Reviews by Rath

Interesting Franju's film -also of the lesser known- and compendium of much of his best movies and his very personal universe, a serial intrigue, and breathtaking atmosphere expressionist aesthetic, dreamlike and taste for the unusual. Although not of the best films of the director, it is worth going into their decorated Gothic. To enjoy.

At this point, there is no adventure to agree that Roman Polanski is one of the most interesting and sharp cinematography storytellers today. Not only this, the most important thing is that he has not lost vigor and originality with the times. Not a veteran author, affluent and dedicated to simple adaptations of great works ("Oliver Twist" would be the recent exception) or History, as so often happens.

In "Carnage," the filmmaker continued with a steady, daring to adaptation of a play and telling a story that goes far beyond the seemingly conventional subject matter, giving several twists and turning it into a very personal vision complex than can be all human personality. The latter is best exemplified when isolates four characters-two couples-in the enclosed space of a living room, making them absolute protagonists of the film. Despite this, not only because of its short duration (less than 80 minutes), the resulting vision personality clash that occurs always entertaining, without decay in no time. Worth mentioning the remarkable performance of his players, especially a struggling Jodie Foster and extraodinary role of Christoph Waltz.

The movie is a perfect example of that good education and manners aren't inherent to mankind, but simply habits and conventions acquired along the centuries for better social functioning. Arguably, "Carnage" is a kind of Buñuel's "The Exterminating Angel" transplanted century and dissected by the skilful hand of Polanski.

"The Great Spy Chase" (Les barbouzes, 1964) is a comedy along the lines of typical light humor at base of punches directed by Georges Lautner. Here, repeating the same team of actors and most convincing preceding "Monsieur Gangster" (Les tontons flingueurs, 1963). Precisely his excellent cast that saves this discreet Italian-French production that uses fashion movies spies that proliferated during the sixties in the most tense period of the Cold War.

Everything he touched the Czech animator made ​​it magic. The lighting, the sets, figures and amazing color are a delight to behold. Particularly, I prefer the scenes that take place in the forest of fairies, imagination and treated with great delicacy.
The only criticism that could make the film is the excessive length of some sequence, but always missed by the details that accompany any continuous projection.
From this day has become my favorite Trnka's movies.

Although proposals too pretentious and rather disjointed for their continuous breaks script, the plot of "Adieu, poulet" is always followed with interest.
The best thing about the film is its final resolution, including also the two words of the title and the interpretations, both of Lino Ventura always impeccably understated as his assistant and counterpoint, the late Patrick Dewaere in a sympathetic role of police disbelieved . Neither detracts from the performance side as good Guiomar, Tornade, Brion or Lanoux.

I thought a scathing story of teens of all types and at all irrelevant, since as the action takes place, are joining curious proposals and emotional density.

It is difficult to foresee what is going to end the relationship between the two friends when players are faced with the situation of having to start taking charge of their own lives after completing their studies. The changes that inevitably occur (new relationships, situations and social environment) test their apparently close ties of friendship and is at this point that the film delves subtle but very effective in the field of testing and even battle fronts everywhere representing any teenager.

If one adds that the film has its good acid humor, but humor-after all, you get a pretty powerful bomb fantastic director of documentary "Crumb".

It is almost a dare to put (Jean-Paul Belmondo in the skin of a priest with his face and fame of gulf was already earning at the time) but this interpretation and also his partenaire Emmanuelle Riva as I deem it best fact of the movie.

And this though, very personal, such Morin (as orthodox and monolithic, with no hint of cracks) I find it quite unfriendly. Although a script to start rubbing something struck him as hilarious, for example, in the meteoric "conversion" Barny, narration and especially impeccable staging, help to make visible this storm sentimental.

Please note the scenarios crafted and decorated and the little details in action and, even more, the splendid photograph of Henri Decaë.

"Mon Oncle Antoine" is a unique film in more ways than one. In principle and although its base plot would fit within the fictional drama, the development and the way to approach it is almost next to documentary film, so beloved by the Canadian film, including her own director, the versatile Claude Jutra.

The plot of the film seems a simple story of manners set in a small town in Quebec Canadian middle of last century. And well exceeded half of the film may think that this is going to be: a well-told but almost anecdotal portrait over rural and acclimated over Christmas Eve, for better tracking of the commonplace. The surprise will come later, with the help of two of its key players and virtually in real time, when the story begins to appreciate just opt-out of this transition towards a grim example of tragicomedy with undeniable dramatic and painful burden to its conclusion.

The awed contemplation of a teenager to the adult world, governed by conventions bordering on hypocrisy, force you to "grow" based as diverse as consecutive hits, and within a few hours, reminding Malle's Zazie but changing the sarcastic humor of the French film by the sharp, even hurtful to it.

Small but effective details that accompany the action and its multiple backgrounds, the parade of close-ups of eyes always curious, excrutadoras ... struggle with a very estimable loaded set of suggestions. Something that can be seen in perspective and begin to digest and to feel his strong emotional residue rather than at the end of the projection, as often happens with the best movie ever.

A highly recommended film real depth charge in 2004 was valued by critics of his country as the best Canadian film history.

At no point in the movie just believe both characters as the story develops. Too coarse and sentimental performances greatly exaggerated and histrionic. The best, the performance of the little dog. And the worst: one thing is to try to make dreams (Hollywood) and other produce a lie after another. A shame.

To begin I must confess that Bresson's cinema I think, in general, too overrated. With the exception of "A mort à condamné s'est echappe" and some specific moments in not all his movies, the feeling that leaves me is that does not pass the anecdotic. I can hardly find that transcendence in his filmography that much about. In this regard, "Four Nights of a Dreamer" would serve perfectly as an example of this. The usuals actors amateurs film's director, purposely sought to provide greater ease and credibility to the roles they embody. Who cares, when normally, have been well chosen? The problem is that the hand of Bresson also appears at many times (and here I apologize to its fans), that of an amateur.

Until there comes the first musical cut the average time of issue, the possibility that the drowsiness is large enough to fill you. Add brief entries that music, Brazilian suggestive rhythms mostly, are perhaps the best of the film. Especially the accompanying sequence of beautiful naked Isabelle Weingarten.

The monotony and coldness with which shows the feelings, so characteristic of a certain type of French cinema, does not contribute to give the story credibility so necessary in this type of romantic stories. Based on the same Dostoevsky's literary text, despite its excessive theatricality in the staging, Visconti got a work more credible and well prepared in his movie "Le Notti Bianche".

Anyway, I expected a little more of this title which, incidentally, is what I like along with the soundtrack. It is true that the atmosphere of defeat suffering the male lead in "Quatre nuits d'un rêveur" perhaps too reminded me of my own youth.