
At first, "In the House" might seem like just another one of Francois Ozon's domestic intruder movies. Except here, Claude is more passive observer, allowing Ozon to depict events with a lighter, if still provocative touch.(Whether Ozon mellowing is a good sign or a sign of the apocalypse is up for debate.) Even then, Claude still affects the lives of those around him, all of which including himself are missing something valuable from their lives. That's where fiction, with the particularly intoxicating addiction of serialization mixed in, can serve as a distraction from their otherwise troubled lives. That all happens amongst all the literary references, of which I am wondering if the revelation of Germain's full name is supposed to be part of.
1 day ago via Rotten Tomatoes
Walter reviewed...
Last Exit to Brooklyn (1990)
"Last Exit to Brooklyn" starts out with a group of soldiers impugning… More
"Last Exit to Brooklyn" starts out with a group of soldiers impugning the honor of Tralala(Jennifer Jason Leigh), followed by the predictable beatdown by some of her friends. To be fair, not only is she a prostitute, but one who also helps to fleece some of her customers. To be honest, times are tough all over in 1952 Brooklyn with the strike going on which probably does not make it the best time for Big Joe(Burt Young) to learn his daughter Donna(Ricki Lake) is pregnant with Tommy's(John Costelloe) baby. Maybe they were just looking for love which is why Georgette(Alexis Arquette) is looking for Vincent(Peter Dobson).
As watchable as it is, "Last Exit to Brooklyn" is also very much an odd duck, taking Hubert Selby's novel of down and out Brooklyn life in the 1950's and showing it through a European prism. So, even with an American cast that includes Jerry Orbach and a couple of stunning set pieces, it still feels a little off. On the one hand, the movie desperately wants to be provocative in its use of sex and violence. While it might also seem it is about loss of innocence, it is only in perception, like Big Joe not being aware that his daughter is not a virgin, much less very pregnant. Or maybe this is how it really was, except no police have ever responded to a call that quickly.
2 days ago via Rotten Tomatoes
Walter reviewed...
The Rose (1979)
As one of the top rock stars around, Rose(Bette Midler) is starting to… More
As one of the top rock stars around, Rose(Bette Midler) is starting to feel the strain which is not helped by her copious drinking. At least, she has stopped using drugs. So, she wants to take a year off after the upcoming hometown concert in Florida but her manager/promoter Rudge(Alan Bates) reminds her of all the money she will lose if she does. At least, she gets to meet one of idols, Billy Ray(Harry Dean Stanton), after a concert but the meeting goes so badly, she runs away and jumps in the first car, driven by Huston(Frederic Forrest).
Even as it is too long and a little ragged around the edges like its protagonist, "The Rose" has Bette Midler's fearless and astounding performance going for it which is enough to get it through the night. Plus, there are the entertaining musical numbers and a lovely late long shot of a lighted phone booth framed against the darkness. And the movie is surprisingly gay friendly with its night club full of drag queens(one of the highlights of the film), a kiss edited out of the film and perhaps the most chaste bath house in the history of New York City. I heard this was inspired by the life of Janis Joplin but I want to remain ignorant on that note, so I can judge this movie on its own merits. What I can say is it does not go the route of the cliched self-destructive rock star and instead focuses on Rose's insecurities which simultaneously drive and destroy her, with a manager who does not have her best interests at heart.
3 days ago via Rotten Tomatoes
