Before night falls

Before night falls (2000)
a film by Julian Schnabel

When I came out of the Diving Bell and the Butterfly I wanted to know everything about Julian Schnabel. I discovered his first film Basquiat, I discovered his paintings and I discovered that he only wears pyjamas. I found Before the night fall and I was staring at the screen for two hours, I was dazzled again by the narrative that strikes with images and sounds that linger after the credits stop crossing the screen.

How impressive it was to find Cuba in this movie, how beautiful was it seeing again the bright green trees that contrast with the peeled white walls and the blue sea. How terrifying was it feeling the enclosure, the fear and the punishment to the free spirit. How amazing was making the trip through this story accompanied by amazing images, evolving as the characters and evocative as the words of Reinaldo Arenas.

I was shocked by tabooed images, I was surprised when I saw Johnny Depp, I was impressed by the portrait of Cuba that is made, but over all of that, I have the satisfaction that comes from witnessing such a tough and touching story when is told in such a great way.

Beautiful people

Beautiful people (2000)
a film by Jasmin Dizdar

It was big jump from the narration I have seen in the previous movies I have watched in ElEkino, it was different to watch this movie and I had great expectations. Although I liked this film and its vibrant narration and its imaginative interaction of stories, I'm missing something and I'm not comfortable with this movie.

I found nice elements in the movie, the light narration and the pintoresque characters mixing in an entertaining story serve as a cartoon to depict the drama and the absurdity of war, as well as the indifference of the rest of the world towards the conflict and its protagonists. However these same characters that serve to tone down this drama into a soft comedy with some moving moments, become sometimes unbelievable and incompatible with developing a more concise story, just as if telling all these stories at the same time diluted any conducting thread.

This film is not my cup of tea, but I can understand that fans of British comedy would love it. For me it was hard to find fresh a story that has been told so many times in the screen using the same elements. Perhaps I spoiled the naivety to approach the movie with an unbiased view but after Kusturica's films I felt this one as already-seen-before. On the other side, I give an important point to this story: it is narration is full of whimsical absurdity, comicality and cheerfulness found in the shocking stories of war, which can easily fall in the pit of bare drama and that instead are told giving a slap in the face of the spectator while stealing a smile.

L'amour en fuite

L'amour en fuite (1979)
a film by Francois Truffaut

Did I spoiled the Doinel cycle starting at the end? I dunno. But it was really fun, and now I want to watch the rest of the films.

I enjoyed how this movie evolved like a simple story, like a personal anecdote. I had the feeling of hearing a story told by a friend, so personal and at some points very intimate, but also very entertaining. I like how the characters seem sentimental and dramatic but still give the feeling of being the guy or the girl next door, although the dialogues are so fluid and sharp.

I found it surprising how many elements in this movie I have liked in more recent French and American films. It was a pleasant surprise to recognize the teared photograph leitmotif from Amelie or the narrator becoming part of the story, or the character making an autobiographical work in an autobiographical film as if this plot was a matryoshka doll.

I like the way in which the edition of the scenes in this movie looks so random but so connected at the same time, I could barely feel the jump to the scenes in other movies and between scenes within the film. I found myself in the train or in the record shop wondering how the movie got me there in the first place.

I really appreciate Truffaut's work because it feels really personal, it is easy for me to feel close to Antoine Doinel and is certainly amusing and moving to see him running here or in The 400 Blows and although at the end of this movie I started to feel this character more static and cartoonish, I look forward watching the rest of this films of this story.

Ninotchka

Ninotchka (1939)
a film by Ernst Lubitsch

After Hiroshima Mon Amour it was hard to make it better, it was hard to keep it up. And then comes Ninotchka and keeps me awake and laughing after midnight. This is a really entertaining story with fluid and witty dialogues that is worth discovering.

I'm amazed by the simplicity of this movie introducing the great topics in such a fresh way, with so much humor and smart words that it is easy to forget the tension back in the date of its release. The problem of balancing individual freedom and equality of right finds an amusing set
in this beautiful love story, so naive in the surface, where you can laugh watching a man falling from his chair and then feel deeply moved as you see four friends saving their eggs to enjoy a meal together.

Scene by scene I was impressed by the dialogues. Each line is really witty and smart making the dialogues flow with lots rhythm while the images were revealing and very human. It is easy to laugh and enjoy with the nice characters as it is easy to be moved by their gestures and their actions. I laughed with the Russian trio as I felt sorry for Ninotchka in the middle of the situation that split her soul.

And there is Garbo. What an amazing character she makes of Ninotchka. From the memorable lines when she first arrives to her hopeful look in the ending scene I wanted to follow the evolution of this character, and I wanted more and more of her. You follow her while her ideas are challenged and you make the trip with her, it moved my heart and exalted my ideas. How transparent is the conflict between love and ideals when you see Ninotchka's eyes, how amazing is her smile and seeing her raise her eyebrow when she is completely serious. Garbo laughs. Garbo talks. Garbo rocks!

Hiroshima Mon Amour

Hiroshima mon amour (1959)
a film by Alain Resnais

There is a pain in the chest that appears whenever I leave somebody I love to go far away with out knowing when would you see this person again. But what if it did not take long for this person to grow in your heart. What if this person that is about to be present only in your memories also brings back old memories, memories that were buried, painful memories. Does the name of place brings back to the memory the face of a certain person? How alive are the memories? Can the pain of farewell trigger the memories of previous farewells. All these thoughts are crossing my mind after watching Hiroshima mon amour.

