It's almost summer movie time...but what to watch until the blockbusters hit? The General weighs in with his list -- a few music docs, a bit of Fellini, and some Faye Wong thrown in for safe measure.
Edition #2: 22 May 2007
Broadway Danny Rose
Hilarious Woody humor with great shots of New York in addition to a really sweet story. His character, Danny Rose, is probably Woody's most human and vulnerable role.
L'Enfant
I honestly don't know what to think this film yet. The characters are so frustratingly real and flawed. It does come together nicely, though, and it is always a pleasure to watch a character grow.
La Strada
Before Fellini went completely bonkers he made really good films like 8 1/2 and La Strada. Giulietta Masina (Fellini's wife) is a marvel.
Radio Days
Has many of the same elements of his other classics but lacks a cohesive thread to bind them together into something meaningful. More just a series of vignettes and memories.
The Best of Youth
A fantastic film. If you can handle the 6 hour running time, I highly recommend. Feels like 5. Tops.
Chungking Express
Another beautiful film by Wong but in a different vein as ITMFL. Less of a waltz / more rock n roll. Hard not to fall in love with Faye Wong.
(BLOGORELLI NOTE: This is one of my all-time favorites!)
Leonard Cohen: I'm Your Man
If anything this half doc/half tribute concert film got my interested in Cohen. Not particularly well done as a movie but I liked the small bits of the man I glimpsed and a few of the tribute songs.
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
Engrossing biodoc of Daniel Johnston, the loony tune satan-fightin singer/songwriter cartoonist. Feuerzeig does a superb job placing you in the world of this man who is a few miles past the edge.
Don't Come Knocking
Absolutely stunning film to look at. However, every other ingredient inherent to film that separates it from a photo essay is either missing or not paid attention to. Gorgeous shots, though. Wow.
Scenes from a Marriage
Wonderful intimate portrait of the disintegration of a seemingly happy marriage. With this long film/mini-series Bergman cements his claim as a master of dialogue and film in general.
Funny, I happen to have Chunking Express fresh from netflix... looking forward to it.
Posted by: a classic girl | Wednesday, 23 May 2007 at 10:14 AM
Also wanted to mention how very terrific 'Best of Youth' is. I know 6 hours sounds like a lot (it played as a mini-series in Italy) but it's absolutely guaranteed to be worth it and can easily be veiwed in segments.
I watched it twice before returning it.
Posted by: General Disarray | Tuesday, 22 May 2007 at 05:33 PM
I can agree with that to some extent. He's an impossible persona to get your head around. Well, he's completely bonkers which is why it's all the more miraculous that he created this giant volume of very influential music. It's hard at first to empathize but, in the end, you come to an understanding. At least I did.
Posted by: General Disarray | Tuesday, 22 May 2007 at 05:25 PM
Well General... I usually appreciate your movie comments and often I do add them to the good old Netflix Queue... but there's one on this list that I saw that I can't get around... The Devil and Daniel Johnston. I watched about 30 minutes of it and couldn't stand DJ. I thought he was droning and whiny the entire time. I know he's a cult folkie and all, but I just couldn't get around him.
Other than that, some excellent choices my friend.
the Leonard Cohen doc was fabulous
As is L'Enfant
Posted by: The Professor | Tuesday, 22 May 2007 at 11:06 AM