Evening Classes

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Nicolas Ribowski's short film Evening Classes (1967) is solely built around Jacques Tati's famous character, Mr. Hulot. The director lets Tati loose for long takes in which he demonstrates his wide range of acting capabilities by teaching an acting class for eager (but hilariously dumb) students.

The film relies solely on the gags within the 30-minute running time and they are clearly hit-or-miss. Whenever Tati has nothing to do, the film is a real letdown because the other actors simply can't keep up with his great performance. The direction lacks the same sort of inspiration although it's rewarding because it gives most of its attention for Tati's performance by not distracting the viewer from it.

If anything, Evening Classes is a nice extra for the Criterion release of Tati's Playtime (1967).

Score: 6 out of 10

24 Realities per Second

Nina Kusturica and Eva Testor's documentary on Michael Haneke, 24 Realities per Second (named after a famous quote by the director), could have provided great insight into the work of one of the most fascinating European directors working today. Even though there are intriguing scenes of him working on the set and answering questions of the interviewers and the audience at a screening the clips don't hold together very well - especially because transitions are completely missing. 

Haneke's thoughts are interesting on their own, but in the end they are rather sparse and are not though-provoking because the structure of the documentary doesn't let them become memorable. Without giving a clear focus to anything the film is too fragmented to give a strong image of the director or the films he makes.

No matter how badly the presentation is failed the director is a fascinating person when he opens up for the camera and that makes the documentary watchable.

Score: 5 out of 10

Flight of the Red Balloon

Hsiao-hsien Hou's Flight of the Red Balloon (2007) reminds me of the director's earlier film, Café Lumière (2003), because in both films he explores a foreign culture so vividly and profoundly in a minimalistic way. Whereas Café Lumière was only about that Flight of the Red Balloon's scope is a bit bigger. As a vital reference to Albert Lamorisse's Red Balloon (1956) a mysterious red balloon follows the son of a puppeteer and his babysitter in Paris.

Hou's "slice of life" approach is still refreshing and brilliant in a way that's hard to put into words. There's a heart-warming aspect to it although the film's atmosphere is occasionally gloomy. Hou creates one of the most interesting characters of his entire career with the Chinese babysitter, Fang Song, who is also a film student interested in shooting footage of the boy's adventures in the city. Despite its freewheeling nature as a vivid document of the culture the film also deals with family issues and art in a significant degree, which makes it even more interesting.

Hou's minimal (but not static) camera movement, gorgeous compositions and calm editing (most scenes are shot with a single take) are as captivating and sophisticated as in his greatest masterpieces such as City of Sadness. The instrumental music is used in a slightly cathartic way that reminds me of Hou's earlier films although this time it was even more effective. Especially the song used at the end of the film was a great choice.

Hsiao-hsien continues to amaze me with his wisdom and sophistication which seem to be never-ending seeing that his career has lasted for so long already and he has never stumbled drastically.

Score: 10 out of 10

Paris, I Love You

I've never been a big fan of portmanteau films, possibly because I haven't yet found one that could be considered a masterpiece. Paris, I Love You (2006) certainly doesn't change my opinion on them. Even when you have big names like the Coen brothers, Alfonso Cuaron and Christopher Doyle collaborating for one, it still doesn't work well.

Most of the short films are either bad (Oliver Assayas' Quartier des Enfants Rouges), forgettable (Bruno Podalydès' Montmartre) or decent (Wes Craven's Père-Lachaise) at best. There are a few great shorts, such as Alfonso Cuaron's Parc Monceau and Vincenzo Natali's Quartier de la Madeleine, but they are easily forgotten in the mix of the other films. Portmanteau films often rely on their holistic value, but Paris, I Love You does never quite come together because most of its segments are not worthwhile.

The film's mood goes all over the place (in both a good and a bad way) and the cinematography is stunning in each segment, but it lacks coherency and interest for the most part. I would certainly not recommend it even though it is just barely enjoyable.

Score: 5 out of 10

The Rules of the Game

Jean Renoir's The Rules of the Game (1939) is insane. INSANE. The director introduces us a huge cast of characters so effortlessly and throws them together for an enormous party that spirals out of control quickly. The characters are complex, intriguing and most of all, very captivating. The narrative weaves them together in such a dense and clever way that I'm still baffled even though it was the second time I saw the film. In only 100 minutes, the film covers so much character and plot development that it could fill a 4-hour film.

This time Renoir's form is also very convincing. The camera drives are powerful and brilliantly connect the different storylines all the way from the servants to the rich. The editing never lets the viewer catch their breath once the real action kicks in - and that's only for the better.

The Rules of the Game is one of the most stunning cinematic masterpieces I have ever seen.

Score: 10 out of 10

The Grand Illusion

Jean Renoir's The Grand Illusion (1937) is a film about French soldiers locked up in a German prison during the First World War. The film deals with class issues as soldiers from the poor to the rich have to get along in the same cell. The dense narrative is interesting and its pace is almost lyrical with scenes coming and going. Renoir manages to create and explore a cast of fascinating characters in a surprisingly vivid way even though there is not much time for that.

The film's form is nothing spectacular, but it works very well. It captures the crazy pace of the film in a relatively calm way (which is fitting though). The black and white photography is beautiful to look at and even though the music is a bit over the top, it works quite well.

The Grand Illusion is an intriguing film even though I don't understand why it has received as much praise as it has over the years.

