Orange County (USA 2002)

Mr. Burke: Now, when I say "Romeo and Juliet", who comes to mind?
Dana: Claire Danes?
Mr. Burke: That's right, Claire Danes. Who else?
Chad: Leonardo DiCaprio.
Mr. Burke: Right. Who else? ...well, you know someone else was involved in that movie who in some ways is as famous as Leonardo Di Caprio. And his name is William Shakespeare. And some great movies have been made based on his plays: Hamlet, West Side Story, The Talented Mr. Ripley, Waterworld, Gladiator, Chocolat...

This dialogue from the 2002 comedy "Orange County" between an English literature teacher (!) and a student makes me laugh everytime I hear it. But I don't just like the movie because its entertainment value but primarily because it brilliant captures the love-hate relationship a lot of people have with their home town. As referenced in the film, this conflict is actually the source of many great works of literature and film. Well, "Orange County" may not qualify as a great work but it certainly shows that Mike White, the film's screenwriter, knows this strange place...

If you have never been to Orange County or watched any of the TV shows that made the region famous, you might not quite get all of the jokes but after visiting it occasionally while I was living in Los Angeles, I can honestly tell you, the reality is not far off. Having grown up far away from any beaches in an area with a lot of rain and fog, the place has always fascinated me despite, or maybe because of, the perfect weather, the wealth, the superficiality and the apparent lack of any sophisticated culture. It really is a place where a Hollywood movie is treated with more respect than a piece of renowned literature. Orange County - at least along the coastline - is where the American leisure class enjoys life in all its sun-soaked splendor seemingly without any real problems. 

For instance, the only "problem" of the main character of "Orange County" is that he didn't get into Stanford University and is therefore unable to leave his hometown and dysfunctional family. Naturally, over the course of only 82 film minutes, he has learned that he can live his dreams regardless which college he goes to. But this simple message is presented in such a charming way that many of us can relate to it. After all, many of us have (had) dreams like that, many of us have this special relationship with our home town and many leave it only to learn to appreciate what they had in the first place...

This identification with the hero is also the reason why so many people - even "serious" film lovers like myself - respond to films like that. They take us to another world but their characters are familliar. Plus, they teach us things that we instinctively know already. "Orange County" is a good example what a good comedy should be: fun but not stupid, with likeable characters and that message that we all grasp for deep down inside...

7/10

Life's a beach in "Orange County"

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (USA 2008)

I wasn't very curious about David Fincher's "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" when it came out in theatres in 2008 but now I finally watched it - the two main reasons being my admiration for David Fincher's latest film "The Social Network" and the inclusion of the film in the Criterion Collection. Usually this means that a film is something special and worth seeing.

And something special it definitely it even if that something is not enough to make it a great film. The film is quite an achievement from a technical point of view and especially the rejuvenation process of Brad Pitt is so remarkably well done that it is almost scary. But the lack of adequate technology was not the only reason that Fitzgerald's short story was long called "unfilmable". It is a story that works much better in your own head. Translated on screen, the story of a character growing younger somehow feels a little ridiculous despite the near-perfect illusion. It is hard to be really emotionally attached to a character that is so far from reality.

That said, the film does touch some serious issues about aging and the fact that we must ultimately lose everyone we love. But that could have been told on a much smaller scale and in a shorter running time as well. The result of screenwriter Eric Roth's idea of making an epic out of a short story remains exactly that: an artificially inflated romantic drama that suggests way more meaning that it actually contains...

6/10

Finally coming together: Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett

A Hard Day's Night (UK 1964)

Why have "The Beatles" become as popular as they did? Was it because their music was so much better than all the other bands at that time? I seriously doubt it. Sure, they are responsible for a great number of catchy pop songs but their huge success is probably due to other factors. Their style and haircuts may have been a part of it but what set them apart and made them irresistable for anyone but the most jaded cynics was above all their passion and joy for life.

And this innocent joy for life truly comes alive in their first film "A Hard Day's Night" from 1964. It tells nothing more than a day in the life of the band but what could have become quite ordinary in someone else's hands is here done with refreshing wit and style by director Richard Lester. The film was way ahead of its time with its fast cuts and inventive camerawork that is now commonplace in music videos. The semi-realistic "mockumentary" approach also works pretty well in the sense that you never really now what's real and what's invented.

What was definitely not invented were the personalities and hilarious one-liners of the Fab Four. Just watching John, Paul, George and Ringo at "work" while listening to some of their best songs is such an immense pleasure that you would wish that the show would last longer than 84 minutes. The vital point of the film from a today's point of view is that it is a reminder that the good times must be enjoyed as much as possible because they usually don't last forever.

