Manbiki kazoku

English title: Shoplifters

Genre: crime drama  

With: Lily Franky (Osamu Shibata), Sakura Andô (Nobuyo Shibata), Kirin Kiki (Hatsue Shibata), Mayu Matsuoka (Aki Shibata), Jyo Kairi (Shota Shibata), Miyu Sasaki (Yuri Hojo), Sôsuke Ikematsu (4 ban-san)

Director: Hirokazu Koreeda

Screenplay: Hirokazu Koreeda

Release: 2018

Studio: AOI Promotion, GAGA, Fuji TV Movies et al.

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.4/10

  

The More the Merrier  

 

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Story-line: one winter evening, after shoplifting a grocery store, Osamu and his son Shota hear a noise in a back alley and see a little girl alone inside a cold building. Moved by her helplessness, Osamu decides to bring her home to his family.

Pluses: top-level acting by an endearing cast (in spite of their characters’ faults), professional direction, an intelligent and understated screenplay that develops naturally and musters a full range of situations and emotions, credible production values, attractive cinematography, a versatile musical score and a surprising ending.

Minuses: (1) to help you understand the plot without revealing too much of it, I should mention that the main characters here are Osamu, Nobuyo (his lady), Shota (their teenage ‟son”), Aki (Nobuyo’s ‟sister”) and Hatsue (‟Grandma”), who live together as a loosely structured family of odd jobbers and shoplifters; Yuri, the little girl, will become its sixth member. (2) One piece of advice: this film needs a full 30 minutes to introduce its characters and prepare for takeoff; it may feel mundane at first but your patience will be amply rewarded later on.

Comments: SHOPLIFTERS is a very well-made, complex and intriguing film that becomes increasingly poignant – and astonishing – as you follow the Shibata family through thick and thin. This Oscar and BAFTA nominee and Palme d’or winner caught me off guard with its slowly developing but potent drama. 

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Pickpocket

Genre: psychological drama (in black and white)

With: Martin La Salle (Michel), Marika Green (Jeanne), Pierre Leymarie (Jacques), Jean Pélégri (the Police Inspector), Dolly Scal (Michel’s mother), Kassagi (the first accomplice), Pierre Étaix (the second accomplice)

Director: Robert Bresson

Screenplay: Robert Bresson

Release: 1959

Studio: Lux, Compagnie Cinématographique de France

Rating: G

MBiS score: 8.5/10 

 

‟I had made my decision some days before. But would I have the nerve?” 

 

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Story-line: one day at the Longchamp racetrack, while anxious bettors throw money on thoroughbreds, Michel looks for a chance to pick someone’s pocket. Given an opportunity, he seizes it, experiences great pleasure as he leaves the track… but is promptly arrested by plainclothes policemen.

Pluses: fine performances by Martin La Salle (the meticulous and taciturn Michel), Marika Green (a quietly brave Jeanne) and cast, restrained direction, a patient, disciplined and surprising screenplay notable for its pauses, shifty characters and spare dialogues, strikingly spartan production values, a discreet but ever supportive musical score and a challenging ending.

Minuses: none I can think of. However, as noted when I reviewed A MAN ESCAPED, you will need several minutes to get used to Robert Bresson’s cryptic, radical moviemaking.     

Comments: this sketchy, introspective and minimalist film shares the seriousness of Truffaut’s psychological studies and the philosophical underpinnings of Camus’s great existential novel, The Stranger. Bresson’s work is about ideas as much as action as it toys with Michel’s weaknesses, hidden desires and inability to communicate. Intelligent, original, even daring, PICKPOCKET ably demonstrates that less is more, in a vein that reminded me of David Mamet’s excellent HOUSE OF GAMES. It also serves as a warning to us all: do be careful when in a crowd or a public place. 

 

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Becket 

Genre: historical drama 

With: Richard Burton (Thomas Becket), Peter O'Toole (King Henry II), Donald Wolfit (Bishop Folliot), David Weston (Brother John), Sir John Gielgud (King Louis VII of France), Martita Hunt (Empress Matilda, Henry’s mother), Pamela Brown (Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine, Henry’s wife), Gino Cervi (Cardinal Zambelli), Paolo Stoppa (Pope Alexander III), Percy Herbert (Baron), Siân Phillips (Gwendolen), Inigo Jackson (Robert de Beaumont), Felix Aylmer (Archbishop of Canterbury)

Director: Peter Glenville

Screenplay: Edward Anhalt (based on Jean Anouilh’s play, translated by Lucienne Hill)

Release: 1964

Studio: Paramount Pictures, Keep Films

Rating: PG-13

MBiS score: 8.6/10 

 

‟Oh Lord, how heavy thy honor is to bear.” 

