July 7, 1998
Dear Antonioni (1998) **
An hommage to one of Italy's most celebrated auteurs. While director Gianni Massironi seems a little indimidated by his subject, he still manages to make a film that's as intellectual as any of Antonioni's own works.
Deadly Rescue (1998) **
While on vacation in Turkish Cyprus, two German women (a mother and her daughter) are sentenced to a long prison term for killing a rapist.
Knock Off (1998) *
Russian terrorists and American fashion designers battle each other in Hong Kong during the handover ceremonies. Both dramatically and stylistically, it's just one big mess. But it can be enjoyed, perhaps, on a purely abstract level, like a series of expressionist, cubist and fauvist paintings viewed in rapid succession. There is even a POV shot of a foot entering a shoe.
Day Of Full Moon (1998) **
Inspired by Bunuel's "Le Fantome de la Liberte", this Russian film follows various characters as they pass near each other.
Dahan (1998) *
Indian film about an attempted rape and its consequences for everyone involved (the perpetrators, the victim, her husband and a woman who came to her rescue).
Life On Earth (1998) *
The last day of the 20th century in a little village in Mali. Length: 61 min.
Confession (1998) *
Another one of Alexandre Sokourov's insomnia-curing masterworks. While not nearly as accomplished as his earlier Mother And Son, it still manages to bore and amaze at the same time. It bores, because absolutely nothing of even the slightest dramatic interest happens for more than four hours. But it also amazes, because those viewers who will allow their eyes to be wired open, Clockwork Orange-style, will discover unforgettable, profoundly moving and absolutely unique images of Russian sailors washing their clothes, cleaning the decks, reading and talking. The sheer contrast between the banality of the subject matter and the artistry of the execution, is mind-boggling.
The Power Of Kangwon Province (1998) **
South Korean film about a young woman having an affair with a married policeman.
Beast Cops (1998) **
Michael Wong and Anthony Wong star in this serious crime melodrama about gangsters and cops.
June 6, 1998
Such A Long Journey (1998) **
Story of an Hindu bank teller who gets involved in a murky money laundering scheme.
Kitchen Party (1998) **
A house party takes place only in the kitchen, because the host's anal-retentive parents worry about their new carpet. But soon enough, things get out of hand, with smashed cars and bullets flying. This black comedy from Canada has an original sense of humour, but unfortunately ain't very funny.
The Interview (1998) **
Police officers are interrogating a suspect. Then, they find themselves investigated by Internal Affairs. Australian drama starring Hugo Weaving.
Go Now (1998) **
Robert Carlyle ("Riff Raff", "Priest", "The Full Monty", "Trainspotting") stars as a young man suffering from Multiple Sclerosis. Juliet Aubrey plays his devoted companion.
Heaven's Burning (1998) **
Slow-paced Australian road movie/film noir about a young girl taken hostage during a botched bank robbery. One of her captors falls in love with her and stands up to his accomplices who want to kill her. Fans of Hong Kong cinema will recognize it as a very loose remake of "A Moment Of Romance" (1990), starring Andy Lau.
Heart Of The Sun (1998) **
A farmer's wife from Alberta finds out she can't have children, because she was forcibly sterilized in a mental institution. A powerful indictement of the "eugenics" program.
Shooting Fish (1998) **
Fairly entertaining British pic starring Kate Beckinsale (looking gorgeous in a Seberg hairdo) as a young secretary working for two con artists.
Saving Grace (1998) **
This is an original, memorable film from New Zealand about a love affair between two young people.
Seetha And Carole (1998) *
A Canadian woman tries to adopt a little boy from India, only to find out his birth mother wants him back. A low-budget flop made by complete amateurs. The acting is absolutely atrocious - actors seem to have graduated from Ed Wood School Of Performing Arts.
The Wrong Guy (1998) **
A young executive thinks he's a murder suspect and tries to elude the cops who aren't even looking for him. This ineptly made comedy is actually very entertaining - for all the wrong reasons. You won't laugh at the jokes, but you will laugh at the movie.
The Man With Rain In His Shoes (1998) **
A young actor cheats on his girlfriend, they break up and he's miserable. Finding a way to go back in time, he avoids all the mistakes, but this time, she ends up cheating on him.
May 5, 1998
Un 32 aout sur terre (1998) **
After surviving a horrible car crash, a young woman (Pascale Bussiere) decides to have child with a friend (Alexis Martin). He already has a steady girlfriend, but being a typical guy, he enthousiastically agrees. His only condition: the child has to be conceived in the desert. This Quebec pic substitutes oddness for originality, and promises more than it delivers.
Towards A Promised Land (1998) *
A documentary about Quebec's Jewish community and its relationship with the Francophone majority.
