The Man Who Wasn't There

 

Courtesy of The Criterion Collection

The masters of the genre twist, Joel and Ethan Coen, known mostly as the Coen Brothers, know exactly how to follow up on a hit. Releasing O Brother Where Art Thou? in 2000 to critical praise and award nominations as well as box office success, they decided that their next film was to be the slow burn neo-noir, a genre they are very comfortable in, The Man Who Wasn’t There. An ironic title as this is probably one of the least talked about or mentioned films in their catalogue. Unlike O’Brother, The Man Who Wasn’t There was not a box office success, nor did it really click with audiences, though critics on the whole admired it. Joel and Ethan did actually win Best Director at Cannes the year of release, a joint win with David Lynch for Mulholland Drive, but its a fact that is quietly forgotten about. The cinematography was universally praised and definitely reflected in the nominations for their frequent collaborator Roger Deakins, yet apart from these facts, the film has remained a piece of background history. Obviously seeing something in the film and believing it deserved its turn in the spotlight, the Criterion Collection has chosen to release a 4K version, giving fans of the Coens a chance to revisit it as well as curious new viewers to witness this unusual yet straightforward film.

Full review over at Filmhounds. 

Birth

Courtesy of the Criterion Collection

 

Jonathan Glazer has carved out a niche in the film world, directed four features (so far) but each so very different as the last. Story, genre, cast and setting may divide Glazer’s filmography but the atmospheric, cold, stylised and quietly unhinged tone in each film is undoubtedly Glazer’s signature. Released in 2004, Birth, screened in competition at Venice and garnered attention, even earning Nicole Kidman award nominations. However, the film wasn’t received with open arms from the critics, citing the film suffered from a disorganised plot and rather uncomfortable scenes. With the film’s Criterion Collection release, we are offered another opportunity to re-watch this strange and melancholic psychological drama about grief and obsession.

Ten years after the death of her husband Sean, Anna accepts a proposal from her new boyfriend, Joseph. One day a 10 year old boy visit’s Anna’s family’s apartment claiming to be her deceased husband Sean and urges her not to marry Joseph. As Sean persists he is telling the truth, everyone doubts the boy’s claim, except for Anna who starts to hold out hope that maybe he really is Sean reincarnated.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Crossing Delancey

 

Isabelle enjoys working in a New York City bookstore and the carefree lifestyle she maintains outside of work. But on her weekly visits to her beloved grandmother on the Lower East Side, she met with desperate pleas for her to settle down with a nice Jewish man. Despite Isabelle’s instance on wanting to be single, she is forced to meet with a marriage broker and even an awkward date with local pickle seller, Sam. While Isabelle believes she can do better than the well-meaning Sam, she starts to entertain a crush on celebrated Dutch-American author Anton who frequents her bookstore. Through mishaps and misunderstandings Isabelle finds herself in a romantic bind of what to do.

Full review over at Filmhounds.

Risky Business

 

You know the scene, you know that image of very young Tom Cruise’s grinning face in sun glasses, you already know something about the film even if you’ve never seen it. Sliding around the floor in just his socks, underwear and shirt, parents gone, house to himself. This scene is the one that everyone has seen before. But what’s incredible is that this is but a snippet of what Risky Business is about. 

 

When his parents go away on holiday, leaving him in the house alone, High School senior Joel decides to make the most of it. After been hounded by his friends, Joel invites call girl Lana over. But after a night of sexual pleasure, Joel finds himself stuck with never ending problems, including having to fix up his father’s prized car. To try and help, as well as helping herself, Lana convinces Joel to have party, he invites his friends and she’ll invite her friends/co-workers.

With the famous scene near the start of the film, there is room to sink in and just watch the chaos ensue as Joel makes one bad decision after another. Joel’s naivety is what brings him down throughout the film. Teased by his friends for not having sex yet, practically hoodwinked into ending up with a call girl and then being abandoned when he needs help, at least they all show up for his extra special party. Joel can do no right in this film, except maybe in Lana’s eyes. Despite the mad dash to the finish line to have everything in the house back in order, all it takes is one tiny crack in a glass egg for his parents to be disappointed. The sense that, Joel was doomed no matter what, makes the film have a slight scent of reality and grounds the whole story just for a minute.

