Last Seen Movie - The Latest Movie You Have Seen; ratings

[Reza]

Caravan to Vaccarès (Geoffrey Reeve, 1974) 4/10

Dull cat-and-mouse yarn, based on a novel by Alistair Maclean, is set in Provence. An American drifter (David Birney), wandering around Europe, meets up with a British photographer (Charlotte Rampling) and both are persuaded by a French nobleman (Michel Lonsdale) to smuggle a scientist holding a secret formula to New York. The duo are chased all over the place by a sinister gypsy (Marcel Bozzuffi) and his gang of thugs on horseback in a bid to kill the scientist. Low budget film has a dull leading man and the only thing going for this boring film is a nude scene performed by a magnetic Charlotte Rampling who looks stunning throughout although has nothing much to do. Also there are no caravans in sight anywhere in this film.

The Kid Stays in the Picture (Nanette Burstein & Brett Morgen, 2002) 7/10

Vanity thy name is Robert Evans as this documentary charts his rise from failed actor to head of Paramount studios where he supervised the productions of "Rosemary's Baby", "Love Story", "The Godfather 1 & 2" and "Chinatown" among many other hit films. Evans' skewed narration is a hilarious mixture of love and loathing for himself as he describes winning Ali MacGraw as his wife (star of "Love Story") treating her like a prized possession only to lose her when she runs off with Steve McQueen a couple years later. His fall from grace is equally spectacular involving cocaine binges, flop movies and the mysterious murder of one of his film's financiers to which he was linked via gossip resulting in a stay at a mental hospital. A sharply drawn portrait of what the real Hollywood is all about - a mixture of success, broads, booze, drugs and failure.

[Reza]

BlacKkKlansman (Spike Lee, 2018) 8/10

Poor Spike Lee has spent his entire career trying to bring awareness (as if the world was ever blind) about rampant racism in the United States. This timely and topical film coincides with the virulent resurgence of white supremacy during President Trump's Administration. The wicked screenplay, dripping with black humour and unbridled anger, takes a sharp dig at the white vs black phenomena in the country. This bizarre, but true story, revolves around a black Colorado Springs cop (John David Washington) who, posing as a white guy, infiltrates the Ku Klux Klan via telephone by pretending to hate blacks and jews. Once invited to visit them he asks fellow cop (Adam Driver), a jew, to take his place using a wire to spy on their activities. Savage satire which doesn't wince from using vicious derogatory words to hit home its point along with a history lesson using cinema as a metaphor - Lee intercuts scenes of the Klan watching with sheer joy D.W. Griffith's silent film, "The Birth of a Nation", with its racist scenes of violence towards blacks alternating with scenes where an aged black activist (Harry Belafonte) explains to a horrified group of young black activists how that film was a catalyst for the Klan to incite violence a year after the film came out in 1915, describing in horrific detail the vicious way people were killed. Although the film has a tendency to preach the story is brought into sharp focus thanks to the superb chemistry and witty interaction between Washington (Denzel's son) and Driver. An important film and a return to form on the big screen for director Lee who proves once again that racism against blacks continues unabated as witnessed during a clip from last year's violence in Charlottesville, Virginia when a car mowed down a group of counter-protesters at a white-supremist rally with Trump openly defending the perpetrators on national television.

Befikre / Carefree (Aditya Chopra, 2016) 5/10

Silly trite screenplay full of clichés is somewhat saved by the sparkling chemistry between the two leads. Delhi boy and standup comic (Ranveer Singh) arrives in Paris and instantly falls in love with French-Indian girl (Vaani Kapoor). The film begins with their breakup and we see in flashback how they met, moved in together, had constant wild passionate sex and then parted. The plot has them then hooked to others but its obvious where the ending will lead to. Ranveer Singh plays an over-the-top brash character (quite like his real self) who has sex on the brain and quickly starts to grate as the film goes on and on and his silly antics just won't stop. In contrast Vaani Kapoor gives an assured performance as the hip Parisienne who tries to help the hick Indian find some level of maturity. Slickly shot film on lovely locations has both stars in superb form on the dance floor but the silly screenplay (with an over emphasis on people constantly smooching and at the drop of a hat stripping and jumping between the sheets) lets it down. This is a major misfire from the usually reliable Aditya Chopra.

