Film reviews

As I said yesterday, I have two films to review. I'll go in chronological order.

"Ninotchka" (Ernst Lubitsch, 1939) [U.S.A.]

This was the third of our Lubitsch films on the syllabus this semester, the first two being "Trouble In Paradise" and "The Merry Widow". Ninotchka stars Gretta Garbo in a somewhat unusual role, admist her usual performances of stern woman. Some, in fact, would dare to call her a man.

Anyway, the film's plot revolves around the crown jewels of Russia, and three Russian delegates arguing over the jewels' rightful owner - A rich countess, or the people of Russia. The Gretta Garbo character, Ninotchka, arrives in Paris with the delegates to settle the jewel issue. The countess's representative, Leon, falls in love with her, etc, and tries to break her tough exterior. She laughs, they kiss, etc. All is well.

I have to admit, this was my favourite of the Lubitsch films we've viewed so far. In the first two films, the jokes seemed to come...not forcibly, but sparingly. They seemed to work themselves into the conversation, whereas the jokes in this film seemed to come more naturally and just worked.

Gretta Garbo was great, except her transition to light and fluffy was VERY sudden, and somewhat unexpected. She looked quite uncomfortable after the end of the first act, and I must say, I preffered her when she was grumpy.

In terms of technical specifications, I adored Lubitsch's continued use of close-ups in this picture. They created an intimate atmosphere for a 'light' romantic comedy, a feeling one doesn't seem to harbour after watching a picture like 'Hitch' or 'You've Got Mail'.

Acting was fine, many solid performances.

The last joke was just lame. Lubitsch...what happened there?

I know this isn't a decent review, but I honestly want to move on to my next one.

I think "Ninotchka" earns 4 out of 5 stars. I took one off for some jokes that didn't work, the focedness of Garbo's character in the second and third acts,

(Additionally, the transition between the ideals of socialism and capitalism worked very well, and the characters' relationships reinforced this motif. Another jewel in the crown for Lubitsch).

Now, on to...

"Brick" (Rian Johnson, 2005) [U.S.A.]

I saw the trailer for this film quite a few months ago, and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind. The stark cinematography, the moody trumpet tunes and those haunting, absolutely spine-tingling handbells still ring through my ears. Unfortunately, it has taken over a year for the film to be released in Australia, and only on a limited screening bill. But no matter, I managed to see it today at the Kino Dendy on Collins Street. I even scored a poster of the film for my troubles ;)

"Brick" takes place in present-day southern California. Brendon, a street-wise loner, recieves a call from his ex-girlfriend Emily. She's in trouble, she says. Or, more specifically, "I didn't know the brick was bad, and now the pin's on it". Concerned for Emily, Brendon investigates, only to find her dead two days later. And thus starts the film, in which Brendon encounters the shady underworld of a Californian high school.

A lot has been said about the language the characters in this film use. Language that is taken straight from the 40s and stuck in a modern day setting. While this may alienate some viewers, I found it fascinating, and although it takes five minutes or so to get used to, thrillingly engaging. It gives the story a sense of outer-worldness, and Johnson succeeds in placing the viewer in a world they know absolutely nothing about. This is a priceless tool for a director, because when he puts you in a world you know nothing about, he can do absolutely whatever he wants to you, and you just have to trust him.

That said, this is a solid debut from Johnson. Fresh out of film school, you could be forgiven for predicting a film of this type - a noir, with kids speaking the language of Bergman and Boghart, set in present day - would crash and fall. But it does the exact opposite, and exceeded the already high expectations I had for the film. The acting is great, with the exception of a few forced lines now and then. However, I imagine this comes from reading a script of this type.

The darkness of the film, typical of a noir, attracted me greatly. Each shot is filmed like a panel in a comic book or graphic novel...it gives the story an edge that most thrillers...for lack of a better word, don't have today.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who I last saw in "10 Things I Hate About You" seemed focus and always on top of his game. His character, a street-savvy loner, exuded so much confidence and boldness I was actually frightened of him at times. He has amazing energy in his eyes. Great things to come from him in the future.

I thought the soundtrack was excellent, with the lonely trumpet giving that homage to "The Maltese Falcon". The handbells were particularly chilling, and I think, a very good choice.

That said, there were a couple of problems. As with many films, the second half of the second act seemed to drag for about 15 minutes. I don't know the scenes specifically, but I do remember thinking some scenes or shots could have been cut to avoid this.

There are a few other little things, like line delivery, but really, I'm just picking up semantics. It's so hard to find faults in this film.

In short, I loved this film. Taking a dead genre, the film noir, and sticking it in a high school absolutely worked. It might not have, it took some effort, but it worked. It just exuded darkness and reminded me of films like "The Third Man", "The Maltese Falcon" and "Double Indemnity". In fact, "Brick" could sit along those films with great ease.

4 1/2 out of 5.

That's it from me for today.