Simon of the Desert (1965)

Altura Films International
Directed by Luis Bunuel
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

An ascetic lives on top of a column in the middle of the desert. Various people stop by to visit: peasants to be healed (he gives one of them hands), his mother (who lives nearby in a shack), elders of the church (one of whom he chastises for lack of a beard) and Satan himself (who tempts him in various disguises). Satan makes his final attempt to dissuade Simon from his pious life by whisking him away by jet plane to a nightclub full of teenagers dancing to rock and roll music. Unfortunately, the film ends right there. As a result, it feels more like half a movie, an underdeveloped tease that leads to the one-joke ending and then has nowhere to go. Apparently the funding was pulled by the producers leaving Bunuel with no money to complete his vision.

Two Tons of Turquoise to Taos Tonight (1975)

Directed by Robert Downey
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

Elsie Downey, the director's wife, has over 20 different roles in a series of unrelated sketches, none of them particularly memorable. Gone is the biting satire which was the hallmark of Downey's output in the 60s, reaching its zenith in Putney Swope and Greaser's Palace. Instead, this seems like a vanity project for Mrs. Downey.

Black Moon (1975)

Twentieth Century-Fox Film
Directed by Louis Malle
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Poor Cathryn Harrison runs over a skunk in the middle of the road, stops, stares and looks at it. Later, she comes across a firing squad consisting of all men shooting young, beautiful women. She flees through the countryside, ending up at an isolated chateau. An old woman lives in a bed upstairs and communicates with the outside world via shortwave radio, her grown daughter walks in and breast feeds the old woman, while the son sings opera arias and burns endless piles of leaves. Cathryn wanders around the house and its environs, encountering various animals, a group of naked toddlers and a talking unicorn. Unfortunately, none of it makes any sense or serves a greater purpose. Numerous animals appear to be harmed or put in peril. Did I mention that Cathryn breast feeds the talking unicorn for the "ending"?

Things to Come (1936)

United Artists
Directed by William Cameron Menzies
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

The future starts off bleak, with over 30 years of war, which must have been the way things looked in Europe in the year the film was made. The war finally ends in 1970, but first the survivors must take care of the "walking sickness", which turns people into zombies. Later, a futuristic airplane lands in the ruins of a city carrying Raymond Massey. He argues for a new society led by pilots and scientists, whether they like it or not. In 2036, that society builds a "space gun" which will shoot a couple of ambitious teenagers to the moon. Episodic, at times downright silly, and with special effects, which while good for 1936, are showing their age with wires frequently visible on the model airplanes.

Richard III (1955)

London Films International
Directed by Laurence Olivier
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

The Duke of Gloucester murders his way to the throne of England. He manipulates the court with falsehoods and other underhanded methods which lead to the beheading of his intended victim, or if that doesn't work he hires a couple of thugs to kill them in the night. After reaching his goal, another Duke claims the throne and they face off on the battlefield. Olivier's adaptation is faithful to the original Shakespeare, however this gives it a stage-bound feel, resulting in a curiously unmoving, and very long, story. Olivier makes poor use of the widescreen and Technicolor format, it lacks grandeur and the colors are flat. As a result, this is the least satisfying of his three Shakespeare films. 

Putney Swope (1969)

Cinema V
Directed by Robert Downey
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

Downey satirizes advertising, but also uses it to expose his other favorite topics: racism and politics. A black man is accidentally chosen to replace the deceased chairman of an advertising company. He renames the company "Truth and Soul", hires all-black employees and produces truthful, if tasteless, commercials, which are a huge success. When the money starts rolling in, he begins to compromise his principles, leading to conflict with some of his trusted advisers. The topics are somewhat dated today, but in many respects it's surprising how little has changed, especially in the world of advertising. Downey decided to overdub his own voice for the lead actor, who apparently could not remember his lines, which can be distracting at times.

No More Excuses (1968)

Impact Films
Directed by Robert Downey
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

A wounded Civil War soldier wakes up and wanders around late 60s New York City. At one point, he goes to Yankee stadium looking for the enemy, and in real footage he is escorted off the field by a policeman during a Yankees baseball game. Meanwhile, president Garfield is being stalked by his assassin, who makes many failed attempts on his life. Back in New York, real people are interviewed about the rise of singles bars and how they feel about sex, love and dating. A man and woman wrestle with each other in bed, eventually joined by a chimpanzee while the theme song to The Monkees plays. Throughout the movie a man representing a decency society presents his case for the clothing of animals. Welcome to the New York underground film movement.

