Jimmy Dean, Street Hoods and Anime Rats.
0 Comments Published by Jesse Trussell on Sunday, November 27, 2005 at 3:58 PM.
Three more films over the weekend:
Rebel without a Cause: The acting is brilliant and Ray's visual direction is stunning, but Rebel is showing some major signs of age. Its story of a wayward James Dean looking for meaning is written as Freud-by-numbers, including a really awful decision by Ray to put Jim Bacchus in an apron for the duration of one of the climactic scenes. It's really only some stellar acting by the three leads that elevates Rebel above the other "teens run amok" films of the 50s. Dean's iconic status is well deserved here, even if the Method now feels very baroque. Godard said that "Nicholas Ray is cinema" and as a visual stylist, Godard was spot on. In dealing with his themes, however, Ray seems to murky here, as though his own childhood were to far away to relate. But Dean pushes Ray's stasis away and paints a fully believable character of aimless, tortured youth.
The Warriors: I thought there was no way this could live up to the hype. With little idea of what to expect except for a bizarre late 70s action movie, I had heard this was a great ride. I had no idea it was also a really good film. Hill's direction is lean and the screenplay cooks up some great lines and characters. While my girlfriend pointed out to me that it is really impossible to like any of these guys, you get past that by just enjoying the sheer amorality of it all. Though he still will be that guy from Xanadu in my mind, Michael Beck manages to almost get away from the rollerskates and be an action star. Not quite, but almost. Pretty damn cool flick.
Spirited Away: My God is Miyazaki a great storyteller. It is almost cliche to point that out, but he is truly the best living director of the narrative film, Spielberg be damned. Spirited Away is such an amazing tale, and all the grand set pieces that little Chihiro gets herself into, from the steep stairs to the stink god to baby, I only hope that her adventures will move into a classic of children's cinema. A film that should be seen by everyone that loves movies.
Rebel without a Cause: The acting is brilliant and Ray's visual direction is stunning, but Rebel is showing some major signs of age. Its story of a wayward James Dean looking for meaning is written as Freud-by-numbers, including a really awful decision by Ray to put Jim Bacchus in an apron for the duration of one of the climactic scenes. It's really only some stellar acting by the three leads that elevates Rebel above the other "teens run amok" films of the 50s. Dean's iconic status is well deserved here, even if the Method now feels very baroque. Godard said that "Nicholas Ray is cinema" and as a visual stylist, Godard was spot on. In dealing with his themes, however, Ray seems to murky here, as though his own childhood were to far away to relate. But Dean pushes Ray's stasis away and paints a fully believable character of aimless, tortured youth.
The Warriors: I thought there was no way this could live up to the hype. With little idea of what to expect except for a bizarre late 70s action movie, I had heard this was a great ride. I had no idea it was also a really good film. Hill's direction is lean and the screenplay cooks up some great lines and characters. While my girlfriend pointed out to me that it is really impossible to like any of these guys, you get past that by just enjoying the sheer amorality of it all. Though he still will be that guy from Xanadu in my mind, Michael Beck manages to almost get away from the rollerskates and be an action star. Not quite, but almost. Pretty damn cool flick.
Spirited Away: My God is Miyazaki a great storyteller. It is almost cliche to point that out, but he is truly the best living director of the narrative film, Spielberg be damned. Spirited Away is such an amazing tale, and all the grand set pieces that little Chihiro gets herself into, from the steep stairs to the stink god to baby, I only hope that her adventures will move into a classic of children's cinema. A film that should be seen by everyone that loves movies.
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