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Reviews
Scarecrow (1973)
Hackman's and Pacino's finest hour?
A near miraculous pairing of two of American cinema's finest actors. Possibly career bests from the both of them. The camera and the story just seem to roll along and scene after scene delight and reward the viewer. In an interview, Hackman has stated that Scarecrow is his favourite piece of work.
Five Easy Pieces (1970)
A classic of 70's American cinema
This is one of the undoubted classics of 70's American cinema. This is Nickolson at his best, like in The Last Detail, the consummate anti-hero, the film never succumbing to cheap easy glories for its main protagonist. He is the archetypical under-achieving misfit, who may or may not deserve our sympathy. Victim of circumstance or does he bring his own troubles upon himself? No easy answers will be found here. I just regret that Nicholson isn't admired enough for these understated roles, and that Rafelson only came close again in the magnificent King of Marvin Gardens.
Jude (1996)
The aesthetics of Hardy
This film moves you. In its beauty, in its tragedy. The aesthetics of the novel by Hardy, the Wessex landscapes, the doomed pursuit of love, are there to behold. Whatever artifice the filmmakers had to create in their pursuit of producing a beautiful lasting work of art, was worth it judging by the end product. Their achievement is complete.
As Good as It Gets (1997)
Over rated
Some admirable intentions in trying to develop some original non-cliched characters that interact over an unusual plot line. Partly successful, but the weighty presence of Nicholson actually hinders the director's intentions. Yes it's quite entertaining, but it's way too long and not half as clever as it thinks it is.
Raging Bull (1980)
Masterpiece
This is Scorcese's and de Niro's masterpiece. Unsentimental yet incredibly moving. It's not a film about a loser, it's about real life. This is about the frailty and reality of human existence. The guts, the glory, the cowardice, the self-destruction. This film is one of the summits of the art of film making, directing, cinematography, editing and of course, acting.
Bad Timing (1980)
The dark side of the human psyche
Nic Roeg is simply the finest British director alive. He has developed his own unique style of cinema. Very dark at times, but always compelling. A sense of space, silence and beauty pervades, even though the film deals with the dark side of a very destructive relationship. Given his immense directing skills, he should really be held in much higher esteem, and I urge anyone reading this to give this and all his other films a viewing.
The Conversation (1974)
Masterful
A great film to see every now and again, to remind ourselves of the absolute genius of Gene Hackman and his ability to develop and sustain the characterisation of the mysterious Harry Caul in spite of the sparse action and dialogue. Coppola at his restrained best. The theme of dark conspiracy and paranoia has rarely been done better, and it was very nice indeed to see a revisitation (almost!) of Caul's character in the excellent Enemy Of The State.
Nuovo Cinema Paradiso (1988)
Unashamed nostalgia
I had tears running down my face on and off for most of the film, which then turned into a steady stream for the last 20 minutes. A very nostalgic film but done oh-so beautifully like only the Italians seem to be able to carry off. And with Ennio Moriconne's gorgeous lush film score, the emotional impact of the film is unstoppable.
Music from Another Room (1998)
A real gem of a film
Just like the other comment above, I had never heard of this film before but saw it (twice!) on the in-flight entertainment of a long flight back from down under. The overall feeling of the film is a bit like a condensed John Irving novel (Hotel New Hampshire): a sprawling storyline concerning an eccentric family with delightful sub-plots involving the births, deaths and loves of the various members. But because the film works on a much smaller scale than a huge doorstop novel, the characters are developed very economically in the film. However, thanks to an absolutely inspired bit of casting, with the likes of Jeniffer Tilly and Brenda Blethyn as the dying mother, the film works extremely well. And of course the chemistry between the two leads, Jude Law and Gretchen Mol, is undeniable and provides much of the appeal of the film. An absolute must see love story which skips beautifully over the potential cliches of the genre, and will have you laughing and crying in equal measures.