Change Your Image
magnolia12883
Reviews
Pretend It's a City (2021)
GRADE: B+
Martin Scorsese sits down with writer and humorist and recent collaborator Fran Lebowitz for her take on New York City and an almost misanthropic, always acerbic view of humanity in general. Amusing to people who either know enough about New York to get her in-jokes or can empathize; mileage may vary. Scorsese's signature style of cinematography and editing is largely missing in the documentary series format.
Shadow in the Cloud (2020)
GRADE: C+
Bizarre anachronism in which a female WWII soldier must fight sexism and second-guessing (oh, and gremlins!) on a single-minded mission from New Zealand. Starts as a Twilight Zone-esque radio play visualized, and loses something when it gets out of its basically one-set location in the final third. Short and fast-paced enough to keep one occupied.
Haute tension (2003)
HIGH TENSION: Indeed...
Alexandre Aja's "High Tension" is a disturbing new horror film that really had my heart pumping! I saw the film in a sneak preview on 6/1 in Portland, OR.
The audience seemed to eat this film up, but then they're a preview audience and those tend to be nuts anyway. When you have to send for a special pass to a movie, who's going to respond to an ad like the one for this movie? I'm not a horror nut in any way (my 19-year-old sister fits that bill), but I admire a good one when i see it.
The film begins with two college girls going to the farm house in the country of one of the girls' families. Everything's going fine, with one of them pleasuring herself (ala MULHOLLAND DRIVE) after seeing the other one in the shower.
About 5 minutes in, something so disgusting occurred the one woman sitting on the end of the aisle i was on left and never came back. She was smart to, only because if that was bothersome, the rest would make her violently ill! This is a film that takes the conventions of a HALLOWEEN or the original Texas CHAINSAW MASSACRE, throws in a bit of JOY RIDE, and then tries very hard stick with that disgusting, overthetop violence and gore vibe for 91 minutes. It works! This film plays on the level of a nightmare, messing with your worst fears: if you would despise getting chased around a limited area by a crazed killer, unable to escape, and then forced to fight back, this is the film of your worst dreams. It projects that scenario perfectly.
"High Tension" is a film that tap dances on the line between exploitation and art for 91 minutes straight. Just when you think it's totally a geek show (made to shock and disgust, nothing more), it makes you realize you're really with this young woman (Cecile De France) in her pledge to save her friend. Just when you think it's well made, it shocks and disgusts with over-the-top gore and violence, despicable acts and hideous detail.
This is a movie made for your primal most urges and it will either work or not work for you personally. Take this into account.
The title is apt, because there are moments in this movie where I could feel my heart pounding and was really dripping in sweat! It's a tense film, and the most-affecting horror film I've seen in forever! I warn you strongly, if it doesn't sound like it's for you, don't see it, but if you do like this kind of film, it's really very good.
The version I saw had the oddest English dubbing in parts, followed occasionally by moments of French with subtitles. Filmed in Germany, this is a French production (from Luc Besson among others) and I wish they'd given use comment cards/score cards for the film to rate it and suggest things. I'd say either dub or subtitle, don't do both. It's bizarre and a bit distracting at times. I prefer subtitles usually, myself.
Now the ending: without giving anything away, there's a bit of a twist. When it comes, it's the sort of thing that makes you think the film through all over again and just saying that much could be too much, but I'm willing to risk it. Interesting thing: I first thought it was unnecessary, but thinking it over I believe it only makes sense with this twist (the film is pointless without it), yet at the same time, with this twist some scenes may not be totally clear in their reasoning.
That's all.
9/10 (*** - *** 1/2 of Four Stars) E
Independent Focus (1998)
INDEPENDENT FOCUS TOP SOURCE FOR INTERVIEWS WITH TODAY'S DIRECTORS
"Independent Focus" is a great IFC original program (read: INDEPENDENT FILM CHANNEL) that is hosted by New York Times film critic Elvis Mitchell. He has interviewed the Hughes Brothers, Robert Altman, John Sayles, Paul Thomas Anderson, Oliver Stone, The Coen Brothers, Jim Jarmusch, Guy Ritchie, Christopher Nolan, Wes Anderson, Steven Soderbergh and even the actor BILL MURRAY (!!!)...He's a good interviewer and my only wish is for hour long interviews in the future, preferably shown on Bravo for those who don't have digital cable...Unless I get IFC again soon...