Monday, May 30, 2011
OFF THE BENCH
Today's film had to come into the game and sub.
I had planned a one hour DVD on the men of the American Ballet Theater but the disc came cracked. I usually check when the Netflix envelope arrives but I have been slack lately as the cracked or visibly damaged ones are rarer than rare these days.
I didn't want to show the next in line because I am about to view and review all of the Michael Hanike films and they are not all here yet.
So, I ran Richard Linklater's
What a great film. This is where Linklater made a straight film, edited it and then turned it over for animation on top. Motion capture.
Linklater (that is him at the image) is a great film maker but the best of his films are the ones that talk and talk and talk.
He began with Slackers (1991), still on my list of fives. I saw it in the old Coolidge Corner theater with son Tom. Ten years before this one. Similar technique. Slide from scene to scene, the talking heads at each scene. Tthe motion capture changes the whole thing in a way that is, well, dreamy.
The subject here is a young man who is dreaming. All the time? I think so. He is not sure. The question arises whether this is a waking dream, meaning, I believe, that he is a live. Or perhaps not.
He runs into a whole lot of people who expound. Some is real philosophy. Some rant. Some just bullshit. All of it ties together.
It is challenging. Some think it might be a stoner film but I think this is not so. Stoned would just confuse. One needs all the faculties for this one.
I gave and will give it a 5 out of Netflix5 even though it came out of my own collection. Hence, off the bench. I don't own a lot of DVDs. Only a few straight ones, meaning not high quality gay films which are hard to rent. Billy Elliot, Love Songs, Across the Universe, Pride and Prejudice and Momento.
I know. What an odd assortment of films to have on hand. And I didn't even list the gay ones. Plan B, Love Songs, Strapped, The String, Lillies and Boy Culture.
There is nothing more to say about it. Strange. that's me.
You never know when it will be necessary to go to the bench for a sub.
Labels: films
