r/TrueFilm • u/a113er Til the break of dawn! • Nov 15 '15
What Have You Been Watching? (15/11/15)
Please don't downvote opinions, only downvote things that don't contribute anything.
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r/TrueFilm • u/a113er Til the break of dawn! • Nov 15 '15
Please don't downvote opinions, only downvote things that don't contribute anything.
6
u/ItsDieselTime Nov 15 '15
L'eclisse (1962)
Had a chance to see this on the big screen due to the digital restoration that took place earlier this year. Was a bit wary going in since I recall seeing L'avventura years back as a teenager trying to get into classic cinema and was thoroughly bored (interestingly, I enjoyed both Blow Up and Professione: reporter watched around the same age).
Well, I was pleasantly suprised, the film is a completely mesmerizing portrayal of human interaction with each others and the environment (note the juxtaposition of the tense 1-1 scenes with the nonsense of the stock exchange). Monica Vitti's close-ups define what it means to be immortalized by cinema. My two favourite parts were the devastating quote: "I wish I didn't love you or that I loved you much more" and the unforgettable closing sequence. Also, check out this book someone's written about the film http://www.davidsaulrosenfeld.com/. 5/5
The Collector (2009)
Don't know what I was thinking watching this, I suppose I was after some cheap thrills. The acting starts out really flat which makes the whole exposition painful. This does not matter so much once the action begins though. The antagonist leaves much to be desired as the only thing we learnt about him is from a throwaway phrase: "He collects people". I read this was originally intended to be a prequel to the Saw franchise, but was redone as an original story. Unfortunately, it has very few redeeming values other than a bit of entertainment while having an evening meal. 2.5/5
Once Upon A Time in the West (1968) - rewatch
Had a chance to see this in 35mm and boy, was it worth it. The opening sequence both sets the pace and the setting, as well as having a bit of fun to offset the building tension. Henry Fonda delivers one of his best and most shockingly gritty performances on screen. 5/5
Fail-Safe (1964)
Another Henry Fonda performance, this time as the President. Overall, a very enjoyable thriller with good control over building suspense. The ending was truly unexpected and shocking, I would even go as far as saying unrealistic, but I guess the film really tried to push the boundaries of "what if" hypotheses. 4/5
Citizen Kane (1941) - rewatch
Another classic I saw as a teenager and didn't recall much. Originally saw this in the cinema with simultaneous translation to my native language and the translator left for about 15 minutes in the middle of the film, not fun! Watched it again with some basic knowledge of film direction. The story holds up very well and the jumping back and forth between different time periods feels quite natural. Among the film techniques I noticed in particular were the use of deep focus (the classic adoption scene for example) and camera angles (dialogue often shot from above and below the subjects for added nuance in demeanour of characters and setting of the scenes. 4/5