Today's Review: Francofonia

The second review by my hand posted on FilmTotaal this year (but more is well underway!):

Francofonia - recensie

This is an intriguing compendium piece to Sokurov's breakthrough film Russian Ark, though it lacks the stylistic punch of that particular film. Of course, doing another 100-minute one-take shot would have felt repetitive, as if the director attempted to capitalize on his own past glory. So there's none of that in Francofonia, but that's not to stop Sokurov from pulling a few more cinematographic tricks out of his hat. That, and the overall message, matters more to him than following conventional narrative expectations. Which is made clear a bit painfully, as Francofonia is literally all over the Louvre, rather than sticking to the single time frame that one would have expected to be the primary focus. Even though the museum's survival of the war years during WW II appears to be the subject at hand, Sokurov has a lot more to tell about the place's long history, not to mention sharing his personal thoughts on both the Louvre's background, its place in art history and the treatment of art in general. That's a lot to tackle for a 90-minute movie...

And of course, as a result, not every episode of the Louvre's story proves as interesting. In fact, all of the film suffers from Sokurovs tendency to change subjects, drone on about the abuse and capitalization of art works and sudden jumps to different time periods. Nevertheless, the message remains clear: museums should not be reduced to pawns of commerce, politics or dictators. They are time capsules that tell all of human history and should be carefully preserved, kept well away from the power hungry. The German occupation is just an example of and an hommage to a period in history where the joining of forces between two like minded men, who by all accounts ought to be diametrically opposed, preserved countless artifacts for posterity. Sokurov thanks both men for their assistance to cultural history. But he also isn't afraid to remind us that the origin of the Louvre itself is steeped in conquest and theft. After all, the emperor Napoleon captured many pieces of art on his campaigns abroad and had them shipped to the capital of his empire. Hitler simply attempted to do the same and failed in the Louvre's case, while succeeding in a lot of other cases. Art and politics certainly aren't mutually exclusive.

It's a point Sokurovs makes with the help of various stylistic choices, some proven in prior works, others applied for the first time in his case. Though there are no excessively long takes used as there were in Russian Ark, his introduction of historical characters sharing their insights and motivations with us is taken straight from that film. In this case restricted to only two characters (Marianne, the French Spirit of Freedom and Napoleon), rather than many. This is not a coincidence of course, as Francofonia's main tale also deals with two characters, the museum director (representing the side of French freedom) and the Nazi officer (the conquering party, the Napoleonic figure). Their story is intercut with historical footage, while it is itself disguised as historical footage by its old fashioned framing and the many print scratches applied. It would have worked even better if it was in black and white, but apparently Sokurov disagreed. He disagrees with a lot of things in Francofonia. Like art being shipped over seas as any other piece of cargo in containers on large freighters, its very existence threatened by a violent storm. Why does art suffer so much indignity and indifference today, he laments. No matter how fragmented his thoughts as shown in Francofonia, it's hard to disagree with him, when ancient buildings and statues are demolished left and right by zealous barbarians, who are also eager to simply sell such cultural heritage to the highest bidder to fund their cause. World War II may have ended seventy years ago, but art remains ever in danger at the hands of subversive ideologies. Francofonia serves as an cautionary reminder of what could be scrapped from the history pages forever if we are not careful and respectful of art's place in our cultural mind.

Today's Review: Im Labyrinth des Schweigens

Finally another review up!

Im Labyrinth des Schweigens - Recensie

It's that time of the year again, where we all need to take a break from things and remember those who died in war. In the Netherlands, if not the majority of the European continent, it means mostly not forgetting the many tragedies of World War II, since few other wars have plagued those nations since (thankfully!). Of course, distributors are quick to jump on the public consciousness by releasing films adressing the thematics of war, and every year sees the release of one or two films referring to the horrors of the Second World war. This year is no different, with Im Labyrinth des Schweigens the default war remembrance picture released in Holland. It's made all the more topical because it addresses the issue of forgetting what happened in WW II, at least in the West-German scenario. The country was rising from its own ashes swifter than people would have thought possible, so who would want to open old wounds by investigating the past and risking dividing the nation? It sounds inconceivable to the contemporary generations, but the term 'Auschwitz' hadn't penetrated the collective consciousness: in fact, most wouldn't have a clue as to what it entailed. It would take an unprecedented trail, wherein a country would convict its own war criminals for the first time, to change these paradigms of 'ignorance is bliss' and force Germany to gain knowledge about its own atrocities. Could make for a smashing movie.

