Watched in 2016
A log of all the films I have seen this year.
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- DirectorSu-yong JeongRoy ThomasActs of terrorism are happening in the USA, Japan, France and the Pacific Ocean. The man behind these events is Dr. Butler, who tries to rule the world with his powerful computers. To save mankind, Dr. Kim, Sheila and Keith, known as "Saviors of the Earth", are summoned. The last battle, the Deadly Game, will take place inside a computer.January 1
I figured that it would be interesting to start this year with what could possibly be one of the worst films ever made. The bad film would serve as a reminder for the rest of the year that there is indeed something even worse out there than the films I am disappointed with this year. I will be reminded of Savior of the Earth every time I update this list and it surely ended up being a perfect choice for my plan: it’s a film that manages to almost completely disregard the basic elements of screenwriting. The dialogue doesn’t make much sense, let alone functions as “dialogue” rather than incomprehensible monologues of several characters that sometimes happens to sound like dialogue. The characters themselves are recognizable throughout the film (so you could say it has succeeded in a minimal amount of characterization), but they are thrown into a scenario that’s too schizophrenic to know what it should be. What I can make out is that the film follows a scientist’s lazy assistant who would rather play video games than do any work. Somehow he ends up involved in an evil villain’s plan to conquer the universe because he’s such a “great player” that he needs to be put into the villain’s “death games” (that are basically illegal ripoffs of popular video games) that don’t really have anything to do with world domination, though. From here on the film escapes into absolute cuckooland that no film should ever wander into. Needless to say, the film is also notable for animation and voice acting just as atrocious as the screenplay - if not even worse with constant reusage and looping of a small amount of animation, voice actors screaming into their mics in what sounds more like an empty chamber than a proper recording studio and music lifted almost directly from other films, like Star Wars.
1/5 - DirectorTony RandelStarsGary DanielsMalcolm McDowellCostas MandylorBased on a graphic novel, this apocalyptic adventure centers on a man who must reverse the cataclysmic conditions of his world.January 3
In comparison to the first film I watched this year, this campy American take on the Fist of the North Star manga does two things better: it has an undoubtedly decipherable plotline and its editing follows a clear-cut logic. But that does not a better film make. The film's cheap production makes the film unintentionally campy. The ridiculous costume and set design are simply too bad and uninspired, the effects guys overuse their precious smoke and the cinematographer likes his Dutch angles. The biggest offender is the film's attempts to break the 4th wall: who would say "Welcome to the future" straight at the camera in the middle of a massacre? Naturally the screenplay is a real stinker that boggles the film down even more than its form. But the real problem is the casting that is questionable in more ways than one: for its lack of talent (most of them), for its wasted talent (Chris Penn and Malcolm McDowell, what were you thinking?) and for it being so ethnically wrong (how the roles were shared between white, Asian and black actors is simply hilarious).
1/5 - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceLloyd BaconCharlie is a fireman who always does everything wrong. A man talks the Fire Chief into ignoring his burning home (he wants the insurance money) unaware that his daughter (the love of the Chief) is upstairs in the house. When the house next door catches fire its owner rouses Charlie who rouses the force.January 10
In The Fireman, one can start to see Chaplin playing around with cinematic form a little as he has fun with reversing shots among other things, but The Fireman is still a bit too chaotic a riot of physical humor that should have been tamed by a director's vision.
3/5 - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceEric CampbellCharlie, the emotional violinist, flees to a gipsy camp, only to find himself playing for an abducted girl. Soon, a unique birthmark will pave the way for an unexpected rescue and a marvellous new life. But, will she forget him so easily?January 10
Whereas Chaplin's other Mutual films are first and foremost comedies, The Vagabond represents Chaplin's early venture into his more sentimental and romantic tendencies. While The Vagabond begins with Chaplin's usual brand of physical comedy, it moves out of the way for an almost humorless and touching drama of Chaplin's brief romantic encounter with a girl she rescues from gypsies. The short's gloominess and lack of gags are surprising to say the least, but with this film Chaplin seems to have finally got a grip on cinematic storytelling with well-thought-out and even pretty compositions that portray a narrative that's stripped to fine essentials of character development rather than being a string of funny gags.
4/5 - DirectorQuentin TarantinoStarsSamuel L. JacksonKurt RussellJennifer Jason LeighIn the dead of a Wyoming winter, a bounty hunter and his prisoner find shelter in a cabin currently inhabited by a collection of nefarious characters.January 13
I feel like wishing farewell to Tarantino after seeing The Hateful Eight because he has driven so far off the edge of the world with his latest film that I don't think it's possible for him to climb out of this huge pit. Without giving away too much of the film's lengthy plot, The Hateful Eight is a much more complicated Reservoir Dogs situation (with a black Sherlock Holmes trying to make sense of everything) that warrants its long length as long as you are intrigued by Tarantino's rich inventory of reveals and plot devices - not to mention his gift for colorful characterization. But all of this comes packed with so many problems that this comment space doesn't offer me enough space to cover them in the detail they deserve. It's a tonal mess to the point of being utterly schizophrenic. Is it a clear-cut revenge fantasy? Is it a misguided and utterly hamfisted political commentary hidden under convoluted plotting? Is it a playful and almost satirical feast of ultraviolence that Tarantino is known for? Or is it supposed to be something more serious, suspenseful and even scary? When you are disillusioned with the plot machinations (which is often even when you enjoy them) you have to deal with Tarantino's childish sense of violence, slow-motion usage even more horrible than in 300 (which is in itself a feat), a completely wasted Ennio Morricone soundtrack that's almost like from a different film and utterly questionable racial "expose" of history. I'm not willing to utterly trash the film for the sake of its moments of sheer entertainment when it comes to double-crossing characters and brilliant acting, but I find it totally justifiable to tear this film to pieces. And there is no way anyone can convince me to believe this is a good film.