Chafed Elbows (1966)

Impact Films
Directed by Robert Downey
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

New Yorker Walter Dinsmore (George Morgan) is in an incestuous relationship with his mother. He aspires to be relevant in the world by becoming an artist of some sort. First, he tries his hand at acting, failing miserably. Next, he applies to the New School to become a poet and is rejected, but not before accidentally killing his professor. Finally, he becomes the lead singer of a band, but quits in the middle of their recording session (during the song "Black Neglige", which is actually kind of good). He ends up working for a catering company, but once again fails and gets fired. All of these scenarios give Downey plenty of opportunities for comedy and satire, sometimes hitting the mark but more often missing. It's hurt by a low budget: not only is it shot silent with voices overdubbed in post production, but it relies heavily on still photographs and collages, giving it an ultra cheap feel.

Babo 73 (1964)

Directed by Robert Downey
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

Taylor Mead plays the recently elected president of the United "Status". He frequently consults with his advisers, equally inept at running the country, but quite good at political satire. It's all terribly dated of course, but some of the themes still echo in today's hyper-polarized political landscape. Technically raw, it was shot with no sound with the voices later dubbed, leading to occasional synch problems. Made entirely on location in a "guerrilla" style, they lucked into a military parade which they milked for all it was worth. Shot in black and white except for one color scene ("heaven"), with a catchy title tune by  Nicky Zann n The Vitamins.

Le Ciel est à Vous (1944)

Consortium du Film (France)
Directed by Jean Gremillon
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

A middle aged couple with two young children are forced to move when their garage is taken over by the government for a new airfield. In the city, they struggle to adapt, but eventually carve out a successful business. All of that changes when the husband (Charles Vanel) develops an unhealthy obsession with airplanes. Soon, he is ignoring his business to take joy rides at the airport. His wife (Madeleine Renaud), forced to take a job in another city, at first chides him but later joins him after she is coerced into a flight. They sell everything they own, including their daughter's beloved piano, in a selfish pursuit of fame in an attempt to break a world distance record. In a faux ending viewers will see coming a mile away, she goes missing and is assumed dead, only to reappear and become a local hero. The film's mixed messages are difficult to reconcile: showing both the damage done to families by such reckless pursuits of meaningless records, but also glorifying them.

Lumière d'été (1943)

DisCina (France)
Directed by Jean Gremillon
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

A young woman (Madeleine Robinson) arrives at an isolated hotel to meet her artist lover (Pierre Brasseur). Several days pass and he doesn't arrive, allowing enough time for a wealthy socialite and young construction worker to develop crushes on her. The painter turns out to be a drunken, irresponsible romantic, an easy target for the eccentric millionaire who invites them to stay at his castle with ulterior motives. He throws an extravagant costume ball, and afterwards the competing lovers all end up together in a car, leading to tragedy. The melodramatics overwhelm the more personal, artistic intentions of the director, and the plot is tied up too neatly in the ending.

Island of Lost Souls (1932)

Paramount Pictures
Directed by Erle C. Kenton
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

First filming of H.G. Wells' Island of Dr. Moreau is somewhat of a disappointment. Charles Laughton is the mad doctor experimenting on animals. Richard Arlen is the unfortunate shipwrecked man who ends up there. Laughton tries to set him up with a "panther woman" as part of an experiment, but Arlen manages to remain faithful to his fiance. She shows up to rescue him late in the film, leading to an unexciting escape. The half-human, half-animals aren't very convincing, particularly Bela Lugosi's wolf man, who hams it up with his "Are we not men?" speeches. The best version of this story remains the 1977 Burt Lancaster and Michael York production.

