(Dutch
movies are discussed in Dutch)
Nutty
Professor II The Klumps.
Film
reviews often tell you what would be
commercially attractive or to the common
expectations. Therefore these descriptions
of movies you might want to see but did
not decide about yet.
The
latest films.
9.23-11.19
2000
Seen:
11.19.00. Dir. Matt Williams. Starring: Natalie
Portman. The Wal-Mart-woman is what this charming
story is about. She is a loyal soul that tries to
survive in a crazy world. She lives by the moment and
sleeps for 14 days in a supermarket called the Wal
Mart to survive. There she gives birth to her baby.
The father freaks out alone without her on the road to
hell. She though is protected by God. She never hates,
not even when her own mother steels the only capital
she has. She is like a saint. The community where the
supermarket is accepts her with her baby as an act of
contrition. She falls in love with an intelligent
celibate librarian. In town she is famous and survives
in the community. Religious people adopt her with her
child and after a hurricane that wipes out the house
where she then lives, she inherits the capital of the
woman that welcomed her but died in the storm. The
story is in fact about believing in God and
providence. Good things for good people. Seeing it one
would want that all this really happened. It promotes
the small community where people still know one
another that is so often absent in big cities. The
real of life is the life within the community. It is
good to see a movie advocating this. A fine
meditation. (website)
Seen:
11.19.00.. Dir.Neil Labute. Starring: Renée
Zeilweger. The psychology of repression and denial is
a grateful theme in the cinema. This time a
housewife's husband is murdered. She is an addict of
soapseries and her husband was killed while she was
watching her favorite series. It is a hospital soap.
From the shock of the murder, she flips into the mind
of the soap and stays there for almost the complete
movie. She goes away in her car not knowing any longer
of her husband at all. Infiltrating into the cast of
the soap she even makes a little step up for a career
in the the world of soap herself. Meanwhile the
murderers are after her because she didn't testify yet
as a witness. Renée is an angel of a woman and
charms everybody, even one of the two killers falls in
love with the woman he actually has to kill. Although
deluded she defeats in her state all evil and only
breaks down when she actually is recognized as nurse
Betty to play in the soap. Having to act her own
illusion she drops out of it: a known therapeutic
technique called symptom-prescription. Everything
works out fine in this movie. The only thing of
criticism is the strength of the delusional world that
people live in following t.v. If one really would have
to live the reality t.v. shows, the majority of the
people would probably break down like Betty. A thing
to think about. (website)
Seen:
11.12.00. Dir. Eastwood, starring Tommy L Jones,
Donald Sutherland. It is no science fiction, no alien
forces, but still it carries the sensation of the
genre. In fact this is a new genre: a spacedrama
reminding of the meteormovies where one tries to
destroy the meteor with a space-excursion. All human
troubles in space. A russian satellite that turns out
to be a cold-war relic must be put back in orbit as it
may not crash on earth carrying nuclear warheads. But
the stuff is decades old and nobody but an elder team
of testpilots, formerly defeated by the first monkey
in space,can, with the original engineer of the
machine, fix the problem. the story is relatively
simple, but amusing. How the elders fight back and
trick their way into space, but now really for the
first time. The special effects cannot be detected,
everything is very real: a satellite crashing in the
space-module of our hero's: there is no limit anymore
in the cinema. What is thought can be done. Although
not much of a philosophical challenge, an entertaining
space-cowboy story of the strong old team of actors we
know so well. Worth the money. (website)
Seen:
11.12.00. Dir. Tarsem, starring Jennifer Lopez. Within
each genre there is a constant effort to make the best
release ever. This movie is from the serial killer
genre. This time a man with a rare type of catatonic
schizophrenia is roaming. Before his final stupor he
freaks out completely on his youth trauma's killing
all kinds of beautiful woman turning them with bleach
into dolls after drowning them cruelly in a cell that
automatically step by step fills with water. After him
going into his catatonic state he Has locked up a
woman and nobody knows where. And here begins the
interesting part of the movie. Our heroin, a
cyber-psychologist works with virtual encounters in a
mind-machine that links the client to the therapist.
She, with a detective, has to figure out where the
girl is hidden, linking up to the body of the comatose
client. Catherine, the therapist normally goes in to
the mind of the client. But this time she goes the
forbidden way reversing the process and alowing the
client into her own world. The way this is all
pictured has great class and soothes the horrid theme
and depressing psychology of the serial killer theme.
