Reviews by Rath

The documentary traces the life of the great trumpeter through interviews and personal moments of everyday life, as well as people who were important in his life, creating a complex picture, which shows the difficulty of his personality. Do not skimp on their huge drug problem, causing a great shame to see its decline, while maintaining his talent is obvious in his performance at Cannes a year before he died.

The story of Bruce Weber, in a successful B/W and couldn't be otherwise, is not complacent at any time and formally is very beautiful. The conflict between the responses of women ex-Chet is vibrant, and the ability to see the difference between versions of the facts of Chet and the others who lived through ... And be thankful that music can dream Chet Baker's at various times, because without it no one could understand the character and appreciate the sadness, the beauty and lyricism behind.

Directed by horror specialist William Castle and based on a novel by the author of the script also Robert Block (also creator of the novel that gave birth to Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho), we face an interesting thriller with a magnificent and disturbing Joan Crawford (genuine star of the show), repeated cutting in a production loss (at maturity chained 3 or 4 papers of a similar bill) and through a well directed and acceptable plot, a curious and, although sometimes a little shocking, appropriate soundtrack by the specialist in television series, Van Alexander, explicit occasional decapitation, a proper resolution of the plot (it is recommended not to go and be surprised smartass) and good performance by the rest casting, makes you hang out quite entertaining.

It tells the story of a decrepit colonel, yet dignified and proud, waiting every day for 27 years, the arrival of a letter where he announces his right to collect a pension. Living in the ruin and charity, just the company of his wife, lucid and at once upset by the death of the child in a bad business, and a cock and is coveted for its mascot and Colonel time friend.
No doubt the work of García Márquez remarkably suited to the sordid world, Ripstein dramatic and colorful pen and complex Paz Alicia Garcia Diego, which, finally, the Colombian writer is a film adaptation and what Ripstein further explores his current teaching and be considered, without question, one of the greats of today.

There is in this film reflects on the disappointment of living, on the defeat, on the life numbed by grief and neglect. And Ripstein applies apesadumbrador lyricism in history, a disappointing melancholy, a dramatic depth talkative further swollen by blacks and very explanatory touches of black humor and absurdity. It is true that there is magical realism, because there is only human realism in a world very Ripstein: ruthless, lacking oxygen, full of rot, inhospitable, where everything can be bought and sold, where, to quote the wonderful Miguel Hernandez "Man the man lurks. "

Never in the history of film (released in theaters) no one has managed to overcome an exercise as trash, tacky, rude, uncouth and repulsive as you did John Waters in 1972.
Waters was responsible for practically everything: directing, writing, photography, production, etc.. All his friends from Baltimore, a bunch of freaks, in a prank amateur surpasses anything seen before.
If a movie can have the quintessential pioneer drag: Divine, a hermaphrodite, sado sex with chickens and other sexual perversions, a seedy and very artificial insemination, an exhibitionist butcher, a singer ass, oral sex between a mother and her child an act of motherly love, castration, a party with initiation to cannibalism and eschatology climax scene most celebrated canine, then and only then we can say that Pink Flamingos is past.
It was a new way of understanding the independent film and especially inspired and still inspires Peter Jackson, Todd Solondz, Almodovar and many more.
Pink Flamingos is the perfect example that it need not be tacky bad, trash and glamor are only a step, it can be fun and repulsive that the film is to provoke the viewer feelings and Pink Flamingos, for better or worse, leaves no one indifferent.

The low-budget did not exceed two thousand dollars, there was no real problem: the vulgarity of its formal style, the lamentable and grotesque picture at all times scenarios reinforce the squalor in which they develop the characters. Waters showed that artistic talent is not always proportional to the means of production. Its primitive technique promoted the scandal by destroying the canons of good taste. And for these purposes does not hesitate to resort to the most vulgar and lewd nonsense. Noteworthy are the end of his beloved feast or tasting Divine cannibal. A gallery of insolence that can freeze more than a smile.
"What are your political beliefs?" Asks a reporter to Divine, to which replies with absolute conviction: "Kill all, forgive the first-degree murder, support cannibalism, eat shit ... that's my policy and my life. "
A devastating film that goes against the pillars of the "American way of life", from the family to justice.

