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Baise-moi (2000)
This is what passes for "Art" these days, is it?
Baise-moi is the kind of film which, shorn of its 'controversial' content, would never have been heard of - let alone seen - by the vast majority of people. No doubt, there are plenty of people out there who automatically equate 'foreign language' with 'art' (and dually equate 'Hollywood' with 'trash'), who managed to convince themselves that this film is making some sort of sociological or philosophical point, or something. Perhaps even the filmmakers believed that they were making a 'real movie,' although judging from their backgrounds, I have my doubts. In fact, the filmmakers were smart in the sense that, being devoid of any actual talent, they decided to gain their film publicity in the easiest possible way - after all, it doesn't take much effort or creativity to have sex on camera. And this sort of material generates controversy without even trying, and as they say, no publicity is bad publicity.
The problem is not the level of sex or violence on display here. It's not even the dire storyline - which plays like "Thelma and Louise" minus all positive qualities, but with a hefty serving of reverse misogyny thrown in to compensate. It's simply the sheer ineptitude on display during the entirety of its running time (though admittedly its only saving grace - and I use the term lightly - is its reasonably short duration). The script was a non-starter to begin with, and is not redeemed by either the performances or the production values. Of particular note are some embarrassingly awful special effects (the rule of thumb as far as I'm concerned: if you don't have the money to do it properly, don't); and some unintentionally hilarious 'cool' scenes with the girls wielding a gun in each hand, in slow-motion, John Woo style.
If you want to see some controversial foreign films that are also good - there are plenty of options available, such as Battle Royale or Irréversible. By contrast, this is a prime example of just how bad films can be, if they try hard enough.
Event Horizon (1997)
Not perfect, but an accomplished chiller
After his less-than-impressive (but appropriately cheesy) directorial debut Mortal Kombat, Paul Anderson tried his hand at making a 'serious' movie with Event Horizon, and the result is surprisingly decent. The title refers to a top-secret deep-space experimental vessel that inexplicably went missing, only to reappear - just as inexplicably - seven years later. So a rescue crew, led by Lawrence Fishburne, is sent to investigate, but needless to say, the get far more than they gambled for.
For the first half, the film does a good job of building up a creepy atmosphere. In particular, the idea of where the ship has been, and what it has brought back with it, overflows with arresting potential. Unfortunately for Anderson, however, this potential is never realised, despite some impressive CGI and nifty camera work. For the second half of the film, he just relies on excessive gore to scare his audience, and therein lies the film's main weakness: what started off by building up genuine psychological dread just turns nasty and unpleasant - not to mention unconvincing - at the end. And when Sam Neill's scientist starts running amok among the mayhem committing assorted atrocities, the film completely loses its plot. The performances are merely passable, with the afforementioned Neill ending up being positively ludicrous. That said, however, Anderson does manage to conjure up some truly intense moments, and there are some inventive special effects that help make the whole thing (just about) worth sitting through.
Not perfect, then, nor particularly original, but as horror hokum goes, pretty reasonable.
6/10
RoboCop 2 (1990)
Better than its reputation
Making a sequel to Paul Verhoeven's exceptional Robocop was always going to be a losing game. But director Irvin Kershner's effort is not all bad, although its reputation suggests otherwise.
While it's not significantly more gory than the original, Robocop 2 turns out to be more cold-blooded and manipulative in its depiction of violence: simply put, Kershner fails to inject the comic edge to such scenes, which Verhoeven seems to manage quite regularly. On the plus side, however, there are some good action sequences & nice effects courtesy of Phil Tippet; and the scene where a dismembered Robocop is suspended in the lab, eyes twitching wildly, almost matches any scene in the first film in terms of poignant intensity.
Almost.
6/10
Alien Resurrection (1997)
Unnecessary fourth installment of an all-time great saga
After Alien3, it seemed the Alien Saga had drawn to a (fairly acceptable)close. But thanks to a rather ingenious premise, Ripley is back, but for all the anticipation, the film fails to live up to its predecessors.
Director Jeunet's surrealistic style worked quite well in Delicatessen, but on this occasion it only serves to betray the spirit of the series. There are some genuinely eerie moments, but most of the jokes fall flat, and the plot is predictable enough to extinguish any notion of suspense. And the fact that Ripley is not really 'Ripley' means the audience has no one to root for apart from a cliched bunch of mercenaries about whom one could not care less.
It would all be forgivable, however, had it not been for the diabolical casting of Winona Ryder as the Bishop-esque cyborg Call: she may be a good actress, but looks completely at a loss here.
Alien: Resurrection is still a must-see, but only because it is part of something far grander than itself.
6/10
Alien³ (1992)
Underrated
The third of the Alien saga is also perhaps the most critically mauled of the series. Almost inevitably, it fails to live up to the first two films, but Alien 3 showcases the strikingly visual style of director Fincher: dimly lit corridors criss-cross a claustrophobic prison facility where there are no weapons, and from which there is no escape. True, the script is largely second-rate, and allegedly not helped by interference from 'suits' at 20th Century Fox; true too, the acting is rarely better than adequate, save the ever-reliable Weaver, minus hair this time around. However Alien 3 would have made an acceptable conclusion to the Alien - and more importantly the Ripley - saga, had it not been for Jeunet and his Alien: Resurrection, which left the series once again in limbo after a truly corny ("I'm a stranger here myself...") ending.