 

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Story-line: circa 1170, some 104 years after William the Conqueror and his Norman armies seized England and began oppressing its Saxon population, his great grandson Henry II sits uneasily on the throne. Denounced and humiliated, he travels reluctantly to Canterbury in order to make peace with his deceased Saxon friend, Thomas Becket, the former Archbishop with whom he had quarreled on issues of great import.   

Pluses: superb acting by Richard Burton (as a serious, humble Becket) and Peter O’Toole (a scheming, fiery Henry), a fine supporting cast, a virile and very credible screenplay characterized by the gravity of its subject, acute dialogues and moments of cinematic magic (one symbolic scene begins under blue skies and ends under cloud cover as Thomas and Henry forge a fragile truce), first-rate cinematography, impressive production values and an imposing musical score.

Minuses: if this strong movie doesn’t captivate you from the start, don’t despair! Things pick up admirably around the 28-minute mark.

Comments: BECKET is a hefty film rich in drama, ideas and ideals, a fitting example of English historical cinema (although based on a French play, no less!). In spite of their closeness, you can always sense a latent antagonism between our protagonists, a discord that will be set ablaze when Henry bestows on his friend an honor that would weigh heavily on anyone, even the noble Thomas Becket. As the great Saint Augustine once said, “There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future”. Thomas Becket certainly answers to this quintessential description. 

 

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Ascenseur pour l’échafaud

English title: Elevator to the Gallows

Genre: suspense film (in black and white)

With: Jeanne Moreau (Florence Carala), Maurice Ronet (Julien Tavernier), Georges Poujouly (Louis), Yori Bertin (Véronique, Louis’s girlfriend), Jean Wall (Simon Carala, Florence’s husband), Iván Petrovich (Horst Bencker), Elga Andersen (Frieda Bencker), Lino Ventura (Cherrier)

Director: Louis Malle

Screenplay: Roger Nimier, Louis Malle and Noël Calef (based on Calef’s novel)

Release: 1958

Studio: Nouvelles Éditions de Films

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.7/10

 

 

Basic Math for Extramarital Affairs: 3 - 1 = 2 

 

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Story-line: from a phone booth somewhere in Paris, Florence contacts her lover Julien, who is still working on this Saturday evening, and tells him how eager she is to see him. ‟When it’s done, she says, you’ll come in your big car… I’ll get in next to you… and we’ll be free.” The ‟it” she is referring to is the murder of Simon Carala, her husband and Julien’s boss.

Pluses: fine acting by an ardent Jeanne Moreau, a cool and calculated Maurice Ronet and a solid cast, a deliberate, chilling screenplay that uses snippets of humour to balance out its gravity and keeps its best moments for the final act, stylish direction by a top-notch helmer, Henri Decaë’s superb monochrome cinematography, quality production values, a marvellous musical score by Miles Davis and an explosive ending.

Minuses: none I can think of.

Comments: this stunning film recounting one eventful weekend in and around Paris is remarkable not only for its potent drama but also for its treatment of Jeanne Moreau’s status as a cinematic sex symbol. In scenes that pop up like running gags at different stages of the movie, you will notice that (1) wherever she goes, people can’t help staring at her and (2) when you see her walking, even in dire circumstances, she doesn’t seem particularly hurried (nobody rushes Madame Moreau, capisce?). The hypnotizing ASCENSEUR POUR L’ÉCHAFAUD, a masterwork by one of the main proponents of the nouvelle vague, is intriguing, arty and memorable. Love, whether adult or adolescent, can be a very dangerous thing.

