High and Low

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Akira Kurosawa's High and Low (1963) is a gripping combination of character study, social commentary and thriller. Toshiro Mifune's lead character is an executive (in a successful company) who becomes the target of a blackmail attempt.

Kurosawa's large cast of fascinating characters has to face thought-provoking ethical dilemmas as they try to solve the case without harming anyone. The director's strong ethical concerns and magnificently used melodrama are especially the key elements for the first third of the film which is shot solely on one set. The film names and explores many social concerns, but at the end I realised I'm not exactly sure what Kurosawa wanted to say with the film. That might just be my problem though. The more troubling "flaw" (even though it's not exactly one) is the surprisingly long police investigation part in the middle of the film. Luckily Kurosawa's approach to it never makes it boring even when it's clearly too long for the film's sake.

The form doesn't fail either. Kurosawa's explosive and captivating cinematography is on the level of his masterpieces (Seven Samurai) and the editing is almost equally impressive. The set design is vital for the film since a significant portion of it takes place at the lead character's house - and it is damn captivating to say the least. The form wouldn't have been nearly as effective without the amazing actors each of whom deliver a pitch-perfect performance. Mifune's aggressive and menacing performance is rivalled by Nakadai's confidence, Yamazaki's paranoia, Mihashi's introversion and Kagawa's hysteria.

When I'm asked who my favorite director is, I usually answer Akira Kurosawa. High and Low reminded me of why it is so even though it's not completely impeccable.

Score: 9 out of 10

Jackie Brown

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Quentin Tarantino's Jackie Brown (1997) is the director's first slip-up. Essentially it is a long movie about a complex con a stewardess pulls off, but it is presented without a punch. A Tarantino film lacking the punch is an utter failure. It's almost as if he tried to hide his unsatisfying dialogue and boring characters under a superficially complex plot. Not even actors like Samuel L. Jackson can bring the characters to life - there is something wrong with the writing.

Even the form falters a little here. It certainly has decent camerawork and good editing, but Tarantino's soundtrack is hit-and-miss - too random this time that it doesn't even fit to the mood at all on some occasions.

And all of this mediocrity goes on for 150 minutes so it's not really tolerable either.

Score: 5 out of 10

Millennium Mambo

Hsiao-hsien Hou's Millennium Mambo (2001) shows the director exploring yet another directorial dimension. The final result is bewildering but interesting: it combines the experimentation and subject matter of an up-and-coming director with the confidence of an experienced auteur. The film focuses solely on Vicky, a woman in need of a change to her life. The film begins by showing how her relationship to Hao-hao began - an on/off relationship that eventually comes crashing down.

This is the first time Hou sets the entire film in the contemporary Taiwan (and partly Japan). This time the setting doesn't play a role as huge as in his other films - now the focus is completely on the characters. They are intriguing because most of them are trapped and flawed in a tragic way. Hou explores Vicky's life in dense detail (and honestly) which makes the film emotionally tangible.

Even though Hou experiments a lot with the form this time, he hasn't forgotten his long take aesthetic. Most scenes are built around one long take where the camera is in a fixed position (although it turns around a lot). He mostly uses the same angles and positions for every set throughout the film - which gives the viewer a concrete idea of the surroundings. This is especially effective in Vicky's apartment that is mostly shot from a single position. The experimentation with bokeh and slow motion is intriguing and mostly successful. For example, the opening shot of the film is one of the most haunting ones Hou has ever shot. And that says a lot.

Before I forget I have to mention the clever use of sound in the film. There's a faint musical score in the background most of the time and Hou likes to use "authentic" (not sure if it is, but it sure sounds like that) background noise for most scenes (with the exception being the dreamy passages that serve as emotional catharses).

Millennium Mambo is a fascinating film dominated by its towering lead performance by Shu Qi. She carries the film quite effortlessly even when it could have stumbled hard. It is an all-around good film that could have been better. It creates a strong emotional bond to the characters, but doesn't achieve much through its experimentation.

