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"

The Holiday

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

Original image located here. Accessed 24th February 2023

This movie came to me as something of a challenge. Because one thing that attracted me was the knowledge that it was a rom com with Jack Black in a key role. Nothing special about that you might think but the writer/director, Nancy Meyers, said the role she gave Jack was one especially written for him. Personally I feel that Jack Black can only play one character so to see him try something different is certainly welcome.

So what we have here is a Christmas movie (two months late I know but stay with me here) where a British woman (Kate Winslet) and an American woman (Cameron Diaz) switch houses and the adventures they have in the other country.
So yeah, I liked this one. Some say the rom-com may be cheesy and archaic but there still much to admire in this movie. Winslet is fun to watch, Black certainly stretches out to try something new and Diaz does this shtick with ease. There's some great laughs and these characters are treated with an empathetic eye. Sure it may be predictable but I will certainly welcome any rom-com that takes it's subjects seriously and doesn't really on gross-out humour and embarrassing situations - must be that feminine touch at play here.
You know, on the DVD case, there's the a critic quote that says that this is better than Love Actually. And I will not contest it.

Sing Street

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

Original image located here. Accessed 17th February 2023

Anyone heard of this? It's a an Irish movie from 2015, telling the story of a Dublin lad who sets out to form a band. Yes we all know the story of teens that form a band (ie School of Rock and K-On!) so what does this movie bring to the table?

To me this movie' strengths lie in it's setting and the music (of course). In it's setting, we see a Dublin in the mid-eighties, what with accents and slang all over the place as well as a glimpse of life in the working class. It may not be pretty but the less-than-glamourous lifestyle gives the film some grittiness which is both different and welcome.
As for the music, we get a whole clutch of UK bands from the era (ie the Clash, the Jam, the Cure, Duran Duran). As this was my era of youth, one would think this would be up my alley. And I will certainly welcome any movie that shows us eighties music without succumbing to the obvious. It's also fun to see our protagonist absorbing what he learnt from hearing new acts.
And our protagonist has an older sibling that proves to be a vital force in his musical education - something that resonates with me
So yeah great movie. And it's also fun to see Aidan Gillen in this too.

Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night

And this week's Friday Night movie has been... Sword Art Online Progressive: Scherzo of Deep Night!

Original image located here. Accessed 10th February 2023

So again we head into the anime well to tackle the latest entrant in a widely-known franchise. meaning we have a niche of a niche here.

For the non-anime geeks among us, Sword Art Online is a widely-known franchise. But it is also quite the polarising one. It has it's fans sure but it has it's haters who cite dull characters, poor plotting, squandered potential and that the abridged series was a considerable improvement.
Personally, I have a soft spot for Sword Art Online as it was the first anime i saw after a number of years away from the medium. It reignited my interest in anime and, later on, proved to be a handy basis to build a relationship around.
That being said, am I aware of the arguments made against Sword Art Online? Yes.
Do I enjoy it regardless? Yes.
Do I think it's two leads, Kirito and Asuna, are a couple worth shipping? Yes.
Do I wish that the makers ditched the rest of potential love interests and focus on these two? Dear God Yes..

And as it happens it helps to be a fan of franchise because in regards to this movie, it provides what you expect. It doesn't do anything different and it won't win over any of it's critics. It's playing to the fandom which is nice if you're in on it but meaningless if you're not.
Its Sword Art Online on autopilot which, as I type those words out, makes me realise how depressing such a notion is.

Brooklyn

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

Original image located here. Accessed 3rd February 2023

Once again, this is a case of a movie that had been on my 'to watch' list for so long I'd forgotten why I put it therein the first place. But I am glad I did around to watching this.

What we have here is a story of an Irish woman who leaves Ireland for opportunities in New York. And right off the bat, this is a unique take as a lot of immigrant stories are male-led - rare is the immigrant story that is female led. And you know what? This movie is indeed marvellous. The location footage is astonishing, the portrayal of Irish in New York is well done and our lead, Saoirse Ronan, does a magnificent job. And, as is often the case, it is not the story that is told but HOW it is told.
Truly a very beautiful movie.