Antichrist (2009)

IFC Films
Directed by Lars von Trier
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Grueling story of a man and wife dealing with the accidental death of their young child. William Dafoe is the husband, a psychoanalyst, who against his better judgement decides to treat his wife, on the verge of a nervous breakdown, to say the least. His therapy includes bringing her to an isolated cabin in the woods, not a very good idea for a woman who claims she is afraid of the woods more than anything else. At first she seems to be making progress, but that all changes when she attaches a weight to him by drilling a hole straight through his leg. And that is just one of the little surprises in store for this film overflowing with explicit gore, sex and violence. Numerous animals are also subjected to the torture-fest, although the end credits state they were "handled by professional trainers and/or computerized", there is no third party Humane Society seal which is worrisome. Despite the grand attempts at symbolism and deeper meaning, this is nothing more than old-fashioned exploitation wrapped up in new digital clothing.

World on a Wire (1973)

Directed by Rainer Werner Fassbinder
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

In the near future, a computer programmer for a giant corporation develops a simulation of human society. Some people want to use it for financial gain, others for power. When his friends start to literally disappear into thin air, he begins to look deeper. It turns out that "this" world is actually the simulated one and the "real" world is somewhere else. He becomes a hunted man by those in control, falsely accused of murder. He searches for a contact with the real world, a person with knowledge of both, who will hopefully save him. This is an overly-familiar science fiction plot, although Fassbinder may have been the first to examine it in such detail, as this runs over 3 hours.  It explores some interesting concepts, including a discussion of Platonic philosophy, and a final scene which raises all kinds of religious questions. However, it tends to be talky and over plotted, with the usual array of Fassbinder-ian supporting characters: women (and men) in heavy make-up who could easily pass as female impersonators, absurdly muscular men with no shirts, cabaret singers, etc, which become tiresome and seem misplaced in the futuristic setting.

Remorques (1941)

Films Sonores Tobis (France)
Directed by Jean Gremillon
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

Jean Gabin is a captain that rescues boats in distress in the stormy waters off the coast of France. He takes aboard the lovely Michele Morgan during one his trips, and the two have a brief affair. Meanwhile at home, his bored wife of ten years begins having doubts about their relationship. She also has a serious illness, though no one but her doctor believes her. The plot lines converge in a melodramatic ending. The "stormy waters" symbolism (also the English title of the film) is a bit too obvious and the religious quotes a bit overbearing in the final minutes. Still, the acting is good as are the French seaside locations, although the miniature models for the sea rescue scenes are not very convincing.

El Norte (1983)

Cinecom Pictures
Directed by Gregory Nava
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

A Guatemalan family is broken up when their father is killed by the military and other family members arrested. A brother and sister manage to escape, but must leave the country or also risk arrest. They travel north through Mexico to the American border, where they search for a "coyote" to help them across. After one failed attempt, they make it by crawling through a sewer pipe. In LA, they find menial jobs in a factory and restaurant. Over time and hard work, they scrape out a decent living, earning promotions and even learning English in night classes. However, the ever present danger of arrest and deportment hovers over their lives. A key scene in a hospital is clumsily acted and lacked its intended emotional impact, perhaps due to the inexperience of the young actors. An occasionally haunting work, but also a somewhat predictable three-act story.

Rembrandt (1936)

United Artists
Directed by Alexander Korda
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

The sad life of Rembrandt van Rijn as portrayed by Charles Laughton. Unwilling to portray the Dutch nobility in a flattering light in his portraits, he is unable to pay his debts and is relentlessly pursued by creditors. After the death of his first wife, he starts a relationship with his overbearing maid, played by Gertrude Stein. They lose their house and belongings to bankruptcy, even his paintings are no longer his own, since they must be handed over to pay off debt as soon as they are finished. He eventually finds a little bit of happiness in his later years with a peasant girl half his age, though she too meets an untimely death. Laughton is a bit much in a role that probably should have been played with subtlety and affection, as a result his Rembrandt can be aloof and slightly eccentric, but then again perhaps that was the intention.

