Favorite (four), part fourteen

Just like in my other thirteen posts thus far in this series, I want to take a second to single out the highlights of my recent film viewing.  I'm trying right now to take in almost a film a day.  Most have been first-time viewings, and most I have been glad to finally see.  But only very few have stayed with me.  This series is my filter for those (and hopefully one or two of these will be good to someone else, too).

Lee Chang-dong's Poetry

Another film that makes me feel that the two countries with the most interesting cinema right now are South Korea and Romania.  By no means an easy work, this film ambles around, so soft and subtle in its approach that the viewer has to forge a different kind of relationship within the experience.  My first Chang-dong viewing tells me that he's an incredibly patient filmmaker, unusually adept with actors and a humanist in the vein of the Dardennes and Rossellini.  A bit too vague at times in his ramblings but a filmmaker employing methods of the highest rigor and truth.

Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo

Part of that unique genre, "extreme film", along with works such as Apocalypse Now and Sorcerer.  These films all show filmmakers willing to travel to dangerous lengths to paint unprecedented canvases and test their own abilities as storytellers and dream purveyors. Herzog's film might feel slightly disjointed at times.  But the scope at which he is working and the heart that drives both him and Fitzcarraldo allow this film to rise memorably above any shortcomings. A classic of the genre, and probably about as personal as Herzog's work can ever be.  

James Ivory's Mr. & Mrs. Bridge

Two unusually strong performances remind us of the wonderful nuance, depth, and humanity that can happen when a filmmaker decides to make a work for real, aging adults (think Make Way for Tomorrow). Woodward is particularly memorable here, and of the Ivory films I've seen so far, this one seems the most sophisticated and pleasantly ambiguous.


Andrew Niccol's Gattaca

I found it to be one of the most unique, thoughtful, and moving Hollywood films I have seen in awhile.  It has to go down as one of the more striking debuts of the last twenty years with a Niccol script that is spare and poetic, all in the best of ways.  I wish visually the world was a little less flat and generic, but Nyman's score and Niccol's smooth direction lift the story well above the sterile visuals.  

Great first week!

It's been a great first week, wide release for The Last Lullaby.  Lots of online chatter, and people discussing the film in ways that are really satisfying.  Some of the chatter is in places I'd expect (Twitter, etc). Other places are a bit new to me, like Tumblr.

Want to hear some of my favorite discussions, check this out:

Tumblr (http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/the+last+lullaby)

And here are three of my favorite quotes from this past week, two from Twitter and one from Tumblr:

1.  tash_jade Tasha 

Finished The Last Lullaby. It was intense and, beautiful in a way. I loved its rhythm and its sense of command.

2.  cacooly Nicole 

@SashaAlexander1 There's smthng so intriguing about Jack + Sarah, their underlying feelings 4 1 another +the fact they don't act on them :)

3.  And from Tumblr:

"ANONYMOUS ASKED: okay ask you something....I'm assuming you have seen Last Lullaby with Sash, what did you think of it. Honestly. I haven't seen it yet @fanofthearts

Good morning :)

Yes, I watched it and I LOVED it!

But let’s ramble a bit here… This is going to be a long post, I just know it.

At first, when reading about it, I didn’t expect a lot. Because I’m a very picky person when it comes to movies. And it’s usually the case that, when I watch a film just because one of my fave actors/actresses has a part in it, I get bored after 5 minutes and then just fastforward most of the scenes without said persons.

(Damn that was a weird long sentence. It’s early.)

So yes, I wasn’t expecting much.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, I watched the trailer. And I thought “Damn, this looks good”.

And then I watched the movie and I have to say, I was SO impressed!

The tone of it, the scenery, the angst, the SLOWNESS. I think the ‘slowness’ is what makes this movie one of the best I’ve seen in ages.

Here’s a review that I found, that reflects my thoughts and puts them in better words (because English isn’t my native language):

“It isn’t yet another in a seemingly endless spew of pop-culture-referencing, amped-up, martial-arts, dizzyingly-edited action montages masquarading as movies. This is the real deal, a genuine, character-based noir tale that packs a surprising punch. No bells and whistles. No CGI. No explosions. But plenty of mood, atmosphere, emotion and startling, unromanticized violence. And a touch of romance, too. This is a crime movie for adults who don’t have A.D.D” x

And Sasha was just… BRILLIANT!

And I’m not saying it because I’m a fangirl.

So yeah, you should watch it."

Thank you all for the incredible support, for many, many, many years.

Jeffrey

A week from today...

...THE LAST LULLABY will be available in a multitude of places (Amazon, Target, Best Buy, Netflix, Blockbuster, etc).  It's been 3 1/2 years since our first showing in Dallas and more than 4 1/2 years since we first rolled the cameras on it.  I'm so proud of the film and happy that it will finally be finding a larger audience.



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