All this thoughts summarize what I saw in this movie. The memories being recreated in an absent environment that seems to exist only because of the protagonists, the embraces that are so sweet and painful, the pain and sorrow of farewell. Besides all these abstract and sentimental impressions that I got from the movie I also keep the images: the camera hovering over the streets of Hiroshima and Nevers or following a character on a hallway, the beautiful black and white photography and the city lights in the night, the sweet embraces of the characters.

Not surprisingly this movie gave the kick-off to the Nouvelle Vague of French Cinema. The story-telling bombards the eye with music, images, dialogues. The streets and the city become another character. The takes are creative and give a unique atmosphere to the scenes. This movie delivers something amazing, something fresh but also moving that stays with you after the closing scene.

I was really careful approaching to these movie, comments in favour sounded snobby and comments against gave the impression of lack of patience. But after watching it I feel it is worth taking the time to take a dip on this movie, to make it a personal experience, to let it flow and feel moved.

Sahara

Sahara (1943)
a film by Zoltán Korda

There is something about old war movies. There is something about great speeches in the middle of the battle. There is something of naivety when the bad guys were bad and the good guys were good. There is something of excitement and hope even when war is nothing like this. There is something about Humphrey Bogart as an antihero, as a simple man working beyond the line of duty. All of this is Sahara.

It is easy to see that they made this film in the middle of the war, without the certainty of the victory in Europe but with the hope and spirit to encourage the troops. The speech of the Italian, the lines delivered by Bogart and the evil role of the German are all lines of propaganda directed to the heart of the troops and the American audience, but they are still really entertaining and give testimony of a time where the enemy was clearly evil and the war had to be won for a good cause.

It is really nice to see how each of the soldiers on this pack develops through the film to give an impression of the Allied forces. Each one of them is a picturesque caricature of the forces that were getting together to liberate Europe and it is the intention of this movie to show how despite the great sacrifice it was worth working together. The film shows a personality and a story behind each one of the soldiers that makes them less anonymous, that makes them more interesting. With a stroke of the brush this film delivers a really entertaining story, full of clichés and common places in war films but with a gripping story-telling and great characters. Humphrey Bogart rocks!

Lolita

Lolita (1962)

a film by Stanley Kubrick

How did they ever make a movie of Lolita? Well Stanley Kubrick made it by seducing the audience with what is not shown in the screen and using what you can imagine beyond the images in the film. Grazing the controversy, this film stills feels really fresh and playful even with dealing with a great drama for all the characters.

I was looking forward watching this movie because I like Kubrick's work and I loved Nabokov's book, so I had high expectations and I wasn't disappointed. I really liked the way in which the images through this film kept suggesting and tempting the audience, and starting with the polished credits the movie creates a playful environment where the film dances with the imagination of the audience in the edge of the censorship.

The actress in the role of Lolita does it amazingly and starting with the classic scene in the backyard, I enjoyed seeing her in the screen. She is believable and beyond her dazzling beauty, she keeps the personality depth that makes Lolita an awesome character: she is a liar, she has bad manners, she is whimsical and spoiled. I had a fun time watching her constantly teasing and lying to Humbert Humbert. I also liked Peter Sellers unleashed playing Clare Quilty.

It is amazing how such a shocking situation as it is seeing this mature man doing all possible to reach and keep a young girl, there is still room for comedy and surprises, there is still a room for playful music, there is space for playing La Polonaise when being pointed with a gun, and there is still compassion for the grey Humbert Humbert.

The Parallax View

The Parallax View (1974)

a film by Alan Pakula

Before watching this movie I had never heard of Alan Pakula, I didn't know about "the Paranoia trilogy" and I hadn't read about this movie. It came to me by accident and a lucky accident it was when I found it in the list.

This is a movie from other times. You see passengers traveling in an airplanes as if it was a bus, you see people moving faster than information and you see political assassinations in the news awaking all kind of conspiracy theories. The best of it is that it tells the story without high-tech magical solutions or showing all the explosions and it uses beautiful takes and suspenseful silences instead.

I was surprised by its beautiful shots. The framing was very creative, the takes included beautiful urban landscapes full of geometrical arrays and the softened colors reminded me of the old Kodakchrome-look that is so valued these days.

Although I have seen this story before: an evil corporation working over the law and a stubborn journalist searching stoically for the truth, this movie felt fresh and authentically dark. Don't miss the brain-wash scenes.

Straw Dogs

Straw Dogs (1971)

a film by Sam Peckinpah

When one faces the 1000 best movies ever made it is normal to start watching each movie with a defiant attitude, ready to judge any mistake that would make it unworthy of our own list. I started watching Straw Dogs with this attitude and it blew in my face giving an amazing kick off to EleKino.

I didn't have any previous hint to the plot of this movie and that's exactly how I would recommend approaching to it. The calm voice of Dustin Hoffman drove me all the way through this story. From the surprise recognizing the correct equations of stellar equilibrium in his blackboard to hell breaking loose, to the violence hunting you to a place you can't find shelter.

This story brings a nice detour to make impressions of the American society at this time. With the end of the 60's the dream was over and reality took over. The brutal human condition haunted this character while looking for a quiet space to follow his work in peace and scape from his own country.

This is not a watch-and-go-home movie. The images from this movie keep popping up in my mind and I think of the violent nature of the human beings, the bullying and misogyny, the scientific work always time-thirst as reality keeps developing in brutal ways.

Introducing El eKino

The mission: Watch the 1000 Best Movies ever made according to the Film Critics of the New Yorks Times. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/movies/1000best.html
The objective: Posts critics and comments, learn from the movies and have a fun time.
No time constrains, no predetermined order. I'm starting today. Wish me luck!

“All you need for a movie is a gun and a girl.”
Jean-Luc Godard