connorratliff's Reviews

American Job (1996)

10/10

16 September 2005

Like many, I discovered this film after enjoying Chris Smith's hit documentary "American Movie", and at first I assumed that this must have been one of his earlier non-fiction efforts, a prequel of sorts.

It was only after several minutes (and some questions about how many cameras they must have had to catch so many different points of view in a sequence of events) that I realized the film was actually a work of fiction, albeit one so true to life that I still couldn't believe these were actors playing roles.

This film is funny and painful and dark and true-- it can also be rough going for some viewers who may find it either too mundane or too close-to-reality. One friend I showed the film to said it was TOO good, and could I please turn it off-- after a day's work in HIS dead-end, minimum wage job, seeing the movie version was simply too heartbreaking to bear.

I can't believe this film isn't available on DVD. I would gladly buy it. It is one of the the unsung independent film triumphs of the past decade, and yet it has been seen by too few people.

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Gerry (2002)

10/10

One of the best movies I have ever seen

22 November 2003

I was curious about this film, but totally unprepared for how much it affected me. GERRY worked, for me, on many different levels. In some ways, it felt like a horror film, but without any supernatural element. Two men get lost. That's the premise, and the movie takes its time to really explore what it feels like to suddenly have no idea where you are. As the film went on, something about it began to feel abstract, as if the film wasn't just about being lost physically, but about what it feels like to feel alone in the universe. I don't mean that to sound flighty or pretentious, but the film gradually moves into a state of deep sadness that is hard to describe. I'm sure (from the looks of some of the particularly angry comments some people have posted) that this film won't be appreciated by everyone who sees it. Some may find it dull. I found it completely absorbing, and unlike anything I'd ever seen.

(By the way, if you don't like a film, that's fine. But some of the ANGER displayed below is completely unjustified, and perhaps a sign of some deeper trauma that has nothing to do with the movie you didn't like.)

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Hollywood Ending (2002)

3/10

Sad

10 August 2003

Warning: Spoilers

It gives me no pleasure to write this. I love Woody Allen's films, except that I didn't much care for A Midsummer Night's Sex Comedy, Shadows and Fog, and Celebrity. But they were all more artful and better than his recent two films, Curse of the Jade Scorpion and THIS.

CotJS was the worst. This one had at least one line that made me laugh:

"Would you recommend this movie to a friend?" "Only if I was friendly with Hitler."

Unfortunately, that line also describes my reaction to the film. It is so badly made, with scenes that feel as if the actors are fumbling to remember their lines correctly. Woody in particular seems to have been reduced to stammering on mindlessly as if the mere act of rambling will be funny. This guy should know better. When he (SPOILER!) eventually regains his sight, all he can do is repeat the phrases "I can see!" and "You're so beautiful!" over and over in between stammering. Previously, a weak Allen effort, like Shadows and Fog, would still contain many things to savor. Certainly, there would be funny lines. This one had many opportunities for humor, but it just feels like such a mess. It feels sloppy, and lazy, and aimless. And that just breaks my heart. I want him to make films that are better than this. Films that try harder, and have more to say. Woody's attempts to act "blind" are absurd without being funny-- he can hear, but the way he plays it, he can't even tell which direction he should face when someone talks to him. Just Awful.

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Don't Drink the Water (1994 TV Movie)

8/10

A minor effort that has grown in stature with time...

10 August 2003

When this film first aired on ABC in the mid 90s, it was a pleasant "extra." In addition to getting the regular film-a-year in theaters, Woody managed to shoot a made-for-TV picture that was funny and looked like it could have played in theaters. It has a strong cast, and a lot of funny lines. It wasn't a masterpiece, but it was a solid piece of light entertainment.

Well... how times have changed. Allen's last few efforts have been his worst films ever (The Curse of the Jade Scorpion and Hollywood Ending), and it's starting to make seemingly effortless entertainments like Don't Drink The Water (or Small Time Crooks, for that matter) look richer in hindsight.

If his next film was as good as DDTW, I'd be thrilled. If it's as dire as Hollywood Ending, it will continue a very sad decline of one of America's greatest filmmaking talents...

Don't rent HOLLYWOOD ENDING. Rent Don't Drink The Water! It's funnier! And better!

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Modern Romance (1981)

10/10

Albert Brooks' greatest film (and that's saying something)

1 June 2003

MODERN ROMANCE is one of the great unsung film comedies. It's not for everyone, in that the comedy is possibly too close-to-the-bone for people who like their comedy nice and painless. But in the post-Seinfeld era, when Curb Your Enthusiasm is a cult favorite, it is looking more and more like Modern Romance was WAY ahead of its time.

Real Life, Lost In America, and Defending Your Life are all great, but for some reason this film stands out to me as Mr. Brooks' greatest cinematic effort. (Stanley Kubrick was a fan, too-- he was trying to make his own film about jealousy, which would end up being EYES WIDE SHUT two decades later.)

The real shame is that this film is the only Brooks effort never released on DVD. We can only hope that Criterion might rescue it from oblivion with a nice special edition (with commentary by Brooks!)

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