Tag Archive: Roger Ebert


SEX WITH THE WEDNESDAY MAN

Filed under: Books, Fiction, Gender, Movies, Music, Television, Theatre — 1 Comment
August 24, 2015

INTIMACY directed by Patrice Chéreau (UK, 2001)

intimacy-POSTERSex in movies or music videos is mostly more concerned with titillation than realism while in porn its primary function is stimulation.

The makers of Intimacy, based on a short story by Hanif Kureishi, adopt a less glossy and therefore more adult perspective.

In the movie, scenes of coupling are explicit, including un-simulated fellatio. Little is left to the imagination but, equally, nothing is particularly arousing.

On the contrary, the sex act is reduced to the level of a basic human need (like eating and sleeping but more energetic).

This is fucking not lovemaking and seems more akin to an act of penance than passion. Once the desire is satiated, words are unnecessary and the two go their separate ways arranging only to meet again the same day (Wednesday) the next week. Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

NICOLE KIDMAN’S CHILD LOVER

Filed under: Movies — Leave a comment
July 18, 2014

BIRTH directed by Jonathan Glazer (USA, 2004)

€3.99 in a bargain bin at Comet suggests this is either a tragically overlooked masterpiece or a bona fide turkey.

Jonathna Glazer is a director who likes to alienate audiences. He takes a mixed reception (including boos) at its Venice Film Festival premiere as a positive sign.

Universal acclaim = mainstream cop-out. Who needs the endorsement from Metacritic or Rotten Tomatoes. Roger Ebert liked it so it must have something going for it.

Either side of this, Glazer made Sexy beast and Under The Skin. If you’ve seen either of these great movies you’ll know why I grabbed the DVD. He is someone who understands that cinema works by the power of suggestion and strong imagery. Great dialogue is optional.

Birth is all plot, it’s a ‘what if’ story in which a 10-year-old boy claims to be the reincarnated husband of Anna (Nicole Kidman). The dead spouse and the boy are both called Sean. Coincidence? If so, how does this kid know so much about this woman. We’re talking intimate secrets here. Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

SYNECDOCHE NEW YORK – THE FATE OF DREAMS

Filed under: Movies, Theatre — Leave a comment
April 10, 2014

SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK directed by Charlie Kaufman (USA, 2008)

This is a movie about life and dreams but mainly it’s about death.

We all have dreams, both big and small. Some of them are realized, most are not.

What gives us the impetus to work through our personal bucket lists is the transience of existence and the knowledge that someday we will die, as will everyone we know.

Theatre director Coden Cotard has a big dream. He wants to stage a play about everything: birth, dating, family and death. Particularly the last of these since, as he puts it bluntly yet accurately, “we are all hurtling towards death, but here we are for the moment, alive”.

Cotard wants his production to stand as his legacy and demands that there must be no compromises. It should tell the brutal truth, warts and all – no limits, no filters. He prepares post it notes for each participant, a single fact that the actors must build upon to create a character. Quickly you get the impression that the concept is so vast that it is unworkable. Continue reading →

Tags: , , ,
Read More & Comment

BLUE VELVET’S DARK REALITY

Filed under: Gender, Movies — Leave a comment
February 2, 2014

BLUE VELVET directed by David Lynch (USA, 1986)

BlueVelvet

“Now it’s dark”

Call me a pervert but I never tire of this movie which I rate as David Lynch’s masterpiece and one of the greatest films ever made.

At the same time, I can see why many, women especially, hate it.

Aspects of the film look a little dated now but the portrayal of sexuality remains both controversial and disturbing.

Not only does Lynch  revel in depicting men’s capacity for voyeurism and violence but he also shows a woman who is turned on by abuse.

Plenty of films hint at sadomasochistic relationships but in this one  we are left with no room for doubt. Continue reading →

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,
Read More & Comment

THE BLEAK LIFE OF A FACTORY GIRL

Filed under: Movies — Leave a comment
January 14, 2014

THE MATCH FACTORY GIRL directed by Aki Kaurismäki (Finland, 1990)

This movie is a masterpiece of minimalist drama; a  story of unrelenting yet strangely compelling bleakness. I first saw it on its original release and second time around it has lost none of its impact.

In just over one hour every detail matters and words are practically redundant. For the first fifteen minutes there is no dialogue whatsoever yet we learn all there is to know about Iris (played by Kati Outinen).

She works on a production line of a dismal match factory straightening labels on the packs as though part of the machinery.  Her sullen expression remains unchanged even when her shift ends.

It is soon apparent that her life beyond the factory  gates offers little in the way of relief.  Her humdrum chores continue when she returns home as we see her cooking and ironing while her parents slob around chain-smoking and slumped in front of the TV.

The mother stealing meat off her daughter’s plate is a small gesture that in another context might be comical. Here it is just another example of  Iris’ fate as the poor, put upon waif with no friends and no obvious means of escape from her dead-end existence. Continue reading →

Tags: , ,
Read More & Comment