Stately Plump Buck Mulligan came from the stairhead, bearing a ticket for the cinema upon which the film, theatre number, and showtime were printed. He had very much enjoyed The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and was looking forward very much to viewing the second film in the trilogy. Eagerly, he was anticipating whether Lisbeth would discover the identity of her father and whether her companion, the redoubtable Mikael would be able to escape again from the intergalatic — er, Swedish crime syndicate. Two hours later, he knew the answers but was grossly disappointed by the manner in which they …
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Far too few films feature enthralling character development and an elegant touch to create suspense and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is one of those works. It is a clever psychological thriller — not without its flaws but still much more intriguing than the average film. Although one audience member walked out in digust when he found out that it was filmed in Swedish with subtitles, I did not feel that that hampered the story at all. Interestingly, another woman in the theatre forgot that the film was restricted and reacted in shock whenever a rated-R moment occured. Stieg Larsen elegantly incorporates …
Four Forgotten Alfred Hitchcock Films
Rebecca moves slowly but picks up speed as it progresses. It is one of the first films that Alfred Hitchcock made after crossing the Atlantic and the only one which won him a Best Picture Oscar. Shot along the Côte d’Azur in black in white, it lacks the brightness and clarity of To Catch a Thief, which was filmed in Technicolor. The film features tight angles that focus on the leads, Laurence Olivier and Joan Fontaine and wide, chaotic shots that emphasize how the Second Mrs. de Winter and Mrs. Danvers are losing their heads. At this point, Hitchcock had …
Quantum of Solace
When a franchise becomes over-extended, it becomes a parody of itself. It reflects incredibly poorly upon Quantum of Solace that the most memorable moment of the film is a reference to an earlier James Bond story: like Auric Goldfinger covered Jill Masterson in gold, Dominic Greene covered another one of Bond’s failed loves with crude. (Similar to how Halle Barry’s emergence from the ocean is more a nod to Ursula Andress and Doctor No than a part of Die Another Day.) The visual is striking because of the earlier scene that it parodies; Agent Fields appeared far too briefly for …
Fun
First concert in a while Tuesday night. Saw The Hold Steady at the Phoenx. Last time that I was at that club, Beck was playing and people were worried about Y2K. Last time that I was at a show, Oasis were touring Don’t Believe the Truth at the Molson Amphitheatre. It was more or less enjoyable, a reminder to do so more often. It was similar to seeing Birds of Wales at the Mod Club, another band suggested by a friend. The Hold Steady turned out to be a band that I like (of course, any rock band that plays …
Four Bond Films
I decided to compare a few of the early James Bond stories that I have been reading and watching lately. Casino Royale Book (1953): This is an excellent detective novel. Ian Fleming also showcases his writing for the first time and acquits himself admirably. The style is concise and memorable; there are some nods to the dialogue in the most recent film adaptation. Unlike the action-themed film, the novel focuses more on the Baccarat game between James Bond and Le Chiffre (it’s disappointing that the film chose to focus the gambling around Texas Hold-em rather than Bond’s traditional game of …