I would like to finish off with a quotation from Roger Ebert's review. I don't usually steal from famous critics but in this case I don't think I could express it any better: "The Beatles would go through a long summer, a disillusioned fall, a tragic winter. But, oh, what a lovely springtime. And it's all in a movie."

8/10

We have joy, we have fun, we have seasons in the sun

There Will Be Blood (USA 2007)

Usually when a film gets rave reviews like "There Will Be Blood" did when it came out in 2007, I want to watch the film in question immediately. But I somehow never felt the urge to see "There Will Be Blood". Even now when a friend of mine finally borrowed it to me the Blu-Ray, I waited for over two weeks to watch it. And now after finally getting on to it I didn't really "like" the film in a conventional sense. I somehow expected that because it is a primarily negative film and films like that just don't correspond to my positive view of the world.

But that doesn't mean that I don't admire its greatness. In fact, there are probably not many better (made) films than "There Will Be Blood" in the past decade. It is such an immense accomplishment for the still young director Paul Thomas Anderson that some critics even compared it to the holy grail of film history, "Citizen Kane". This goes too far in my opinion but there are definitely parallels. Like "Kane" the film didn't even win the Oscar for "Best Picture" but this is not surprising after all since the film openly criticizes the very ground on which the American dream was built: capitalism. Daniel Plainview's obsessive need to succeed is indeed similar to the one Charles Foster Kane shows. And the cinematography is equally great even if the spectacular cinemascope vistas of "Blood" couldn't be more different to the striking black and white images in "Kane".

"There Will Be Blood" is also the one man show of Daniel Day Lewis. He dominates every scene with a great performance and makes his character fascinating even if he is not sympathethic. The lack of any real "good" characters - as Robert McKee like as that may sound - and the prevailing depressing atmosphere may be the major "flaw" of the film and the reason the film didn't find the audience it deserved. The intimate ending doesn't quite live up to the strong first two acts either.

Released in the time of America's oil and just before the financial crisis war the film can of course also be read on a wider scope both it still works best on an individual level: as proof that there are always some people willing to ruthlessly sacrifice everything else for their own success.

9/10

Greed is bad: Daniel Day Lewis in "There Will Be Blood"

Caché (France 2005)

In his legendary 1954 essay "Une certain tendence du cinéma francais", Francois Truffaut posed the question "What then is the value of an anti-bourgeois cinema made by the bourgeois for the bourgeois?"

While European art cinema in general and the cinema of Michael Haneke in particular could be seen as a potential target for it, it might also finally provide the answer: it should make them uncomfortable.

Never more so than his subtly brilliant 2005 film "Caché" where the ordinary life of a quintessentially bourgeois couple is disrupted by puzzling, anonymously sent video tapes that show the street and building they live in. This is the set-up of a thriller but even if Haneke employs some tricks to increase the tension, the unfolding events are far from the conventions of the genre. It is a complex film about individual guilt and the way we deal with it in our daily lives. It is also about the small lies and misconducts that may lead to something big and terrible

When I initally saw "Caché" in cinemas I thought it was good but only after the second viewing at home I realized how great it was. Partly this may be due to the fact that is actually a film that works better in your own home than in public. But as with many other great films by extraordinary directors, you can discover something new every time you see it. Haneke is a master of reduction: every scene, every object and every dialogue in his films is worth paying attention to because it might mean something. Nothing is included in his films that does not serve any purpose. He won the Palme D'Or in 2009 for his masterpiece "Das weisse Band" but "Cache" would have been an equally deserving winner.

Viewers familiar with his films will not be troubled by the fact that the film offers no resolution and does not provide any answers. As Haneke often said in interviews, he does this on purpose so that the viewer can not easily forget about the film and is forced to think for himself. And after "Cache" he may discover some inconvenient truths about himself that where previously hidden...

9/10

"Caché": The discreet lies of the bourgeoisie

Wer wenn nicht wir (Germany 2011)

Since German is my native language, reviews to German language films are in German.

Schon wieder ein Film über die RAF? Muss das wirklich sein? Das mag sich wohl so mancher kritischer Betrachter denken, wird doch mit jeder stilisierten filmischen Umsetzung die Gefahr einer Idealisierung der Terroristen größer – noch dazu wenn Andreas Baader von einem sympathischen Schönling wie Alexander Fehling verkörpert wird. Ein seltsamer Zufall ist auch dass der Film gerade jetzt ins Kino kommt kurz nachdem der weltweit meistgesuchteste Terrorist getötet wurde.