The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp (1943)

General Film Distributors (UK)
Directed by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

This is really the story of two life-long friends who fought on opposite sides of early 20th century wars between Britain and Germany. Their first meeting is at a duel in Berlin, where the young British officer Candy (Roger Livesey) insults the German military and must face the consequences by facing German soldier Anton Walbrook, chosen at random to represent his country. They both survive the duel, and in the hospital recovering from their wounds become friends. They fall in love with the same woman, Deborah Kerr, though Candy doesn't realize it until too late. Time passes and the two countries find themselves at war in WWI. Candy marries a girl who looks like his first love, also played by Kerr, in a somewhat gimmicky role. He meets up with his old German friend, now a prisoner of war, who at first shuns him. Later they make up and reminisce about old times. In the final segment, they play two old men whose countries are at war once again in WWII. Kerr gets a third role, a young driver of the respected General. It's all very British, a little talky and episodic, but succeeds in recreating a feel for what it must have been like to live through a turbulent period in Europe's history.

The King of Marvin Gardens (1972)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Bob Rafelson
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Jack Nicholson is a DJ on a late night talk show who philosophizes about life, mostly his own. He takes a train to visit his brother (Bruce Dern) in Atlantic City who supposedly has a "deal" that will set them up for life. They mingle about the city in increasingly surreal situations reflecting their own inner states of mind. The "deal" turns out to be just another hair-brained idea that doesn't pan out. His brother is facing a court trial over a stolen vehicle. It all comes unraveled during a violent ending in a hotel room. Another impressionistic mood piece from BBS Productions, with a vague plot, selfish characters and a general layer of malaise making it nearly impenetrable. However, it is nicely shot on Atlantic City locations which have long since disappeared.

The Last Picture Show (1971)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Peter Bogdanovich
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Cynical look at the empty lives of the sex-obsessed residents of a small Texas town. At the local high school, seniors just want to get laid, with beauty Cybill Shepherd getting the most attention. Unfortunately her choice of lovers can't finish what they start, so she loses her virginity to her mother's lover one night in the pool hall. The older folks in town aren't much different, in fact many of them are having sex with the high schoolers. The succession of sex scenes becomes almost comical, how many times do you have to show Cybill being seduced to make a point? Filmed somewhat pretentiously in black and white, which fails to hide a plot that is essentially nothing more than high school melodrama. It is almost saved by some fine performances from the older members of the ensemble, notably Cloris Leachman, Ellen Burstyn and Eileen Brennan, putting their younger counterparts to shame.

A Safe Place (1971)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Henry Jaglom
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Lost girl Tuesday Weld allows herself to be picked up by sweet boy Phil Proctor. They wander around NYC, visiting the park and the zoo, and hang out in her apartment with her similarly disaffected friends. She is haunted by memories of her father, Orson Welles, who makes witty remarks and does magic tricks. Eventually, her old lover Jack Nicholson shows up and spoils things. At one point Proctor describes Weld as, "pretty and sad and weird as hell", which more or less sums up my feelings about the film in general. It has no plot to speak of, only a series of impressions and impromptu dialogue that goes nowhere. The vague, downbeat ending doesn't help.

Drive, He Said (1971)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Jack Nicholson
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Inauspicious directorial debut for Nicholson, who fails to reign in his tendencies to wander, leading to an unfocused, unsatisfying film. He indulges in his well-known love for basketball by setting the story on a college campus where a young basketball star has trouble being a team player and clashes with his head coach. Off the court, he has a sexual relationship with the wife of a faculty member, leading to more problems. The other main character is just as unlikeable: a drug-crazed student revolutionary. He avoids the draft with his antics, but it also destroys his life. The final scenes are as unpleasant as they are ludicrous: he attempts to rape Karen Black, then runs across campus naked ending up in the biology lab where he sets free various snakes, rats and bugs, still buck naked. Ironically, the success of Easy Rider opened the door for mainstream failures such as this film.

The Private Life of Don Juan (1934)

United Artists
Directed by Alexander Korda
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

Douglas Fairbanks, in his last role, basically plays himself: an aging man struggling to cope with the decline of his popularity with women. After a younger "Don Juan" is killed in a duel with a jealous husband, the real Don Juan takes advantage of the mistaken identity to start a new life out of the public eye. However, after awhile he gets bored with all of the eating and sleeping and heads back to Seville. He makes his grand appearance at a play about his own life, but no one believes such and old man could be Don Juan, no one but his wife. It's all in good fun and impossible to take seriously, but nonetheless entertaining to watch Fairbanks have such a good time at his own expense.

