After Dark, My Sweet.
Great choice, by the way!
Pretty sure Bruce Dern was born at the age of 55.
MrTibbs
2725
I’m so glad someone recognized it, and that you liked this wonderful, overlooked 90s neo-noir, Buckaroo.
I feel James Foley had the misfortune of releasing alongside another excellent Jim Thompson adaptation, The Grifters, which had a more high-profile cast, and as a consequence My Sweet never really received the attention it deserved. The film’s biggest champion was Roger Ebert who put it on his “Great Movies” list which shows how highly he thought of it. It paints an incredibly depressing portrait of a triptych of desperate losers drawn together by having bad luck and existing in a dying town near Palm Springs.
I don’t want to spoil it for people who haven’t seen it, but the ex-boxer Jason Patric plays is one of my all-time favorite noir leads; a guy who makes most people’s skin crawl and despite taking too many blows to the head, can still recognize when he’s getting setup. Dern, expectedly, relishes playing a dopey slime ball. If you’re in the mood for something dark and fatalistic, I’ll doubt you’ll be disappointed.
80:80
Unfair that we’re all missing out on seeing the gorgeous Rachael Ward :(
100:100
He looks at least this disheveled for the whole movie!
Over to Buck! :)
Buckaroo
2726
l actually saw it thanks to Mr Ebert myself. l agree completely on what you wrote about Jason Patric’s character. l want to watch it again now!
The next 20:20
Buckaroo
2728
That is indeed Elena, a movie by Andrej Zvyagintsev. l love Leviathan and recently decided to watch everything else the man had done so far. l enjoyed Elena quite a bit too. lt is very well crafted, very subtle. l haven’t yet seen Zvyagintsev more recent movie, Loveless, but plan to watch it as soon as l can.
40:40 (Elena again)
60:60 (more Elena)
80:80 (what did you expect? The movie is called Elena after all…)
100:100 (may be a very light spoiler)
Games help children come to terms with the cruel laws of reality, @charmtrap!
Yeah, Loveless is what made me go back to Elena and Leviathan (and I saw one other, which name I forget now). I can’t recommend it more strongly. Of the four I’ve seen, it remains my favorite.
New20
Songs My Brothers Taught Me?
Yes it is. La camarista (The Chambermaid), one of my favorite film-going experiences of last year.
It’s a debut feature that takes place entirely in a high-rise luxury hotel in Mexico City; we follow Eve, a maid who is trying to get promoted to one of the upper floors. There’s considerable tension created from such a thin set-up, as you start to feel for this quiet woman and how any minor screw-up could derail her small ambitions.
It’s definitely got a documentarian’s eye (mainly wide and medium static shots, very few cuts, occasional use of hand-held camera), but there’s nothing cinema verite about it. The director definitely has a point of view and she’s not shy about deploying it.
Highly recommended.
Well done, @Navaronegun. Your go.
Matt_W
2735
Isn’t this the plot of Roma?
I guess they’re both domestics in Mexico City. Otherwise, the films aren’t all that similar.
This one had no plot. It was the darling of the Indie crowd because of its subject matter but was like a competent student film trying to channel Neo-Realism. It was way too long, and basically a bore. It could have been a 60 minute short film. And I know Spanish. I wouldn’t see it again. Sorry, @charmtrap, diffr’nt strokes and all.
New frames in a few hours.
This Twenty knows the right moment.
MrTibbs
2739
Mr. Grey Pants and Jimmy Whistlebritches?
That lamp is getting 86’ed, that’s for sure; door thug is sizing him up for the kill. Should’ve stayed out of the shady business.