 

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Don’t Look Now

Genre: horror movie

With: Julie Christie (Laura Baxter), Donald Sutherland (John Baxter), Hilary Mason (the visually impaired Heather), Clelia Matania (Wendy, Heather’s sister), Massimo Serato (Bishop Barbarrigo), Renato Scarpa (Inspector Longhi), Leopoldo Trieste (the Hotel Manager), Nicholas Salter (Johnny Baxter), Sharon Williams (Christine Baxter), David Tree (Anthony Babbage), Ann Rye (Mandy Babbage)

Director: Nicolas Roeg

Screenplay: Allan Scott and Chris Bryant (based on a story by Daphne Du Maurier)

Release: 1973

Studio: Casey Productions, Eldorado Films, D.L.N. Ventures Partnership, Paramount

Rating: R

MBiS score: 8.5/10

 

 

In memory of Donald Sutherland (1935-2024) 

 

‟She is dead! Dead, dead, dead, dead, dead!” 

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Story-line: after the death of their daughter Christine at home in England, John and Laura Baxter send their son Johnny to the Babbage boarding school and leave for Venice where John has been hired to restore a 16th century church. Logically, a change of scenery should soothe them as grieving parents… but brute logic has little to do with what’s coming their way.

Pluses: excellent acting by Julie Christie (a vulnerable Laura), Donald Sutherland (the anxious and frustrated John) and a fine cast in less-than-reassuring roles, competent and very guarded direction, an original and unpredictable screenplay that cultivates a strange and ominous mood, high-quality production values, superior cinematography (Anthony B. Richmond makes Venice looks great but also dark and spooky), very effective editing (Graeme Clifford), a scary musical score by Pino Donaggio and a startling ending.

Minuses: although it is usually labelled as a horror movie, DON’T LOOK NOW also deals with paranormal phenomena.  

Comments: this movie’s great strength is its skilful buildup of tension. After a tragic opening, it sets a quiet mood, traces psychological portraits of its characters and then uses a series of events – either meaningless, inexplicable or important – to set the stage for a stunning third act. Unlike run-of-the-mill slasher movies that are long on carnage but short on value, the subtle and persistent DON’T LOOK NOW is disturbing because it remains anchored in reality. This is accomplished cinema, no doubt about it.

  

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M – Eine Stadt sucht einen Mörder

English title: M

Also known as: M le maudit

Genre: crime thriller (in black and white)

With: Gustaf Gründgens (Schränker the Safecracker), Peter Lorre (Hans Beckert), Otto Wernicke (Inspector Lohmann), Ellen Widmann (Frau Beckmann), Inge Landgut (Elsie Beckmann), Theodor Loos (Inspector Groeber), Friedrich Gnaß (Franz the burglar), Fritz Odemar (the Cheater), Paul Kemp (the Pickpocket with Six Watches), Georg John (Heinrich, the blind beggar), Rudolf Blümner (the defender)

Director: Fritz Lang

Screenplay: Thea von Harbou and Fritz Lang (based on an article by Egon Jacobson)

Release: 1931

Studio: Nero-Film AG

Rating: -

MBiS score: 9.0/10 

 

Maniacs Are Bad for Business 

 

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Story-line: when several children disappear and it becomes apparent that a serial killer is on the loose, the government pressures the police commissioner to get results, arrests are made willy-nilly and impatience grows among the citizenry.

Pluses: credible acting all around, modern and active direction, an ingenious, well-written screenplay rich in suspense, pointed dialogues and effective tos-and-fros, able cinematography and editing, good production values and a high-impact ending.

Minuses: if this film doesn’t click for you early on, it will once you reach the halfway point.

Comments: teaming up with Thea von Harbou, his screenwriting partner for the great METROPOLIS, Fritz Lang (1890-1976) proves with this formidable film that inventive and captivating moviemaking already ruled a century ago. What struck me most in M is that its story-line focuses less on the killer – he is identified early on but remains in the shadows until the third act – than on the reaction to his crimes and the frantic attempts to stop him. As I reflect on this work of art, I am reminded of a comment made by Paul Schrader a few years back… that most commercial films are devoid of interest. Considering Schrader’s vast contribution to cinema, I respect his opinion and share his love for the classics. More than a movie, M is a marvel, a monument, a masterpiece. 

 

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Metropolis

Genre: futuristic fable (silent, in black and white)

With: Gustav Fröhlich (Freder Fredersen), Brigitte Helm (Maria/Machine Man), Alfred Abel (Johann ‟Joh” Fredersen, Freder’s father),  Rudolf Klein-Rogge (C.A. Rotwang, the inventor), Fritz Rasp (the Thin Man), Theodor Loos (Josaphat), Erwin Biswanger (Georgy, number 11811), Heinrich George (Grot, Guardian of the Heart Machine)

Director: Fritz Lang

Screenplay: Thea von Harbou and Fritz Lang (based on Thea’s novel)

Release: 1927

Studio: Universum Film (UFA)

Rating: G

MBiS score: 9.1/10 

 

‟Head and hands need a mediator.” 

