A Dangerous Method (UK 2011)

"A Dangerous Method" has been called David Cronenberg's most conventional film so far. And indeed, elegant settings, lush cinematography, meticulously designed period costumes and an all-star cast are not what you usually expect from the director of such idiosyncratic films as "Videodrome", "Naked Lunch" and "Crash". But even if it lacks his signature morbid style, "A Dangerous Method" is still very much a Cronenberg film. Only this time, his flair for dark obsessions are firmly hidden beneath a polished surface. However, it does not take long for them to come out in his adaptation of the true story about the relationships between psychoanalysts Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung and their patient, the young Sabina Spielrein who would later herself become one of the first female psychoanalysts.

But nevertheless something is lacking in a film that tries too hard to be perfect - or please the Academy Award voters. It may sound implausible but the Oscar may indeed have been in the mind of both David Cronenberg (who never won one) and producer Jeremy Thomas (whose win for "The Last Emperor" lies back 23 years). Even the trailer for the film looks trimmed for it. And while "A Dangerous Method" is a well-made, intelligent film it never really elevates beyond quality entertainment. Despite all the nice period details, it also never feels truly authentic. Partly this is due to the casting where the major flaw of the film is to be found in the person of Keira Knightley. Starting with her fake Russian accent and her whole appearance, she feels wrong for the role. Especially in the beginning, her interpretation of the character's hysteria is anything but subtle. What's even more problematic is the fact that she should evolve as the strong independent woman by the end of the film who stands up against the two dominant male figures. But comparing her performance to the ones of such fine actors as Michael Fassbender and Viggo Mortensen, it is inevitable that she comes off as the weak link.

"A Dangerous Method" is still a welcome rarity in the territory of mainstream cinema in the sense that it does challenge the audience intellectually. Its tension derives from words, not action. But the words here are not enough to make the film great. As a matter of fact, for a film based on a stage play called "The Talking Cure" about two of the most important psychoanalysts, "A Dangerous Method" has surprisingly little to say...

7/10

(Viennale)

Coffee and cigars

Le gamin au vélo (Belgium 2011)

Among the films in this year's Cannes competition, there were two that shared the spotlight: Terrence Malick's ambitious epic "The Tree of Life" which eventually won the legendary director the Palme d'Or and Lars von Trier's "Melancholia", not least thanks to its controversial press conference.

But there was at least one other film that would have deserved more media attention not for the über-ego of its director but because of the quality of the actual film. And if I would have to choose one film, among all the strong competitors, it would have to be "Le gamin au vélo" by the Dardenne brothers. It is one of their best films so far which almost automatically makes it one of the best films of the year. The reason they "only" won the Grand Prize of the jury in Cannes was probably because they already received the Palme d'Or twice for films similar to this one. But even if there is the feeling that they have made this kind of film before, "Le gamin au vélo" is still a revelation.

A simple tale of a young abandoned child, it is authentic and rough, but also sincere, tender and touching. It is the kind of film that no one makes as good as the Dardennes. The performances are great and even even a big name star like Cécile De France blends seemlessly into the ensemble. I didn't even realize it was her until about 30 minutes into the film. A piano concerto by Beethoven is used occasionally during the film in key moments. Some may find such dramatization - which is somehow atypical for the Dardennes - unnecessary but it worked perfectly for me and even made me cry. Even the Dardennes, however subtly, seem to have their tricks to create emotions...

Le gamin au vélo is a simple yet flawless film. It is the best film about a father, a son and a bicycle since "Bicycle Thieves". In a running time of just 87 minutes, it has everything that cinema needs to have. Nothing more, nothing less.