Unlike his friends, Joel isn’t shown to have a special skill or academically inclined, he’s painted as an average, half decent guy just trying to get through high school. But he comes into his own when he must ‘sell’ the party to his friends. Though, enticing wealthy teenage boys to come to a party with lots of willing beautiful girls isn’t a tough sell. But still, Joel seems to be finally in his element and there’s even a hint to that typical Tom Cruise ‘charm’ that we’ll see in all his later films. Pairing opposite Cruise is Rebecca De Mornay as Lana, who almost matches his energy. Coming across as someone who takes opportunities where she can Lana is an enigma and unlike Joel who we seen some development, Lana remains a mystery. We’re never quite sure who truthful she’s being, anything she does to ‘help’ Joel is also beneficial for her. From over dramatic and ethereal entrance to her ambiguous last few lines, Lana never gives too much away, which would be infuriating if the story was over a longer period but a week, she’s just a base character, she could have been more.

There’s no question as to why this 80’s teen comedy is considered a classic. It is not just the breakout roll from one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, it represents a teenage boy’s dream and pure farcical entertainment at naïve boys for the teenage girls, a common trend in 80s teen movies. Risky Business is entertaining and though would never have worked outside its release era, there’s still many laughs to be had.

Le Samouraï

 

The elusive hitman story is one that we have seen many times portrayed on the big screen over the years from around the world but Jean-Pierre Melville’s Le Samouraï is a story that has influenced other filmmakers and films across the crime, neo-noir genres. It’s the silhouette we know so well, the coat and hat we usually associate with a detective that now is synonymous with the hitman too.

Full review over at Filmhounds HERE.

UK Criterion Collection 5th Anniversary

 

Today marks the 5^th anniversary of the Criterion Collection releases in the UK. Usually, I wouldn’t make such a fanfare about something like this BUT as an avid collector I think it needs celebrating.

 

The collection landed in the UK with only a few choice titles, the cult documentary Grey Gardens, the award-winning It Happened One Night, Only Angels Have Wings, silent slapstick Speedy, and Tootsie. I immediately bought It Happened One Night as this is a favourite of mine. I already a couple of editions from the US but now I could just collect without the worry of shipping fees!

 

With releases each month, including the very fancy boxsets for Godzilla: The Showa-Era films as well as beautifully crafted editions such as The Grand Budapest Hotel and Moonrise Kingdom that came with extras that any collector would be very pleased with, the collection now has over 150 titles available in the UK.

 

Personally I’m looking forward to completing my Wes Anderson collection but I am looking forward to some Coen brothers films being released but until then Happy Birthday UK Criterion!

#Criterion5thBirthday

The Collection

 

The Criterion Collection has long been an infamous and desirable collection that all film collectors have coveted. Having only been available in North American and the corners of the internet that make these editions with the grasp of a collector. As the Criterion collection is forever growing, with some titles being unavailable and out of print, it seems at times, an impossible achievement to collect them all or even the titles that you want the most. For some reason, I thought back to my childhood when, like many Millennials who actually admit it, I collected Beanie Babies. I believe it started when I was 8 or 9 and I was given one for my birthday. I wasn’t an avid toy collector at the time, I like my pens, books, child size post offices so when this little dog landed in my lap I was confused. But it didn’t stop there. As well as this dog, Wrinkles, I was gifted a cat (forgotten the name) and a leopard, Freckles. With these three in my hands, something clicked. I could collect more! 

 