Score: 8 out of 10

Requiem for a Dream

Darren Aronofsky's Requiem for a Dream (2000) is a cautionary tale of addiction. There are drug addictors (Jared Leto, Marlon Wayans), a drug addict who is/becomes a whore (Jennifer Connelly) and an old, television-addicted and overweight lady (Ellen Burstyn) who begins to take drugs, as well. It is so ridiculously preaching and heavy-handed that it makes me laugh instead of making me think. The weak characters are completely controlled by the will to be as cruel as possible towards addicts. The stiff dialogue is laughable. At least it is damn obsessed with its own message so that it doesnt really stray away from it at any point.

The form might be tight, but very distracting and unfitting. There is sped up and slowed down footage, strap-on cameras and "hip hop" editing. These are mostly used in a wrong way if you ask me. The formal choices deliver either the opposite effect, are there to look "cool" or "shocking" or at worst feel completely random. Especially the "hip hop" editing seems to glorify the act of getting high, and that is exactly the opposite of what the film wants to say. The compositions are quite nice sometimes, but the dramatic strings are somewhat silly sometimes. Unfortunatnely this movie made Lux Aeterna popular (and THAT Lord of the Rings trailer even moreso) that its effect has completely worn out - and in turn evokes more disgust than drama. The performances are mostly OK, with the exceptions of Jared Leto and Ellen Burstyn. The former is shitty and the latter is awesome.

Score: 4 out of 10

Half Nelson

Half Nelson (2006) tells the story of a teacher (Ryan Gosling) who is addicted to drugs. After one of his students (Shareeka Epps) finds about his addiction, they form an eccentric friendship. The film was directed by Ryan Flec. It features Ryan Gosling's breakthrough performance which led to an Oscar nomination. It was praised by the critics and became so popular that you could call it THE indie film of 2006 along with Little Miss Sunshine. Ebert named it one of the best films of the decade. You can listen to his and Roeper's thoughts on the film here. 

Why is the film called Half Nelson? It is a wrestling term that serves as a metaphor for the main character's situation: it is extremely difficult to break free from it without putting up a fight.

The film carefully studies its two main characters. As a character study, the film certainly prevails. Although the camera is very interactive with the characters, we are given an honest image of them. We see Gosling's character both as a good teacher who inspires his students, yet we are also there to witness his horrible actions when he's down on his luck. Both of them are in middle of all kinds of "opposing forces" he talks about during the lessons. The characters slowly crumble towards the ending which is a finely constructed climax. The development of the characters reach a fascinating point which works well as an ending.

Half Nelson might work as a character study, but partly because of that it lacks thematic coherency a little. The presentations on civil rights break the rhythm of the film and feel completely forced and separate from the film, which - in turn - makes the film a little uneven.

Half Nelson's form attempts to create a strong emotional bond between the viewer(s) and characters through many aspects. It emphasizes the feeling of each scene and shot. It is obviously shot with hand-held cameras because the camera trembles most of the time, but it actually works a lot better than you would expect. I can't recall a single long-distance shot from the film; it is constructed mostly of close-ups and a few medium-distance shots. The focus is sometimes awkwardly changing, but that is done on purpose. There are a lot of scenes that actually benefit from this "nauseating" camerawork. It has a better impact on the viewer than any other method would have had, for example this is the case in the scene when the student discover the teacher's drug addiction. It creates a truly agonizing atmosphere for the scene. There are also a few scenes which add music with the same intention, and those scenes also worked quite well.

The film features a few scenes that use juxtaposition in a peculiar yet clever way. I won't give you an example because it is a lot more fun to spot them on your own. The film's pace is very lifelike: it never rushes onwards with only leaving the essential shots, but it never hangs onto a single moment. This is the result of proper editing that is worth mentioning. All in all, the form works very well most of the time, but it isnt necessarily perfect.

Ryan Gosling's performance is simply phenomenal. It is one of the best performances of the decade. He delivers a tour de force with unbelieveable authenticity. Yet Shareeka Epps isnt overshadowed by Gosling's towering performance. Her performance never seems forced - which is the opposite of a lot of other young American actors - and she can sometimes even rival Gosling. The other members of the cast are good too, but they arent worth mentioning here.

In overall, Half Nelson is a very good film which deserves the appreciation it has received.

Score: 8 out of 10