9/10

(Viennale)

Thomas Doret and Cécile De France in "Le gamin au vélo"

Melancholia (Denmark 2011)

"Melancholy is not negative, it is a positive feeling. It's not about depression. It's a feeling of longing." - Ville Valo

If Lars von Trier's verbal derailments in Cannes would have been part of a publicity campaign, it would have been a brilliant one. A new Lars von Trier film is already an event that the whole film world is awaiting about but now it has become a film that the whole world is talking about. But nevertheless it still proves a difficult film to market since it can not be easily categorized due to its status as an "Arthouse blockbuster" somewhere between "Festen" and "Armageddon".

Kirsten Dunst's character in the film works in advertising and has to come up with a tagline in the course of the film. Which somehow seems ironic since there has rarely been a tagline that better described a film than the one for "Melancholia" which is simply called "a beautiful movie about the end of the world". This absolutely gets to the point because "Melancholia" is - like the word itself - above all beautiful, gorgeous, mesmerizing. Its excessive stylization is a million miles away from the unfiltered purity of the Dogma 95 films. The first part of the film may still recall "Festen" but instead of the shaky handheld video camera we now get gracefully composed shots set to the music of Wagner. No wonder that even Lars von Trier complains that the film has turned out too beautiful. Apparently he didn't control his cinematographer Manuel Alberto Claro enough because of his own depression during the shooting of the film.

But what could be even less expected than the visual feast from a) Lars von Trier and b) a pessimistic film about depression and the apocalypse is how enjoyable the film is in its own kind of way. Which is also the film's main problem because it can not really taken seriously. Beneath all the splendor there is surprisingly little substance left. Even the great cast, above all Kirsten Dunst in her best performance ever, can only add a certain depth to what is, if judged objectively, a rather ridiculous movie.

But cinema is not mathematics, it is about emotions rather than sense. "Melancholia" may be mostly another ego project from Lars von Trier and his ultimate guilty pleasure but it is nevertheless an enormously cinematic experience. 

8/10

(Viennale)

Sadness is a blessing: Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg

The Color Wheel (USA 2011)

There are films that we love even though we know that they're flawed. For me, such a film is Alex Ross Perry's "The Color Wheel", the kind of American independent film that truly deserves to be called "independent". I recently discovered it at the Viennale where it was the film that gave me the most pleasure.

I love it because it is called "The Color Wheel" but is actually a black and white film. I love it because it has the look of 16mm even though it was shot digitally. I love it because the main actress looks like Anna Karina in Godard's films. I love it because it has a lot of dialogue and awkward situations. I love it because I can somehow relate to the characters. I love it because of its nostalgic credits. I love it because of the immoral ending. I love it because it is not perfect.

I love it.

7/10

(Viennale)

Mutual appreciation: "The Color Wheel"

Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai de Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (Belgium 1975)

"There are no rules in filmmaking. Only sins. And the cardinal sin is dullness."Frank Capra

I highly doubt that Frank Capra ever saw Chantal Akerman's "Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai de Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles". He might not have liked it since it embodies values exactly opposite to the ones his own cinema stood for. Capra's sentimental films usually had a charming male hero, fast-paced scenes with lots of dialogue and a happy ending full of optimism. "Jeanne Dielman" on the other hand has a rather boring female main character, painfully long scenes with almost no dialogue and action and an ending that is anything but optimistic. So Capra is for people who see film as entertainment and whereas Akerman is purely for feminists and serious film fans who dress all in black and loathe capitalism. And even for them, "Jeanne Dielman" may be more a "cultural vegetable" rather than a film they actually enjoy. So that's it, right? Why discuss the matter any further?

Because luckily, things are not that simple. There is no cinema that is, by itself, better than the other. There is only cinema. But there are certainly good and bad directors. Frank Capra and Chantal Akerman are both good directors, albeit for different reasons. It is, in fact, quite possible to appreciate both of them as I myself do. I would even go so far as to call them the "ying and yang of cinema". We are complex human beings and we need them both.