In just a few weeks, I had Ringo the raccoon, Pouch the kangaroo and Nuts the squirrel. These were my first 6 Beanie Babies. Over the years I had in my collection 67, which may not seem like that many considering how many other people had at the time of the Beanie Babies boom. My friend and I were competing over who had the bigger collection, she definitely won by a mile because she used to buy a handful at a time it seemed and her Grandad doted on her so bought her as many as she liked. I was a modest collector to be honest, where I went far but not too far. I did of course buy a couple of editions of the magazine and I did collect the cards too (still have those) and my dad did take me to a Beanie Babies fair once. I was so happy with my three purchases as well as some cards and tag protectors and then I saw my friend role up and point to the bags full of swag in the back of the car. That’s when I thought, maybe there is such a thing as too much. I was still very happy with the three I had bought. Fast forward to today and the Beanie Babies that remain are boxed away in my parent’s attic, waiting for the day they will be worth something. A few have disappeared or given away over the years and I still have my favourite one with me (Waddle the penguin) along with the card collection. I still hope they can be sold but until TY stops making them, they’ll remain in the attic. The way this collection ended is how I worry about my other collections I have started over the years will go. Despite not collecting soft toys at a child, at least not that many, I still had a large Sylvanian Family collection, boxed up in my parents shed and a Polly Pocket collection, solely from the 90s era, safely stowed away in a box in my old bedroom. My extensive card collection which included many Beanie Babies cards, a handful of Pokemon cards I found in a car park, the PG Tips cards my Nana used to save for me and a loud of The Two Towers stickers which must be saved at all costs, the whole lot is with me right now. Why? Because I just can’t bear to part with them. This is the case with all the other collections. I realise I have a habit, may it be good or bad, of starting collections. My mug collection had got me into many a massive argument with my parents when I Iived at home and has since been thinned out, taking only the precious few with me to my flat. My postcard collection, which I still have, has not been added to in a long while because I have actively stopped myself in obtaining any more. My tarot deck collection has grown to the point where I sold off a few and stopped buying so many. Even books I have slowed down in the last year as I know I have too many. I don’t buy physical CDs anymore, haven’t for years, plus they are outdated now. I own a handful of vinyls and that’s all I want. I don’t need a big collection of those. I stopped buying so many Funko Pops because I could see the trap I was falling into. Sold off some of those too. But when it comes to film, I will never stop collecting DVDs and Blu-rays. 

The reason why people collect is something ingrained in them when they are young. We desire something and we must have it. Collecting is essentially desiring something, which is a strange way to put it but absolutely true. Collecting has been described as an addiction and I very well believe that is the case. Just like caffeine is addictive. An acceptable vice in society. As obvious as the negative side to collecting is, the positives outweigh the negative. There is community, there are way to meet people with similar interests (not talking about Beanie Babies now) and of course the personal feeling of accomplishment and the inevitable joy of adding something new to the collection.

 

I worry that all the other collections I have will end up in the attic of my parents’ house but never my film collection. So many people, growing up, thought that my film collection was ridiculous, they didn’t see the point and thought it was unnecessary. But I would see their shoe collection, their music collection, jewellery, figurines, make up etc and think, why is your collection justified but my film collection isn’t? We all have our vices and mine just happens to be films. Sometimes I do think back to when I would open my cupboard at there the Beanie Babies would be. I knew the TY craze wouldn’t last and as I entered Year 6 (11 years old) I drifted away from them. I moved onto other things, it just happened. I stopped thinking about where I could get my next Beanie Babies fix. Whenever they come up I conversation, my dad liked to remind me when he was on a work trip in the US, how he was running around crazy looking for Beanie Babies, but I think he secretly enjoyed the hunt. My parents collect too. Not the same things as me, but they do like to collect. They judge me for my collections (particularly films and Tarot) because they know what I’m like. I like to collect. People collect what they like to collect and I see no harm in that.

 

Coming back to the Criterion Collection, of which I have a collection within the bigger film collection, I’m happy to continue on picking up titles I’ve been waiting for in the UK as well as looking longingly at those still not available yet.

 

Long Live the Physical Media!!

 

Last year, right at the start of the first Lockdown I had the idea to start making zines. Not the film ones I make from time to time but real pen and paper and photocopy zines. I managed to put together a few pages but, in all honesty, it wasn't my best work. I salvaged the best pages and will be adding them to something I'm putting together for my 10-year anniversary of this blog. One page that I kept was a rant, a train of thought, relevant for the time, about owning DVDs and Blu rays. Apologies for the scattered handwriting. This reveals how crazy my handwriting is.