8/10
The Driller Killer (1979)
Gritty, Controversial but Hollow
It's hard to imagine how this film gained its notorious status(especially in the UK). It is poorly shot(reflecting its miniscule budget) and is really no more violent than any other horror film. True, when the disgruntled artist Reno(played by first-time director Abel Ferrara) first goes on a rampage armed with a drill and 'porto-pak', the film does manage to touch a raw nerve, but soon it descends to laboriously-paced repetition and struggles to hold attention.
Will be remembered as the debut feature of director Ferrara, who has since never been afraid to court controversy with films like Ms. 45 and Bad Lieutenant; and probably as one of the films that sparked off the 'Video Nasty' hysteria in the UK in the 1980's; but for little else.
4/10
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Unparallelled movie-making
If there ever was a movie that could be described as a tour de force, Saving Private Ryan would be it. From the much-talked-about opening to the concluding battle, Spielberg has combined involving human drama with masterful technical expertise (ranging from bravura camera work to jolting editing) to stunning effect, and Ryan confirms Spielberg's status as the leading director of recent years. While the relatively plotless (but never less than compelling) middle section has attracted criticism, in terms of sheer visceral authenticity and dramatic impact Saving Private Ryan is absolutely peerless. Tom Hanks gives possibly his finest performance yet, and the rest of the cast, despite essentially playing a selection of stereotypes, do admirably well.
Admittedly the battle sequences are quite bloody, and it is not quite as great as the shatteringly unforgettable Schindler's List, but Saving Private Ryan is none the less a towering achievement, and essential viewing.
10/10
Se7en (1995)
Dark, Grim, Compelling
It was in Alien3, that director David Fincher first made his mark: while the script may have been flawed, the acting mundane(save the ever-reliable Weaver) and the plot muddled, the film stayed afloat thanks to the fact that it simply oozed dark style. With Se7en, however, Fincher gets an opportunity to stamp his visual flair on a more-than-competent script, and a jaw-dropping cast(Freeman, Pitt, Spacey et al), and, predictably, an utterly compelling film results.
For a serial-killer film, Se7en has surprisingly little on-screen blood letting. However the depiction of a nightmarish city and ample forensic detail, together with taut acting and tense direction, means that it is at times an almost unbearably grim suspenser. Pitt delivers his lines with twitching intensity, but is far more restrained than in his manic performance in 12 Monkeys. Freeman is marvellously understated as a detective looking forward to retirement who is drawn into the grisly case which Pitt initially undertakes. Best of all, though, is Spacey, who > has a mammoth screen presence, albeit only being present on-screen for a relatively short period.
Overall Se7en is a relentlessly downbeat yet mightily impressive film. Not since The Silence of the Lambs has there been a psychological thriller with such an oppressive atmosphere and soaring energy as this. But while Lambs swept the Oscars in 1991(the only truly contemporary film to win the Best Picture award during the 90s) the Academy only managed to nominate Se7en for one Oscar(that for editing, which is admittedly superb). While Se7en is not quite as masterful as Lambs, it ought to have won at least a few more nominations(how Freeman was left out of the Best Actor category, one would never know).
The only reservation I'd have about Se7en is than Fincher at times tends to overdo the depressing plot developments. Certainly, the viewer can find little refuge or comfort in the ending, which means that the easily upset may want to steer clear; instead they might want to catch The Game, which has all of Fincher's visual flair and intensity, minus the downbeat tone. Otherwise Se7en comes highly recommended.
9/10.
Total Recall (1990)
A Sci-Fi film with many virtues
Based on the wonderfully named "We Can Remember It For You Wholesale" by Philip K Dick(the man who also penned the equally exotically titled "Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?"- the short story that inspired Blade Runner)Total Recall may well be the crowning achievement of director Paul Verhoeven's hitherto illustrious career. Being ranked above such films as RoboCop and Starship Troopers is indeed no small praise for any film, but as a Action/Sci-Fi film of many virtues, Total Recall richly deserves all accolades that come its way.
It is a perfect example of a breathlessly-paced film: chase after chase, gunfight after gunfight, explosion after explosion... it is all slotted in with amazing efficiency and skill. However, that is not to say plot and characters are disregarded. In fact, it has a surprisingly intricate and involving storyline for a film of its type. We are dealing with dreams and memories here, so things are, perhaps inevitably, rather contrived. However in light of the imagination and ingenuity shown by the director, this can easily be forgiven(but perhaps not forgotten, as you may well have to return to the film several times before comprehending much of it).
Add to this an Arnie in great form(considering the role of Quaid requires him to show _some_ emotional depth, he does marvellously well), two great female leads, bucketloads of blood, and some eye-popping(literally!) visual effects, and you've got everything good a Sci-Fi Action film should be, and then some.
9/10.