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Reviews
Koroshiya 1 (2001)
of course viewers talk about the violence...
...This film is about violence. About giving and receiving pain. I do really think this film HAS something to say about violence and thus is not pointless. What make people react badly to it is that the movie itself does not seem to condamn violence. But it is so gruesome that I don't think it sees violence as a good thing either. And yes this film is funny too. It is definitely for extreme viewers, but not that much. I've friends who've been disappointed, for they've been too much warned, so...
And about women... well I think the movie tells something good about them: even the most violent girl of the film can't be as deeply violent as the men. She plays violent, but in the end she's not: neither that sadistic (she can't satisfy her lover), neither that masochist (she does not really want Ichi to be brutal with her). So real deep violence is a man thing. And let's not be proud of that.
Avalon (2001)
disappointing
Being a fan of mamoru Oshii and being a patient viewer who can stand across very slow and long movies (I love, for instance, Tarkovski's works) I feel the need the tell the disappointment this film was. Yes, its visual is unique, but it is overused (the shot with the tramway that comes back three or four times). Yes, it's contemplative, but it lacks of magic, of a real mise-en-scène that would transcend the images. The apparitions of the ghost are in fact the few moments I felt the magic of Oshii's touch. I've read somewhere that this work was reminiscent of Bergman's... Come on, it's not because The Bishop reminds us of the Death in The Seventh Seal that this film is "bergmanian"! Sure I wanted to love this film, but its real problem is that you are never rewarded for your patience: it never comes up with a new story about virtual reality. Maybe it tells things we have already heard a bit differently, but nothing new really pops out. The open ending appears to me here as a hollow trick. I would advise you to watch (again) Patlabor, Ghost in the Shell, Jin-Roh, etc... rather than this splendid but boring film... (excuse my bad english btw)
Seom (2000)
The most painful cinematic experience
"the Isle" is a trap. a real one. Almost speechless, this Korean movie is a slow-paced lynchean nightmare that grabs you since the beginning to haunt you for days after the viewing. Never have I seen a location so wonderfully used: this "isle" is in fact a lake covered with small floating houses rent to fishermen. A young savage girl seems to be the owner of the place. She provides fishermen with worms, hooks and from times to times... sex. The coming of a suicidal young fisherman will drive her in a whirlpool of deadly passion. Not to put before everyone's eyes... I warned you! The whole theatre was stretching and bending with pain on their seats! And...well...animals' lovers, keep away too...
Almost Famous (2000)
Best rock'n'roll movie ever...
...and probably one of the most enjoyable piece of cinema i have ever seen. Everything is perfect, Patrick Fugit above all: let's face it. Nobody else than this kid could have done what he did. William Miller IS Patrick Fugit. Naive and, well, "uncool", Fugit is great. Perfect cast, perfect timinig, perfect movie. a "feel-good" piece of art. Be sure not to miss the "untitled" version (3 hours long and even greater!) on the dvd.
De illusionist (1983)
Perfect work of modern visual slapstick
When I saw this film, I could not imagine how much it would respond to my cinematographic hunger. It is original, funny, inventive (it HAS to be: there are no dialogues at all), moving and perfectly acted. Everything I was expecting from cinema, this movie gave it to me. It is a real lesson of cinematic language. If you're nostalgic of Buster Keaton's and Chaplin's work, try to check this one out. One of my personal favorite.