The Bad Sleep Well (1960)

Toshiro Mifune stars in this Akira Kurosawa-directed gem. Who else were you expecting to star in a Kurosawa film? Really. But honestly, there's a good reason, and this film solidifies it for me. As I've said in previous posts, familiarity can breed either contempt or synergy. In this case, the latter. Before I get into that, the synopsis:

Mifune stars as Koichi Nishi, a secretary to Public Company VP Iwabuchi (played by Masayuki Mori). I won't give a way a lot of the details, because this film takes so many twists that should be kept a surprise for the viewer. What I can tell you is that Nishi has just married VP Iwabuchi's daughter, Yoshiko (and it's not listed in IMDb who plays her - sucky omission!). The opening of the film is at their wedding, where Assistant-To-The-Chief Wada (played by Kamatari Fujiwara) is being arrested on corruption charges stemming from goings-on at Public Corp. These corruptions have to do with kickbacks on a deal between Public Corp. and another large firm. Cover-ups abound, great lengths are gone to bring these corruptions, and subsequent cover-ups, to light, and also keep them hidden. I'll leave the rest a surprise to the viewers who haven't seen this one.

A bit of a departure from his costume epics, Kurosawa based this film firmly in the present, and with stellar results. The beginning wedding sequence is stunning to watch. The whole look of it, and the direction to his actors is so compelling to watch. Also, this is my favorite role I've yet to see Toshiro Mifune in, and I have seen many of his Kurosawa-directed roles, though little else. The man was is a bagillion films. Anyways, he didn't strike me as over-the-top, like his roles in Rashomon and The Lower Depths do. He was so grounded in this role, and it was so enjoyable to watch. Maybe it's the material in the costume epics that he did that lose me, but he just seemed to tangible in this film. I always appreciate that as a viewer. And despite Mifune's character going to some pretty hefty extremes, the viewer is always on board with him. His cause is righteous. It is very tough to write a character like that, so kudos to the writers. And Kurosawa knows how to handle Mifune, and Mifune knows how to handle his directions and material. It's like the two share the same brain.

The ending of this film got me very riled up. Angry. The final message that it leaves me with is one of helplessness and the unimportance of what an individual can do against powerful "machines." It made me mad, but not like Just One Of The Guys made me mad. This film has a very good reason for making people mad: anger like this can lead to action. This is actually a good piece of propaganda that could be used to rile people who say, "But what can I do? I'm just a little cog in the big machine," into action. At least that's what it did for me.

If you even remotely like Kurosawa, Asian films, or who-done-it thrillers, watch this film. It's so full and lush. A great ride.

Weird Science (1985)

John Hughes wrote and directed this 80's gem, starring Kelly LeBrock as "Lisa," a dreamgirl created by nerdy, unpopular and sexually frustrated teens Wyatt, played by Ilan Mitchell-Smith, and Gary, played by Anthony Michael Hall.

While Wyatt's parents are out of town, the boys, fed up with being the butt of every joke and spending their weekends alone/together, create Lisa, a girl designed to be hot, smart, funny, charming, etc., etc. The ideal woman. Lisa, we find, will do whatever it takes to get her boys to gain some self-confidence and social standing. So, madness ensues as she puts them through their paces, willingly or not, by making them face their fears and insecurities, all in the name of self-betterment. And, in typical John Hughes fashion, nothing is ever too painful for our heroes, so we can all share some laughs at Wyatt and Gary's expense.

This movie is iconic for a reason: take a very simple concept (like making the ideal partner), put it in the hands of idiots, and watch what happens. Couple that with the fact that John Hughes can do the teen-high-school-real-character-hilarity-angst SO well, and you have a classic film on your hands. And come on, who hasn't wanted to just Frankenstein together the ideal partner? Anyways, the movie's not supposed to be plausible; just a fun ride, which Mr. Hughes can deliver quite nicely. Basically, this film is all about being the geek, taking a no-real-risk chance, and getting everything you've ever dreamed of. WHO DOESN'T WANT THAT?! So, a movie many can sink their teeth into.