3/5 - DirectorJacques AudiardStarsRomain DurisAure AtikaEmmanuelle DevosWill Thomas still lead a life of crime and cruelty, just like his thuggish father, or will he pursue his dream of becoming a pianist?January 16
The Beat That Skipped My Heart is clearly the work of an up-and-coming artist, but seeing it after Audiard's later work it is really rough and unpolished. It is essentially a drama for the charismatic main character alone, but the film's implications of his development don't really arrive anywhere. It is not a film where he chooses one path instead of another at an intersection - neither it is one where he crashes into the guard rail between the two paths at full speed. The time skip near the end and the eventual conclusion leave both the film and the character hanging in an awfully gray zone that doesn't really serve anything. Nevertheless, it's an exceptionally well written and executed film of a way too familiar story that rises above the rest thanks to Audiard's talent as a director.
4/5 - DirectorFederico FelliniStarsGiulietta MasinaFrançois PérierFranca MarziA waifish prostitute wanders the streets of Rome looking for true love but finds only heartbreak.January 16
An ultimately tragic portrayal of a woman looking for love where she won't find it. Fellini weighs on the questions of happiness and purpose through a naive character whose blissful ignorance of deception (not just others, but her own self-deception, too) leads her down a path that no one should suffer through. The genius of the film does not only lie in Fellini's craft as a director and writer, but also in Giulietta Masina's astounding performance that carries the film and importantly captures her character's balance between maturity and happy-go-lucky naivety in a way no other actor could have.
5/5 - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinAlbert AustinA drunken homeowner has a difficult time getting about in his home after arriving home late at night.January 17
The drunken stupor of a man returning home makes for a great short film, but Chaplin's One A.M. doesn't quite achieve its potential due to its many compromises. Since the short film is entirely a one-man-show, Chaplin seems to have found himself constricted by limited technology (or he just don't want to shoot longer takes) so he can't cut away to other actors to connect the takes and edit sequences which would have worked better in single takes. Also, I have the feeling the short film would be a more enduring masterpiece if he had been free of the two-reel format because for that sake he lingers on one gag too long and in general the short is too slowly paced. But nevertheless, One A.M. is further proof of Chaplin's genius in how he can turn even the simplest looking set into a riot of laughter, using every detail and prop to a Chekhovian degree.
4/5 - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceEric CampbellThe fifth film in the Mutual series Charlie Chaplin impersonates a man of means in order to underscore the contrast between rich and poor.January 23
What begins as a deceivingly simple joke about a boss and his assistant (Chaplin) measuring a fine lady turns into a farce of manners and fake identities as the two feign their identity to get into an upper-class party. It is by One A.M. and this film that Chaplin has become used to spending more time in setting up gags rather than quickly proceeding to do them. In The Count, the first third spends more time in characterizing the main figures of the story and their relationships than gags, but the rest of the film is a non-stop gag spree in which the gags keep piling up on each other.
4/5 - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinHenry BergmanEdna PurvianceCharlie competes with his fellow shop assistant. He is fired by the pawnbroker and rehired. He nearly destroys everything in the shop and himself. He helps capture a burglar. He destroys a client's clock while examining it in detail.January 23
The Pawnshop is the short where it feels like Chaplin does every single possible gag there is to be done with a ladder and some brawling. It is not as seamlessly unified and inspired as his best Mutual shorts, but it's a hilarious experience nevertheless.
4/5 - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceEric CampbellCharlie is an overworked labourer at a film studio who helps a young woman find work even while his coworkers strike against his tyrannical boss.January 30
Behind the Screen feels like a collection of vignettes that Chaplin came up with while working on his other films - because they are all set in a film studio with the film crew screwing around with props and set mechanics. This is already the work of an extraordinary craftsman and an established entertainer stretching the medium to new directions in terms of humor.
4/5 - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceJames T. KelleyAfter causing restaurant chaos at work, a bumbling waiter tears up the local roller rink with his skating.February 13
The definitive roller skate film.
4/5 - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceEric CampbellAn alcoholic checks into a health spa and his antics promptly throw the establishment into chaos.February 14
The quintessential drunkard comedy film.
5/5
Rewatched on July 11 - DirectorCharles ChaplinStarsCharles ChaplinEdna PurvianceEric CampbellThe Little Tramp escapes from prison; saves a girl and her mother from drowning; and creates havoc at a swank party.February 14
A summary of both Chaplin's crazy stunts and fancy etiquette gags.
