Two films of note kind of blew me away in the last week. Mostly because I never watched or don't remember a whole lot about them:
The Rainmaker (1997):
On the surface, it sounds crazy boring about a young lawyer who tries to take down an insurance firm. Based on a Grisham novel and stars a young Matt Damon, a pre-blasting Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, Jon Voight, and Claire Danes.
It's an oddly optimistic movie, both in tone and story. There's really nothing ground-breaking here but it's just a simple plot that is told expertly.
By the end of the film, I wondered, "who the hell directed something so solid?" Yeah, Francis Ford Coppola. I had no idea and it explains a lot. It was also the last mainstream film that he directed... which seems like a shame.
Searching For Bobby Fischer (1993):
I know I watched this as a teen, but have little recollection of it. I imagine it's being pushed on Netflix because of The Queen's Gambit.
It's got a murderer's row of character actors: Joe Mantegna, Ben Kingsley, William H. Macy, Laurence Fishburne, Joan Allen, David Paymer, Tony Shalhoub and Laura Linney. I think I got them all.
Again, a simple plot about a would-be chess prodigy and learning to win/lose. There is no real antagonist (that exists as a character, at least) in the story, so creating conflict is tricky but they nail it.
I tend to ignore the opening credits (I'm working while watching), but again had the same question: "who the hell directed something so solid?" Yeah, Steven Zaillian... who also wrote the damn thing. The same guy who wrote screenplays for Schindler's List, The Irishman, Gangs of New York, Awakenings and Moneyball.
Both of these films, to me, are like a masterclass in film-making and story. I imagine the lack of a broad appeal is why they're not celebrated more.
Search for Bobby Fischer is a fantastic film. Wonderful. I'm going to watch it this weekend.
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Just saw "Black Bear" at Canyon Meadows, incredible. Many layers, it only snapped into view when I got home. Just hit me. Damn that was amazing writing.
It's about a director/actress struggling with writers block. The creative process, inspiration, writing, acting, directing and all dynamics involved in the story. What a film.
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Search for Bobby Fischer is a fantastic film. Wonderful. I'm going to watch it this weekend.
On some streaming services it is called Innocent Moves. Apparently was released under that name in the UK. I just saw it recently scrolling either Netflix or Crave, under that name. Very confusing.
On some streaming services it is called Innocent Moves. Apparently was released under that name in the UK. I just saw it recently scrolling either Netflix or Crave, under that name. Very confusing.
Wonder if it has to do with the fact Bobby Fischer was a rabid anti-Semite.
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It appears Brandon Cronenberg is a chip off the old block as his movie Possessor is a very Cronenberg film. It's violent and not the for the squeamish but an interesting take on a high tech assassins and the resulting identity crisis due to their methods.
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Just watched Waves on Amazon Prime. Had no idea what to expect going in, but in the end really liked it. Very high school genuine, with one of the most innovative soundtracks I've heard in a long time. Recommended.
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Location: A simple man leading a complicated life....
Exp:
Picked up an interesting movie/DVD from the Sally Ann yesterday called "Powder." It's worth watching and has a powerful ending. I believe you can rent this on Amazon and youtube.
"An enigmatic young man with startlingly white skin (albino) and extraordinary abilities is discovered living in the cellar of a remote farmhouse and brought to live in a community that does not quite know what to make of him. Befriended by the head of a school for troubled youths and an enthusiastic science teacher, the young man, known as Powder, demonstrates an astoundingly high IQ and a tremendous compassion to persist regardless of the distrust, hatred, and fear that his presence seems to generate. Ultimately, Powder has a profound effect on all who come in contact with him, but learns that he is the only one who can help himself."
"Freaky" was extremely silly and clichéd but it was hilarious in how bad it was and Alan Ruck gave a beautifully one-note performance. I give it a 3/10.
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