“The Dreamers” is a film that was hardly seen upon its initial release, and I think it’s a crime that it was hardly shown to the public. The fact that this film was shun by the MPAA and swept under the rug is only the clearest of indicators of how close-minded we are. Bertolucci gives us a rough and tumble look at sexual acts between friends and never adds cheesy background music to sound like porn, it’s natural, and that’s why “The Dreamers” is such a beautiful film. The film takes place in 1969 where the free loving is at an all time high and the Vietnam War is in the midst.
Tag Archives: Drama
Fortress (1986)
If you’re a fan of “Lord of the Flies”, “Battle Royale”, or just hostage thrillers in general, that is a very rare film to find, one that may be lost if time has its way. The film, based on a true story, is not only just a hostage thriller reminiscent of stories like “The Most Dangerous Game”, but in the end, ends up becoming a truly cautionary tale on what kids, with the right influence from adults, and pushed far enough to the edge, are capable of without conscience. Directed by Arch Nicholson, this is a very tense and engrossing thriller that calls for the wits of a young teacher named Sally, played by the decent Rachel Ward. Sally is a character that never really loses her cool in the face of danger and ends up becoming a very primal influence on the children she teaches, whom in the end, end up becoming deadlier than they seem.
Dogville (2003)
I don’t have a short attention span, I’m willing to invest three hours, maybe four or five on a film that I think will ultimately end up being very good. I’ve seen “Ben-Hur”, and “Giant” and both were movies that were worth spending many hours on. When a film is great, a four hour movie can feel like five minutes and leave you wishing there were more, but when a movie is bad those four hours feel like an eternity, as did “Dogville”. I knew independent art films could be pretentious and rambling, it comes with the package, but I never knew they could be this pretentious and this utterly nonsensical.
The Machinist (2004)
“The Machinist” is such an accomplishment, an accomplishment that, big surprise, went almost unnoticed in Hollywood. It’s utterly refreshing in this day and age to watch a movie so intellectually stimulating, it’s fulfilling to watch a psychological thriller that demands the audience watch, pay attention, follow along, and decipher for themselves without falling in to the usual Hollywood conventions. Brad Anderson instills a lot of atmosphere and slow paced tension here for the audience, creating such a brilliant Lynch-esque labyrinth of a murder mystery.
Before Sunset (2004)
It’s like they never left us. It really is. It’s as rare as a meteor to watch an engrossing romance that’s also very intellectually stimulating, but wouldn’t you know it, with Richard Linklater once again taking reigns of his film, you get what you expect, and I ultimately got what I expected, a fascinating, charming, and beautifully written romance drama starring two people who just have incomparable chemistry. All my fears were put to rest thirty minutes within the film as that magnetic chemistry between Delpy and Hawke becomes all the more volatile on-screen two fold. They have it here, and it works so well, I was just breath taken. This is a movie that could have easily been mishandled, and botched, but it ultimately works so well as a standalone and as a sequel. Only Linklater could commit such a feat.
A Room for Romeo Brass (1999)
It’s a common almost natural reflex among children that if they have two objects in front of them, they’ll almost always choose the object that’s flashier, and bigger. It’s just an inborn need, and such is the case with “A Room for Romeo Brass”. Romeo and his next door neighbor Gavon are best friends who bicker and argue and their bond is strong. Gavon walks with a limp due to a back disorder and Romeo defends him constantly. But once Morell enters the scene, their friendship is tested. Morell, after breaking up a fight with Romeo who is attacked by two big kids after defending Gavon, seems nice enough and accompanies the boys home, but pushes himself in to Romeo’s life, not only serving as a friend who is flashier, bigger, stronger, and faster than Gavon, but also as a father figure for Romeo who has no father in his life. Suddenly Romeo wants nothing to do with Gavon, nor does he really visit him once he’s had back surgery, and Romeo and Morell become friends.
Jersey Girl (2004)
I’m not a fan of Kevin Smith’s movies. And with Ben Affleck, and Jennifer Lopez is featured on the first segment of the movie, not to mention the basic problems with the hype concerning this film, as I went into it, I have to say I was very surprised by what I saw in the end. Though Smith does goes more mainstream with a film that is allegedly based on his life with his kids (If my life was this corny, I’d have blown my brains out long ago), “Jersey Girl” doesn’t set precedent for originality, nor does it really win us over with its sickening sweetness that works against the story rather than for it.