Five Easy Pieces (1970)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Bob Rafelson
My rating: 4 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Jack Nicholson is a trained pianist from a cultured background who chucks it all to work in the California oil fields while living with girlfriend Karen Black. He despises everyone around him, including Black, but doesn't have the courage to do anything about it. Instead, he drinks, has affairs and tries to hide his boredom. While visiting his sister in LA, he learns about his dying father and takes a road trip to an isolated island where he lives with family members. The trip provides the opportunity for some comedy, including the famous chicken salad sandwich routine and hilarious remarks on the nature of man by Helena Kallianiotes. At their destination, he's just as bored in the cultured atmosphere, and soon seeks out his brother's wife for an affair. It ends badly of course, and things get even worse when Karen shows up. Nicholson has several outbursts and always seems one step away from erupting into violence. He finally reveals his true feelings to his father, who is debilitated by a stroke and cannot understand or respond. The final scene is one of the best in all of American cinema.

Catherine the Great (1934)

United Artists
Directed by Paul Czinner
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

A diminutive German princess (Elisabeth Bergner) marries a tempestuous Russian prince (Douglas Fairbanks, Jr.). She is in love with him but his paranoia refuses to let him return it. Years pass and they grow further apart, eventually each plotting to overthrow the other. It plays out more like a spat between unhappy lovers than a power struggle for the throne of Russia. Any pretense of historical drama is more an accident of the palace setting and lavish costumes than the plot. Bergner's thick German accent may be appropriate for her character, but it can be difficult to understand her at times. Fairbanks' outbursts are hilariously juvenile, but perhaps they too are fitting of his character.

The White Angel (1955)

Titanus (Italy)
Directed by Raffaello Matarazzo
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

This sequel picks up the plot right where 1951's Nobody's Children left off. Guido (Amadeo Nazzari) is heartbroken after the death of his child. His rock quarry business begins to decline due to his neglect. His home life falls apart and he asks his wife for a divorce and custody of their only child. His desperate wife kidnaps the child and tries to escape by speed boat, leading to tragedy. Guido falls even deeper into depression, when he meets by chance a traveling actress who happens to look just like his love from the first movie (played by the same actress, Yvonne Sanson). Lucia, if you remember, became a nun and is thus unobtainable, so he substitutes the actress for her. However, this girl is no nun and ends up in prison for counterfeiting. The plot takes a left turn into WIP territory, and she brawls with another inmate. Near death, and pregnant, she asks for her lookalike nun to take care of the baby. She marries the father in a prison ceremony, during which some of the women stage a jail break, using the newborn baby as a hostage. The nun comes to the rescue just in the nick of time. Whew! It may be melodramatic, but it's never boring.

Nobody's Children (1951)

Titanus (Italy)
Directed by Raffaello Matarazzo
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

The wealthy owner of a rock quarry operation has his romance with the daughter of a security guard thwarted by his overbearing mother. She bribes the quarry's loathsome foreman to carry out her schemes, including stealing the couple's baby and burning down her house. After her father dies, the girl is sexually attacked by the foreman and then evicted. On the verge of a nervous breakdown, she joins a convent. Meanwhile, her boyfriend uncovers the truth about his mother, but is unable to locate the girl or their child. Years pass, the girl, now a nun, returns to the town where she once again has to confront the past. Somehow, it all unravels as a long, drawn out death bed scene full of tears and appeals to God.

Tormento (1950)

Titanus (Italy)
Directed by Raffaello Matarazzo
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

Poor Yvonne Sanson lives unhappily with her ruthless stepmother and oblivious elderly father. When her boyfriend brings her home late one night, the stepmother accuses them of the worst, so they run off together with plans to get married. When he goes to his "business partner" to get an advance, they have a falling out. When the partner turns up dead he is falsely accused of murder and sentenced to 20 years. His wife, and now young child, are left to fend for themselves. She goes from one menial labor job to another, but cannot support herself and goes begging to the evil stepmother for help. In exchange for taking care of her child she goes to a "home for wayward women" to live with strict nuns and troubled young girls. The strain of being away from her child drives her to the brink of insanity, but don't worry there is a happy ending. This melodrama from Matarazzo teeters uncomfortably on the edge of absurdity.