Shane

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

Original image located here. Accessed 27th January 2023

Yep its one of the classic westerns (not least for it's unforgettable closing scene). And given my love for the genre it was inevitable that I would come to this.

In a way this movie surprised me: I went in expecting a standard good vs evil tale where the distinction between the good guys and the baddies couldn't be defined clearer. But what I got was something with some surprising depth.
The gunfights aren't shown in an attractive light (perhaps pointing the way to the ultra-violence of westerns in the 1960s). The mysterious past of Shane isn't elaborated on save for a few tantalising clues (did he and Wilson clash previously?). The scenery is shown in a staggering light. And I will certainly admit that this movie makes a hefty contribition to the romanticisation of Wild West, showing a Wild West outsiders like myself have seen many times before (compared to the likes of, say, The Wild Bunch).
So yeah, a decent movie all round.

Hoop Dreams

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

Original image located here. Accessed 20th January 2023

Sports movies are not one of my favourite genres. Because to me they are seem so formulaic. Seriously, you see one 'Struggling team of no-hopers guided by equally troubled coach achieve against-the-odds success' movie you've seen them all. And when formula is involved, as is often the case, it can be difficult to break away from.
But I will give props to any movie that attempts to do so. So what we have here is a (very long) documentary that follows two kids, who are keen on basketball, trying to make their passion work for them.

Over the course of the documentary we follow the kids, William Gates and Arthur Agee, go from playing basketball in school to doing what it takes to make the NBA tryouts. Along the way, they face challenges such as poverty, injuries, race, getting an education, troubled family lives, finding employment, and staking a lot on eventual success.
Personally whilst my knowledge of basketball may be very limited, I have to admit that the sport itself isn't really the focus here: It's about two kids trying to achieve success despite a whole range of obstacles coming at them. It really showcases what it means to have a dream and the blood, sweat and tears that are involved to make them happen. And to that end the movie succeeds.
Guess it is possible to break the formula.

Gravity

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Gravity!

Original image located here. Accessed 13th January 2023

I've been wanting to see this for quite some time. I like my science fiction to be hard but I will admit it is something of a rarity. Because science fact and dramatic tension don't make the best of bedfellows. Still, I will take my hard science fiction anyway I can.

I guess with this kind of film you will have some grumps complaining that it is completely inaccurate to the will of science. But such an assessment would sell this film short: It is nothing less than astonishing. The weightlessness is incredible, the camera work is jaw dropping and some sequences (such as the 13 minute opening scene) are staggering in their accomplishment. Furthermore, this is a very beautiful looking film with some amazing space shots. I also like the use of silence (after all, there's no air in space and therefore no means of sound to travel) and the protagonist is a compelling one, anchored by Sandra Bullock giving the performance of her career.
Not much to add really: This movie is incredible and worthy of sitting next to the giants of the sci-fi genre.

The Apartment

And this week's Friday night movie has been... The Apartment!

Original image located here. Accessed 6th January 2023

Once again, I approach a movie that has the reputation of being one of the undisputed classics of cinema and being capable of standing steadfast against the ravages of time. And once again, the problem that a such a reputation may not live up to it persists. Still, I am willing to give it a go.

Given that this movie is from 1960, I am surprised that the premise is quite risque: A guy rents out his apartment to swinging couples? And said couples originate from his workplace which gives him leverage to climb the corporate ladder? That sound tremendously out of place for it's time. But what is truly surprising is that the movie itself seems to apply restraint: Anyone else would think such a scenario would be grounds for a farce but not here. It is however, is a thoughtful film, treating it's subjects in an empathetic light. Sure there are laughs but it's the characters put before us that is the real meat of this movie.
Not much to add except that it seems that this movie does indeed still work 63 years later. Which is more than can be said for a fair number of movies that have won the Oscar for Best Picture.