POMO

When I left the theatre, I wanted to comment on this new Ang Lee feature with the words, “A film made with feeling, lacking any feelings”. Lust, Caution does contain feelings, however. It is just too emotionally mature to show them. It won’t make you feel any sympathy or compassion towards the characters, and it tells their story in a deliberately impersonal manner. Impersonal, but with the grace of probably the most perfectionist contemporary director. You are a cruel genius, Ang Lee!

The excellent opening with Tom Wilkinson’s alarming monologue and shots of cold glass offices creates an atmosphere that will engage you and won’t let you go until the final shot of Michael Clayton. The screenwriter of the Bourne trilogy, Tony Gilroy, produced a respectable directorial debut and, thanks to its deeper message, puts his genre competitors Steven Zaillian (A Civil Action) and Sydney Pollack (The Firm) to shame. Tilda Swinton is great here, as are Wilkinson and Clooney. This drama is a proud representative of the “Hollywood Art” category.

Cloverfield is a very effective goose-bump-inducing movie, if a little forgettable. Someone was finally able to take the idea from The Blair Witch Project to another level. Half of the budget went to visual effects, the other half to Skywalker Sound. Dolby sound is a must. But don’t expect anything serious. The monster and the (great) “Overture” by Michael Giacchino in the end credits seem to come straight out of a 1950s sci-fi flick.

Sling Blade is just as significant and remarkable an indie film as Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs or the best from Jim Jarmusch. This is the type of film I value the most – human and personal, written, directed and excellently acted by a single person, moreover without a chance of commercial success. The fifth star is for the respectively cute cameo by Jarmusch and a unique one by Robert Duvall.

At the moment when a “normal” film would start to pick up its pace after 20 minutes, we’re already 80 minutes into Show Me Love and then it ends. Director Lukas Moodysson relies on the simplicity, sincerity and believability of the emotional situations, as well as on both of the actresses, who deliver excellent performances. If I had watched this when I was seventeen, I would have identified with the sensitively depicted teen problems and the movie would have gotten to me. Now, however, it left me mostly unmoved. The only thing I truly enjoyed was the spontaneity of the kiss in the car (with the cleverly turned up soundtrack).

I would have expected Akiva Goldsman to choose deeper material for his screenplay. On the other hand, he’s also the executive producer, who knows very well that to get a successful blockbuster, it is enough to develop a good premise into a superficial story, provide it with cool set designs and put Will Smith’s face on the posters. I Am Legend is the perfect commercial product. But if you want to see its premise reach its full potential, watch instead the tense and chilling 30 Days of Night, followed by the intelligent and technically advanced Children of Men.

I watched an episode called Transylvania. A group of filmmakers and alleged ghost experts wanders through the dark corridors of a castle in the Romanian town of Râșnov. Everyone claims to hear scary noises and they communicate with the ghosts in the manner of “knock twice if you’re a woman, once if you’re a man”. Sometimes you get to see a graphic model of the castle showing where the group (supposedly) is at the given moment. Most Haunted is chatty, ridiculous theater without any filmmaking ideas.

Despite its simple plot, this impressive, small-scale intimate drama left a stronger impression on me than the spectacular American Gangster. Eastern Promises is a sophisticated film affair for the non-popcorn viewer, in which everything fits together like the cogs in Viggo Mortensen’s ten-thousand-dollar wristwatch. Supported by fantastic actors, David Cronenberg confirms his mastery in terms of creating characters. Mortensen’s best performance so far. Also, the portrayal of the Russian mafia setting is incredibly powerful and authentic for the peace-loving Canadian Cronenberg. And as a bonus, there’s the excellent sauna scene that bears the director’s traditional signature. This is the best of Cronenberg’s last five films.

Beowulf is visually stunning in all respects, with great music by Alan Silvestri, whether spectacular or dark, in Angelina Jolie’s cave. Also, the atmosphere of the film is so thick that it could be cut with a knife and the violence, sex and the overall maturity of the film are major pluses. These aspects make Beowulf an original and much livelier animated movie than the childish Polar Express. But there is one big but... these digital pictures just don’t have heart, no matter how hard they try. And at the moments when there is no Anthony Hopkins, Angelina or some monster, there’s nothing to watch. If Robert Zemeckis mastered the heart of digital animation, he might make better movies than Pixar. But he still has a lot to learn.

I recommend taking a week-long break between the individual instalments of the Lone Wolf and Cub movie series and absorb them one at a time. When watching the third part, I grew rather fond of the central duo. The final fight with the army is amazing. I say more about the series in my review of the second part.