This past weekend, two films opened that allowed views to choose between their amygdala and prefrontal cortex. Those who wanted to react could watch Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and relish the ceaseless action and those who wished to reflect could screen Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and revisit the intrigue of the Cold War. There is nothing wrong with explosions and fisticuffs but I wanted conspiracies and mysteries so I chose the latter. I was happy with my choice but others in the theatre were not, believing that there was not sufficient violence for their liking. Based on the 1974 novel …
Super 8
J.J. Abrams (the writer) – like Gene Roddenberry and Stanley Kubrick – uses the science fiction genre as a medium to showcase how humans can better understand each other and their emotions. The trailer for Super 8 features a spectacular train wreck and although that scene is the most violent of the entire film, it is more harmless and generic than it is spectacular. The extra-terrestrial on the loose in the small Ohio town is a textbook example of a MacGuffin and although its true nature is slowly revealed throughout the film, it still receives far too much camera time. Like …
Mesrine: Public Enemy #1
After a long delay, I was finally able to view the conclusion of the two-part series about French gangster Jacques Mesrine, thanks to Bay Street Video. Mesrine: Public Enemy #1 follows the criminal as he moves in and out of custody and the police move ever closer. The true crime drama captures the last two years of Mesrine’s career, culminating in a violent shootout in the Parisian suburbs. Unlike the prequel, the tone of this work more like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid or Public Enemies. Like Mesrine: Public Enemy, the film is excellent and shares many of the …
The Runaways
If the aim of a film is to create a mood, The Runaways succeeds. 1970s sex, drugs, and rock and roll is perfectly captured by director Floria Sigismondi. Canted angles, zooming in and out of focus, trailing shots; Sigismondi employs a variety of techniques. It’s true that the content – chronicling the 1970s band comprising Joan Jett and Cherie Currie – is controversial and somewhat shocking but the craft of the director brings this historical film to the next level. The audience wishes that the film could continue, even though it encompasses the entire career of the band. Jett and …
Cities
Recently, I read Jane Jacobs’ The Death and Life of Great American Cities and Jonathan Mahler’s Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx is Burning. Due to her residence in New York City for many years, Jacobs’ theory is illustrated by the real-life examples of politics, economics, and city planning recorded by Mahler in his study of 1977 Gotham. Both authors display a strong understanding of history and the events that have led to the current state of New York City. Unfortunately, both possess a rambling writing style that creates many excruciating chapters. Editors have jobs because they do good work. Written …