4/5 - DirectorTakeshi MaruyamaStarsManatsu AkimotoRina IkomaErika IkutaFebruary 19
A documentary about the creation of a Japanese high profile idol group and the effect idolhood has had on their emotional growth. Perhaps the best documentary of its kind although it's a shame the documentary loses its structure after the first hour.
4/5
March 7: Rewatch - DirectorRyosuke HashiguchiStarsTamae AndôLily FrankyRyô IkedaAtsushi is a civic construction worker who was widowed following a random murder. Toko's husband is neither interested in her nor in how his mother treats his wife. Shinomiya is a lawyer whose homosexuality has lead to mismatched love. The three separate stories tread a thread of hope, love, rejection and abandonment. Three relative cinema newcomers act in roles for which they were auditioned and specially hired.March 6 (Helsinki Cine Aasia 2016)
No matter how well put together Three Stories of Life is, it is a grim tragedy that likes to dwell on its melodrama way too much only to come up with an out-of-the-left-field happy ending that doesn't fit in at all.
3/5 - DirectorShûichi OkitaStarsHaruko NegishiChigusa YasuzawaYuriko OginoSeven women of varying backgrounds sign up for a guided trip to a remote waterfall. Expecting relaxation and a quiet setting far away from busy city life, some are looking for a place to clear their thoughts, some to commune with nature, and some just for photographic opportunities. Their guide goes missing and leaves them stranded, with insightful and comic results.March 6 (Helsinki Cine Aasia 2016)
Okita slows down his pace even more than in his earlier, letting the amateur actors fill the scene in long takes that are not only theatrical and pretty to look at, but also serve the humor brilliantly. It's a very solid and funny ride from the get-go to the end of the credit roll.
4/5 - DirectorKore-eda HirokazuStarsHaruka AyaseMasami NagasawaKahoThree sisters who live in their grandmother's home invite their thirteen-year-old half sister, whom they have just met, to join them.March 7
Koreeda yet again proves that his understanding of family dynamics and acting direction is bar none - not to mention his supreme craft as a visual storyteller. Umimachi Diary is the best kind of slow-paced and subtle dramedy that never feels inclusive to a more hardcore audience.
5/5 - DirectorSion SonoStarsReina TriendlMariko ShinodaErina ManoA girl's life cascades into chaos as everyone around her suffers a gruesome fate while she becomes less certain of who she is and her once-once normal life.March 7
Sono's creative mess is neither a straight-up horror film or parody, but instead a pathetic and wholly hollow attempt at mixing visceral entertainment and funky philosophy, neither of which works at all. It can only be enjoyed for its unintentional comic gold - no matter how many 'pretty' drone shot Sono tries to shove into it.
1/5 - DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsJosh BrolinGeorge ClooneyAlden EhrenreichA Hollywood fixer in the 1950s works to keep the studio's stars in line.March 8
It's surprising how well the Coen brothers are able to slip in their general thematic musings and views into this hilarious takedown of the eccentricities of 50's Hollywood with an ensemble cast in top form.
5/5 - DirectorShinji SômaiStarsHiroko YakushimaruTsunehiko WataseRentarô MikuniA teenage delinquent schoolgirl named Izumi Hoshi inherits her father's Yakuza clan.March 8
This is just about as good as it gets when you have an utter cinematic imbecile direct an idol vehicle film in 80's Japan.
1/5 - DirectorEthan CoenJoel CoenStarsOscar IsaacCarey MulliganJohn GoodmanA week in the life of a young singer as he navigates the Greenwich Village folk scene of 1961.March 9
Rewatching this film proved that Llewyn Davis is a very much Coen-like production even if they have toned down the humor a little for their (almost) overbearingly grim pessimism.
5/5 - DirectorJing WongStarsAndy LauJacky CheungAaron KwokRyu, Dhalsim and Vega are sent out to stop M. Bison. They befriend a teenage school student and seek out Bison. Bison sends out his own soliders, Ken and Sagat.March 9
Awe-inspiring craft in action sequences and direction was the last thing I was expecting to see in a shameless Chinese Street Fighter ripoff.
4/5 - DirectorBob HathcockStarsAlan YoungChristopher LloydTerence McGovernScrooge McDuck takes Huey, Dewey, and Louie to Egypt to find a pyramid and magic lamp.March 9
It would be cheating to call this film nostalgic since I have never seen it before, but it goes to show how well the staff of DuckTales nailed down the family-friendly action adventure format.
4/5 - DirectorAbbas KiarostamiBanafsheh ModaressiStarsRin TakanashiTadashi OkunoRyô KaseIn Tokyo, a young sex worker develops an unexpected connection with a widower over a period of two days.March 25
I perhaps made a mistake by venturing into Abbas Kiarostami's filmography for the first time with this film, but it was an utterly fascinating experience nevertheless. Like Someone in Love is a fleeting film of crude miscommunication and perception that wraps itself up with a touch of enigma and cinematic magic. It seems as if Kiarostami takes his tedium a tad too far for the sake of fairly thin content, but he nails the mood and theme down so well that it didn't really bother me that much.
4/5