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Dekalog: Dekalog, osiem (1989)
Simple and Terrific
With a minimum of histrionics, this film tells a simple story about the legacy of the holocaust in Poland.
A college professor who once turned away a little Jewish girl who sought refuge is confronted by that same girl -- now in her forties -- and must explain to her the real reason for turning her away. While the two women are able to forge a deep friendship, the man (a tailor) who risked his life to try and save the girl has become, with time, too closed off to allow her to form any sort of bond with him. The film's last image, of the lonely tailor looking out the window of his shop to see the professor and her friend laughing together, has the same straight forward and unassuming emotional wallop that ends many of Kieslowski's films.
This may be the best fictional film ever made about the holocaust.
Mikey and Nicky (1976)
Proves its point
This is the movie that proves that you don't need script supervision, competent editing or a decent gaffer. All you need in order to make a great movie is well-drawn characters and great casting.
Over the course of this film there are several awkward jump cuts, poor lighting, at least one instance of "jumping the line," inexplicable blackouts and a brief view of the sound guy in the hotel mirror when Falk and Cassavetes are supposed to be alone.
But who cares? The whole cast is brilliant -- from Falk and Cassavetes to M. Emmett Walsh as a harassed bus driver, Ned Beatty as a sad-sack hitman and New York acting gurus Sanford Meisner and Bill Hickey (later so brilliant in PRIZZI'S HONOR) as the crime bosses -- and the relationship of the two central characters, childhood friends turned into gangsters and arriving at an eventual point of betrayal, is dead-on as old hurts surface and paranoia and anger are bound up with love.
The women -- a mistress who puts on airs and two wives struggling to live normal lives with their petty criminal husbands -- also have excellent scenes to play. And there are dozens of excellent small roles. The candy store owner who keeps his hand on his gun, the jealous guy in the Black bar and the diner worker who refuses to give away creams unless Falk buys coffees to go with them all add small beautiful strokes to the overall canvas.
The final moment -- Falk's scream of pain as Cassavetes is shot -- registers in a truly emotional way, free of the sentimentality that ends most such "buddie" pictures.
Claire Dolan (1998)
I wish I could say it was better
I had high hopes for this film, because I thought CLEAN, SHAVEN (Kerrigan's first feature) was absolutely terrific, the most assuredly cinematic low budget film I'd ever seen.
But much of CLAIRE DOLAN is utterly pointless and flat. Scene after scene seems randomly tossed into the mix, without much thought for narrative or character.
Is Claire trying to escape being a prostitute or not? Hard to tell. Why does she pick up the trick at the airport if she wants to escape that life? Why does she then not pick up tricks when she needs money in Seattle? Why do we have to see her dye her hair to what is virtually the exact same color? Why does Claire accept some johns and not others? The filmmaker doesn't seem to know.
It feels as if everything is improvised (though I understand this wasn't the case) and the filmmakers just held a camera on it as if they were making a verite documentary.
After the screening I saw, Kerrigan defended his lack of narrative choices by condemning film narrative as politically conservative. It sounded like learned rhetoric. I think it was a cop-out.
I am saddened that the maker of a film as exciting as CLEAN, SHAVEN would go on to make such a lame film as this one and then defend it with tired old "political" cliches.
Le poulet (1963)
A kid's film for everyone
Like THE RED BALLOON (but funnier and less sentimental), a kid's film that appeals to adults as well.
Zoe, Duncan, Jack & Jane (1999)
Absolutely terrible
This is the worst TV show I've ever seen. It wants to be FRIENDS and SEINFELD for teenagers, but it only comes off as derivative and un-funny. And who could believe these are teenagers anyway???
Sling Blade (1996)
Over-rated dreck!
Over-rated, feeble-minded dreck, weighed down by awkward expositional writing, cloying sentimentality and pseudo-profundity.
Amarcord (1973)
Absolutely Enjoyable
The most buoyant, hilarious and strangely moving picture ever made. Meandering, yet perfectly right. It literally dances along to the original musical score. There's nothing else quite like this movie!
Pather Panchali (1955)
Breathtaking
An absolute wonder, from beginning to end. The large frame takes you right into this strange world instantly and never lets you go. I don't think I've ever seen a film so un-selfconsciously perfect.