[Reza]

Liv & Ingmar: Painfully Connected (Dheeraj Akolkar, 2012) 9/10

Beautifully realised lyrical documentary about the intense relationship between a muse and her mentor. The film takes on the form of a memory piece as Norwegian actress Liv Ullmann reminisces about her time spent with the great Swedish director Ingmar Bergman whom she first met on the island of Fårö in Sweden during the film shoot of "Persona" in 1966. She was 25 and he was 46. They fell in love and it was the start of their five years together as a couple. The relationship began with a sense of awe and fear on her part leading to intense love. She left her husband after becoming pregnant with Bergman's child and began living with the director. As she continued acting in his films she started to realise that his insecurities led him to start totally controlling her which were followed by jealous rages and mental cruelty which she endured. She left him in 1970 but their bond was so strong that their relationship contined as a deep close friendship until the day he died. They made 10 films together. The documentary does not name any of their films but as she narrates the ups and downs of their relationship we get to see scenes of their films which hauntingly (and autobiographically) seem to depict what had transpired in their lives together. Also interspersed are home movies of Bergman, Ullmann and their daughter shot on the desolate island that was their home and to which Ullmann is shown returning to shoot this documentary. This is not a film for people who have no knowledge of their careers. It is about these two extraordinary artists who came together as a couple. Fans, ofcourse, will recognise the film clips and relate those scenes to what Ullmann is describing about their intense relationship which resulted in one of the most unique actress-director collaborations on film.

Altman (Ron Mann, 2014) 6/10

By the numbers documentary on the career of maverick film director Robert Altman. The film chronologically covers all his work starting in television and followed by the ups and downs of his movie career including many classics. The interesting aspect of the film is Altman himself who describes his work ethics and gives fascinating insights into the shooting of each of his films.

[Reza]

Crazy Rich Asians (Jon M. Chu, 2018) 8/10

Charming old fashioned romantic comedy is a fairy tale set amongst the rich Chinese community of Singapore. Poor but intelligent Economics professor, a native New Yorker (Constance Wu), is invited by her boyfriend (Henry Golding), an Oxford graduate and also a professor, to accompany him to Singapore to attend a friend's wedding and also meet his family. She is shocked to learn that his family is filthy rich and one of the first families to migrate from China to Singapore. Her biggest stumbling block is not only his friends looking down at her but she is also immediately rejected by his intimidating mother (Michelle Yeoh) and grandmother (Lisa Lu) who suspect her of being a golddigger and not good enough for their family. The plot is entwined around a lavish family wedding (with a scenic tour of Singapore and a mouth watering montage depicting the street food scene in the city) introducing assorted aunts, cousins and friends with various issues of their own. The amusing (and catty) screenplay makes jabs at old and new money, at American culture and shows old Asian family values and how they can sometimes cause cracks in relationships. The film pays sharp attention to cutural nuances which are familiar to most Asian countries in sharp contrast to Western society. Well acted by a delightful all-Asian cast with Michelle Yeoh outstanding as the haughty and elegant matriarch who has a few secrets of her own. Lavish production is a feast for the eyes and despite characters that reek of stereotype this is incredibly crowd pleasing material and is a great sassy fun-time at the movies.

[Precious Doll]

Senso is high on my want to watch again list. I haven't seen it for over 30 years. Others I what to revisit are Ophelia, Spider's Strategy (rumoured to be coming out restored in 2019), Oedipus Rex and Il Grido. Would also like to see how We the Living holds up. It was restored in the early 1980's and seems to have disappeared to fingers crossed with that one.

[ITALIANO]

Showing my ignorance here. I always think of Valli in The Third Man and Suspiria and oddly don't recall her in anything else. A quick look through her filmography shows an impressive line-up of films but oddly aside from 1900 she doesn't standout in my memory in any of them.

I really should have said that I prefer Winkler over Valli and I suppose the difference for me is that I do remember all of Winkler's performances.

