Roger and Me

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Roger and Me!

Original image located here. Accessed 31st March 2023

I have previously spoken of my following of Michael Moore over the years so here we are at his debut feature: his announcement to the rest of the world that he exists.
So what this documentary is Michael following the closing down of a General Motors factory in Flint Michigan and the chaos that follows: Unemployment, increased crime, people being evicted, and an aggressive indifference from the wealthy. All the while Michael is trying to get in touch with General Motors CEO Roger Smith to ask some questions.

Of course, as this is his first feature, there are some familiar tropes on Michael's part: Standing up for the down-trodden, challenging the wealthy and showing up unannounced at certain places only to be kicked out. But what I find striking is that how un-relentlessly bleak this movie is: One expects Michael to have some humour to go with his razor sharp points but I didn't find much to laugh about. And of course since this movie's release, the situation has seen little improvement.
Of course, you can complain about Michael's one sided approach but you can't say the end effect is a searing experience

Man Bites Dog

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Man Bites Dog (C'est arrivé près de chez vous)!

Original image located here. Accessed 24th March 2023

We got a challenge and a half here: A Belgian movie from the early nineties that has the reputation of being one of the most controversial movies ever made. If you, the person reading this, haven't heard of it then it's for a very good reason.
Well, I've seen movies in my time and I have certainly seen some unsettling stuff in my time, so there will be nothing left that some truly disturb me, right?

So what this movie is is the product of a group of movie fans: It tells the story of a film crew that follows a serial killer around as he.....does things.
Naturally, this is an amateur production and it shows: It is black and white, is cheaply shot and is relying on a strength of ideas.
Needless to say, it should come to no surprise that there is a lot of violence, black humour and obviously exists to provoke and challenge the audience.
Yet at the same time, this was a slog to get through. The mood was grim, the jokes are few and far between (at least for me) and the lead character isn't really likeable (although one gets the impression that was precisely the point). I mentioned above that i have seen some unsettling material in my time but this is less that and more dull. I should also point out that I was watching an edited version where the most nastiest moment was cut out (mercifully?)
It should be noted that this movie came out in 1992 - the same year that Quentin Tarantino announced himself to the world with Reservoir Dogs. I mention this becuase both that and this movie seem to share the same DNA. The difference is that Man Bites Dog comes across as Reservoir Dogs' dour goth cousin - but alas such a description sounds far more compelling than the actual movie.
Damn...

Will Penny

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Will Penny!

Original image located here. Accessed 17th March 2023

As regular readers would know, I like a good western so we arrive at this: a 1968 western with Charlton Heston in the lead role. I can't say I care much for Heston (especially since his disastrous appearance on Bowling for Colombine) but he did single this movie out as his favourite role and the one he was most proud of. Well, sounds like a challenge to me..

In retrospect, there is no denying that this is Heston's show all the way. He has a commanding presence and certainly shows a degree of commitment. So much so, one would think that he is in a separate movie when compared to the antagonists. It has been observed that said villains are the clique version of the west whilst Heston's character represents the more actual representation - and that is one assessment I do agree with.
So what we have here is the story of an aging gunslinger who falls in with a woman and her son and subsequently gets a glimpse of a life he could've led. Certainly a compelling scenario and a lot is certainly done with it.
So yeah, good movie.

Brazil

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Brazil!

Original image located here. Accessed 10th March 2023

Lets talk about Terry Gilliam for a moment.
For me there are two sides to Terry Gilliam. One is the member of Monty Python. the other is the filmmaker. And while I am certainly familiar with the former, it is the latter that is alien to me. From the outset, Terry Gillian is a filmmaker that makes bizarre movies that tend to be box office flops.
Still, I have seen two films of his: Monty Python and the Holy Grail (which is still funny no matter how times I've seen it) and 12 Monkeys (which baffled teenage me). So let us take a look at one of Terry's best known movies then, shall we?

Watching this movie it soon becomes clear that this is not the most comprehensible thing in the world. The plot is indeed confusing and semes to take many hard turns that it is difficult to keep up.
But really let's be honest: the film's strengths are in it's visuals, conveying a dystopian society loaded with jabs at bureaucracy and an oppressive atmosphere. The art direction is incredible, what with towering cityscapes and many crazy devices of varying usefulness. There certainly is a business to this film with a lot going on and little details that are one can't help but pick up on them.
So yeah, what this movie lack in plot engagement it more than makes up for it in creativity and some truly dark humour. It's like 1984 if George Orwell took a lot more acid
Perhaps I should explore more of Terry Gilliam's oeuvre....

Far From the Madding Crowd

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Far From the Madding Crowd!

Original image located here. Accessed 3rd March 2023

Once again, we have a case of me watching a movie that I put on my 'to watch' list so long ago that I forgot why I put on said list in the first place. Still, the distance presents an advantage: I am effectively going into this one blind.

So what this movie presents is an adaptation of the novel by Thomas Hardy. Well I once read Tess of the d'Urbervilles and I'm not in any hurry to read it again. Still, this appears to be cut from the same cloth but less relentlessly grim (thankfully).
So what we have here is the story of a woman who juggles running a farm with her independence and the attentions of three potential suitors. Indeed it is the romance that intrigues me: Throughout the movie, I was wondering if there's a fandom attached to this book, rallying behind the banners of Team Oak, Team Boldwood and Team Troy. And I was hoping for a three-way standoff between them (like in The Good The Bad and the Ugly).

Jokes aside however, I liked this movie a lot. Special mention must go to the landscape shots, the music and the presence of the lead Carey Mulligan. And whatever misgivings I may have about Hardy, the story is certainly compelling and the makers of this film told in a stunning way.
Favourite line: "I intend to astonish all of you"