Chains (1949)

Titanus (Italy)
Directed by Raffaello Matarazzo
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

A happily married Italian couple have their lives turned upside down when her ex-fiance shows up and tries to force her to rekindle their relationship. He resorts to blackmail to get his way, eventually leading to a confrontation with the husband and tragedy. A sensational trial follows, but there is also a reconciliation and a happy ending. This Italian film is actually closer to manufactured Hollywood dramatics than the usual artistic bent of Italian cinema, but it is nonetheless entertaining escapism, which is exactly what the Italian public needed as WWII was winding down.

Quadrille (1938)

Films Dispa (France)
Directed by Sacha Guitry
My rating: 1.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

Guitry is once again the center of attention of all the young, beautiful ladies of Paris. A visiting American matinee idol seduces his girlfriend, causing him to consider leaving her. After an attempted suicide, her best friend suggests that they get married instead. He agrees, but only if she (the friend) becomes his lover on the wedding day. Guitry's double standard is appalling to watch: he berates his girlfriend for her affair, barely keeping himself from hitting her, all the while plotting his next conquest. As with all of Guitry's films, it's dialogue driven and tedious to sit through, only the presence of Jacqueline Delubac makes it bearable, but when you realize she is Guitry's wife in real life, even that loses its appeal.

Désiré (1937)

Films Sonores Tobis (France)
Directed by Sacha Guitry
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

Sacha Guitry writes himself another juicy role, this time as a butler that all of the women in the house find irresistible. He is hired by the beautiful Jacqueline Delubac, or rather talks himself into being hired, after a questionable reference from his former employer who implicated him in a love affair (of course!). He has to promise to keep his hands off her, but is overheard speaking her name in the night while having "erotic dreams". This leads to many problems, especially when she starts having the same dreams. He finally professes his love for her in a long-winded speech and promptly quits. There is one funny scene, mostly unrelated to the rest of the film, with an old deaf woman at a dinner table, but otherwise this is just another insufferable vanity piece for Guitry.

Easy Rider (1969)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Dennis Hopper
My rating: 4 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Peter Fonda and Dennis Hopper are long-haired hippies who complete a drug deal for a large sum of cash and then travel across the desert southwest to New Orleans for Mardi Gras. Along the way, they encounter discrimination based on their appearance and lifestyle. A prophetic statement comes from Jack Nicholson, an alcoholic lawyer they meet in jail along the way and who tags along, when he says one night in front of the camp fire: "don't ever tell anybody that they're not free, 'cause then they're gonna get real busy killin' and maimin' to prove to you that they are". It's the definitive cinematic treatment of the late 60s counterculture, moodily photographed by Laszlo Kovacs and set to a soundtrack by The Byrds, Steppenwolf and others.

The Pearls of the Crown (1937)

Films Sonores Tobis (France)
Directed by Sacha Guitry
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

Unexceptional telling of the history behind the pearls on the crown of England. Most of the film is narrated from the present day in flashback, as three heads of state, from England, France and Italy, manipulate family marriages, have numerous affairs and resort to murder to advance their own selfish desires. The pearls frequently exchange hands during all of this, eventually some end up on the crown but three are stolen. Back in the present day, three men are determined to track down the three missing pearls, leading to more flashbacks. Characters come and go at a lightning pace throughout, we hardly get to know one of them before another group is introduced. As a result, it's hard to care about any of them. Only the present day characters have any kind of continuity, and they are a wealthy, shallow group, obsessed with finding the pearls for no reason other than to make a movie about it.

Head (1968)

Columbia Pictures
Directed by Bob Rafelson
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

The Monkees wander around a studio lot in a series of irreverent sketches incorporating both their music and established personalities from their TV show. It's not all fun and games though: the Vietnam War is a prominent theme and it uses some disturbing documentary footage. It pokes fun at late 60s culture such as Indian yogis and psychedelic dance parties, while saving its best shots for Hollywood. Victor Mature has a recurring cameo as himself, only much bigger. Frank Zappa instructs them to spend more time on their music while walking his talking cow. I could go on and on, but you get the idea.

