A great low budget film noir about a contract killer. Whereas Samouraii is about the ‘act’ of killing this is more about the thought of killing and the psychology required to do that. Vince Edwards (never seen him in a movie before) is great as the killer. Some great existential dialog and a sparse look.
A real fun American folk Tale told as a patriotic parable. The devil was fun/well cast in this and this is just a really well made jingoistic folk tale. Not a ton of things to say about this. Nothing special but I just it hit all the marks as a folk tale. I am a fan of folk tales so maybe I am bias.
A really cool British gangster movie. Great performances by Bob Hoskins and a young Hellen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan highlight a story about a gangster’s empire fall apart just about as he tries to move into legitimacy.
Interesting stuff about Thatcher’s England, the rise of the common market, British American relations, and the IRA. An awesome synthetic score but the movie is hindered by a confusing opening scene that is supposed to tie the movie together.
- Saw the 24 Frames version with an excellent choral score. A haunting beautifully made silent film. No wide shots; almost every shot focuses on facial reactions; not the typical ‘stereotypical silent film facial reaction’. Made interesting/other worldly use of ‘stark’ sets; all scenes had all white/grey background. A real powerful film about religious belief and ‘religious symbolism’. The lead performance was one of the best I have seen in a movie. An excellent silent film.
Tartosky’s Russian Sci-Fi about 3 characters going to a place called THE Zone where all of one’s deepest desires are filled. A great looking/composition film using the ‘Wizard of Oz’ effect (black and white to color). Not a ‘traditional’ science fiction movie but a deep meditation on human desire. One of the best movie about ‘ideas’ I have seen. Hypnotic and dense as a perogy.
One of the great Westerns. An epic about 3 ‘characters’ looking for a lost treasure. Great story structure and set pieces highlight this film. Also a legendary score. Eli Wallach is great in this as is his character. Interesting Civil War backdrop also highlight the film.
A spectacular film. Great performances (including 3 characters performed by Deborah Kerr); great production values (especially aging Makeup); and one of the best screenplays for a film I have seen. A hard movie to pigeonhole part satire; part comedy; part war movie part statement on what makes a ‘gentleman’ and a gentleman’s war. The story of British Officer Candy from the Boer War to WW2. The duel scene is one of the best scenes in movies. I think I found a new ‘favorite’.
I was always hesitant to watch IKIRU because it always sounded like a Japanese version of ‘Bucket List’ but what the movie is (besides an examination of how one lives facing the inevitability of death); is a fascination examination of the role ‘an individual’ has to his work (especially in the second half).
I do not think I have ever seen a better movie about the role ‘work’ has in identifying the individual. At a surface level one could see the film as a cynical/depressing/scathing examination of work, bureaucracy, and the Japanese ‘company/institutional man’. But what I found so great about it is this somewhat uplifting film existed in such a place where so much ‘cynicism’ and BS existed (and thrived). I think IKIRU gave a message of ‘hope’ for the individual in a sometimes ugly/malevolent world.
Comments 1 - 8 of 8
Movie comment on Murder by Contract
captain canuck
A great low budget film noir about a contract killer. Whereas Samouraii is about the ‘act’ of killing this is more about the thought of killing and the psychology required to do that. Vince Edwards (never seen him in a movie before) is great as the killer. Some great existential dialog and a sparse look.Movie comment on All That Money Can Buy
captain canuck
A real fun American folk Tale told as a patriotic parable. The devil was fun/well cast in this and this is just a really well made jingoistic folk tale. Not a ton of things to say about this. Nothing special but I just it hit all the marks as a folk tale. I am a fan of folk tales so maybe I am bias.Movie comment on The Long Good Friday
captain canuck
A really cool British gangster movie. Great performances by Bob Hoskins and a young Hellen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan highlight a story about a gangster’s empire fall apart just about as he tries to move into legitimacy.Interesting stuff about Thatcher’s England, the rise of the common market, British American relations, and the IRA. An awesome synthetic score but the movie is hindered by a confusing opening scene that is supposed to tie the movie together.
Movie comment on La passion de Jeanne d'Arc
captain canuck
- Saw the 24 Frames version with an excellent choral score. A haunting beautifully made silent film. No wide shots; almost every shot focuses on facial reactions; not the typical ‘stereotypical silent film facial reaction’. Made interesting/other worldly use of ‘stark’ sets; all scenes had all white/grey background. A real powerful film about religious belief and ‘religious symbolism’. The lead performance was one of the best I have seen in a movie. An excellent silent film.Movie comment on Stalker
captain canuck
Tartosky’s Russian Sci-Fi about 3 characters going to a place called THE Zone where all of one’s deepest desires are filled. A great looking/composition film using the ‘Wizard of Oz’ effect (black and white to color). Not a ‘traditional’ science fiction movie but a deep meditation on human desire. One of the best movie about ‘ideas’ I have seen. Hypnotic and dense as a perogy.Movie comment on Il buono, il brutto, il cattivo
captain canuck
One of the great Westerns. An epic about 3 ‘characters’ looking for a lost treasure. Great story structure and set pieces highlight this film. Also a legendary score. Eli Wallach is great in this as is his character. Interesting Civil War backdrop also highlight the film.Movie comment on The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp
captain canuck
A spectacular film. Great performances (including 3 characters performed by Deborah Kerr); great production values (especially aging Makeup); and one of the best screenplays for a film I have seen. A hard movie to pigeonhole part satire; part comedy; part war movie part statement on what makes a ‘gentleman’ and a gentleman’s war. The story of British Officer Candy from the Boer War to WW2. The duel scene is one of the best scenes in movies. I think I found a new ‘favorite’.Movie comment on Ikiru
captain canuck
I was always hesitant to watch IKIRU because it always sounded like a Japanese version of ‘Bucket List’ but what the movie is (besides an examination of how one lives facing the inevitability of death); is a fascination examination of the role ‘an individual’ has to his work (especially in the second half).I do not think I have ever seen a better movie about the role ‘work’ has in identifying the individual. At a surface level one could see the film as a cynical/depressing/scathing examination of work, bureaucracy, and the Japanese ‘company/institutional man’. But what I found so great about it is this somewhat uplifting film existed in such a place where so much ‘cynicism’ and BS existed (and thrived). I think IKIRU gave a message of ‘hope’ for the individual in a sometimes ugly/malevolent world.