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Reviews
Isle of Dogs (2010)
Twisting and intense. Limey-crime at it's best!
Isle of Dogs is a taut thriller, the tale of a kept woman, struggling between her criminal husband and a young lover.
That's as much spoiler as you'll get in this review because I would hate to ruin even one of the reveals, which come fast (get your popcorn beforehand) and, just when you think it's out of surprises, think again.
(And again.)
A well-crafted crime-thriller, Isle of Dogs' narrative is smooth, tantalizing as the pieces come together and the drama builds. Rather than abusing non-linear techniques as a gimmick, it uses them to accent the narrative, giving the viewer WHAT they need to know WHEN they need to know it.
Fans of early Brain Michael Bendis' comics (Jinx, Torso, Goldfish) will certainly get this film, which is paced, and unravels, more like a classic Eastwood western than a contemporary lime-y-crime. And it's foolish to compare this film to a Guy Ritchie shoot-em-up just because of the locale. While it packs PLENTY of action and some marvelously grotesque shocks, there is a depth of character and tragedy here that goes well beyond the standard cockney-crime offering.
(And again.) (sorry, another unexpected, awesome reveal)
Sutton is clearly an actor's director, giving her cast the freedom to breathe, to spit (!), and to turn in stellar, layered performances. Edward Hogg, Barbara, Nedeljakova, and especially Andrew Howard are all performers who own their camera time and Sutton is gifted enough to capture the nuances that might otherwise be lost. Her direction makes even the most mundane of events intriguing, sometimes juxtaposing an almost Kubrikian stillness of camera with scenes of dramatic, sweeping motion. She frames shots for impact and knows how to capture moments for their chill factor. (I'll personally never forget the body dragged past the doorway in her film, Sutures).
From the title (a subtle metaphor for loyalty and captivity), to Worman's score (eerie with f'n' attitude), this film hooked me all the way through and, several times, had me shouting out loud.
(And again.) (Yeah, those twists just keep coming.)
The Exorcist III (1990)
Blatty never underestimates the intelligence of his audience.
Nobody writes dialogue like William Peter Blatty.
To compare this film with the first Exorcist is as unfair as comparing the first two Alien films. The nature of each original is so different from its sequel.
And let's forget Exorcist II, a lowbudget misfortune, unrelated to its parent feature and pumped out to capitalize on a Hollywood success.
Exorcist III is the adaptation of Legion, Blatty's sequel novel to the Exorcist.
It is directed with an unsettling eye, sometimes tricking us into believing solid matter is passable, spirits are transient, and murder is a creative art form. Most impressive is that none of this is achieved via visual effects.
Writer/director Willam Blatty uses dialogue, camera angles, sounds, sound editing and other cinematic legerdemain to fool us. All this is in aid to the performances of The Two Towers' Brad Dourif, The Exorcist's Jason Miller and Patton's George C. Scott, all of whom delivered brilliant dialogue with frightening intensity.
Perhaps the greatest tragedy here is the Academy overlooking this film for best sound editing, particularly in regards to the eerie oscillations worked throughout the vocal tracks. I have never seen it executed this well, before or since.
The film may seem slow to some viewers, but its even pace just allows us to smell the dead roses along the way.
Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
True to the spirit if not the book. Lasts the test of time.
Truly delightful.
Perhaps it's too much to expect that a boy who physically captures Charlie Bucket should also have a singing voice. We might, however, hope for his shortcomings to be concealed by a better voice than Jack Albertson's.
Still, neither flaw can detract from this film's truly original and entertaining score. Songs and story that continue to last the test of time.
Likewise, Gene Wilder's eccentric and mischievous Wonka is a joy to watch. The true gems, however, are the subtle interactions of the veteran actors portraying family, particular Mr. Salt.
Morals and magic abound, captured with such eloquence by Wonka himself with the wisdom, "We are the music makers and we are the dreamers of the dreams."