 

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Story-line: Freder, whose father rules the great and modern Metropolis, realizes that he owes his pampered lifestyle to a worker underclass slaving away beneath the surface of the city.   

Pluses: convincing performances by Gustav Fröhlich, Brigitte Helm, Alfred Abel and a reliable cast, formidable direction by one of cinema’s greatest helmers, a faultless, very active and well-developed screenplay imbued with symbolism and moral undertones, amazing visuals and special effects, imaginative production values (notice those art deco stylings), an evocative musical score that supports the action and a breathless final act.

Minuses: METROPOLIS doesn’t meet today’s moviemaking standards – along the way, it was altered by misdirected hands – but zealous restoration work has saved it from the brink and made it very watchable. The fact that this is a silent movie doesn’t detract from its value; in my mind, it was probably as demanding on actors as talkies would be later on.

Comments: visually astonishing, intellectually stimulating and always captivating, METROPOLIS illustrates the struggle between good and evil, light and darkness, altruism and thirst for power. In our age that glorifies everything that has come out in the last fifteen minutes and easily forgets the rest, it may seem unpalatable to sit down and watch a century-old movie like this one but, once you get down to it, you will understand why this particular picture has been hailed as one of the greatest ever made. Fritz Lang and crew have produced something colossal, magical and admirable, a milestone in cinematic history.      

 

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Cercle rouge (le)

Genre: crime thriller

With: Alain Delon (Corey), Bourvil (Commissioner François Mattei), Gian Maria Volontè (Vogel), Yves Montand (Jansen), Paul Crauchet (the middleman), Paul Amiot (the Inspector general), Pierre Collet (the prison guard), André Ekyan (Rico), Jean-Pierre Posier (Mattei’s assistant), François Périer (Santi)

Director: Jean-Pierre Melville

Screenplay: Jean-Pierre Melville

Release: 1970

Studio: Corona, Comacico, Euro International Films

Rating: -

MBiS score: 8.6/10 

 

In memory of Alain Delon (1935-2024)

 

‟All men are guilty. They're born innocent, but it doesn't last.” 

 

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Story-line: in Marseille, a dangerous criminal named Vogel is transferred by train under the surveillance of Commissioner Mattei. Meanwhile, a convict named Corey is offered an interesting ‟job” by a prison guard hours before his release. Fate, it seems, has decided that Vogel and Corey will meet in the ‟red circle” and team up for an audacious heist in Paris.

Pluses: a formidable cast generating lots of star power (Alain Delon playing a cool villain, Gian Maria Volontè as his intense partner, Yves Montand with his usual aura and a convincing Bourvil playing the self-assured Mattei), impeccable direction by a master of suspense, a taut, strongly atmospheric screenplay that manages to squeeze in a few funny moments amid the drama, very clean cinematography, intelligent editing, quality production values and a quiet, serviceable musical score.

Minuses: if you avoid this movie because of its length (140 minutes), you will miss plenty… gangland grudges, Vogel’s daring, a pressure-packed manhunt, threats uttered with hushed voices and a breathtaking caper in a fortress jewellery store. LE CERCLE ROUGE served as a sort of last hurrah for Bourvil, who died shortly after its release (leaving us with one more movie) and Jean-Pierre Melville who also contributed one more film before his death in 1973.

Comments: a cold and captivating thriller, LE CERCLE ROUGE proves once again that the name Melville is synonymous with first-rate moviemaking (and if it reminds you of Herman the novelist, you are right… Jean-Pierre Grumbach borrowed his surname out of sheer admiration). This engrossing film, much like Melville’s fascinating UN FLIC, will please all movie buffs.   

 

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Plein soleil

English title: Purple Noon

Genre: suspense drama

With: Alain Delon (Tom Ripley), Maurice Ronet (Philippe Greenleaf), Marie Laforêt (Marge Duval), Frank Latimore (O’Brien), Billy Kearns (Freddy Miles), Erno Crisa (Inspector Ricordi), Ave Ninchi (Gianna the maid)

Director: René Clément

Screenplay: René Clément and Paul Gégauff (adapted from Patricia Highsmith’s novel)

Release: 1960

Studio: Robert et Raymond Hakim, Paris Film et al.

