THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO (1998)

Written, produced, and directed by Whit Stillman.

Well, I've had a run of great movies lately, and I've finally gotten a chance to write about them!  Something I seem to touch on regularly is how many wonderful films there are out there on the shelves, in the stacks, the depths of the internet, or wherever it is you look for films.  It is always such an incredible joy to be reminded that there is basically an endless supply of films out there that one has never heard of, and further, among those, there are bound to be numerous treasures waiting to be (re)discovered!  Being a sucker for some slick packaging and presentation, the Criterion Collection is a place I return to, and it is also a fantastic place for anyone interested in film to start looking around.  Their website is a treasure trove of information that can lead to discoveries of all sorts of genres, filmmakers, and foreign film industries in which lie many of the great films of the world.  Case in point, I came across one of America's (largely uncelebrated) great filmmakers, Whit Stillman. The writer-directer is also responsible for METROPOLITAN (which I have seen) and BARCELONA (which I haven't).  The former earned him a nomination for a Best Original Screenplay Oscar.

While METROPOLITAN focused on a young man attempting to move up a social level into a more "intellectual" class of white, rich, snobby (and yet slightly endearing) Manhattan college kids, THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO follows primarily a young woman Alice (90s It-girl Chloe Sevigny), and her white, upper-middle-class, slightly snobby friends (also kind of endearing), as they live their professional lives in Manhattan, renting apartments they can't afford (at least not without parental support), spending their days working for ad agencies or publishing houses, and their nights frequenting Studio 54-style nightclubs.  And of course, this all takes place -- you guessed it -- during the last days of disco, the very early 1980s.  In many ways a continuation of the characters found in METROPOLITAN (though chronologically this takes place years before that storyline), it discusses many of the themes found in that earlier film.  These young WASPy kids are coming to terms with themselves, and while, maybe not having existential crises, they are grappling with where they fit in the world, what to do with themselves, and what kind of relationships they want to have.  I should add as a disclaimer that, while rich white people may not necessarily be the kind of people who deserve the most sympathy, they are still a demographic which exists, and whose situation deserves an examination once in a while.  And Whit Stillman's writing walks this line smartly.  He never asks us to cry for them, but rather allows each one to exist and develop as they grow and learn about themselves.  Oh, and Stillman isn't afraid to make fools of his characters for our gratification.

Charlotte (Kate Beckinsale) and Alice (Chloe Sevigny), two 1980s yuppie socialites looking for love.

Stillman is a filmmaker who is especially known for his writing, and the dialogue in this film is smart and interesting.  Like many characters spawned in the 1990s (both in the time when the film was made, but also, I suppose, in the time period it is set, the 1980s) they relate to each other through cultural references.  While his characters in METROPOLITAN largely related to each other through passages of literature and classical novels, the people in THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO are more media saturated, and a heated conversation and analysis of the meaning of film like LADY AND THE TRAMP can reveal something about each person.  While not hugely recognized by the masses, Stillman's influence can be felt in filmmakers ranging from Wes Anderson, to Quentin Tarantino, to Noah Baumbach.  His films emerged in the incredibly fertile 1990s indie scene, a time when audiences where fascinated by the concept of characters sitting down and having a conversation about movies, music, or social norms.  Today, this kind of writing feels indulgent.  But back in the 1990s it was very fresh. 

Take a look at Whit Stillman's THE LAST DAYS OF DISCO.  I really enjoyed it, and it has some great music, some charming characters (and some wonderfully despicable ones -- see Kate Beckinsale's Charlotte), and a great story.  As well, I think the final scene/shot and end credits are one of my new favorites.  I still have "Love Train" in my head.

Trailer:




End scene/credits (slight spoiler -- but if it gets you interested then maybe it's worth it!):

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:

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

How I Got Lost (2009)

I haven't seen this yet, but it's on the list. I watched this trailer last summer and it really left an impression on me. Writer/Director Joe Leonard's film has some realistic people dealing with some very realistic changes in their lives, confronting the shortcomings of their ambitions, making the best of it, and trying to figure out what's next. Pretty much what everyone deals with, ha. Anyways, I didn't hear squat about how this movie did, which of course is the case with a lot of great indie movies, but that's okay, because I can then see it with a unfettered point of view. Also refreshing in this film is the unfamiliar faces of new actors (Aaron Stanford and Jacob Fishel), which I always appreciate. And of course the music in this trailer is rad: the little piano ditty, and then Clarence Carter's "Patches". Enjoy!

Passenger Side (2010)

So I just heard the tail of an interview on Q this morning about this movie. You may have too. It sounds interesting and now that I see the trailer, well it still sounds interesting and in a way it looks exactly as how I was expecting.

Road trip movie of sorts? Check.
Two guys driving around California etc. in an old BMW? Check.
A young Canadian filmmaker? Check.
Named after and featuring this awesome Wilco song that I listen to in my car all the time? Check!

So I'm going to make an effort. Limited release in Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver on April 26th I believe. Starring Adam Scott and Joel Bissonnette. Written and directed by Matthew Bissonnette.

Here is the trailer.