The Story of a Cheat (1936)

Films Sonores Tobis (France)
Directed by Sacha Guitry
My rating: 2 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

Sacha Guitry vanity piece in which he narrates the story of his life while writing in a cafe. It's essentially a silent film, the narration covers every little detail including dialogue, and it gets tiresome. It's also episodic, glossing over such details as his war service, but emphasizing, of course, his love life, which includes dozens of women. His change of heart from professional thief in the casinos of Monte Carlo to honest security guard comes across as insincere.

Sawdust and Tinsel (1953)

Sandrew-Baumanfilm (Sweden)
Directed by Ingmar Bergman
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Collection)

The owner and ringmaster of a bankrupt, downtrodden circus visits his ex-wife when it stops in his home town. While away, his girlfriend, who rides a horse in the traveling show, has a sexual encounter with an actor in a local theater troupe. He gets a tearful confession after confronting her later the same day in their caravan, then contemplates suicide. Instead, he takes it out on the sickly circus bear and the show goes on as planned. When the actor shows up for the performance that night it leads to a brawl. There is not a happy character or relationship to be found anywhere in this bleak, disturbing circus show. It starts with a surreal flashback that threatens to overshadow everything that follows. The gun play is unsettling as is the violence shown towards circus animals, although the worst occurs off screen. I wanted to like the film more, and the cinematography by Sven Nykvist is peerless, his first work with Bergman, but my tolerance for violence towards animals is rather low and impeded my enjoyment.

Summer with Monika (1953)

Svensk Filmindustri (Sweden)
Directed by Ingmar Bergman
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

Immature and impulsive teenager Harriet Andersson forces herself on reserved and naive Lars Ekborg. Their tentative relationship becomes serious when she runs away from home and he agrees to put her up in his dad's small boat. After he gets fired from his manual labor job, they take the boat to a remote area and live for the summer with no responsibilities. After a month or two, their need for food drives them to steal from a nearby orchard. She is caught but later escapes, however they have no choice but to return to the dreaded city they left behind. Pregnant, they get married and he goes to school in an attempt to provide them with a future while she sits at home complaining of the lack of money to buy clothes or go out. Soon, she returns to her former lifestyle and has an affair, leading to their break up. It's interesting to compare this to Summer Interlude made only a few years earlier. Here, the boy's romantic idealism is shattered by his wife's adultery, whereas in Summer Interlude the genders are reversed and it is a tragic accident that ends the love affair. It seems Bergman refuses to let young lovers be happy, something always comes along to end it. I don't know the intimate details of Bergman's life, but by the time of this film he was on his third marriage at the age of 35 and would soon embark on a love affair with its star Harriet Andersson.

Summer Interlude (1951)

Svensk Filmindustri (Sweden)
Directed by Ingmar Bergman
My rating: 3 stars out of 4
IMDb
(Blu-ray, Criterion Collection)

A ballerina nearing the end of her career at the ripe old age of 28 looks back at her first love. It takes place during an idyllic summer in the Swedish countryside. Maj-Britt Nilsson and Birger Malmsten are teenagers experiencing their sexual awakening amidst days spent swimming in the lake, walking through meadows and long nights whispering in a remote cottage. He is the brooding type, she is the moody artist type, so they tend to talk a little too much and dwell on depressing subjects. It all ends with an unexpected accident and tragedy. The wraparound story which takes place in the present almost seems like an afterthought, as she struggles to deal with her past heartbreak and how it shapes her relationship with a journalist. However, the summer scenes are magical and pure Bergman.

To Joy (1950)

Svensk Filmindustri (Sweden)
Directed by Ingmar Bergman
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Criterion Eclipse)

The courtship and marriage of two young musicians is chronicled in this early Bergman drama. Stig Olin has an inauspicious debut as a soloist in a Swedish village orchestra. He refuses to recognize his own limitations, even when they are pointed out by the conductor. He impulsively marries another musician in the orchestra, but before long is having an affair with a younger girl who is more suited to his immature temperament. Years pass and the couple have children, while his extramarital affair sours. They contemplate divorce but manage to work it out after some time apart. Bergman hasn't quite put all of the pieces together yet, but it foreshadows many of the themes that he would continue to explore in later films.