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L'Eden et après (1970)
A flawed film but worth watching
This film isn't as good as it could've been but it still has a lot of merit and is worth seeing. There is some extremely memorable and disturbing imagery that got under my skin. A lot of these scenes and images were very effective and a lot of them are still stuck in my mind long after watching the film.
The films presentation as a whole is very solid. With some great sound design, beautiful technicolor cinematography and usage of its Tunisian setting. My main issue with this film is that it didn't really have a point overall and the story itself wasn't compelling enough to make up for that. For example with the film Last Year at Marienbad (also scripted by Alain Robbe Grillet) it has a lot of thematic depth and tonnes going on underneath the surface. Which is helped significantly by the hypnotic atmosphere. Eden and After doesn't really have that.
There's not a lot to take away from it and the atmosphere/story isn't particularly compelling. Which does make the film a bit of a slog at points despite the relatively short runtime. The films disturbing sexual imagery, sound design and surreal scenes do help the film a lot. Though I wished those elements were used for a much more compelling, thought provoking and disturbing film overall.
Eden and After is still a really interesting movie with a lot of great things going for it. Though unfortunately it's rather underwhelming which prevents me from calling it one of the great psychedelic/surreal films of the period. If all of the positive elements of this movie were used for a better film. I think this movie could've easily have been on par with Salo, Climax and The Devils which do a lot of what this movie is going for more successfully.
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015)
Great film
I didn't go into this film with the highest of expectations. I went in thinking this would be a decent if relatively average indie coming of age dramedy. While the film does have tropes that you would find in these movies. Thankfully it manages to be a very good film that I'd even go as far as to say I loved it. I adored the visual presentation of the film. In particular the incorporation of stop motion animation to reflect the characters mindstates. Me and Earl and The Dying Girl does a great job of subverting tropes that you see in films such as A Walk to Remember and The Fault in Our Stars. To create something more mature, funnier and ultimately more powerful.
The final 20 minutes of the film are phenomenal. This portion is without a doubt the highlight of the film. It's amazing how many emotions are conveyed with little to no dialogue. I really enjoyed the homages to films such as A Clockwork Orange, Harold and Maude, The 400 Blows, Aguirre The Wrath of God and many others. They were all really funny and charming even if you haven't seen the films in question. Though it's an added bonus if you have.
I had some problems with this. The film does try a bit too hard to be quirky at points. The last act before the final 20 minutes does drag a bit. I also would've liked if the character of Earl got more development. Though otherwise Me and Earl and the Dying Girl is an excellent coming of age film that I'd highly recommend.
Kimi no na wa. (2016)
Underwhelming
I found Your Name to be highly underwhelming. While the animation and overall presentation are fantastic. I couldn't get into the story and characters at all. I found the characters were either extremely cliched or bland. I couldn't care less about their journey. So when scenes that were meant to be emotionally impactful happened I was left rather unaffected. It doesn't help that a lot of the music choices were really out of place and cheesy.
The films plot gets very messy and convoluted in its second act and only goes downhill from there. It doesn't help that the plot is derivative of films such as Donnie Darko and Freaky Friday. While I wouldn't say I hated this film. I was very disappointed by it. Nothing about Your Name apart from the gorgeous animation impressed me at all. I was thoroughly bored by this film. I know Your Name is highly acclaimed. If people like this film that's great though it's not for me.
Bis ans Ende der Welt (1991)
Flawed but beautiful
I'm a big fan of Wim Wenders as a director. Paris, Texas and Wings of Desire are some of my all time favourite films. I also really like The American Friend by him. I was both excited and apprehensive before watching Until The End of the World. Mainly due to its 5 hour long length and divisive critical reception. Though now that I've watched the film. I have mixed feelings about it though overall I found it to be really interesting.
I adored the soundtrack and the way it was used. There are many standout tracks from artists such as Nick Cave, Depeche Mode, REM and Julee Cruise. The cinematography from the late Robby Muller is stunningly beautiful. There were many sequences that captivated me mainly due to the variety of worldwide locations, the visuals as well as the many different themes explored. All of the performances are very solid with Max Von Sydow, Solveig Donmartin and William Hurt being standouts.
Though I had a lot of problems with the film. I thought the narration from Sam Neill for the most part was really unnecessary and explained things that were already happening on screen. Even though I didn't find Until The End of the World boring at all. I can't help but feel the 5 hour runtime wasn't fully earned. There was a lot of scenes I felt would've benefited from being shortened and having tighter pacing particularly in the middle section of the film. Another problem I had was that the film lacked the emotional pull that Wim Wenders best films have.
In spite of my problems with it. Until The End of the World is still a compelling and beautifully shot film. That in many ways is way ahead of its time particularly in its exploration of technology and how it can overtake peoples lives. The things that work about this are highly impressive and it stands out as being an ambitious work of cinema. Though it falls short of being a masterpiece.
La ville des pirates (1983)
An Underseen Masterpiece
It's a shame that Raoul Ruix's film is currently unavailable on DVD or Blu Ray. City of Pirates is a beautiful and simultaneously unsettling film that is quite unlike anything I've ever seen before.
The film works on different levels. It works as a childlike adventure as well as a surrealist horror film. City of Pirates feels like a dream both in terms of plot and visuals. As a result the film casts a hypnotic spell on the viewer.
There is an underlying sense of loss and tragedy to the main character which I found added a layer of sadness to the whole film. One of the best aspects of City of Pirates is the visuals. I can't think of any other films that look like it. There are many striking shots that linger in your memory long after the film is over.
In conclusion, I'd highly recommend City of Pirates. It's a film deserving of far more attention than it earns. The film is free on YouTube with English Subtitles.