Unfortunately, Im Labyrinth des Schweigens doesn't prove the film the subject deserves. Though the notions remain intriguing, it chooses predictable drama and basic entertainment over the historical facts. It will be a frustrating watch for those with just a tad more knowledge of history than most, as the movie wastes much of its time sending its protagonist on a wild goose chase that they know will prove fruitless. While the intercutting of shocking testimonies from Holocaust survivors remains as powerful a scene as in many movies containing similar material, putting emphasis on the sensational stories of Nazi war crimes, thus for instance depicting Josef Mengele as a crazy monster rather than the disturbingly human character he undeniably was, hurts the film's efforts to remember the times when memory was overruled by the collective desire of forgetfulness. Though the principal cast deliver adequate performances, the script does make for an overly naive and irrationally obsessed protagonist. The historically grounded sides of his character as an investigator of the truth are undermined by his stereotypical reactions on the adversity he encounters, including turning to alcohol and losing the love of his life to his freakish persistence. It has to be admitted though that casting a charming blond haired, blue eyed German man as the one to investigate the crimes of the Aryan driven regime is a fine statement of the younger generation delving into the unholy matters of the old. But when you have that character running around the streets at night in a drunken fit, yelling 'you're all Nazis!' to random passersby, you're making it hard to come across as serious.

As a whole, Im Labyrinth des Schweigens explores interesting philosophical questions, but due to its desire to come across as exciting first and foremost, it fails to make the most out of its intriguing historical subject. A better movie might still be distilled from the topic, allowing us to remain silent about this one afterwards.

Today's Review: Salon Kitty

Here's a nice review of a not-so-nice movie for y'all:

http://www.moviescene.nl/p/145474/salon_kitty_-_dvd_recensie

A real piece of trash, that much is obvious. Though apparently the director has some fans, as indicated by the reader comments. But then, it's no secret this world knows many silly people.
I just hope this review will keep other people from having to endure this 127 minute extravaganza of bad taste. You have been warned!

Convoy of Girls

Rating: **/*****, or 4/10

One of six terrible films included in the Nazi Cult Collection. Original French title: Convoi des Filles. Like any typical 'nazisploitation' flick (i.e., an exploitation film featuring gratuitous sex and violence in a Nazi setting), Convoy of Girls revolves around a group of girls being sent to German soldiers on the front lines for their R&R, resulting in rather softcore nudity and boring orgy scenes, unlike seen in their more hardcore counterparts of the same subgenre, including the likes of the infamous Ilsa: She Wolf of the SS, which feature more expressive sexual activity and scenes of innocent girls being humiliated and tortured by both men and other girls alike (since these films don't discriminate in that regard). This is not the worst film of the bunch, but still a movie that nobody would miss after all copies were lost in a public movie burning rally.

Starring: Brigitte Parmentier, Jean-Marie Lemaire, Henri Lambert

Directed by Jesus Franco and Pierre Chevalier

France: Eurociné, 1978

Casablanca

Rating: ****/*****, or 8/10

One of the greatest classics to come out of the Golden Age of Hollywood, though maybe not as brilliant as some would have you believe, and just a little too melodramatic. However, still stands tall as one of the most fondly remembered American movies of the WW II era. The nigh immortal Humphrey Bogart stars as Rick, the owner of his own cafe in WW II Casablanca, a city of scum and villainy balancing precariously between lawlessness and brutal Nazi oppression, the port from where many European refugees attempt to make the journey to the free United States, if Casablanca doesn't kill them first. Rick means to stay out of politics and make a decent buck out of his impartial liquor business, but when he meets a prominent freedom fighter (Paul Henreid) and his wife (the ever beautiful Ingrid Bergman), who happens to be his old lover, Rick must decide to either help them leave Casablanca, or stay huddled up in his own shady affairs and risk having them arrested by Nazi commandant Strasser (Conrad Veidt, ironically a German refugee himself). Tough call. A great ensemble cast (also including Claude Rains as a wonderfully corrupt local police captain and Peter Lorre as the usual creepy criminal character), great visual direction, a solid plot and a great number of unforgettable one-liners few people won't recognize, will have you play this war thriller again. And you'll have a hard time getting its main theme tune (based on the featured song 'As Time Goes By') out of your head for days: probably the reason Warner Bros. made it part of its present day logo tune.

Starring: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Claude Rains

Directed by Michael Curtiz

USA: Warner Bros, 1942

 

Rocketeer

Rating: ***/*****, or 6/10

Tweede vlucht mist opnieuw net doel

Twee jaar geleden regisseerde Joe Johnston de vermakelijke sciencefiction-komedie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, waarin een warrige uitvinder een apparaat uitvindt waarmee objecten verkleind kunnen worden dat vervolgens per ongeluk zijn gezinsleden tot miniaturen reduceert. Het was een onderhoudende variatie op het sciencefictiongenre dat hoofdzakelijk de hele familie ter vermaak diende, en op dat niveau met vlag en wimpel slaagde. Inhoudelijk was het weinig verbijsterend of innovatief, maar dat mocht de pret niet drukken. Johnston herhaalt het kunstje nu met Rocketeer, waarbij hij dezelfde formule toepast door sciencefiction, komedie en avontuur te mengen tot een brouwsel dat alle leeftijdsgroepen zal bekoren, maar niet beklijft en geen verrassingen levert.

