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SCREENING LOG
-2/02-2/08, 2004
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I watched DR. AKAGI, THE EDGE OF THE WORLD, YOU AND ME, PYGMALION,
THE SCHOOL OF ROCK, INTIMATE STRANGERS and THE LOVE ETERNE.
Dr. Akagi (1998, Shohei Imamura)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0155796/
yes (typical nutty, earthy Imamura. Reminded me somewhat
of THE PORNOGRAPHERS -- a harried professional type trying
to keep everything together and sustain his delusion of self-importance.
Great ensemble of Imamurian eccentrics whom he choreographs
masterfully. As with THE PORNOGRAPHERS, there's something
detached about the way this is handled that keeps me from
giving it my highest rating, but there's no denying it's masterful
filmmaking.)
The Edge of the World (1938, Michael Powell)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0028818/
YES (This is probably up there among my favorite Powell films.
There's a very interesting tension between a social-realist
documentary approach and the grandiose mythologizing streak
that would run rampant in Powell's later features. Here I
think the two styles feed into each other to create a very
vivid and convincing stylized look into a community on the
brink of being swallowed whole by nature. The cinematography
is superb.)
You and Me (1938, Fritz Lang)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030996/
yes
Pygmalion (1938, Anthony Asquith)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0030637/
mixed (I don't profess to be an expert on British accents,
but I could have sworn that Wendy Hiller's "cockney" slips
into some kind of upper class intonation half the time. Nonetheless
I grant that she offers a less cutesified Eliza than Hepburn,
though on the other hand she seems too old for the part --
I picture the ideal Eliza as a teenager. I love MY FAIR LADY
and was actually surprised at how little depth in the story
was lost from Shaw's version to Lerner and Lowe's -- needless
to say I was expecting more -- in fact I think the musical
version does a better job of compacting the story and making
way for more lyrical moments for each character. Maybe I've
just become too accustomed to this story, but the class jokes
and insights felt a tad obvious.)
The School of Rock (2003, Richard Linklater)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0332379/
yes
From Berlin:
Intimate Strangers (2004, Patrice Leconte)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0363532/
mixed (This was the first Leconte film I've seen. Sandrine
Bonnaire plays a sex fiend who wanders into an accountant's
office (Fabrice Lucini) thinking he's a shrink. He doesn't
let on who he is and they establish a routine where he gets
to hear some really kinky stuff that changes his own life.
Sadly, the screening I went to had German subtitles so much
of this dialogue-driven film was lost on me -- I should put
an asterisk next to my rating. But the thing is that not understanding
the dialogue prompted me to train my eyes and ears towards
the more "cinematic" elements -- composition, cinematography,
body language, sound and music (which was quite Hitchcockian),
and so based on those qualities I give it a mixed -- it wasn't
terribly interesting visually. Actually I came out of it resolving
to myself that the movies I make from now on should rely less
on dialogue than on visuals and sound, if only so that a poor
sap like me who wanders into an unsubtitled screening may
have something to chew on.)
The Love Eterne (1963, Li Han Hsiang)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0057248/
yes
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