Score: 9 out of 10

Mon oncle

Jacques Tati's Mon oncle (1958) - the title of which has never been officially translated, but it means My Uncle - continues the adventures of Tati's famous character, Mr. Hulot. Even though he wants to do good, he simply won't fit into the crazy society this time either. This time his sister and brother-in-law try to get him a job and a wife, but his adventures pave the way for more chaos. The absurdity of "modern life" (modern as in the 50's) is made fun of consistently: Hulot's sister is a cleaning maniac and a hypocrite - and her house is the culmination of ridiculous design (both exterior and interior) combined with top notch technology.

Tati's physical slapstick is very refreshing and complex. He creates wonderful scenarios seemingly without a lot of effort - which makes the film even more impressive. His use of composition and colors is fascinating. The playful soundtrack is also a delight.

Even though it is significantly weaker in comparison to his later film, Play Time, Tati's Mon oncle is yet another great film from the French comedian.

Score: 9 out of 10

Play Time

Jacques Tati's Play Time (1967) is one of the funniest (if not the funniest) films I've ever seen. I was already very entertained when I saw the director's earlier film, Mr. Hulot's Holiday, but this is clearly his masterpiece. His regular character, Mr. Hulot, arrives to Paris to meet with an official, but gets lost in the labyrinth of modern life and ends up in the craziest party I've ever witnessed onscreen.

Tati's physical comedy is in the most complex and brilliant possible form in Play Time. The setpieces, multi-layered action and stunning choreography totally knocked me out already during the first 30 minutes. The film is a thrilling and breathtaking ride that feels unified all around. The camera wildly flows from one situation to another until we come to the later half of the film which provides one of the greatest cinematic climaxes I've ever witnessed. The complex restaurant sequence is probably one of the most ambitious things ever shot in the history of cinema.

Tati's form is breathtaking in its complexity yet again. The cinematography does not only use camera movement in a flawless way, the compositions are impeccable as well. The playful musical score adds the final touch on the "controlled chaos" that lasts for 2 hours straight.

Without a doubt I can say that Play Time is one of the best films I've ever had the honor to watch and it is certainly the best comedy of all time - even better than Stanley Kubrick's magnificent Dr. Strangelove.

Score: 10 out of 10

Mr. Hulot's Holiday

Jacques Tati's Mr. Hulot's Holiday (1953) is a slapstick comedy film which reminds me of Charlie Chaplin's output. In this film Tati introduced Mr. Hulot, a hilarious pipe-smoking character who has his own peculiar posture and clothing. After he arrives at a holiday resort, he begins to wreak havoc by accident even though he tries to do good for the people around him.

Even though the film was made with sound, the form is very similar to that of the silent masters'. Dialogue is sparse and mostly the film relies on its visuals (naturally, it's a physical comedy after all). When sound is used, it is used effectively - especially when it comes to sound effects.

The film's gags might be "only silly", but the way they are constructed, performed and put together is very complex - and that's why I appreciate the film. Despite that, I felt the film lacked something a little - maybe I was expecting a deeper layer from the content, but maybe that is just me. However, the huge cast of great characters is a praiseworthy achievement.

Tati nearly always frames the shot in a way that there are multiple levels of action - and on top of that, most of the compositions are wonderful to look at. The film's structure seems to be quite simple at first: Mr. Hulot running from one situation to another. In the end, it is proven that the whole film was clearly leading to a great climax.

Jacques Tati's Mr. Hulot's Holiday is a film that anyone can enjoy - and huge bursts of genuine laughter are guaranteed.

Score: 9 out of 10

Balthazar

Robert Bresson's Balthazar (1966) is a film about a donkey and the people around him. The multiple narratives of the different owners are constantly intertwined and the final result is very dense and astonishing. Through these storylines Bresson gives us a strong depiction of what he considers to be the current human condition (a term I had to use even though it is quite pretentious).

Bresson's minimalism is unforgettable for me. The extremely restrained acting, simplistic editing, gorgeous photography and the elliptical narrative provide the viewers with a weird feeling: even though we witness horrible things, we are filled with lingering sadness instead of anger. The film isn't depressing, however, but it is haunting.

Balthazar is a film that I have to watch again once in a while. It is hard to digest and it took me a while to understand it, but in the end it is a really rewarding cinematic experience.

Score: 10 out of 10

Breathless

The French New Wave is probably the most famous cinematic movement of all time. I'm ashamed to admit that my knowledge of the movement is far from sufficient and right now I'm trying to fix that. Along with Francois Truffaut's The 400 Blows (1959), Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless (1960) is the most important and popular film of the entire movement. Initially the film seems like a thriller or a gangster film because a murder sets the story into motion. However, it becomes something totally different - and something so much more satisfying and fascinating - after a while.

The story is hard to get a grasp of. It is the "spontaneity" that makes the film as great as it is. There is no clear rising and falling action in the film apart from a few moments, which makes it more "anti-cinematic". There is a natural tone in the dialogue - partly because the actors didn't know the lines beforehand and partly because the dialogue doesn't drive the plot forward most of the time. Despite this incoherency the film manages to deliver us with something tangible that will linger on our minds for some time after we have seen the film.

Godard's form is even more bewildering and energetic than the content of the film. The camera moves in erratic ways and the editing is even wilder - you can figure that out when you know that this film created the jump cutting technique.

It was a weird experience to write this review: initially I thought I would give this film a 9, but the more I think and write about it, the more I love it. I ended up appreciating it even more after I wrote this review. This film is rightfully praised and popular. Go watch it. Now.

Score: 10 out of 10