Sunday, August 29, 2010
DIVA DOES IT AGAIN
Today's film was
my favorite movie of all time. I look at it every year but, this time, it has been two years.
It affects me deeply every time.
Ebert has a good essay on the film at the link.
What I like is that all the people in it are totally committed. They are there.
The story is complex enough to be interesting and for the constant viewer to forget a few things each time only to be rewarded with a new insight.
Neither of the "stars" ever appeared in more than a few other films. Interesting.
The director only made two others and sort of slumped.
There is a main character who is not the main character. The story is from a series of stories about a guy, Gorodish, who steps in and helps people out of scrapes sort of anonymously.
He is treated the same way in this film. He comes in at the middle and tip toes out at the end.
A sort of zen superman with extreme humility.
I really like that the director Jean-Jacques Beineix has kept Gorodish in the margins.
There is some great music in this film and some really beautiful singing.
Jazz. Opera. Space music.
There are cinematic jokes. There is a skirt that is blown up in tribute to Marilyn. The villain, who listens to his iPod (or the 80s equivalent) the entire time is, at the end, found to be listening to the worst kind of cliché French street music, accordions and all.
I love this movie.
I have already awarded it a 5 out of Netflix5.
Labels: films