Much like my qualms with Just One Of The Guys, the pacing of this film is horrible! Is this an 80's thing? The more films I re-watch, I'll uncover the facts behind this theory. But, come on...those holes between lines in a joke are large enough to drive a U-Haul through. Almost painful at times.

You know, I really enjoyed watching Bill Paxton, as Wyatt's older brother, Chet. He was my favorite actor in the film. He just had so much fun being an ass, and somehow found the grounding necessary for the reality of the film. Unfortunately no one else did. I think they just told Kelly LeBrock to be Kelly LeBrock and that was that. Anthony Michael Hall and Ilan Mitchell-Smith didn't seem to get into their surroundings, either. Maybe it was the fact that this was a bit of a departure from John Hughes' typical world where his teen characters romp, and such a heightened reality. There didn't seem to be a real grounding for the film.

Well, a very fun ride that I will take again at some point in my life. Even if it is just for the eye candy.

Flushed Away (2006)

Flushed Away follows the adventures of posh rat Roddy St. James (voiced by Hugh Jackman). Roddy, left at home while his owner is on vacation, gets flushed down the toilet when squatter rat Sid (voiced by Shane Ritchie) inadvertently comes up of his drain pipe. Out of his element, and now in the world of the sewer rats, Roddy meets up with Rita (voiced by Kate Winslet), and gets drawn right into the middle of her spat with crime boss The Toad (voiced by Sir Ian McKellen). Roddy enlists the help of Rita to try to get back home, all the while being chased by The Toad, his henchmen, and his French cousin, Le Frog (voiced by Jean Reno). Rita and Roddy must work together to stop The Toad's horrible plot to destroy the sewer underworld, all the while teaching Roddy what it means to have friends and family.

If that synopsis sounded lackluster, it's because the movie really was. I can't fake it and make it sound better than it is. I guess I expected more from the group that gave us Wallace & Grommit. This was their first foray into a feature-length CGI picture, instead of using their trademark claymation (I guess the script calling for so much water would lead one to do that), and it just stripped a layer of creativity away from the film for me.

Unfortunately, this film pandered too much to kids. Granted, it's a kids' movie, but come on, one too many nut-shots just brings the humor level down a notch for me. There was no sharpness to the story. Way too simplistic, way too breezily executed. Was really the only growth in the film the thin layer of plot where Roddy learns the meaning of friendship? Instead of writers Sam Fell and Peter Lord filling the script to the brim with British in-jokes (knocks against the French, making it to the World Cup finals only to lose on penalties, old biddies loving Tom Jones, etc.) they could have smartened it up a bit. Nothing that was done or said in this film broke any new ground.

It was a bit of a trip listening to Hugh Jackman do an RP dialect in this film, though. First time I had heard that (though he might have done it in other films; I don't know, I haven't seen all of his work). I wouldn't have known it was him if I hadn't caught his name in the opening credits. Same thing with Kate Winslet. I'd never heard her do a cockney dialect. It wasn't half bad. A few spots that I cringed (but I get hyper-analytical with accents and dialects), but overall she nailed it. And Sir Ian McKellen is much like Peter O'Toole for me, in that I can hear him recite the phone book and melt. Such a great voice, and used very well to bring The Toad to life. Nefarious enough, and such a sharp delivery.

Well, I'm afraid this film was a bit too dumbed down for me to really enjoy, and the CGI left me a bit cold. Unfortunately so. We'll see if they venture into another CGI project again. If they do, hopefully they can make it a bit more adult friendly. Besides, kids aren't as dumb as we like to believe.

Hot Fuzz (2007)

Simon Pegg stars as Police Sergeant Nicholas Angel in Hot Fuzz. Released from his position with the Metropolitan Police Force for overachieving and making his fellow officers look bad, Nicholas Angel is relocated to the quiet village of Sanford and promoted to the position of Sergeant for his troubles. Sergeant Angel, being the high strung officer he is, takes a bit to settle into his new surroundings. Helped by PC Danny Butterman (played by Pegg's Shaun Of The Dead cohort, Nick Frost), he attempts to acclimate to his new surroundings. When suspicious "accidents" keep occurring around town, Sergeant Angel's cop instincts are kicked into overdrive, whereupon he stumbles onto a plot to keep the village's title of "Best Place To Live." Will Sergeant Angel live to unravel the mystery? Can PC Butterman become the officer he's always watched on film? And does the goose ever get back to its owner? If you haven't seen this film, you'll never know, and really, do yourself the favor and watch this.