Viens danser sur la lune (1998) *
Lolita's Humbert Humbert would have loved this bizarre kidpic about 13-year-old nymphets wearing skimpy bathing suits and thick makeup. The voyeuristic camera behaves in ways more appropriate for soft-core erotica than family entertainment.
2 Secondes (1998) **
Charlotte Laurier plays a mountain-bike racer who retires from that sport to work for a messenger service in downtown Montreal. In a particularly poor year for Quebec cinema, this flawed effort still emerges as a veritable breadth of fresh air after many embarrassing flops.
C't'a ton tour Laura Cadieux (1998) **
Cavemen from Villendorf used to worship them as fertility goddesses. They inspired artists like Rubens and Botero. But unfortunately, in present-day Quebec, well-rounded matrons are no longer en vogue. They are forced on crash diets by doctors who make them wait for hours in their offices. This flawed, but entertaining adaptation of a Michel Tremblay's novel treats its oversized heroines with a unique mixture of warmth and cruelty.
Les Boyz II (1998) *
I've prepared a whole litany of abusive adjectives (arranged alphabetically from abominable to wretched) to heap upon this sorry-ass excuse for a movie, but since it will be a huge hit anyway, I might as well save my breath, and engage in more meaningful activities like shooting arrows at the sun or pumping water out of the ocean.
Le Coeur au poing (1998) **
A young woman, feeling lonely, offers herself to complete strangers. This Quebec film is well directed and superbly acted (especially by Montpetit), but also very bizarre. An uneven effort: sometimes campy, often genuinely touching and always unsettling.
Seul dans mon putain d'univers (1998) *
A depressing documentary about juvenile delinquents in Montreal. A well-meaning effort, but seriously misguided. By offering no solutions (even implying that there are no solutions), the film basically encourages the viewers to nod their heads, sight...and go on with their lives. Supposedly "realistic" documentaries like this one largely explain public apathy concerning social problems.
La Deroute (1998) *
Quebec film about an Italian-Canadian businessman and his relationship with his daughter.
Kayla (1998) *
Set in a small Canadian village in 1920, it's a story of a young boy who befriends a wild dog. Not really a family film; younger children might be upset by scenes of animals being shot or poisoned.
La Position de l'escargot (1998) **
Tomassini is excellent as a young woman trying to reconcile with her prodigal father (Lanoux) and falling in love with her stalker. It's a great, beautifully nuanced performance. Unfortunately, the film itself is very uneven, with an interesting story badly scripted and weakly directed. And true to its title, everything moves at a snail pace.
Aujourd'hui ou jamais (1998) *
An old aviator, grounded for 15 years, wants to fly once again. But while fixing his antique airplane, he's visited by his prodigal father and a mysterious woman in a blonde wig. Lefebvre's auteurist touches (lethargic pace, catatonic characters, flegmatic dialogue, vividless imagery) are all very much in evidence.
April 4, 1998
Macca Strewth (1998) ****
VHS/Carrhot (1998) ***
Probably the only film ever made showing a carrot having sex with a grater. Computer animation.
Sunrise Over Tiananmen Square (1998) ***
Snow Cat (1998) ***
A sad midwinter tale about a young girl and her cat. Narrated by Maureen Stapleton, the film uses a new finger-paint technique of animation.
Mon enfant ma terre (1998) ***
A powerful indictment against the landmine industry. Animation technique: computer-coloured drawings on paper.
A Viagem (1998) ***
No Support (1998) ***
A claymation extravaganza about a billboard cowboy trying to prevent a suicide. Directed by René Castillo and Antonio Urrutia.
Bunny (1998) **
Weird, Oscar-winning (and rather unpleasant) cartoon about an old female rabbit, a moth and a baking oven.
Zoom (1998) *
An abstract animated film. The camera zooms towards an abstract pattern, revealing an ever-changing maze of curved lines.
March 3, 1998
Kabaret Olgi Lipinskiej: Dziady na czatach (1998) ***
"Jedna wielka rodzina" **
"Powiedzmy sobie taka roza" *
"Plaga egipska" **
"Czart w internecie" ("Kabina cieni") **
"Na final 98" **
"Czytac ulotki" *
Kabaret Olgi Lipinskiej: Placowka for ewer (1998) **
"Ja tez jestem gospodarzem" *
"Nie mamy drygu do maszerowania" *
"Pomnik studenta" *
"Placowka for ever" *
"Daj im Panie" *
The Canterbury Tales (1998) ***
Kabaret Olgi Lipinskiej: Zeby jaja byly swieze (1998) ***
"Nasz rzad" *
"Zeby jaja byly swieze" *
"Cyniczna uczta etnografow TZG" ("Postmoderna i pokropek") *
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)