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Concerto: A Beethoven Journey (2015)
A spiritual experience
Norwegian concert pianist Leif Ove Andsnes likes to concentrate on one composer at a time. At one point, he decided that the five Beethoven Piano Concertos would be his next project. Partnering with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra based in Prague, he worked to develop a deeper understanding of the music. For four years he traveled the world playing the Beethoven Five in city after city. His recordings with the Mahler became critical successes as well as classical best-sellers. Documentarian Grabsky (the In Search Of series on great composers) followed him around from start to finish. The final film is narrated entirely by Andsnes who takes these works movement by movement and guides us through the musical dialog between soloist and orchestra. So many of Andsnes' insights into the music are really amazing but convincing when he plays the piano. He also talks about Beethoven's life when he was composing these works making the man more of a human than the usual picture we have of him as a grumpy, solitary, deaf old man who was hard to get along with. Of course, there is a lot of music in this film, wonderful, marvelous, genius level music. Andsnes makes a point late in the documentary then pinches the skin on his wrist and says, "Look, I have chills." I had to laugh myself because I had the goosebumps, too. Whether you have lived with this music all your life or never heard a note of it or anyplace in between you will be thrilled and chilled and enlightened. For me, anyway, this was a spiritual experience.
Wagner's Jews (2013)
A vital part of music and world history
Nineteenth century German composer Richard Wagner changed the face of western music forever. He was also one of most hateful people who ever lived. Super egotistical, selfish, a betrayer of friends, and all around a-hole, liar, and jerk. He wrote some truly despicable and vile anti-Semitic essays spittle spewing rants - that crossed over into the delusional. Some 80 years or so later, these writings were adopted by Hitler and the Nazis and helped propel their ruthless death camps. Yet, Wagner had many rich supporters and admirers, many of them Jewish. He had Jewish musicians and conductors working for him, some who considered Wagner their mentor. Who were they? Why did they work for him or give him money? This documentary digs into the stories of Carl Tausig, a piano prodigy who was 16 when Wagner mentored him; Joseph Rubinstein, pianist and composer, and, most tragically, Herman Levy, a proud and accomplished conductor, the chief conductor of the Munich Orchestra, who was bullied and belittled by Wagner yet conducted the first performances of the Ring Cycle and Parsifal. This documentary delves into that history and brings in the contemporary debate of whether Wagner's music should be banned in Israel. The question constantly comes up: can we should we separate the person from the art that person creates. Wagner is the ultimate test of this question. I saw this 50-minute feature at the Jewish Film Festival in San Diego. At the end of the film there was a 20-minute Q&A with David Amos, conductor, lecturer, and music historian about the issues raised in the film. A very civil and reasonable discussion ensued. A powerful experience.
Keane (2004)
An ugly beautiful film
Director Kerrigan has clearly done his homework. It sure looks to me, a person who believes that the Dardenne Brothers (Luc and Jean-Pierre), the French speaking Belgian film makers, are the most interesting filmmakers in the world today, that Kerrigan thinks so, too. He has got down proper the semi-documentary technique that the Belgian Brothers perfected in "La Promesse," "Rosetta," "Le Fils," and "L'Enfant." The camera follows the main character solely. We see that person, usually in close-up. The camera will occasionally swing away to show that person's point-of-view or to show who he is talking to, but the camera is mostly on the character's face or looking over the shoulder at where he/she is going. There is no musical soundtrack (even in the opening titles and closing credits) but there is a carefully prepared mix of city sounds and background noises. Luckily, Kerrigan has not just aped a technique, but has also tapped into the same kind of sympathetic, humanistic observation of behavior and optimism about the human race that the Dardennes bring to their stories.
William Keane is a part-time street person who suffers from schizophrenia. He haunts Grand Central Station trying to get passers-by to look at a picture of a little girl in a newspaper clipping. "Have you seen this girl?" People hurry away. He washes up in rest rooms. He sometimes sleeps outdoors, not noticing the rain. He imagines that kidnap scenarios are going on in the station. He frantically mutters to himself about the growing danger around him. He attacks a bystander, throwing a couple of punches before walking quickly away. Sometimes he has quiet periods when he will use a disability check to buy himself some shelter in a seedy extended stay hotel.
