LONDON BOULEVARD (2010)

I will see this. I like British gangster movies (generally), I like Colin Farrell, I like Kiera Knightley. Have a look-see at the trailer!

Jean Seberg and Jean-Paul Belmondo

Seberg and Belmondo in Godard's BREATHLESS (1960).

THE MATRIX (1999)

I know everybody loves THE MATRIX but anytime I catch a part of it on TV or something I'm reminded how it actually is a great movie! The story is riveting, the characters are good, the cinematography is stunning, etc. It's just a very well put together movie! At times like this I just forget that the other two films were made. You owe it to yourself to rewatch this movie!

HEAT (1995)

People always ask me what my favorite film is, and though it's pretty hard to choose one, HEAT is always in my Top 5, which is usually as precise as I can be. I'm still intending to write an extensive gush piece about HEAT so I'll keep this brief. The still shot above is from the legendary scene where Pacino's Det. Vincent Hanna and De Niro's thief Neil MacCauley share a late night cup of coffee. They know exactly who the other is, but also see each other as a kindred spirit of sorts. They are the flip side of a coin. What is incredible about this film, is that aside from the climax, this is the only scene that Pacino and De Niro--two of the greatest American actors of all time--directly interact with each other, yet their relationship is so intense and developed.

PARIS, TEXAS (1984)

German director Wim Wenders' PARIS, TEXAS is a gorgeous work of art that is done justice by Criterion's recent DVD release of the 1984 film. The story follows Travis (Harry Dean Stanton) as he wanders Texas, lost, mute, silent, and unwilling to cooperate with anyone, including his long-lost brother Walt (Dean Stockwell) who, after receiving a phone call from a doctor in the middle of the desert, comes from LA to bring his nomadic sibling home. Eventually Walt breaks through to Travis, and Travis begins to attempt to reconnect with his family which he walked out on 4 years prior, including a young son that Walt as taken care of like his own. Travis returns with Walt to LA in search of the meaning of what it is to be a man, a father, brother, and a husband. Wenders' poetic and patient film is epic in scope, yet simple in concept. It's also incredibly easy to watch. The imagery is gorgeous, the acting is stunning, and Sam Shepard's script is wonderfully rich and genuine. It's also a dramatic film with some humourous parts, but with no giant stresses, which I find to be a total relief from the panic and tension that the majority of filmmakers assume means entertainment. It's also fun to watch Stanton and Stockwell act in some really meaty roles, because they are both incredibly talented actors. Stanton doesn't even speak for the first 40 or so minutes of the film, yet his face and behaviour say volumes to the emotional torture and toil the man has inflicted on himself. Along with his fabulous WINGS OF DESIRE, this film is recommended if you are interested in what the highly skilled contemporary German filmmakers have been up to in the past decades. Gorgeously done!

Trailer:

Monica Vitti

I've always been a fan of Italian star Monica Vitti. She's gorgeous! And I also just realized why I like Angela "Codename: DragonFly" Lindvall so much!

Steve McQueen

Steve McQueen famously performed his own stunts in THE GREAT ESCAPE (1963).

BLUE VALENTINE (2010)

I know this blog has kind of been the "Michelle Williams Show" lately, but I'd like to see this! I think Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling are probably two of the best and most exciting young actors right now. So there!

WENDY AND LUCY (2008)

Hot on the heels of that amazing photograph of Michelle Williams as Marylin Monroe, I'm finally posting a little thing about a great film I watched last year starring Ms. Williams called WENDY AND LUCY, from director Kelly Reichardt. It's a very simple story: a nomadic young woman and her dog Lucy are on the road, passing through the Pacific Northwest on her way up to Alaska, when her car breaks down in a small town. She has few belongings and little money. Then she commits a minor crime and is arrested. When she is released later that day, her dog, and her only companion are gone. WENDY AND LUCY is a quiet, contemplative, and sometimes difficult film, but it is also very rewarding. I was always familiar with Michelle Williams, but this made me fall in love with her. She is so talented in this, giving a very thoughtful and genuine performance. Like I said, it is a quiet film, and a little slow, but just like real life, it's pleasures lie in the little things: interactions with caring people, exploration, wandering, and the promise of the future. I really enjoyed this little indie movie.

Michelle Williams, as the beautiful and nomadic Wendy.

Lucy, as the gorgeous and faithful Lucy.

The trailer will give you a better idea of what to expect:

Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe

Here's a recent still of one of my favorite youngish actors these days, the gorgeous Michelle Williams, as the one and only Marilyn Monroe. Williams will be portraying the Blonde Bombshell in an upcoming film called MY WEEK WITH MARILYN.

GUY AND MADELINE ON A PARK BENCH (2010)

So... I've been so busy lately, I haven't been able to post as much as I'd like. We've been working on a short film on which production has wrapped, so now hopefully I'll have some more time to write about some movies! Until then, here is a short trailer for what looks like a great little indie film called GUY AND MADELINE ON A PARK BENCH. Looks pretty neat! Anytime you get some black and white film stock, add some jazzy sensations, mix in some Godard, you've got my attention. Hope this film isn't as superficial as my initial interest is! Ha. But seriously, it looks quite New Wave-y, just look at that tap number which is right out of Godard's A WOMAN IS A WOMAN, or like the dance scene from Truffaut's JULES ET JIM. And that quick shot from a rooftop of someone running down the sidewalk, very French New Wave. So it's got the look of the late 50s/early 60s, does it have the feeling or innovation? I guess we shall have to see!



Directed by: Damien Chazelle

VERTIGO (1958)

Some imagery from Hitchcock's masterpiece, VERTIGO (1958).