This movie develops a particular narrative about the life and work of Harvey Pekar, a comic writer who rose to fame after revolutionizing the landscape of American cartoonists and establish a model of alternative comics. Under the title "American Splendor", Harvey moved to its own existence bullets putting reality to fantasy and mediocrity to hope. And with that look sour and gloomy, was drawn by various artists in the circuits "underground", through which managed to be considered a cult author. A comic book brought to life and in turn moved to the screen with this film that stand out, above all, his apparent lack of limitations in the approach and how it is exposed at all times with absolute freedom, without any aesthetic or tie formal.

"American Splendor" is a film undeniably different and independent film character can condition to a greater or lesser extent to the viewer, the little or great interest in this story will awaken as autobiographical, apparently very specific and reconcentrated in a given universe vital especially creative and personal. But I was pleased to note that far from being a story directed only at exclusive target, the script of this film outlines common everyday story ideas. Talk of loneliness, of misunderstanding, existential angst, skepticism and disappointment about impossible dreams, and so on. A universe of failures and routines that define a larger story than it first seemed. The protagonist of the film is the antithesis of the representation of a comic book superhero, a taciturn loner and does not inspire anything attractive or optimistic, but first-person posed a series of collective miseries reflect a very recognizable social fabric.

All surrounded by a chaotic atmosphere in which the language of the film moves between actors who made a remarkable interpretations, especially the protagonist Paul Giamatti and Hope Davis, and comic panels with a succession of snacks and labels that complement archival footage and admissions by Harvey Pekar. A considerable originality for a film that does not comply with specific genres and her documentary, biopic, animation and drama reflective and bittersweet live with a coherent sense of rhythm and entertainment.

The dramatic action takes place in Burma (Burma) in July 1945. The main action takes place in the POW camp in the town of Mudon, its surroundings and surrounding roads. The main characters are the soldier Mizushima (Yasui), fond of playing the Burmese Harp (musical instrument simple, handcrafted, which consists of 12 strings), Captain Inouye (Mikuni), commanding the platoon to which it belongs and Mizushima alone (Kitabayashi).

During a mission to sow a group of Japanese soldiers who will not surrender, Private Mizushima is injured and left for dead. On the way back, is given chilling scenes look of death and desolation. The subjective camera screen shows scenes show cruel and Doloras consequences of war. It includes action sequences, but only samples of their ravages. Some images contain forms that recall the terrifying imagery of "The Charnel House" by Picasso. It links describing the horrors of war with contemplation and exaltation of nature, seen as a source of life and beauty. The draw beautiful, generous, warm, rich and arrogant. The described from a pantheistic view predisposed to divinizarla and worship according to the tenets of Buddhist sacred.

The style of narrative commitment to lyrical styling, expressive minimalism and debugging of forms. It offers deserted beaches, barren plains, gently rolling hills, long silences and gestures very content. Escape the spectacular and stunning. As opposed to the war, proposed a set of humanistic values ​​related to the fellowship, the spirit of serving others, altruism, selfless sacrifice and the practice of music and singing as factors of understanding and solidarity among people .

The script certainly does not address the atrocities the Japanese did in this Southeast Asian country, but anecdotally sets his sights on a squad of soldiers and an officer (professional musician) they go through the red hills of Burma practicing songs for stay encouraged in the absence of direct confrontations. And especially focusing the story in that sergeant, with innate musical talent even without musical training, who plays the harp like an angel Burmese.

It is a curious film, noble, committed to human values ​​(friendship, mercy, mercy, music in the old sense of method to calm the "bad blood and bad blood," to bury the dead, etc..), Values humans are presented as something stronger and principal evils that the struggles and also between humans.

And this, whether it be unrealistic historically speaking, is a way to focus a movie, as in film and literature and in painting, sculpture, architecture or simple decoration, not all attempts to carry out a work of art have to be realistic in their side-exact copy of reality, but there are a variety of get reality show softening, in poetry, filing, exaggerating, daydreaming, imagining other hidden faces of reality, even mitologizándola (for something there myth and has almost the same old reason of use).

It has also been criticized for this film their excess of good feeling, but it should be noted that both the optical realization as their physical shape of the pure Buddhism.

We are used to Hollywood ideals of health, youth, strength and success, all that escapes these topics necessarily calls our attention. Far from showing candor, Chomet scripts described, with large black humor and philosophy, all stark and uncomfortable reality. His characters look avid silent around him to solve his problems with the wisest measures and simultaneously desperate hunger dictated by the mother of invention and from the silent movies at the same Charlot became a beloved figure and pathetic.

