#92: The Cat’s Meow (2001) August 23, 2007
Posted by badblokebob in : Drama, 2000s, adaptations, 3 stars, true stories, Mystery, films about films, 2007 , add a comment2001 | Peter Bogdanovich | 109 mins | DVD | 12 / PG-13
Possibly-true ‘murder mystery’ set in 1920s Hollywood. As with the similar Gosford Park, the point lies less in plot and more in characterisation — there are some good performances, especially from Eddie Izzard, Joanna Lumley and Edward Herrmann, though Kirsten Dunst seems a bit flat in comparison. The era’s style suits her though, and the whole period is beautifully evoked; for my money the prettiest scenes are the black & white bookends.
Sadly the similarity to Gosford Park is the film’s main shortcoming: once realised, it’s clear that Cat’s Meow doesn’t have the same subtle complexity in its story or performances. In its own right, though, there’s much to like.
#64: Ringers: Lord of the Fans (2005) July 16, 2007
Posted by badblokebob in : Documentary, Fantasy, 2000s, 3 stars, films about films, 2007 , add a comment2005 | Carlene Cordova | 93 mins | DVD | 12 / PG-13
Made by the people behind the large Lord of the Rings fansite TheOneRing.net, you’d expect this documentary to focus itself on Lord of the Rings fandom. To a degree it does, but it also encompasses a history of the books and their popularity, as well as various thematic issues contained within them, and also takes in the various adaptations (though, criminally, doesn’t even mention the BBC radio version). It’s a bit unfocussed, sometimes coming across as a selection of featurettes strung together with occasionally random linking interviews. There’s stuff of interest in here, but certainly not to everyone — only fans need apply.
#46: Breathless (1960) May 8, 2007
Posted by badblokebob in : Drama, Thriller, Romance, 4 stars, 1960s, world cinema, films about films, 2007 , add a comment1960 | Jean-Luc Godard | 90 mins | download | PG
Or A Bout de Souffle, Godard’s first and most famous film; part of the beginning of the Nouvelle Vague, a French movement defining a particular youth culture at the time. OK, loose history lesson over. This is definitely what most people would call an ‘arthouse’ film, though is decidedly less so than the one other Godard film I’ve seen (1959’s Vivre Sa Vie, which goes by various translated titles); this might be down to it drawing inspiration from American movies, most obviously those starring Humphrey Bogart. Undoubtedly not for everyone, but an obvious must for anyone with an interest in art / international cinema.
#5: A Cock and Bull Story (2005) February 28, 2007
Posted by badblokebob in : Comedy, 2000s, adaptations, 3 stars, British films, films about films, 2007 , add a comment2005 | Michael Winterbottom | 90 mins | DVD | 15 / R
I forget which British paper described this as “the best film ever, ever, ever”. It may’ve been The Guardian. They’re not right, of course, but it has its moments — most of them courtesy of the excellent Rob Brydon, who far outshines Steve Coogan. It’s worth watching for the former alone.
#4: Boogie Nights (1997)
Posted by badblokebob in : Drama, Paul Thomas Anderson, 4 stars, 1990s, films about films, 2007 , add a comment1997 | Paul Thomas Anderson | 150 mins | DVD | 18 / R
I loved Magnolia. I thought Punch-Drunk Love was dire. And this is how I come to Boogie Nights. I didn’t fall for it in the same way I did for Magnolia, but it is nonetheless a very good film that shows a step on the path to that more complex and more rewarding picture. One I may get a better feel for when I see it again some day.