There is something about "Blue Is the Warmest Color" that makes me think that I am watching the Truth. It is a very Truthful film.
Yes, the sex scenes are somewhat drawn-out, excessive, and intense for most North Americans. But aside from these scenes, which have been the main focus of most criticism and press-coverage surrounding Kechiche's feature, what we see is a film full of compelling conversations, realistic happenings, and truly life-like encounters. There is something about the rhythm and tone of the screenplay (although I was reading subtitles) which heighten its realism and makes you think you are witnessing life instead of fiction.
It is the story of Adele (Adele Exarchopolous) who as a young high school student is struggling to locate her own identity and place in the world. Then she meets Emma (Lea Seydoux) who is the missing piece in the puzzle of her life. They become lovers and soul-mates for a fleeting moment in each other's lives and they grow and learn as a result.
I loved the scenes at Adele's school. There are classroom scene (she is a literature major) that demonstrate an expertise in direction by Kechiche that is peerless and soulful. The romance that blossoms between the two leads and takes place outside the bedroom is tender and meaningful as well.
As for the sex scenes in question, they are graphic and intense. But perhaps if we look at them as a part of the culture in which it takes place and a reflection of what many people experience then perhaps more people can accept them. It is a great film and I look forward to more from this director.
Thoughts and insights on film, television, and other aspects of culture by Matthew J. White.
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Under the Skin (2013, dir. Jonathan Glazer)
What a mysterious, foreboding and riveting film this is. Scarlett Johansson stars as a nameless alien in the disguise of a seriously attractive woman who preys on unsuspecting men in a Scottish town. She drives around at night asking, seducing and compelling men to get into her car and come back to her place. Once back, they are trapped like flies in a spider's web, in a perplexing method that can only be attributed to an otherworldly being's diabolical desire.
Several things happen throughout this film that are given no causal explanation or leave the viewer reeling with questions that go unanswered. This is not a complaint about the film but is in fact, one of its charms: there are scenes and appearances by certain characters that defy narrative cuing or straightforward story-telling logic. I won't go into detail, but the baffling film has to be seen to be believed, (mis)understood, and enjoyed.
There are men who are able to escape the lure of the unconventional, complex alien character played marvelously by Johnansson. One individual has a severe facial disfigurement. Perhaps his loneliness or his alien-like existence persuade her to let him go in the end. We'll never know for sure. There's another man who offers assistance to her and provides her with a place to stay when she is in apparent distress. They become intimate in a surprising series of scenes and he ends up surviving.
There are compelling visual stylizations and motifs throughout this film. Director Glazer, inventively creates a dreary, overcast Scotland with certain hypnotic sequences that add to the effectiveness of the overall film and pushes the film into even more mysterious territory. Some will say that the film is too slow or weird for their taste. But, I was won over by this haunting story of what an alien being does to get by.
Several things happen throughout this film that are given no causal explanation or leave the viewer reeling with questions that go unanswered. This is not a complaint about the film but is in fact, one of its charms: there are scenes and appearances by certain characters that defy narrative cuing or straightforward story-telling logic. I won't go into detail, but the baffling film has to be seen to be believed, (mis)understood, and enjoyed.
There are men who are able to escape the lure of the unconventional, complex alien character played marvelously by Johnansson. One individual has a severe facial disfigurement. Perhaps his loneliness or his alien-like existence persuade her to let him go in the end. We'll never know for sure. There's another man who offers assistance to her and provides her with a place to stay when she is in apparent distress. They become intimate in a surprising series of scenes and he ends up surviving.
There are compelling visual stylizations and motifs throughout this film. Director Glazer, inventively creates a dreary, overcast Scotland with certain hypnotic sequences that add to the effectiveness of the overall film and pushes the film into even more mysterious territory. Some will say that the film is too slow or weird for their taste. But, I was won over by this haunting story of what an alien being does to get by.
Thursday, September 18, 2014
The Immigrant (2013, dir. James Gray)
I would like to offer 5 reasons that this film should be enjoyed by all. (It is a great film):
1. The Performances.
Marion Cotillard is one of the most beautiful actresses around and in "The Immigrant" she is astounding as a young Polish immigrant who struggles for survival in a cruel, and unforgiving New York City in 1921. Cotillard's performance is nuanced and poignant. She brings a richly-layered, full-bodied character to life in a way that no other actress can accomplish. She plays Ewa Cybulska, a woman who is forced into prostitution to provide medical care for her ailing sister, Magda, who is quarantined in a hospital on Ellis Island. Cotillard brings dignity and transcendence to Ewa, making her totally sympathetic but, at the same time, not turning her into a cliched character.