Oh then please do yourself a favor and check some of the movies (and performances) of this sublime actress, one of the best of Italian cinema. The films she made in English - except of course The Third Man - aren't especially memorable, though she is good in those too, and for example she was quite well-used by Hitchcock in The Paradine Case, and was impressive even in her worst American movie, a bizarre mess called The Miracle of the Bells.
But in the movies she made in Italy, France and even in Spanish-speaking countries (she was fluent in several languages) she is indeed magnetic, and in case you haven't seen it already, watch her at least in Visconti's Senso, in which she is at her best.
There's a bad movie she made in Spain (the English title is bad, too: The Night Heaven Fell) in which she supported (!) Brigitte Bardot, who was the big new star of that time, directed by Vadim, where Valli played Bardot's ageing jealous aunt. It's a thankless role, needless to say: a sexually repressed villainess always unfavouably compared with the young, beautiful, free-spirited Bardot. Still, in every scene the two actresses share, Bardot literally disappears - and this obviously wasn't intentional, as the director was not only Bardot's creator and mentor but also her boyfriend back then. Valli's face, eyes, close-ups are so powerful that you really focus your attention on her, and wish the movie would do that, too.

[Precious Doll]

Angela Winkler is a far superior actress than Alida Valli

Angela Winkler a better actress than Alida Valli? Ok, Winkler is certainly a talented actress, but Valli had both talent and charisma - and beauty, too... a rare combination.

As for Suspiria, I actually think that the original isn't crap at all, but one of the best horror movies of the 70s, not a work of art maybe but a daring (for its tima) visual experience. The problem is maybe (it hasn't come out in Italy yet) that Guadagnino has taken it too seriously - trying to turn it into Art, into something meaningful rather than just scary (which Argento's movie still is, in some scenes).

Showing my ignorance here. I always think of Valli in The Third Man and Suspiria and oddly don't recall her in anything else. A quick look through her filmography shows an impressive line-up of films but oddly aside from 1900 she doesn't standout in my memory in any of them.

I really should have said that I prefer Winkler over Valli and I suppose the difference for me is that I do remember all of Winkler's performances.

[ITALIANO]

Angela Winkler is a far superior actress than Alida Valli

Angela Winkler a better actress than Alida Valli? Ok, Winkler is certainly a talented actress, but Valli had both talent and charisma - and beauty, too... a rare combination.

As for Suspiria, I actually think that the original isn't crap at all, but one of the best horror movies of the 70s, not a work of art maybe but a daring (for its tima) visual experience. The problem is maybe (it hasn't come out in Italy yet) that Guadagnino has taken it too seriously - trying to turn it into Art, into something meaningful rather than just scary (which Argento's movie still is, in some scenes).

[Reza]

Suspiria (2018) Luca Guadegnino 3/10

Haha so even the remake is crap.

Yeah, though its a very loose remake at best. David Kajhanich who wrote it keeps the story in 1977, maintains some of the characters and scenario's but adds in a lot more stuff. We end up with a bloated two and a half a film with a climax that pays homage not only to the original film but to De Palma's Carrie (prom scene massacre through a red lens) & Ken Russell's The Devils via a number of characters withering about in some sort of ecstasy similar to those crazed nude nuns from the Russell film.

One of Tilda Swinton's roles is the best thing about the film but her other role is nothing more than a gimmick and unnecessary padding. Jessica Harper is wasted in just a couple of scenes and veteran European actresses Ingrid Caven, Sylvie Testud, Renee Soutendijk & Angela Winkler have little to do though at least Winkler has a decent amount of screen time. It's funny, Angela Winkler is a far superior actress than Alida Valli from the original film but Valli's Miss Tanner is so much more sinister and overbearing whilst Winkler's Miss Tanner comes across as rather weak.

The other aspect of the film that doesn't work is all the references to the terrorism in Germany at the time and in particular to the Baader Meinhof. It's all rather twee as Germany itself during the 1970's and early 1980's made numerous films about these very issues, some of the ironically starring Angela Winkler, and nothing in this film captures or matches the mood of those films during the period. The constant shot of the Berlin Wall added nothing either and likewise contemporary German films from that era used the wall to better effect.

Luca Guadegnino is capable of making some beautiful original films (I Am Love, Call Me By Your Name) he is not doing himself any favours with half baked stuff like this. Of interest is that a couple of year ago David Gordon Green was going to direct this with Isabelle Huppert.

Lucky for Huppert the Gordon Green version didn't go through. She saved herself the embarrassment of seeing such unnecessary clutter amongst her filmography.