Rating: PG-13

MBiS score: 8.5/10 

 

In memory of Alain Delon (1935-2024) 

 

Sailing Close to the Wind 

 

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Story-line: while travelling in Italy, Philippe Greenleaf is joined by Tom Ripley – an old friend hired by Greenleaf Sr. to bring him back to San Francisco – but goes squarely against his father’s wishes. Having time to kill and money to burn, he would much rather sail around the Mediterranean with his girlfriend Marge than go back to the States accompanied by an escort. Tom, cash-strapped but resourceful, tags along with the couple for what will be a fateful cruise.   

Pluses: excellent performances by Alain Delon, Marie Laforêt, Maurice Ronet and cast, tight, fast-paced direction, an intriguing and intelligent screenplay that keeps the action going, beautifully luminous cinematography (the seascapes are spectacular), very satisfying production values, a varied and quintessentially Italian musical score (by none other than Nino Rota) and a tightrope ending.

Minuses: you may skip this fine thriller if you have seen its 1999 remake, THE TALENTED MR. RIPLEY (critics have hailed both films… although some have given a slight edge to PLEIN SOLEIL).

Comments: this cold, mysterious and nerve-racking film keeps you guessing with its psychological battles, surprises and multiple twists. Seeing PLEIN SOLEIL is like spending a whole summer day outside in the glorious sun… and feeling a noticeable, uncontrollable chill once darkness falls.   

 

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© 2024 – All rights reserved

Der Himmel über Berlin

English title: Wings of Desire

Genre: supernatural drama (in black and white/colour)

With: Bruno Ganz (Damiel), Solveig Dommartin (Marion the trapezist), Otto Sander (Cassiel), Curt Bois (Homer the aged poet), Peter Falk (the movie star), Hans-Marrin Stier (the dying man), Elmar Wilms (a sad man), Lajos Kovács (Marion's trainer)

Director: Wim Wenders

Screenplay: Peter Handke and Wim Wenders, with help from Richard Reitinger and Bernard Eisenschitz

Release: 1987

Studio: Road Movies Filmproduktion, Argos Films, Westdeutscher Rundfunk

Rating: PG-13

MBiS score: 8.8/10 

 

‟Instead of forever hovering above... I'd like to feel a weight grow in me... to end the infinity and to tie me to earth.” 

 

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Story-line: from various sites in Berlin – a rooftop, an incoming passenger jet, busy streets – angel Damiel observes humans dealing with earthly problems and tries to comfort them with the help of fellow angel Cassiel. One day, however, he wonders aloud what it would be like to be on the other side, to be a human being.

Pluses: persuasive acting by Bruno Ganz (as the reflective Damiel), Otto Sander (his sympathetic partner), Solveig Dommartin, Curt Bois and Peter Falk (in an important and surprising role), essential support from a good cast and a remnant of history (the Berlin Wall), perfect and uncompromising direction, a transcendent, poetic and thought-provoking screenplay, magnificent cinematography and breathtaking visuals, exquisite production values and a dramatic, varied musical score.

Minuses: (1) please remember that the film follows a specific colour code (black and white for angels, colour for humans; angels can be seen by blind people and children but not by adults generally). (2) While striving to show our two angels caring for earthlings at pivotal moments of their lives, the movie does feel disjointed and episodic in its first half but makes up for it later on by focusing brilliantly on its main characters. (3) Considering its philosophical point of view and occasional gravitas, this movie may not suit every taste.    

Comments: it is for good reason that most arbiters of the cinematic world (Cannes Festival, New York and Los Angeles Film Critics, National Society of Film Critics, etc.) have hailed Wim Wenders’ splendid work. Arty, conceptual, original and profound, it links the spiritual and secular worlds in daring fashion and takes the viewer on a journey that is sometimes gloomy but ultimately hopeful. Through Homer’s musings, it also bears witness to the scars that still pockmarked Berlin forty years after the war and to the infamous division brought about by the building of the Wall. WINGS OF DESIRE is a masterpiece, a cerebral work that slowly seeps into your system and stays with you like a guardian angel. As for its enigmatic final note (‟To be continued…”), it refers to a 1993 follow-up, FARAWAY, SO CLOSE!, that I may see eventually, God willing…              

 

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