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Le pacte des loups (2001)
Greatly entertaining and deeply stupid "potage a l'aventure"
They threw everything in the pot on this one -- oversized mysterious woman-eating beast, Machiavellian court intrigue, religious espionage, hot enigmatic gypsies and even hotter enigmatic Italian prostitutes, a rakish knight accompanied by a jujitsu-master "Peau-Rouge" (it appears, in fact, that martial arts instruction for both sexes was de rigueur in 18th-century provincial France), life-saving potions, conspiracy paranoia, incest, racial intolerance, amputees, bizarre weaponry, several cans of Whup-Ass, and a little French revolution tossed in for seasoning. And I've left out a lot. A ludicrous popcorn movie that should be very very bad but is redeemed by sheer reckless enthusiasm (the tone is demonstrated by our martial-arts Iroquois shaking out his long black tresses in Miss Clairol slow-motion). If it seemed fun, they threw it in. Check your brain at the door and enjoy The Dissolve - a cut so ridiculous and juvenile it has become an instant classic.
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
A solid effort in an impossible task.
Workmanlike adaptation of the book with good performances and faithful vision, but even at three hours somewhat rushed. Otherwise excellent production design made less credible by an over-reliance on digital effects. Like reading the book in Cliff's notes; we simply don't spend enough time with the characters... but a great effort in an impossible task, and a worthwhile movie experience.
Days of Heaven (1978)
A marvel of casting and setting; an editing miracle
A simple story beautifully delivered. A marvel of casting (particularly the supporting roles), a bleak and beautiful setting out of Andrew Wyeth, and for Malick and Billy Weber an editing miracle in shaping a dialogue-heavy shooting script into a landmark of spare moments and unspoken emotion. Nestor Almendros and Haskell Wexler shoot the film with great beauty and restraint, and Linda Manz, in addition to a phenomenal on-screen presence, delivers one of the great voice-over performances in film history.