[Precious Doll]

Suspiria (2018) Luca Guadegnino 3/10

Haha so even the remake is crap.

Yeah, though its a very loose remake at best. David Kajhanich who wrote it keeps the story in 1977, maintains some of the characters and scenario's but adds in a lot more stuff. We end up with a bloated two and a half a film with a climax that pays homage not only to the original film but to De Palma's Carrie (prom scene massacre through a red lens) & Ken Russell's The Devils via a number of characters withering about in some sort of ecstasy similar to those crazed nude nuns from the Russell film.

One of Tilda Swinton's roles is the best thing about the film but her other role is nothing more than a gimmick and unnecessary padding. Jessica Harper is wasted in just a couple of scenes and veteran European actresses Ingrid Caven, Sylvie Testud, Renee Soutendijk & Angela Winkler have little to do though at least Winkler has a decent amount of screen time. It's funny, Angela Winkler is a far superior actress than Alida Valli from the original film but Valli's Miss Tanner is so much more sinister and overbearing whilst Winkler's Miss Tanner comes across as rather weak.

The other aspect of the film that doesn't work is all the references to the terrorism in Germany at the time and in particular to the Baader Meinhof. It's all rather twee as Germany itself during the 1970's and early 1980's made numerous films about these very issues, some of the ironically starring Angela Winkler, and nothing in this film captures or matches the mood of those films during the period. The constant shot of the Berlin Wall added nothing either and likewise contemporary German films from that era used the wall to better effect.

Luca Guadegnino is capable of making some beautiful original films (I Am Love, Call Me By Your Name) he is not doing himself any favours with half baked stuff like this. Of interest is that a couple of year ago David Gordon Green was going to direct this with Isabelle Huppert.

[Precious Doll]

The Old Man and the Gun (2018) David Lowery 8/10

Do you think Redford has any chance of getting nominated?

Outside chance, but you never know. He certainly deserves a nomination, its his best performance ever, but given it hasn't taken off box office wise isn't going to help and that he has two Oscars already I doubt the Academy will feel the need to even consider him for a third. The film, though slight, was an utter delight and one of the many pleasures I got from the film was that it was shot on 16mm. Though its screening digitally it looked like film, all that wonderful grain on the big screen. Such a nostalgic piece of a bygone era I'd be surprised if anyone over 50 isn't seduced by it.

[Reza]

The Old Man and the Gun (2018) David Lowery 8/10

Do you think Redford has any chance of getting nominated?

[Reza]

Suspiria (2018) Luca Guadegnino 3/10

Haha so even the remake is crap.

[Precious Doll]

Red Joan (2018) Trevor Nunn 5/10
Suspiria (2018) Luca Guadegnino 3/10
Ophelia (2018) Claire McCarthy 1/10
The Old Man and the Gun (2018) David Lowery 8/10
Ramen Shop (2018) Eric Khoo 5/10
Pope Francis: A Man of His Word (2018) Wim Wenders 2/10
Killing (2018) Shin'ya Tsukamoto 4/10
Old Ironsides (1926) James Cruze 4/10
American Horror Story - Season One (2011) Various 9/10

Repeated viewings

Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996) Todd Solondz 9/10
The Nun (1966) Jacques Rivette 10/10

[Precious Doll]

The Interpreter (2018) Martin Sulik 4/10
Wildlife (2018) Paul Dano 4/10
Halloween (2018) David Gordon Green 4/10
Love, Gilda (2018) Lisa Dapolito 6/10
Vita & Virginia (2018) Chanya Button 4/10
Fahrenheit 11/9 (2018) Michael Moore 5/10
Sometimes Always Never (2018) Carl Hunter 5/10
Boy Erased (2018) Joel Edgerton 6/10
The Cakemaker (2017) Ofir Raul Graizer 7/10
Marlina the Murderer in Four Acts (2017) Mould Surya 5/10
Peterloo (2018) Mike Leigh 9/10
The Gardener (2012) Mohsen Makhmalbaf 5/10

Repeat viewings

Suspiria (1977) Dario Argento 7/10
A Simple Story (1978) Claude Sautet 7/10
Big Wednesday (1978) John Milius 7/10