the.applied.process.

wit. honesty. everyday ramblings.

Tag: movies

29.03.2011

Mala Noche – Review

Last night, after having a nice home cooked spinach fettuccine with faux meat sauce and a bottle of wine, I headed to bed in a serene buzzed bliss. As usual, I woke up about 5 hours later when the effects of my self induced coma wore off. I laid in bed restless, tossing and turning, wrestling the sheets, and constantly repositioning Nigel. After about 40 minutes of unsuccessfully trying to doze back off, I got up and went on facebook. Nothing exciting happens at 6:30 a.m.

I listened to music on youtube. Heaven’s “Another Night”. Amazing song. Amazing song writer. I googled Matt Skiba (of Alkaline Trio fame), and came across a really good interview in which he was talking about watching Lars Von Trier’s “Antichrist”.

Side note – This is how my brain works: another night – matt skiba – antichrist – netflix – gus van sant’s 1985 directorial debut “mala noche”. Why? makes as much sense to me, as being awake at 6:30 in the morning.

As usual, I went on rotten tomatoes and looked at the reviews for the movie: 94%. Not bad. I streamed it, laid the laptop next to me, and laid in bed watching. I have to admit, it was a strange choice. It is black and white, the shots are hard to follow, and if it wasn’t because I spoke Spanish, there would also be the language factor/subtitles. However, it kept me engaged for a good 45 minutes. Then I passed out. *Disclaimer: it wasn’t Mr. Van Sant’s fault, it was my own body refusing to stay up as the sun comes out*

I woke up at noon and finished watching the film.

I quite liked it. Shot entirely in Portland, where Van Sant lives, it is based on the autobiographical novel of the same name by Oregon based poet Walt Curtis. It tells the story of Walt (Tim Streeter), a gay store attendant, who befriends two illegal Mexican teenageres, Johnny (Doug Cooeyate) and Pepper (Ray Monge), who end up being the object of his lust. Him and his friend Betty (Nyla McCarthy) decide to invite the boys over for dinner. The boys have to leave early to meet up with a friend. During the car ride back Walt tries to pursue Johnny to sleep with him for $15. Johnny refuses, and runs to out to meet his friend. Pepper and Walt are left locked outside, so Pepper ends up spending the night at Walt’s and having sex with him. The rest of the movie delves into the complications of the relationship between Walt, and the boys. Language barriers, difference in age, social status, and race further fuel the complexity of the bonds formed.

The characters are all together likeable and somewhat relatable, as well as quite complex. From the “Mexican  dealing with machismo/homophobia issues, yet I’m having sex with a man for ‘money’ but at the end of the day I like it”, to the “suburban American male dealing with his own issues towards his sexuality and looking for ‘love’ in the wrong places only to end up getting emotionally and physically abused time and time again”, Van Sant explored the many subtle layers each one of them has.  The movie seems quite “real” and Van Sant’s way of shooting it is successful at setting the very odd/dirty mood that makes you want to stop watching, but keeps you glued to the screen.

Overall, the perfect movie to watch whenever insomnia strikes. And if you’re as lucky as I am, that happens rather often. No complaints. Glad to have subject matter to write about.

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07.03.2011

Les Amours Imaginaires – Review

Les Amours Imaginaires (Heartbeats as it is known this side of the border) is the latest endeavor of Quebecois boy wonder Xavier Dolan. It is the story of two friends, Francis (Dolan) and Marie (Monia Chokri), who fall in love for the same blonde next door socialite of ambiguous sexuality, Nicolas, played by Niels Schneider. Without giving much of the film’s plot, as both friends fall deeper and deeper, this infatuation creates a strain on their friendship with each other, as well as their own personal self discovery.

Overall, the film is very entertaining and easy on the eye. I enjoyed it. However, upon post-film scrutiny, I did have a few issues with the way Dolan filmed it, and the tricks he used to make it subconsciously appealing. For example, there were a handful too many slow-mo scenes. I’ll be the first to say it: who doesn’t enjoy a good slow-mo scene with a superb soundtrack on the background? Guilty. But when they are as numerous as they are in this case, I couldn’t help but wonder if maybe Dolan, at his tender age of 22, might be a bit unexperienced to have more tricks up his sleeve.

Another matter that caught my eye (literally) was the color contrast and the intense hues used in anything from the sets to the wardrobe. Again, brilliant when used sparsely, which he failed to do. It reminded me of A Single Man, by freshman director Tom Ford, who also might’ve indulged himself a bit much in doing so. The technique works. And it works best when edited properly.

Props go to Monia Chokri, who is unbelievably attractive despite her “sad girl hopelessly looking for love and validation from men” demeanor. She looks ravishingly sexy in her 1960’s vintage outfits, makeup, and hair, and her je ne sais quoi attitude.  She manges to outshine both her costars. A complete standout.

The soundtrack itself was beautifully curated. From the trailer track Bang Bang by Dalida, to the upbeat Belgian party tune Exactement by Vive La Fête, to the hauntingly exquisite sounds of Fever Ray’s Keep the Streets Empty for me, it stands out on its own as well as compliments each scene entirely.

The film definitely deserves praise, as it has already received it, but not with a blind eye. Dolan is young, and there is no doubt he has talent. Talent that will surely get fine tuned with experience and time. I’ve yet to watch his directorial debut J’ai tué ma mère, which has also been highly celebrated, and thanks to Heartbeats I’m intrigued. I will definitely be adding it to my netflix cue (when it becomes available).

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