Like a certain Academy award winning crowd pleaser from a few years ago, "Keane" tackles the question, "Can a schizophrenic eventually be able to discern his own visions from reality even if he stills sees the visions?" However, "Keane" is about real person, as brought to life by the fine (but largely unrecognized) British actor, Damian Lewis. Anyone who has daily experience with street people can see the truth of Lewis' performance. My Lovely Wife has worked as a nurse's aide in a psych ward of a big city hospital also confirms the truthfulness of Lewis' work. What a marvelous difference from Ron Howard's tear-jerking mush and Russell Crowe's hammy, over-the-top performance of twitches and jerks! "Keane" slowly develops a story out of this man's circumstances that brings him to one crucial moment of decision and a powerful resolution in the final second of the film. I absolutely loved "Keane" and highly recommend it.
The Dish (2000)
It hurts to say "No."
In 1969, when Neil Armstrong was going to the moon to be the first human to set foot there, the radio telescope outside of the small village of Parkes in Australia was chosen to relay the television signal of the moon walk because it was the largest of its kind in the southern hemisphere. So here was a chance for the Little Guys to triumph. Now, nobody does lovable, quirky eccentrics like the Australian film industry and this film is filled to the brim with them. I really wanted to love this movie and the movie wanted me to love it. Alas, it was not to be. Syrupy music intrudes constantly. There are not really any surprises. The acting is mostly on a TV sit-com level. Everything seemed manufactured. It is a shame not to be able to recommend it.
The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes (1935)
The Real Sherlock Holmes
An excellent Holmes story that benefits greatly by going directly to the source (mainly Arthur Conan Doyle's "The Valley Of Fear") and not only sticking pretty much to the original plot but also using a lot of the great dialog that Doyle wrote for Holmes. The problem with translating Sherlock Holmes to the screen (or writing new Holmes stories in full-length novel form) is that Doyle's original creation was such a brilliant detective he solved most mysteries almost instantly. Therefore, the short story was the best medium in which to present his adventures. If a story has to be stretched out to novel or feature film length, some other means had to be found to fill out the time and pages. Thus, beginning with Basil Rathbone (or maybe even earlier with William Gillette's original play), Sherlock Holmes became an action hero rather than a thinker. Arthur Wotner's Holmes and the script of "Triumph" retains the original essence of "the best and wisest man I have ever known" and shows us that he can delight and thrill us even more by seeing him as he was intended to be seen.
Arven (2003)
Worth a look
A Danish modern that seems spare and bare bones when compared to other slick art house fare that is out there like "Vanity Fair" and "Bright Young Things." But it is just that lack of gloss that gives it its strength. The semi-Dogma style fits the story of a young man living in Sweden with his beautiful actress wife who gets called back to Denmark to run the family steel mill after his father's suicide. When he had been younger, he had almost died from the stress of working in the business. Now, with his relations and the workers depending on him, he slowly starts to shut down all of his systems in order to deal with the tough decisions he has to make. This is not a new theme, but Fly gives it new life with his astringent approach.
Atoll K (1951)
Doesn't live down to its bad rep
This was Laurel and Hardy's last film and, of all their features, the one with probably the worst reputation. I can give it the left-handed compliment of saying, "It is not as bad as you have heard it is." The boys are caught in a storm at sea but are saved when a submerged island rises up under their boat. Along with a few other misfits, they establish a cooperative society. Then, the outside world shows up, discovers uranium on the island and the rush is on. What is unique is the level of satire that is present in the movie's last third, even though it is genial rather than sharp. Laurel looks thin and old (he was, in fact, quite ill during filming), but gamely takes his pratfalls. There is plenty of the usual shtick between Stan and Ollie. I find it funny no matter how many times I've seen it so I laughed several times. For L&H fans.
Amen. (2002)
Amen, and Goodbye
In the mid 1960s, Ralph Hochhuth's play "The Deputy" hit Europe like lightning. Its story, about the attempt of two people to inform the early 1940s world about the Nazi death camps, accused Pope Pius XII of failing to speak out against the removal of Jews from Rome when his doing so might have saved thousands of lives. The drama sparked controversy and debate. When "The Deputy" arrived in the United States about 1965, the five act, four hour play had been cut to a more manageable two hour length, but didn't lose any of its punch. For this film, Costa-Gavras has based his screenplay on the full version. It follows two major characters. The first is Kurt Gerstein (a real life individual), an SS Officer, scientist, and Christian, who risks everything to get the word out about the camps. The second is a fictional character, Father Ricardo Fontana, whose aristocratic family has connections with the Vatican. He meets Gerstein and begins a personal crusade to get the Pope to denounce the killing of Jews. I can attest to the power this material has. It was my privilege to play Pope Pius in a college production (U.S. version) in 1966. The two final scenes Fontana's confrontation with the Pope and his encounter with the Auswitz doctor in the harrowing finale are enough to shake even the most complacent person to the core. Somehow, Costa-Gavras has managed to drain off every volt and watt of energy and left us with a lethargic, draggy melodrama that goes for the easy irony (rich diplomats feast on fancy foods while "regretting" the bad things that are happening in the world). This should be dynamite and the legendary director seems like the person who could light the fuse. Unfortunately, the explosion never comes.
