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Reviews
for the Week of 11/16:
A bad movie without
flaw is hard to find, but Master and Commander fits the bill.
There’s nothing wrong with it, but somehow, it comes off stale and
dry—an epic without triumph, containing developed characters that we
don’t care for. It’s the type of thing that seems like a riveting
journey on paper, but turns out to be a relentless one, when put to
film. There’s a lot to admire here, but much of it isn’t pleasant to
watch; Master and Commander is so technically efficient, it’s
actually quite exhausting. I was rarely intrigued or captivated by it,
but always inspired. The colors are lush, the emotion is brilliant, and
the performances are perfect, but sadly, everything doesn’t tie together
well enough. This film is a gigantic mess of talent, and this,
unfortunately, does not work towards its advantage. I can’t say it’s
boring; Russell Crowe’s work alone is enough to keep us somewhat
interested. Even though it’s not worth the full-price of a ticket, when
Master and Commander comes onto video, the ingenious violence and
beautiful visuals will account for a well-spent afternoon. You may not
be entirely satisfied in the end, but this motion picture is one hell of
a trip.
I am, literally, shocked.
So I finally get to seeing Y Tu Mamá También, after it receives
mass critical acclaim and worship around the world. And after it was over,
there was no doubt in my mind that it was a good movie, but frankly,
anyone who thinks it’s revolutionary must be smoking crack.
I caught it when it aired
on the Independent Film Channel, uncut and in full-form, about three weeks
ago. Since then, I’ve read many reviews on it, and still do not understand
the majority of critics’ positions. Here’s what a few of them wrote:
“…another trumpet
blast that there may be a New Mexican Cinema a-bornin'.”–Roger Ebert
“...an original,
harsh, funny slant on the traditional road movie, as experienced by two
Mexican teens and their gorgeous 28-year-old tagalong."
–Norm Schrager
"...is fast, funny,
unafraid of sexuality and finally devastating."–Elvis Mitchell
Let’s be honest, here.
Y Tu Mamá También is a funny, witty comedy with a bunch of racy scenes
thrown in. I wouldn’t hesitate to call it a raunchy teen movie; it’s not
profound, it’s not amazing—it’s just a wonderful trip. The writing is
excellent, but there is also a tremendous amount of errors to be found in
this film. For one, the tone is totally misguided. While Alfonso Cuaron
may have a way with words, his directing skills do not measure up. There’s
also nothing touching about Y Tu Mamá También, and this is
definitely a problem. I didn’t feel for the characters in quite the way
that others did; I didn’t find their dreams to be all that exciting,
compared to what’s imposed.
All in all, this is
definitely a flick that’s worth seeing, but I’d strongly advise against it
if you’re looking for something life-affirming. I am a member of Y Tu
Mamá También’s audience, but I’m clearly more hesitant about liking it
than others.
Eager to see this because
of my many hypotheses about the work of French filmmaker Francois Ozon, I
rented Under the Sand expecting that it would be as vibrant and
colorfully cheerful as 8 Women, one of the two other films from the
director that I’d seen before. While this picture has almost no
similarities with that one, it’s certainly fabulous in its own individual
way. This movie plays out like a noir, but has a different style than one
would expect. Ozon clearly has a knack for this type of material; low key
mysteries, with multi-dimensional twists added in are his specialty.
Charlotte Rampling’s character, Marie, has one of the most interesting
personalities of the decade, and is the movie. She’s bottled-up and
intriguing, infested with her hard-nosed shyness from all vulnerability.
The cinematography, by Antoine Héberlé and Jeanne Lapoirie, allows the
entire film to entrance you into an unexplainable spell and leave you
captivated for the entire duration. I personally, cannot wait to see
Ozon’s latest effort, Swimming Pool.
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