Erfrischenderweise konzentriert sich Regisseur Andreas Veiel – der sich bereits in seinem preisgekrönten Dokumentarfilm „Black Box BRD“ dem Thema genähert hat – in seinem Spielfilmdebüt aber auf die jungen Jahre der RAF. Der Film endet quasi dort wo Bernd Eichinger’s Großproduktion „Der Baader Meinhof Komplex“ aus dem Jahr 2008 erst so richtig beginnt. Im Mittelpunkt des Films steht die Liebesbeziehung zwischen Bernhard Wesper und Gudrun Ensslin die sich Anfang der 60er Jahre in Tübingen kennen und lieben gelernt haben. Veiel verknüpft dabei die Geschichte der beiden zunehmend mit Archivmaterial aus der Zeit was die hohe Authentizität des Films weiter erhöht. Dies ist jedoch der Grund warum der Film auf der emotionalen Ebene nicht wirklich funktioniert denn dieser ehrenwerte dokumentarische Realismus geht auf Kosten der Dramaturgie. Die den Kern des Film bildende Liebesbeziehung kommt nie richtig in Fahrt und spätestens mit dem erstmaligen Auftauchen von Andreas Baader - zugunstem dem Ensslin Wesper verlässt – ist die Spannung draußen. Die Darsteller können jedenfalls überzeugen: August Diehl beweist erneut dass er einer der talentiertesten Schauspieler seiner Generation ist und Lena Lauzemis wurde für ihre Darstellung der Gudrun Ensslin zurecht auf der Berlinale bejubelt. Auch die Nebenrollen sind überwiegend gut besetzt.

Gegen Ende des Films, als die historisch bedeutenden Ereignisse wie das Attentat auf Rudi Duschke und die Brandstiftung des Kaufhauses in Frankfurt passieren, wendet sich der Film zunehmend dem privaten Drama von Bernhard Wesper zu. Somit ist „Wer wenn nicht wir“ streng genommen gar kein Film über die RAF – das Politische bildet nur den Hintergrund – sondern über die zerstörerische Kraft der Liebe die einen jungen Mann bis zum Tod treiben kann...

7/10

Zeit der Unschuld: Lena Lauzemis und August Diehl

Les regrets (France 2009)

In his latest film "Les regrets", French director Cedric Kahn explores subjects familiar from his previous films. As in the Moravia adaptation "L'ennui" and his 2004 film about a serial kiler, "Roberto Succo", it is about an obsessive love affair that seems to destroy the couple more than it makes them happy.

The couple here is played by veteran actors Yvan Attal and Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi. Attal gives a more subtle performance than usual while Bruni-Tedeschi sticks to the fragile yet sensual woman she often portrays. It is certainly not the fault of these classy actors that the passion of their relationship never truly comes alive on screen. The direction of Cedric Kahn lacks any inventions and the story itself does not break any new ground either.

The main reason why I myself did not regret to see the film was the music by Philipp Glass. At 74, the great composer is still at the top of his game. His score manages to drag you in even if the film fails to do so...

6/10

Crazy in love: Yvan Attal and Valeria Bruni-Tedeschi

The Hills Have Eyes (USA 1977)

After the enjoyable but ultimately disappointing forth installment of the "Scream" franchise, I decided to watch one of Wes Craven's classic horror films: the 1977 shocker "The Hills Have Eyes".

Compared to Alexandre Aja's 2006 over-the-top 2006 remake, it is not that shocking anymore and feels a little outdated but it is still a good showcase for Wes Craven's talent. The film revisits territory familiar from previous 70s films like "Deliverance" and "Texas Chainsaw Massacre". From the very first scene where a suburban family stops at a run-down gas station in the middle of nowhere, you can tell that this road trip is not going to end well.

But as in most other horror films that's not really the point because the "how" is actually more important than the "what". And Wes Craven does it pretty well by slowly building an atmosphere of quiet desperation and employing some inventive ideas. Craven doesn't totally forget about the "why" either because the film - much like his notorious debut "The Last House on the Left" - is ultimately about the dark side we all have inside of us. It is usually hidden beneath the rules of the civilized world but under extraordinary circumstances, it might come out sooner or later...

7/10

Someone's watching: Wes Craven's "The Hills Have Eyes"

Out of Sight (USA 1998)

"All you need for a movie is a girl and a gun."
Jean Luc Godard

Well, yes, but it helps if you also have George Clooney...

