Key Largo (John Huston, 1948) -- A man visits his old friend's hotel and finds a gangster running things. As a hurricane approaches, the two end up confronting each other. Another one of the Bogart/Bacall classics, but also including Edward G. Robinson in an amazing role. Working almost like a play, this non-violent tale of mystery and deceit has a few issues that make you wonder how it fared so well, yet the overall value all the way to the end makes it great. The movie entices attention all the way from the start, with enough substance, well-thought scripts and very good storytelling that wasn't only there to support the Bogart/Bacall duo, but who work well even without them. A good, intelligent movie that is a good watch, even if you're not a hardcore Bogart fan. 8/10
10 (Blake Edwards, 1979) -- A Hollywood songwriter goes through a mid-life crisis and becomes infatuated with a sexy blond newlywed. I remember watching parts of this movie when I was a kid and, being quite sophomoric, it had a bunch of scenes that really had my "interest", to which I quickly fast-forwarded to, but having seen it this time, and not only those parts really make me realize what a piece of crap this was. The movie is called 10, because Bo Derek, the amazing bombshell of the time, is an actual 10. Yet, the moment when she finally has her first line is about 90 minutes in! Until then, the movie has been nothing but mishaps and stupid moments that didn't really work, but which were more like filler material.
Although the movie stars big names like Dudley Moore and Julie Andrews, they really don't get to shine because they're too busy acting dumb and irrationally, and Andrews' character isn't memorable at all; she just plays Moore's 'girlfriend'. As so many people in the 80s, I thought this movie was enjoyable (for whichever reasons), but now it's sad, slow and painful to watch at times, obviously not withstanding the passage of time. 3/10
Moby Dick (John Huston, 1956) -- The sole survivor of a lost whaling ship relates the tale of his captain's self-destructive obsession to hunt the white whale, Moby Dick. As it often happens with movies taking place almost entirely on the same spot, this movie probably wasn't that easy to make, yet Huston was probably one of the best choices to do it, and along with Ray Bradbury's screenplay and the great acting by Gregory Peck, it's no wonder it came out so well indeed. Orson Welles' appearance is also a treat to watch, showing he can be great in a movie, no matter how small his role. The special effects really had me cringing a bit, but I guess depicting a great white whale shouldn't have been easy. In other matters, the fact that the movie goes into the relationship between man and God is sure to have prejudiced some audiences, but it's a great representation of an excellent book that, as far as I think, was better than the book. 7/10
Synecdoche, New York (Charlie Kaufman, 2008) -- A theatre director struggles with his work, and the women in his life, as he creates a life-size replica of New York City inside a warehouse as part of his new play. I could be quick about it and just say this movie is depressing, but in reality, although it is, it's also one of the most deeply affecting movies I've seen in a long time; it's depressing indeed, but it's much, much deeper as well, because the movie is a brain teaser. It's not necessarily enjoyable, although 30 minutes into it I was sure I was going to watch it again soon (which I did the following day), because it's full of all the uncomfortable truths about being human, and goes places most movies don't dare to, challenging the audience and picking scabs that most people would rather leave alone.
I could go on saying what this movie meant for me and how it affected me, but the truth is that it wouldn't matter at all because it will probably mean something different for anyone else. It's about this director who is given the opportunity to make an incredibly ambitious theatrical work, and he uses his own life to make it, but to the point that he's recreating current situations on the stage, as they happen in real life. The plot is as confusing as that may sound and many times I found myself not knowing if I was watching the stage version or the real one, or a new fusion of them.
Although it may sound like mental, pretentious and intellectual masturbation, the movie challenges you but lets you follow it, letting you bring the meaning to it, rather than forcing you to accept the conclusion, and not necessarily dwelling into a deeper meaning of it, nor any higher power who is going to make sure that it all makes sense. Depressing and nihilistic as it may sound, the movie is also affirming, suggesting we spend too much time trying to make sense of life and not enough time living it.
This is not a movie for everyone, and it's the type of movie you have to work hard to understand it fully, and if you don't want to, you might end up hating it. But if you're willing to go through with it with an open mind, you´ll probable be amazed. 8.5/10
Iron Man (Jon Favreau, 2008) -- When wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident, he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil. As an avid comic book fan, though not necessarily of Iron Man, I was curious enough to see what would come of this one, and the fact is that due to time constraints, boredom and opportunity (or lack thereof), I actually saw Part 2 before this one. But still, the surprise factor wasn't gone, especially when you know what the movie is about, but I wanted to see the creation of Iron Man as a character. Needless to say, it's a fact that when this movie came out Downey Jr. wasn't Hollywood's biggest name, yet he has become one of them thanks to the success here, and I was in fact impressed enough at how well he portrayed it. The movie also has some great humor and it's well-written. The CGI (main reason to watch it, frankly) is quite impressive and breath-taking, though not distracting enough to make you miss the finer points of the movie. The movie is not perfect, but it does live up to the hype and expectations I had as a comic reader and a comic-movie fan, and it's actually good enough to justify a sequel. 7.5/10
Rollerball (Norman Jewison, 1975) -- In a corporate-controlled future, an ultra-violent sport known as Rollerball represents the world, and one of its powerful athletes is out to defy those who want him out of the game. This movie portrays a dark and disturbing look at a future that doesn't really seem that far off, showing a cold, sterile society where humanity is completely absent and where corporations rule the world. The rollerball scenes get more and more violent as the film progresses and also quite disturbing. The citizens in this dystopic future also lack feelings and humanity, and as it came out a bit after the Vietnam war ended, it really ties in with the overall sense of cynicism which so strongly existed in society. The thugs have taken over the smart, and violence rules the world. The movie is also very dated and, aside from the actual violent moments, it gets very boring and seems like an over and over scenery. Enjoyable, if it had only lasted 40 minutes less, yet it really hasn't stood the passage of time. Still amazing to see the BMW and Audi buildings as part of the view of what the future would be like. 5.5/10