Despite streaming services being the go-to for most people, including myself, to watch films, TV, music and the odd audiobook, physical media is being kept alive by the collectors. The ‘old’ media that entertained us when we were young is always looked upon fondly now and resurrected for a nostalgia trip. As we’ve all been kept inside away from everything, these nostalgia trips are happening quite frequently. I’d love to go through the boxes still at my parents that I know contain cassette tapes, videos and there’s even a shoe box with the last of my CD collection I couldn’t get rid of. I used to be the proud owner of a large audiobook collection, mostly children’s and young adult books, quite a few Jaqueline Wilson tapes and a few Jane Austen tapes, as well as a few odd ones that I never heard of anywhere else, The Weirdstone of Brisingamen anyone? With only a few videos surviving, half of which are recorded, I had tried to convert this collection to DVDs but some I couldn’t find. Without these boxes of nostalgia to pour over, I’ve looked to collection that I moved with.

 

It’s been said that the Millennials are the ones keeping physical media alive, having grown up in an age without everything at our fingertips or having the ease of streaming services for anything you could dream of. But I also think there has been a resurgence of the ‘special/limited edition’ that has caught the eye of those who collect. Distributors like Arrow and the Criterion collection are going strong with these releases, bringing cult classics into the new era and those long-forgotten gems out of the dark for new audiences to discover. Other labels such as Indicator, Vintage Classics and 101 Films focusing different genres, also offering extra features and physical extras too. Bringing out new releases to celebrate an anniversary or even just a ‘first time’ release is an opportunity. These are all for the collectors, of which I thought there were few but after a search on Instagram with the right hashtags, I find that I am most definitely not alone or at least it’s not just film writers and Film Twitter out there. The appeal of physical media is not a niche thing as I had thought.

 

My scribbles from last year were in frustrated response to digital copies being deleted as and when companies wish rendering bought digital copies useless. For anyone who loves to own the real thing, there will always be DVD/Blu ray and now 4K releases. Vinyl made its way back from being 50p in a charity shop to back on the shelves, cassette tapes are also having a mini comeback. CDs might not have the same appeal, but, you never know.

 

Noirvember: Mildred Pierce

SPOILERS

Based on the novel by James M. Cain, the story about a woman who separates from her husband and has to provide for her two daughters in 1930s. She gets work as a waitress and soon decides to open her own restaurant. She becomes a success and remarries again but she is forever plagued by her demanding elder daughter, Veda, who looks down on her mother throughout her life, no matter what she does. It seems an unusual plot from Cain as he is known for his crime stories but director Michael Curtiz creates a very different beast entirely.

Changing the ending and parts of the story, Curtiz creates a film noir of sorts with Joan Crawford in the title role. The stereotypical roles of the genre are askew and don’t follow the normal pattern, instead it is the camera angles and the superb lighting, especially in the more dramatic moments that make this one the better films of its genre. The film is seen as flashback from Mildred’s point of view as she explains what has happened in the last 4 years to a police detective after she finds out her second husband has been murdered. Cutting back and forward from the past to the present, it unravels as to who the murderer could be.

Crawford is brilliant as the tortured and troubled Mildred, having come from nothing, working her way up in the world, becoming a successful businesswomen when not many thought she could, should be an achievement but Mildred is torn down by her demanding arrogant daughter Veda. Unlike the original novel, Veda eventually gets her comeuppance. Mildred’s strange devotion to her spiteful daughter is elevated when her youngest Kay, dies suddenly and she puts everything into pleasing Veda which is ultimately her downfall.

Veda is actually part of the cause of Mildred’s divorce and downfall. She says at one point that she believes that Veda looks down on her which is why she seeks her approval. Veda’s hate for her mother and where she is from is unexplained, except for when she blames her mother for spoiling her, she bites the hand that feeds her and thinks she is entitled to a better life for no reason. Veda’s character isn’t given depth beyond her childish demands and selfish plans, leaving much of the dramatic to her mother. Mildred changes throughout the film, her character and confidence but she is plagued by her past and told she is worth nothing, Veda is her reminder of this which is why, when the ties are finally cut, she is distressed and relieved at the same time. She is finally free of her demon and can start again, but this time for herself.

A fantastic film, that may be dark and violent, which isn’t just the murder at the start, at least there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

For more #noirvember, follow @little_sister_filmnoir

 

This was originally published on Vulturehound in 2017