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

A History of Violence

A few years ago, I watched David Cronenberg's A History of Violence (2005) and I did not like it. I decided to give it a new chance today, but my opinion didn't change one bit. This time I know exactly why the film is so disappointing for me. Essentially the film is about Tom Stall (Viggo Mortensen), a family man living in a small, comfy town until he kills two criminals and becomes a hero. His sudden fame does not come without a downside: a notorious gangster begins to stalk him. 

The film's writing has a fundamental problem: it doesn't seem to know what it tries to achieve. The film introduces us to a family that is simply too perfect - they live the American dream. This is actually rather alienating instead of involving because the flaws are always more intriguing. The difficulties the family has to face (eventually) become distant due to this alienation. This, in turn, leaves the cold observation as the only solution for the viewer. As a character study, it is devoted but wishy-washy. Beyond that, there isn't much coherency to the film. The final act of the film is even more confusing as it becomes (unintentionally?) comic.

The form is warm and inviting most of the time. Especially the graceful camera movement, luminous lighting and precise compositions make the movie visually marvellous. The soundtrack is a bit generic and occassionally over the top, but in the end it is pleasant. The film's truly redeeming aspect is the acting. Viggo Mortensen's towering performance is almost rivalled by Bello and Harris.

It is sad that the film doesn't achieve anything when its cast is ridiculously talented and spot-on.

Score: 5 out of 10

The Bad Sleep Well

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Akira Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well (1960) is usually regarded as a lesser effort in comparison to the director's other films. I would like to say that this is a shame because The Bad Sleep Well is yet another magnificent masterpiece from the Japanese auteur - a film that deserves praise as much as his other masterpieces. Here's a plot synopsis as simply put as possible: a young man attempts to take revenge for his father's murder committed by corrupt industrialists.

The film opens with a wedding scene that is not only one of the greatest scenes Kurosawa has made, but also one of the greatest openings for a film I've ever seen. The introduction of characters (and there are a LOT of them) and the plot exposition are so wonderfully handled in such a short time that I was totally flabbergasted. While the narrative isn't as dense during the rest of the film, The Bad Sleep Well is still a masterpiece of storytelling.  The characters are deep and intriguing throughout the film: the layers of Mifune's Nishi are gradually revealed throughout the film in a stunning way, and Mori's Iwabuchi is one of the greatest villains Kurosawa has ever created.

Kurosawa's form is very intense through powerful imagery (e.g. Nishi's and Yoshiko's meeting in the hideout), masterful camera movement and precise editing. The musical score succeeds in being very haunting and dramatic at the same time. Every member of the cast gives a wonderful performance, especially Toshiro Mifune and Masayuki Mori.

Kurosawa's The Bad Sleep Well is another example of Kurosawa's great contemporary dramas which should be seen by everyone.

Score: 10 out of 10

Frost/Nixon

Ron Howard's Frost/Nixon (2008) is an interesting political thriller. It is based on a true story of how a British talk show host, David Frost, forced a confession out of Richard Nixon regarding the Watergate scandal.

The screenwriter Peter Morgan's approach to the subject is careful and good, but nothing revolutionary or involving. The structure of the story is good, but the build-up phase isn't necessarily good. Luckily, the film generates more tension once the interview begins - and explodes in a great way. At the very end, the film's emotional core becomes a little mixed up, but fortunately it's not too distracting. The film is a nice study of two significant historical figures and it is honest especially about Nixon. The best thing about the film is that it never becomes preachy or one-sided - it's comfortably smart that way.

The form is nothing new under the Sun (the Sun being Hollywood in this case), but it is very good during the interview. The lack of music adds a nice touch to the film and makes the film more like a documentarian take on the subject. There are also these pseudo-documentarian interviews that are used as a narrative device once in a while. It actually works quite well even though I'm very skeptical towards using this in films - it doesn't seem to work usually.

The most important (and successful) aspect of Frost/Nixon is the acting. Frank Langella makes one of the best performances of the entire decade as Richard Nixon. His intimate take on the disliked president is unforgettable. Michael Sheen's portrayal of David Frost is amazing as well, but the character is far from being as great as Nixon in this film. The rest of the cast do quite well in general - especially Kevin Bacon is pitch-perfect in his supporting role.

In general, Frost/Nixon is a very good accomplishment in Hollywood: it remains strictly inside the safe boundaries, but it does the best it can within these "restrictions".

Score: 8 out of 10