Reviews
Harvey (1950)
They don't make them like this anymore.
Harvey is a nearly perfect film, both in terms of performance - the cast is excellent without exception - and tone - a sweet, sincere film without an ounce of cynicism in it. This film draws one in, and Harvey the Pooka becomes a very real member of the cast, thanks to Stewart's sincere portrayal of the hapless but always delightful Elwood P. Dowd.
It would be impossible to make this film today. The world has grown too cynical, and the laughs would come in all the wrong places. However, watching this film, made over 60 years ago, inspires me to be more kind and gentle with my fellow man. This, in addition to the fine direction and the outstanding performances, is what makes this not just a good film, but a great one. 9 out of 10, highly recommended.
Mouchette (1967)
A Bresson Masterpiece
"Mouchette" explores the meanness of adolescence, showing us a series of mundane shocks and insults that culminate in disaster. The power here lies not so much in the dramatic - Nadine Nortier as Mouchette does not give up much, emotionally. Mouchette tries to fit in, please her father, have a boyfriend - wanting all the things that a normal teen wants. She is, however, awkward and abused, left mostly to her own devices, and does not understand how to exist in the world. Her attempts to find acceptance and meaning inexorably fail, leaving Mouchette ultimately lost and empty. Her emotional barrenness, resulting from the ways her little world failed her, bit by bit, finally, is the point of this film, and the reason that it works as a spiritual tragedy. Filmed simply and brilliantly, this is a masterpiece.
Film in Which There Appear Edge Lettering, Sprocket Holes, Dirt Particles, Etc. (1966)
Hypnotic
Owen Land's "Film in Which There Appear Edge Lettering, Sprocket Holes, Dirt Particles Etc. (1965-66)" can be a puzzler to those who expect some sort of narrative experience. This is not that kind of film. Experimental film is often interested in the physical film medium itself, as this wonderful film demonstrates.
The film begins dark, with some noise in the background. An image snaps into view, as if someone turned on a movie projector. The illusion of the experience of a projected movie continues as the image is adjusted several times in frame, and the sound of a running projector enters the soundtrack. The base image never changes: Two color test images of a female, one above the other, to the left of the frame. To the right, two dark vertical bars representing, I think, the sound strip for the film. In the center of the frame is the film's sprocket, normally used by the projector to advance the frame of the film. Very minimal. However, the action of the film, such as it is, is in the movement of the specks and scratches and stains and lines as they rhythmically repeat and draw the viewer's attention away from the traditional subject of film - the image - and toward the film that is running through the camera. We are conscious of the fact that we are watching a film. In addition, we are left with a lovely hypnotic experience. The rhythm of the sound of the running projector and the rhythm of the visual errata easily take one through the 6:07 of this film.
What makes this film great is this. It's easy to forget that you, the viewer, are watching a film of a film being projected, and as such are one layer of abstraction away from the direct experience of that film. As we recognise this, it's easier to give strong credit to Mr. Land for his ability to draw us into the experience of being present at the performance of his film about projecting a film. Conceptual genius.
Skidoo (1968)
Inadvertently Great
I am not sure what to make of the terrible (and sometimes angry) reviews of this film. This is a good, if offbeat, film. Performances are good across the board, the direction is solid, and the script, though bizarre, moves pretty well. Perhaps people have thin skin. Preminger does poke uncomfortably at social mores, especially those that were emergent in the generation-gap era - drugs, sex, freedom, and gender power. Subversive? Hell yes. Maybe that's why the reviews are so bad. I loved the film. I loved Carol Channing as Jackie Gleason's turned-on wife. I loved Groucho Marx as "God". I loved Mickey Rooney as Gleason's best friend in prison. I ESPECIALLY loved Luna, as God's assistant (and what the hell is she almost wearing there?). In addition, Jackie Gleason takes acid in prison, Frankie Avalon is a hip gangster, and Carol Channing sings a Nilsson song. What's not to like? Honestly?
Road to Nowhere (2010)
Thank You, Monte!
Finally, after 21 years, we get a new Monte Hellman film, and, despite the negative reviews on this site, it is a winner, a magnificent piece of film art! Road to Nowhere is not the typical Hollywood entertainment fluff, and thank goodness. In a world where bad 70's television shows and comic book heroes are shoved down our throats on a weekly basis, a film like this is a lifesaver. Without spoiling anything, I can tell you that the themes of alienation, absurdity, and identity that are the hallmarks of Hellman's direction are present in spades, as well as meditations on the nature of art and the nature of film. If you are looking for intellectual stimulation and some relief from standard Hollywood fare, look no further. As films-about- films go, this one stands with Last Year at Marienbad and Persona. Not to be missed.
The Three Musketeers (1973)
A classic!
This movie and it's companion piece, The Four Musketeers, are classics! Romance, action, suspense, drama -- what more could you want. Richard Lester's direction is tasteful and well paced, and Michael York as D'Artagnan is superb. Highly recommended. My only quibble is the casting and performance of Raquel Welch. Lovely she is, but she gives a dull and wooden performance.