As far as "Jeanne Dielman" is concerned, it is certainly a demanding film - if not a particularly difficult or inaccessible one. Watching the main character, a prostitute working from her own apartment, peeling potatoes and washing up for almost four hours can be nerve-wrecking. But the great thing about the film is that after a while, after you get used to it, you start noticing the small details and the visual delights of the cinematography. Like the recurring symmetrical compositions and the ubiquituous use of the colours brown and green.

Most films shy away from daily routine actions. Even those that apparently aim for realism do not show what people actually do most of  the time. Mundane, ordinary things that are quite boring but nevertheless make out large portions of our lives. "Jeanne Dielman" is a film that dares to focus on these mundane things. The film could indeed be called dull but it needs to be. Dullness is its main point and the reason the provocative ending is so effective.

My viewing advice is: watch it at home and make a short pause after every "day" (the film tells - in full detail - three consecutive days in Jeanne Dielman's life). Do some grunt work in between to get in the mood. And I promise you that you will, by the end of the film, feel what it must be like to actually be the main character. Which is not something that is likely to happen when you're watching a Capra film...

The Vienna Film Festival "Viennale" is currently devoting a retrospective to Chantal Akerman.

9/10

"The Housewife": Delphine Seyrig as Jeanne Dielman

La piel que habito (Spain 2011)

It often happens in the careers of great directors that once they have received awards and reached their peaks, they arrive at a point where they struggle to get back to that level. Often these later works feel forced despite technical mastery. Judging from his last two films, Spanish auteur Pedro Almodóvar seems to have reached that point and lost some of the spirit that made him a household name on the art film circuit.

Even if his latest film "La piel que habito" still bears his signature style as well as familiar topics and situations. But as with "Los abrazos rotos", he fails to make the film emotionally engaging. The story of a plastic surgeon that starts experimenting with skin grafting after the death of his wife is well constructed but the characters remain shallow. The film also shifts too much between serious drama, thriller and horror. Almodóvar's fondness for the eccentric - some would say the perverse - is once again on display. His hardcore fans might like it, other viewers will find it distasteful. But then, this seeming contraction between beautiful images and disturbing content has always been a trademark of Almodóvar's cinema and a large part of its fascination.

"La piel que habito" is - despite the nods to Georges Franju - a unique work from a unique director but it has the same problem that fake skin has: it might look nice but it is just not the real thing.

6/10

Eyes without a face: "The Skin I live in"

Le cercle rouge (France 1970)

In an interview Jean-Pierre Melville gave in 1971, he predicted that all cinemas would vanish in 50 years because of television and believed that his films would probably age terribly. His only hope was that his work was important enough so that he would at least be mentioned in film encyclopedias.

Well, there are still 10 years to go but chances are his predictions won't come true. Cinema may not be flourishing and is going through some radical changes but it is still alive and well. Melville, despite still being a rather underrated director, has earned himself an important place in film history and an ever-growing fanbase. And as far as his films are concerned, they have aged beautifully. With their existential themes and Melville's rigourous focus on style rather than substance, they fit quite well in our superficial modern world.

The story of "Le Cercle Rouge" - his biggest success - is a rather familiar one and quickly told. Two ex-cons reunite for one last coup but after successfully executing the heist, are betrayed and hunted down by an obsessed cop. A classical tale of male friendships and loyalty. But what the film clearly proves that filmmaking is not about what to tell but how. And there few filmmakers that know how to better employ the means of filmmaking. First of all, he has patience and takes time to create an atmosphere. Autumnal landscapes with lots of blues, greys and browns and a Paris that is even more elegant and cool than the real city. Trenchcoats, hats and American cars. Rarely any women. In short, the world according to Jean-Pierre Melville. In addition, he orchestrates some brilliant moments that are further evidence that we are in the hands of a true master of cinema. The long, dialogue-free heist sequence doesn't have to hide from the various films Melville draw his inspirations from. But best of all - what makes the film truly great instead of just very good - are the the small, subtle details that only perfectionists like Melville pay attention to.

