JULY 2005 MOVIE VIEWING #734 - #744

31 Sunday
Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson ( Ken Burns 2004 214 mins) 3.5/ 5
[ACMII] Film #744
Ken Burn's three and a half hour documentary of the first ever black heavyweight champion. Viewed as part of the Melbourne Film Festival a thoroughly enjoyable documentary, punctuated by extraordinary footage and analysis of early Johnson fights. If anything, the film is slightly too long , but the footage almost makes up for it. Ken Burns is a brilliant film maker, and whilst his 20 hour documentary on Baseball is his apex, this film is still of the high quality.

30 Saturday
Thing from another Planet ( Christian Nyby 1951 87 mins) 1.5/ 5
[ABC] Film #743
B Grade Sci Fi film famous for the ending 'Watch the Skies'. Some nice moments , in particular shots of the alien backlit and plot points including 'Dogs' and a 'Greenhouse'. Other than that, a very talky film- with an emphasis on scientific aspects of extra-terrestrial life. This film seemed to lack
a credible scary monster and should have focussed more on heightening tension.

23 Wednesday
I Walk with a Zombie (Jacques Tourner 1943 69 mins) 1.5/ 5
[SBS] Film #742
My second Jacques Tourner film, and certainly not as superior as 'The Cat People' . This film revolves around voodoo, and whilst the atmosphere is moody and dark, the storyline itself was really weak. The acting overall was quite good and cinematography striking in many scenes- but in 69 minutes it did not hold my attention.

20 Wednesday
Sommersturm (Marco Kreuzpaintner 2004 98 mins) 2/ 5
[SBS] Film #741
Two childhood friends go on a rowing competition trip, where love blossoms for Achim, while his childhood friend Tobi experience his sexually awakening. Not a bad film- the acting was very strong and the story was engaging. Kostja Ullman's performance as Achim is smouldering and mesmerising - a stunning actor who is engaging in everyway on the screen.

19 Tuesday
The Last Gangster (Edward Ludwig 1937 81 mins) 1.5/ 5
[TCM] Film #740
Edward G Robinson is sent to Alcatraz and spends ten years there before his release- and then tries to track down his wife and kid. A film I didn't really enjoy, sure Robinson had some nice scenes and the Gangster character suits him perfectly, but the film itself did not seem to capture me with any interest.

17 Sunday
The Hulk (Ang Lee 2003 102 mins) 0/ 5
[DVD] Film #739
Poor comic book film - where the Hulk is an extremely badly generated computer image. Because of that it is impossible to care about this character. Also- there is no bad guy, or reason for his destruction other than his rage. A comic book hero needs an enemy. Stay away from this film.

16 Saturday
Sin City (Frank Miller / Robert Rodriguez 2005 124 mins) 2/ 5
[Rivoli Cinema 6) 3.50pm. Film #738
A very difficult film to connect to- possibly the most violent film I have seen. Shot entirely with CGI, it is impossible to feel compassion for any character. The good ole 'double cross' storyline is played out several times, that you find that you almost can predict what is going to happen next. The film certainly moves at a fast pace and has all the looks and feel of a comic book- but was it worth it ?

12 Tuesday
Bewitched (Nora Ephron 2005 102 mins) 3/ 5
[Highpoint Cinema) 7.15pm. Film #737
This was a very enjoyable film- far above the expectation I had. Farrell and Kidman really worked well, and Farrell himself shone through. however the movie was stolen by Shirley MacLaine's turn as Endora. A really enjoyable cinema experience, the only draw back is the length of the film.

11 Monday
Paths of Glory (Stanley Kubrik 1957) 3.5/ 5
[Astor Cinema] 7.30pm. 2nd viewing
The first film on the Kubrick Double Bill including 'The Killing'. When I first watched Paths of Glory I found the narrative to be extraordinary. On the second viewing, I discovered that there is little time spent actually on the main point of the story- that is the order to bomb their own soldiers to get them out of the trenches and into battle. I guess, then my expectation was too high- but still, Kubrick's camera movements are great, and Douglas and Adolphe Menjou are outstanding and in some circles of cinema- the last scene is claimed to be one of cinema's most moving. Downgraded from 4.5 to 3.5 on second viewing.

9 Saturday
Fantastic Four (Tim Story 2005 106 mins) 1/ 5
[Jam Factory] Cinema 9. 9.10pm. Film #736
Very lame attempt at a comic book movie. The only redeeming features were that the casting was spot on, which the right actors playing the right characters- in particular those of The Thing and Johnny Storm. Haven't we had enough of these Marvel Comic book movies now ? Yes.

4 Monday
City of Lost Children (Marc Caro / Jean-Pierre Jeunet 1995 112 mins) 1/ 5
[DVD] First viewing. Film #735
Visually striking film - but , what was the plot ? A film that gets very confusing and difficult to follow.

2 Saturday
War of the Worlds (Steven Spielberg 2005 116 mins) 4.5/ 5
[Highpoint Cinema 6] Film #734
Genuinely thrilling film, of Martians attacking earth. The one thing that stands out in this film is the Sound. Exciting, Scary, overpowering. Wonderful acting, and the film just goes along at a great pace. Some may not like the ending, however, in Spielberg fashion it falls within his trademark. Some very ironic moments and stand out shots- bodies floating down a river, train on fire, noises in the difference. A truly exhilarating film. Highly recommended.