Dit keer richt Johnston zijn blik op de pulp-wortels van het sciencefictiongenre, aan de hand van de strip 'The Rocketeer' van schrijver en tekenaar Dave Stevens. Diens werk is één grote hommage aan de serials van de dertiger jaren (specifiek King of the Rocket Men), korte films vol avontuur en sensatie die destijds aan reguliere bioscoopfilms gekoppeld werden. Al eerder vormden dergelijke serials een rijke bron van inspiratie voor hedendaagse films, waarbij Steven Spielbergs Raiders of the Lost Ark het meest geslaagde voorbeeld vormt. Serials leverden spanning, humor en romantiek ineen, en Rocketeer mixt dezelfde elementen tot een rommelige potpourri van vertier. Johnston blijkt echter geen tweede Spielberg en zijn poging komt dan ook minder goed uit de verf dan diens Indiana Jones trilogie, maar desondanks is zijn variatie op het thema geen volledige mislukking.

Het is 1938, en piloot Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell, acteur in TV-series als Dynasty en Crime Story) heeft de pech dat zijn sportvliegtuig en bron van inkomsten bij een vuurgevecht tussen gangsters en de FBI aan flarden wordt geschoten. De reden voor deze confrontatie vindt hij vervolgens verstopt in zijn hangar: een draagbare raket die hem de vleugels geeft die hij zojuist verloor. De machine blijkt onweerstaanbaar voor de vliegenier die het vervolgens wil gebruiken als broodwinning. Echter, het mysterieuze apparaat blijkt fel begeerd door verschillende partijen, waarop Secord alles op alles moet zetten om zichzelf en zijn geliefde Jenny Blake (de bekoorlijke Jennifer Connelly van Some Girls en The Hot Spot) uit de handen van de megalomane filmster Neville Sinclair (een heerlijk schmierende en hufterige Timothy Dalton (de recente 007 van License to Kill)) moet houden, die zijn eigen schimmige agenda hanteert. Dit resulteert in een klopjacht vol gangsters, vuurgevechten, nazi's en dolle stunts van Secord die door de pers tot de 'Rocketeer' gebombardeerd wordt en vervolgens als een soort superheld de schurken moet verslaan.

De kracht van Rocketeer ligt vooral in de liefdevolle wijze waarop Johnston eer betoont aan de pulpseries waarop zijn film zich baseert. Zijn visie op de dertiger jaren, gevuld met Hollywoodglamour, zeppelins en maffia is zeer geslaagd en een lust voor het oog. Ook de look van de raketman zelf, raketten op de rug gebonden en bizarre helm op, is heerlijk nostalgisch. Johnston verraadt zijn achtergrond in de special effects industrie – hij werkte onder andere achter de schermen van de Star Wars trilogie – in het visuele aspect van Rocketeer: Zowel de uiterlijke stijl als de trucages zijn puik verzorgd en vormen de grootste attractie van de film.

Helaas is het acteerwerk van mindere kwaliteit, waarbij hoofdrolspeler Billy Campbell de zwakste schakel vormt. Op de televisie heeft hij zich tot dusverre prima staande weten te houden, maar als leading man in een Hollywoodproductie blijkt hij geen hoogvlieger. Campbell laat zich compleet overschaduwen door de visuele pracht om hem heen en weet nergens een geloofwaardige superheld in spe neer te zetten. Hij staat erbij en kijkt ernaar. Helaas voor Jennifer Connelly heeft het duo Secord en Blake amper chemie, waardoor ook de romantiek tekort schiet. Gelukkig weet Timothy Dalton, bijna als enige acteur in deze film, beter uit de voeten te kunnen met zijn rol: als Neville Sinclair, een verwende Hollywoodster met een opgeblazen ego die het raketpak voor eigen doeleinden wil gebruiken, zet Dalton een aalgladde narcist neer, een fijne schurk die vanaf de eerste seconde zowel intrigerend als walgelijk is. Dankzij Daltons optreden blijkt dat acteren en visuele effecten prima samen kunnen gaan met de juiste casting: de Rocketeer zelf is helaas verkeerd gekozen.

Als geheel is Rocketeer een vermakelijke maar imperfecte avonturenfilm die de romantische sfeer en retro-stijl van het sciencefictiongenre in de dertiger jaren anderhalf uur lang een tweede leven gunt, maar de toeschouwer niet lang bijblijft. De capriolen van de raketvlieger in diens strijd tegen de maffia en de nazi's is hoogst onderhoudend, maar na afloop snel vergeten. De acteurs schieten doorgaans tekort terwijl het visuele gehalte uitstekend blijkt, iets waarvan Honey, I Shrunk the Kids ook al last had. Hopelijk leert Johnston op den duur een betere balans te slaan tussen acteerwerk en stijl in plaats van altijd de middenweg te verkiezen en vermakelijke maar vergetelijke producten af te leveren. Want ook zijn tweede vlucht als regisseur mist helaas net zijn doel.