Rosetta (1999)
No DVD release in the U.S.
This small Belgian film was the unexpected winner of the Palme d'Or at Cannes during the year when David Cronenberg and his panel of contrarians ruled. Because other, more popular films ("All About My Mother," "L'Humanité," "The Straight Story") were passed over, "Rosetta" has received a reputation as an undeserved winner. I am here to proclaim it a great film and a worthy addition to anyone's Best list. I have not researched whether or not the director of "Rosetta" set out adhere to Dogma 93 principles, but many of them are present no movie makeup, natural light, natural locations, no soundtrack music, and hand held cameras. The camera follows one person the title character so that just about every shot is either of her or from her point of view. Rosetta lives with her alcoholic prostitute mother in a camping trailer at a run down campground called The Grand Canyon. She is in her late teens, doesn't have any friends (except one she meets during the course of the story) or even communicates much with other people, and is only interested in getting a regular job and living a normal life. In a remarkable episode, we see her in bed just before going to sleep. She is having a conversation with herself that goes, "You have a job. I have a job. You have a friend. I have a friend. You have a normal life. I have a normal life. Good night. Good night." Rosetta is played by Émilie Dequenne (who won Best Actress at Cannes). She is so good, so natural, so much *Rosetta* that, along with the photographic technique, she gives the material a documentary feel. One reviewer even called her a "non-actor" as if she were not a professional actress (this is her first movie role) and had been picked right out of that campground to play her own life. The film goes by quickly even as the plot unfolds slowly. We follow Rosetta as she travels her city by foot and bus looking for work, catching fish to eat from an urban river, and tentatively letting one other person into her routines. Sometimes character motivation may seem murky, but it is a thrill, later, when you realize what was really going on. If I remember correctly, there is only one brief dialog exchange near the end where one person explains plot points to another for the audience's benefit. The ending is a tender moment that may indicate a new stage in Rosetta growth. Highly recommended. A beautiful and deeply felt film.
Callas Forever (2002)
A truly great movie without a general release
I have never been much interested in Zeffirelli as a film director. Of his 22 directing credits, I have only seen four others- 3 of Shakespeare and 1 film of an opera based on Shakespeare. But he has come through with a great one here. It has a 2002 date but is just now getting a limited release in the U.S. Zeffirelli directs his own story and screenplay of a fictional account involving opera legend Maria Callas, sort of a what-might-have-been scenario based on his memories of his long professional association and personal friendship with Callas. The story takes place in 1977. Jeremy Irons plays a music promoter who is based loosely on Zeffirelli himself. When he flies into Rome, his job is managing PR for a heavy metal rock band. He tries to get in to see his old friend, Callas, but she has barricaded herself inside her apartment, being a long time in grief over the loss of her singing voice and the loss of Aristotle Onassis. Irons finally does talk to her and convinces her to take part in a comeback of sorts. Callas had recorded Bizet's "Carmen", but never performed it on stage. She agrees to appear in a film of Carmen where she will lip-sync to her older recording. This sets up a number of professional, personal, and ethical minefields for all involved. In the person of the great French actress Fanny Ardant, we see all of the diva's depth of emotion, her temperament, her grief, and her great talent. Callas was the whole package: her voice was an astounding musical instrument, but she was also a consummate stage actress who could deliver a powerful characterization with both her body and her voice her singing was much more than just technical skill. Ardant embodies this temperamental talent to the max. Irons does his best work in years. In a parallel construction, as Callas' life begins to come together again, Irons' life falls into crisis as he struggles to save his career and his new relationship with a handsome young artist. The film features a lot of Callas' music, often in quite long excerpts, which is beautiful and devastating. More importantly, we get to see several long scenes from "Carmen" the movie within the movie and it looks wonderful. I really, really want to see that movie! I went to this at a local art house on Stupor Bowl Sunday afternoon. They had booked it into their smallest auditorium and were only running three shows that day. The house was packed! My Lovely Wife and I showed up as we thought a little early, but had to sit apart. A friend went the next Wednesday night and it was packed again Wednesday night! At my showing as well as my friend's, nobody left when the closing credits ran (Callas singing "Casta Diva"), there was tremendous applause, and at the Wednesday night showing, my friend heard several gasps of astonishment. A week later, I am still all goose-pimply from the thought of the experience. See it. You won't regret it.