Writers Edgar Wright (also the director) and Simon Pegg got it right with this film. The comedy is so tight, I gave myself a bruise from slapping my knee so hard. This was a delightful return to slapstick and farce like I hadn't seen in years! Working with the same people can do wonders for a project, as was beautifully exemplified with this film. Pegg and Frost worked so well off of each other to keep the timing and delivery of the numerous jokes and physical comedy absolutely perfect. And Edgar Wright certainly knew his leads quite well and put them through their paces perfectly. Also, the movie is laden with cameos from top notch British talent, which is a great testament to Wright and Pegg. When you got something good, everyone wants a piece of it.

This movie is a testament to pacing! God bless the comedic timing and delivery that was intrinsic to this film. The fast, gritty, raunchy-blues-music-laced scene cuts only help to keep the pace at lightning speed. Plus, those cuts were a GREAT way to keep the audience riveted to the screen. I know it worked on me, just like Pavlov's bell. Plus, they nailed the riffs on action/cop films perfectly from top to bottom.

Honestly, I was laughing out loud so much during this film. It was so sharp! I've been inundated with this recent trend of Hollywood comedic stylings (see Superbad, Wedding Crashers, and 40 Year Old Virgin to see what I'm talking about; all good comedies, but very different from this film), that this was such a wonderful return to classic comedy devices, and it was absolutely refreshing to see. The deadpan delivery of Pegg, the funnyman jokes of Frost, the classical farce timing of a Thorton Wilder play! It was so enjoyable to watch. These boys got me wanting more, and I cannot wait to see what they come up with next.

Le Samourai (1967)

Alain Delon plays hitman Jef Costello in this Noir classic by director Jean-Pierre Melville. Set in Paris, Jef has been hired to kill a night-club owner (for reasons never explained). After committing what seemed the perfect crime, Jef is seen by La Pianiste (The Pianist, as she's credited), played by Cathy Rosier, upon leaving. The Superintendent of police, played by François Périer, gets the call on this crime and shuts down the city in his determined hunt to catch the criminal. Jef, who set up his alibis with his "girlfriend"/woman who just loves dangerous men (played by Nathalie Delon, his wife at the time), and friends playing poker at a hotel in the city, gets called into the the police department for questioning, thus starting the love/hate affair between he and the Superintendent. After being released, because his alibis are just too good and convenient, the Superintendent keeps a watch on him. Also, the people who hired him want him dead, for fear of him leading the cops to them. Thus, a mad rush of cat & mouse ensues.

One of the things I like the most about the film is its spartan nature. No dialogue is uttered for the first 10 minutes of the film. Yeah, action is happening, but no one talks. This shows a nice parallel to Jef's spartan life. His home is in a nowhere part of the city, and he has minimal furnishings and amenities (except a bird that helps him out of a jam, or two), he has no solid figures in his life, and when he does talk, it's short, sweet and to the point. The scenes are no-frills, carrying no extra space that could drag the film down, and packing a punch that keeps you engaged throughout.

The other thing I really like about the film is the cinematography. The opening shot of Jef on his bed, smoking a cigarette is so beautiful to watch, that a short film could have been made of just that. This beauty continues throughout the film, through a contryside excursion, into a jazz nightclub, the beautiful penthouse The Pianist lives in, and really any other shot in the film.

Alain Delon does have a James Dean quality about him, what with his dark & broody eyes and demeanor. But this is on a more subdued level which adds so much to his character. It's magnetic to watch. François Périer's Superintendent is a great foil to that energy. His relentlessness in pursuing Jef almost verges on mania at times, leading to a high-tension resolution to this film. Both actors work so well off of each other.

If you haven't seen this film yet, do yourself a favor and give it a chance. If you are the type who needs big-budget explosions and huge CGI effects, skip it. No frills here. Just a great study of just how full minimalism in film can really be.