The actors are fine too and - with the exception of Gian Maria Volonté who Melville didn't get along with - embody the classical French bourgeoise gentleman that Melville himself was. Henri Decae's cinematogrophy is superb and the jazzy score does what good film music should do: enhance the mood rather than create it. But overall - as the initials "JPM" that appear in a key scene suggest - there is never any doubt that this is Melville's show.

I predict that it will still be watched by film conaisseurs in 50 years.

And I hope there will be some cinemas left then...

9/10

Men at work: Yves Montand, Gian Maria Volonté and Alain Delon

Le diable probablement (France 1977)

"Le diable probablement" or "The devil, probably" - is one of my all time favourite film titles. It is enigmatic but also getting very much to the point once you hear it spoken out casually in a scene of the film. It also sums up the film perfectly without giving anything away.

We as humans watch the world slowly but steadily falling apart and while we are conscious of that fact, we seem to be unable to do something against it. Most of us are not bad people but we have resigned inwardly in the face of the sheer amount of social injustice and the irrevocable destruction of our environment. But we don't take any responsibilty, we always blame someone else. And we might even be better off for it: if we really would face our failures we might end up like the main character in the film.

Bresson made the film in the late 70s which in a not-so-distant future will be called the time when the world finally got of balance. Unlimited consumption, capitalism and industrialization took over while nature became increasingly threatened. The growth of the world's population got out of control while CO2 emmission were starting to skyrocket. The sad thing is that what was only suggested back then has gotten much worse in the meanwhile. Bresson's bleak vision now seems shockingly real - at least if you look as closely as he does.

The young people in the film seem to be the only ones that still care about the future despite their apparent lack of feelings. Some still try to fight for a better world while others just can't handle it anymore. Bresson's spare style and his preference of "non actors" has rarely been more appropriate than here. In a world without values, there is hardly any room left for emotions either. The young people today seem to be different than this generation. Now the prevailing attitude is "the world is going to hell so we might just as well have some fun." Maybe because there is no more Bresson to remind us that maybe we shouldn't...

I'm usually an optimistic person and if my review seems to be overly negative then this is only due to the strong impact the film had on me. I can't help feeling otherwise after watching this devastating film. From a cinematic point of view, it may not be the best film in Bresson's ouevre but it is still close to a masterpiece. And it certainly gives me the shivers.

8/10

Youth without Youth: "Le diable probablement"

Le Quattro Volte (Italy 2010)

"Le Quattro Volte" was among the films mentioned in a recent New York Times article refering to critically appraised but supposedly boring contemplative dramas as "cultural vegetables". Films that you don't really want to see but that you feel you have to because of their cultural value.

My personal view on this subject is that vegetables can taste just as good as anything else if you prepare them right and should make out a large portion of your diet. Which doesn't mean that there shouldn't be some room for meat and sweets too if you feel like it. You shouldn't force yourself to eat something you don't want to just because it's healthy - but it can't hurt trying out something new from time to time. In cinematic terms, I also believe that "cultural vegetables" like "Le Quattro Volte" can indeed enrich you culturally and stimulate your thoughts. That is, if there's an able "chef" on the director's chair and the ingredients are rights. And that's certainly the case here even though the meal may not appeal to everyone's taste.

"Le Quattro Volte" is an extraordinary film and a welcome diversion to the increasing uniformity of Arthouse films: an austere and quiet meditation on the last days of an old shepherd in a secluded mediaval village without a conventional narrative and without any dialogue. It is a deceptively simple film that shows a world where there is still a natural balance between man, animals and nature. Just the right film for our hectic age, in my opinion. The film will certainly be a challenge to the Internet generation and their limited attention spans. I don't want to deny that you have to be in the right mood to really get into the film but if you are willing to let go and open up your mind, the film will be an immensely rewarding experience.

"Le Quattro Volte" is the perfect film if you are - like myself - sick of the McDonaldisation of cinema.
 
8/10

Goats who stare at men