43. Buddha Mountain (**)
This must be what "indie" feels like in China. No real plot but the characters develop and evolve and their relationships emerge and grow. Aside from the periodic, high volume histrionic outbursts, which seem to be a staple of Asian films, I was engaged by these characters and the eventual Buddhist resonance of the film's resolution.
44. A Separation (**)
I have to admit - I come to Iranian films with certain expectations. I know that vicious fuckwits are in charge of the country so I'm always looking for seditious subtext. Its presence in this film is subtle. Up front, we have social drama and it's remarkably rich. In a setting that's a mind-bending stew of modernism (TV, late-model cars, computers) and primitivism (religious superstition, which is taken for granted, a chaotic judicial system) a marital drama plays out and, while the women have a voice, the final say is as elusive to them as the freedom to live their lives without the oppression of heavy linen body gags.
45. Sleeping Beauty (***)
This movie made me think of "The Story of O" and Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut". It actually made me think of Kubrick for other reasons as well - like style. So, pretty hard not to like, for me, since I saw all those references as positive and successfully realized. But, let's be clear, this movie is decidedly un-erotic. Emily Browning gives a fierce performance, doubling the main character's unreserved commitment to the task at hand, putting herself at the mercy of whatever unfolds.
46. Donovan's Echo (**)
A well-crafted local production (Langley, Maple Ridge) that's thoroughly entertaining. Danny Glover's an anchor for this movie and he's in every scene. A sort of variation on the premonition/he must be crazy story but with the low key cast and locale, it does feel fresh. Made me think of "The Dead Zone" a couple of times.
No comments:
Post a Comment