The actor - more known these days as "Mr. Nespresso" - celebrated his 50th birthday yesterday which is why I re-watched some of his films. He is one of my favourite Hollywood stars because he is the last one who still exudes class and that old-school charm that seems to be a rarity today. The comparison with Cary Grant is not that far off even though he has not made as many great films. For me, he is also an inspiring person because of the way he presents himself and engages politically while at the same time having fun and enjoying the good life.

One of his best roles is the one as bank robber Jack Foley in the Elmore Leonard adaptation "Out of Sight". The film was - like the later "Ocean's" trilogy which it somehow resembles - directed by his friend and production partner Steven Soderbergh. Enhanced by a smooth jazzy soundtrack, it is one of those cool 90's films that are as slick and enjoyable as they are shallow. But it is an ideal choice if you just want to kick back and relax on your sofa. What truly stands out though are the few scenes Clooney and Jennifer Lopez have together. Even though they would make an unlikely couple in real life, their chemistry in the film is great. Not only are the acting limitations of "JLo" completely concealed, those scenes also have great atmosphere and dialogues, especially in the legendary car trunk scene where everything that is on screen for five minutes, is indeed a girl, a gun... and a charming leading man.

7/10

Close encounter: Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney

Viva l'Italia (Italy 1961)

Not every film of a great director is automatically a masterwork.
And not every historical event makes for good entertainment.

You should be aware of those two facts before watching and expecting too much of Roberto Rossellini's film "Viva l'Italia". The film was shown at a local cinema in my city thanks to the 150 year anniversary of the Italian state. Initially made for the 100 year anniversary in 1961, it tells the story of revolutionary Giuseppe Garibaldi who liberated Italy from the Bourbon monarchy. From a historical point of view, the film is certainly interesting but is is simply not engaging enough to make it appealing for a wider audience.

There are two main reasons for that: first of all, it does not have strong individual characters the audience can relate too. Unlike in most other historical films, the focus is on the whole rather than, let's say, Garibaldi's individual fate. The second reason the film is not very exciting is because Rossellini sticks to the facts and refuses to add any elements that would make the story more dramatic. These intentions may be honorable but a little dramatization wouldn't have hurt the film. The documentarian approach which he also used in his neorealist masterpieces worked much better there because those films had more immediately emotional and intimate stories. It also doesn't go well together with the much bigger budget he had at his disposal for this work which was commissioned by the Italian government.

From a technical point of view, the film is certainly remarkably well made for the time and historians will appreciate the authenticity. It is certainly quality cinema but compared to his earlier films, most cinephiles will probably find it too ordinary.

7/10

Fratelli d'Italia

Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives (Thailand 2010)

If "Uncle Boonmee Who Can Recall His Past Lives" by Thai director Apichatpong Weerasethakul would not have received the world's most prestigous film prize - the Palme D'Or in Cannes - its chances for a theatrical release would have been pretty dim. But as it happened, Tim Burton was jury president in Cannes last year and hence it was no surprise that he gave the award to a film with weird looking, red-eyed black monkeys. These monkeys are now used to market the film to the global audience but most of them - including the distributors - have probably no clue what they're up to. For "Uncle Boonmee" is certainly not a fantasy film but also not really a drama and definitely not a comedy (as listed on imdb)...

So what is it? First and foremost, it's the work of one of he most visionary artists working in the world right now. The man with the difficult name - the correct pronounciation is a-pee-chat-pong weer-rah-set-a-kool - is as highly regarded among serious film circles as he is virtually unknown among mainstream audiences. And his most popular film to date is probably not going to change that. Even I have to admit that I had high expectations that the film didn't really fulfill. But the reason is less that the film was not good but more that I couldn't find any access to its themes. It is the kind of film that for me is quite difficult to review: it is not my cup of tea at all but it is still way too accomplished to be dismissed. What is sure is that the film is unique in the way it blends a rather realistic family drama set in rural Thailand with supernatural elements and themes like reincarnation. Occasionally, if not throughout the whole film, the director creates a haunting atmosphere that somehow drags you in. On the other hand, I'm sceptical whether it's the masterpiece some critics made it out to be - but I might have missed something so make sure to make up your own mind.

"Uncle Boonmee" is not my kind of film but that doesn't matter because even the claim that "Uncle Boonmee" is not a film for everyone would be an understatement. It is a film for quite a few - but for these few it may come close to a miracle.

7/10

Never judge a film by its poster: "Planet of the Apes" this ain't