Equally amazing are Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner. Phoenix's Bruno is a multilayered, conflicted boss/pimp who's love for Ewa is as doomed as it is impossibly tragic. Renner's Emil, Bruno's cousin, is a magician who also finds himself in love with Ewa. Renner's character is a brilliant foil to Phoenix's and there scenes together are charged with tension and palpable electricity.
2. The Period Detail.
The New York City of 1921 that is depicted in "The Immigrant" is an amazing achievement in technical virtuosity. There is a cohesive contrast between totally accurate period detail and a stylized, exaggerated, fictional universe that is reminiscent of painting and photographs of the period that gives the film its own unique visual character.
3. The Allusions to Past Films.
The most striking and obvious reference of "The Immigrant" is to Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather Part II", specifically the scenes with a young Vito Corleone in New York City. The outdoor scenes on the streets of Gray's film obviously had Coppola's film as a reference. It is not however, theft but a celebration and loving tribute to that 1974 film. There are other references and allusions: "Once Upon a Time in America" comes to mind as well as "McCabe and Mrs. Miller".
4. The Story.
This is a captivating narrative of despair and redemption. It forces you to look at the dirty, gritty, sinful side of life without averting your eyes. It is often uncomfortable to look but it is riveting. The trajectory of the characters takes the viewer on a thrilling ride through the ups and downs of the lives of people struggling to live life with whatever dignity they can muster.
5. The Cinematography.
DP Darius Khondji is a master and he turns the film into a visually breathtaking event. The camera work is versatile and efficient. There is a certain resolution reached between what almost seems almost like black and white photography with a colorization that is appropriate to the time and place in which the film is set. There seems to be an ever-present overcast in the outdoor scenes which sheds light on the mind-set of the characters and the mood of the film overall.
1. The Performances.
Marion Cotillard is one of the most beautiful actresses around and in "The Immigrant" she is astounding as a young Polish immigrant who struggles for survival in a cruel, and unforgiving New York City in 1921. Cotillard's performance is nuanced and poignant. She brings a richly-layered, full-bodied character to life in a way that no other actress can accomplish. She plays Ewa Cybulska, a woman who is forced into prostitution to provide medical care for her ailing sister, Magda, who is quarantined in a hospital on Ellis Island. Cotillard brings dignity and transcendence to Ewa, making her totally sympathetic but, at the same time, not turning her into a cliched character.
Equally amazing are Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner. Phoenix's Bruno is a multilayered, conflicted boss/pimp who's love for Ewa is as doomed as it is impossibly tragic. Renner's Emil, Bruno's cousin, is a magician who also finds himself in love with Ewa. Renner's character is a brilliant foil to Phoenix's and there scenes together are charged with tension and palpable electricity.
2. The Period Detail.
The New York City of 1921 that is depicted in "The Immigrant" is an amazing achievement in technical virtuosity. There is a cohesive contrast between totally accurate period detail and a stylized, exaggerated, fictional universe that is reminiscent of painting and photographs of the period that gives the film its own unique visual character.
3. The Allusions to Past Films.
The most striking and obvious reference of "The Immigrant" is to Francis Ford Coppola's "The Godfather Part II", specifically the scenes with a young Vito Corleone in New York City. The outdoor scenes on the streets of Gray's film obviously had Coppola's film as a reference. It is not however, theft but a celebration and loving tribute to that 1974 film. There are other references and allusions: "Once Upon a Time in America" comes to mind as well as "McCabe and Mrs. Miller".
4. The Story.
This is a captivating narrative of despair and redemption. It forces you to look at the dirty, gritty, sinful side of life without averting your eyes. It is often uncomfortable to look but it is riveting. The trajectory of the characters takes the viewer on a thrilling ride through the ups and downs of the lives of people struggling to live life with whatever dignity they can muster.
5. The Cinematography.
DP Darius Khondji is a master and he turns the film into a visually breathtaking event. The camera work is versatile and efficient. There is a certain resolution reached between what almost seems almost like black and white photography with a colorization that is appropriate to the time and place in which the film is set. There seems to be an ever-present overcast in the outdoor scenes which sheds light on the mind-set of the characters and the mood of the film overall.
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