Welcome to Belleville exists in a visual purity very similar to that of the late silent era, where the exercises were not uncommon daring narrative. In film, the image displays an iconic language more suitable for creative play ambivalence and the dominance of the spoken dialogue, and consequently, Sylvain Chomet decided to dispense with a dash to take his verbal greater the chances of originality medium that is pure drawing, demonstrating his skill in describing visual means strictly behind the scenes of characters who do not speak.

As to overcome obstacles, the detail of a whole continuous model, make the reader feel present and constant work, where obstacles are drawn from the home to the triumphal march fleeing gangsters hiding, where the relevance of the image, while his manners, give a nice to get carried away and excited by one and another time with that "overcoming obstacles" that from the beginning takes form side in the forms themselves, as if it were an editorial product, for visual discrimination allows the tracking of details to create different frames, as with books-object discourses related to gender of the images.

We are not only to one of the best animation proposals in recent years, but also of Gallic cinema, as the film has a refinement and humor that make it highly recommended for all audiences, especially for anyone who enjoys watching things different.

It's easy to marvel at this film thanks to thoughtful and unique entertainment, with a superb job and aesthetics that make it unique and interesting. Another highlight is his great skill in exppresividad of the characters, as the film is virtually absent from talks and tells his story with the power of his images and the bright and lively expressiveness of his characters.

His characters is another point to mention separately, since everyone has a special charisma, especially the character of the grandmother and her dog, it is impossible not to become attached to them virtually des of the beginning of the tape.

What's more, it also has a scathing critique of consumerism and the exploitation of human beings, always saved in plot elements very subtle, surrounded by exquisite animation.

"Triplets of Belleville" is a very interesting story and a most poignant characters that make it impossible to resist them, accompanied by brilliant and refined humor and a great power in its images to tell your story with virtually no words, recalling more than one occasion in the style of Jacques Tati in the address. It is one of the most fresh and original that we see today, and that's a lot.

The film begins with a brutal event. A man and his son traveling through a forest in a cart pulled by a horse, are brutally attacked by a man with his face covered. The father dies during the attack. The child died when the car is slammed against a cliff of the mountain. We are in a village in the more rural Catalonia, in the postwar period, and this convulsing the lives of its inhabitants, especially the child who discovers the event, whose family will be directly involved in solving the deaths. Fear and the differences between winners and losers inherited from the war, is in addition the dark secrets that transform people in search of survival.
Andreu, the child protagonist, looks like the circle of repression closes around his father. The suffering of his mother is reflected in his eyes, while he will try to solve a mystery that lie unexpected and unpleasant surprises that will collide directly against your integrity. Meanwhile the transition to adolescence and the promise of a better life definitely will mark its future.
Agusti Villaronga in this story is the perfect ingredient to function in a world that is very close to the cinematic universe which is more comfortable. And that is transmitted to the viewer through the excellent reconstruction of an era and an atmosphere so rarefied light, as obsessive as murky, but always with the innocence of childhood as the foundation on which everything rests. More trouble is the director when the complexity of history and the feelings involved in reaching the viewer transparently. There comes a time when the film loses steam by not knowing all the stream channel that offers dramatic. Fortunately recovered pulse in a dry finish, forceful and painful.

It is indisputable that there is a line teacher, the most visible, runs the entire film: the terrible consequences that a war can have on each sector of a community, the devastating moral impoverishment that can arise from misery. However, I think in the movie beats another powerful idea, that of the futile political ideas that result when the only thing you can hope for is precarious. This idea frees the film from manichaeism as it makes the reds are not as complete and the fascists have their reasons for being, so in addition to adding complexity follows more closely to the truth, because this has always been a country governed by rancor personal rather than by high ideals. Only with that explanation valid encounter more radical turn in the script. Otherwise, that would be a mistake not excusable as his other foibles (the stage of sleep, sounding forced some blame the girl resabida) if not totally absurd that would tie the entire work with any Hollywood product. That, of course, if it is also apparent from its harshness and rigor dramatic, which makes it one of the most authentic works about post-war and equate it with for example the "Manon" by HG Clouzot.

