Truly miscellaneous. I was trying to find a thread to post my thoughts on a past film without resurrecting an old thread or creating a new one devoted to just that film, so I’ve come up with this as an alternative. Like the Western Society thread, this one is almost impossible to derail as it can be about any odd film that you’ve not seen in a long time and were perhaps surprised by or reminded of something you really liked about it. Whatever you like.
The film in question: Robert Zemeckis’ 2007 film BEOWULF.
Most everything that’s good about the script could arguably be attributed to Neil Gaiman, but some of the performances are quite good, including Crispin Glover playing what is in my mind the most inspired and definitive version of Grendel. I saw it again recently and was reminded of how sympathetically the film treats him. He’s in constant pain and his eyes are so expressive and tragically human and child-like that you can’t help but feel something for him even as he stomps, tears and chomps his way through innocent people. I’m not especially fond of the full on mo-cap thing, but aside from snagging Gaiman, casting Glover to do what he does was maybe the brightest decision Zemeckis made. In contrast, Angelina Jolie as Grendel’s Mother via Alexander McQueen is probably the least interesting thing about the film, even if they use her cleverly as the fulcrum on which to pivot and add shade to certain characters and to deepen the plot.
Also, Winstone is still great as a hero who is utterly amazing at what he does, knows this to be a fact, but still can’t help but pay tribute to himself every chance he gets. His Beowulf is the most competent narcissistic asshole ever.
It’s a male fantasy film made for a male audience about how ludicrous male fantasies can be.
AI love Winstone’s performance in this! He and Glover really are the best elements of the film. Gleason is really strong too as a supporting character.
At the time, I think the final close-up of his character is the one that most impressed me in terms of subtle performance through the mocap animation process.
Nothing, really, but I wanted a visible thread where we could spin random thoughts on movies and not worry about threads that are circling the rim of a black hole in some of the barely there forums.
It’s kind of crazy how similar, intentional or not, this and the Christopher Lambert are. Of course, the Lambert one is kind of a bullshit post-apocalyptic Mortal Kombat retelling of Beowulf, but all the stuff with Grendal being the bastard son of Hrothgar and Grendal’s Mom being a sexy lizard seductress is all in there.
I got to see the beautiful Criterion blu-ray of Wim Wenders’ THE AMERICAN FRIEND.
I’d never even known of the film until tonight. It’s not really the type of film I can watch very easily, but I really enjoyed this one. Bruno Ganz and Dennis Hopper are constantly compelling even when Wenders clearly has no interest in plot (which is an approach that I can have trouble with at times).
I can have trouble with plotless (or plot-light) films as well, but Wenders’ major works have always worked for me, and I’m almost certain it’s because of Robby Muller’s cinematography. I don’t think I’d like this or Paris, Texas nearly as much if they weren’t so beautiful.
Last night I watched The Neverending Story for the first time in decades. I’d kinda forgotten how weird that movie is. I can only describe the production design as “Peak Cocaine.”
I get the impression that many put THE NEVERENDING STORY in the category of kids films which do not hold up (a la THE GOONIES), but I couldn’t disagree more. Simpering moments aside, I like it even more as an adult. Give me tactile puppets over weightless CGI any day. And the Rock Biter lamenting the loss of his friends remains as devastating as ever.
The facial work they put into the puppets is really something. Falcor’s expressions are great, as is his constanty yelling of “WAAAAAGGGHHHHHHH” whenever he swoops. I certainly like it more than The Goonies, that’s for sure.
ATHE AMERICAN FRIEND’s train sequence is as great a suspense sequence as I’ve ever seen. It’s Hitchcock-grade mastery.
That demonstrates that Wenders really does know the nuts and bolts of his craft, and that his refusal to follow conventional structures and rhythms is a purposeful move. And it’s pretty potent.
Hopper’s Ripley is nothing like Highsmith’s, but the chilly mood of the movie is 100% Highsmith.
I was cleaning the hard drive of my table computer, and found a grainy 480p resolution version of the motion picture masterpiece ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL. Watched it all the way through. I didn’t remember it being that emotional, so many shots of people crying. Got something in my eye during some of the scenes where Lips loses his shit.