Clear that while some parts of the script may be more or less questionable where they really believe there is no discussion possible is in the visual style of the film, which is its main asset. It is among the best of European cinema this year. The operation of the camera, the perception of space and brilliant pictorial sense are used wisely to complement with the emotions that arise from the script. Images like the car tumbling by Singles de Tavertet or second visit to the leper colony are some of the tops of a luxurious and luscious succession of pictures of that power of suggestion to make the film is an intense experience in almost every minute and reveal that the film director has resources and knows his craft.

Because, according to conjecture, whether this meant Villaronga work open to a wider audience without honesty auction and buy off some sambenito director who crossed out tight and inaccessible, no doubt it has managed to grow and has proven if he feels like it can do more than just products complacent.

With this film, Peckinpah returned to the type of violence that made a name Peckinpah economically profitable for the Majors. Maintains all the lyrical power present in the work of Peckinpah and nihilism that often accompanies its protagonists. But "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" is also the most romantic movie of how many did the Californian and the resulting mixture of the best films of this author: enemy of the world and a lover of alcohol.

Warren Oates is responsible for making peckimpanian sum up the world of Bennie, the best character (along with Pike's "Wild Bunch") of the complete filmography of the director. In "Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garcia" there are no half measures or there are subtleties. It's a dirty movie, full of dust that the director portrays regardless. It is a story of losers whose hopes always reborn with the next drink. In the film, Bennie has closed a deal. The mercenary says:
-A failed, referring to Bennie
- No one fails all the time, answer this without getting angry.

Sam Peckinpah's speaking, of course.

Bennie developments throughout the film is masterful. When the story begins Bennie believes the money found in the ability to change course, but eventually realize that his only friend is the head of Alfredo Garcia (friendship was a topic that Peckinpah was quite important. Instead of portraying such relationship so funny, the director describes this unusual relationship and the birth of a strong and heartfelt friendship), and he's been dead much longer than I thought.

What is not so common in Peckinpah's films there is romance in this movie. One would think that a director who was able to film a rape openly in the early seventies (Straw Dogs) can not have an ounce of romanticism. But the truth is that Sam Peckinpah was a way of narrating the romance as special as his way of showing violence. While "The Getaway" reunion (sexual) McQueen and MacGraw is endowed with great crumb, not be overcome at the scene where Bennie and Elita (Isela Vega) take a picnic under the shade of a tree. There is love and the viewer feel full. It is the most important scene of the movie because without that scene, would not understand the change of Bennie.

There is another scene later that exudes nihilism when the two are in a filthy room near the cemetery. Here, unlike the previous one, the dialogue is terse, but the viewer does not need more to understand the tears of Elita.

This is probably the most personal film by Sam Peckinpah. A story absurd and surreal thriller halfway between the western and a road movie. Here Peckinpah unleashes everything that characterizes his film, chaos in the narrative, great psychological burden and ambiguity in the main characters, the figure of the anti-hero or loser, female characters without gender bias, extreme violence but with great lyrical charge of destiny or fate. Sam Peckinpah shows us the stark reality through dusty roads, sweat, blood, rugged landscapes, seedy slums, crabs, whores or the religious fervor of the Mexicans. Warren Oates is great in the role of loser who seeks reward for the head of Alfredo Garcia. Also participating actors as usual director Robert Webber, Gig Young and Kris Kristofferson and his cast with Isela Vega Mexican favorite, Emilio Fernandez and Chano Ureta. The script is Peckinpah's own along with his assistant Gordon Dawson. The music, apart from some ballads and songs sound mejicanas, features a score by Jerry Fielding also common. The photograph was taken by Alex Phillips. Note that there is no abuse of deaths too idle, frequent use in Peckinpah's films in those years.
Sam Peckinpah created a work without compromise, the universe embodied in a story full of lyricism, chaos and violence that will delight lovers of this great filmmaker.

English docudrama filmed during the Cold War and black and white to illustrate the effects on the British population in the event of a nuclear attack. Both the narrative structure as the skits are very effective at any time laughable, despite nearly half a century since its completion. Both the script and the invoice technique and interpretation (due to amateurs, all non-professional actors) are commendable, supported by a perfect recreation of what could be a catastrophe of this magnitude.

Also his 48 minute extract the essential help of the story, without getting lost in technicalities or older philosophical circumlocution, so the narration of the facts - a first half of commissioning and final situation developing tragedy with enough crudeness - make "The War Game" a film as teaching it as enjoyable. An almost mythical mockumentary about a nuclear holocaust that does not disappoint in any way and has not lost the least effective today.