Lopez is a very beautiful magnetic personality ideal
for arty cyberscenes that defeat all imagination. For
the real cyberart lovers a must see. Requires a thick
skin against the digestive horror management of this
genre though. (website)
Seen:
11.06.00. Dir. Curtis Hansen, starring Michael
Douglas. It is a pleasure to see the complete mess of
the life of a freak out literature professor played by
this topactor at his best. Its a complete comedy of
errors and success charming from the beginning to the
end. Each scene is well thought through. In the life
of this professor everything goes wrong in a single
day. His mistress is pregnant, a student of his kills
the dog which he carries around for most of the movie
in the trunk of his car. He loses his 2130 pages long
manuscript, his car is stolen, he's on marihuana and
so on. The wonder boys are the writers that play in
this movie the major part. Their life is a complete
mess, but nothing is really wrong. The movie shows how
extreme it can be to invent lives of fiction and still
keep ones own life in order. In the end love wins and
all problems are sorted out, but the way towards the
fulfillment is very smartly told in the story of a
single day. One learns: literature and its making is
not a life on itself , but a challenge to find out how
mankind and God really works. (website)
Seen:
11.06.00. Dir, Rob Cohen, with Joshua Jacksonm and
Paul Walker. The combination of a secret society and
an elite can't be good is the theme of this movie
about the so-called skulls-society. It is an elite
class society where young adults are guided into the
power of maturity. During the initiation the
soulbrother of our hero makes a serious mistake. He
accidentally kills the friend of his friend, but
doesn't know that he didn't quite do it. There is a
giant cover-up from the skulls-society that doesn't do
much good to the already doubtful powertrip of the
group-ego. Of course everything runs out of hand but
after all good wins from evil. That is the story. The
content is filmed in the all-powerful trip edging to
an almost fascistic-captalistic atmosphere where the
young guys are pushed to the limit of their critical
faculties. Is this right? This group-ego-trip must
lead to disaster. As usual with all these films at the
end there is a somewhat vague reference to the
goodness and freedom of a materialistic but simple and
natural life in attachment to the other sex. The girl
is won etc. One always misses the true challenge these
group-ego's make for the individual selfrealizer. What
exactly would be the cure for the social diseases so
typically pictured in this movie? Being the fugitive
always on the run? Getting married? I don't think so.
It is the real problem and the answer is still open as
far as the cinema is concerned. The science of
individual liberation must still be uncovered.
(Website)
Seen:
10.28.00. Dir, Lars von Trier, starring: Björk,
Catherine Deneuve. It has a been a long time that we
could see a musical in the cinema (we missed the Woody
Allen nostalgia). In a musical there is someone always
there to catch you when you fall. No great calamities
happen. The fact that we rarely see our stories sung,
lest it is an opera, is indicative for a bit of a
cinematographic depression. Too much trouble does not
permit singing or celebration. The story presented
here of a young musical mother going blind that tries
to take care of her son that also goes blind is a
right out drama. In this movie the music is presented
as a remedy, an escape from life's misery and proves
itself that way valid. Just after a murder there is a
beautiful and touching musical performance. Just
before a death sentence there is an artistic poetic
solo of sung emotions. Exactly everything that we miss
in everyday life of security and comfort. We simply
should do more with music in our life's and actively
participate tapdancing in court. It is culturally
mandatory for a sane mind. In this respect this movie
makes an important statement that no cinephile may
miss. Björks music works fine and is refreshing
in contrast with the sound of music style. It is more
rhythmic, more authentic more genuine and more
up-to-date. Björk as a debutante actress seems to
be a real pro in emotional expression. There is
nothing that this wonderwoman can't do. Finally must
be said that especially senator Bush of Texas should
see this movie as it is also a political statement
against the death-penalty: it is too dramatic of a
onesided vision of life and can also be sung now.
(website)
Seen:
10.28.00. Dir, Robert Zemeckis, starring: Harrison
Ford, Michelle Pfeiffer. The story of an older couple
getting into trouble as soon as the children have left
home is a genre by now. The two big stars in this
story are truly fit for the job. Both have characters
too strong to be true and the end of that is
predictable. In the beginning of the story there is a
lot of confusion: a spirit is seen, the characters are
wrongly recognized; the plot is interesting and
fascinating to the end. The spiritual and material
conspire for the proper outcome of truth. But half way
the movie one notices that this story is made up. It
is from the Hollywood recepybook, however
professionally made and neatly accumulating to the
final climax. Cars driven in madness in stormy nights,
obscure lakes where bodies are drowned, bathrooms that
frighten just looking at them. For me it was too
predictable and I had trouble staying awake to the end
of the film. Still glad I saw the end though: the bad
guy dies! I woke up just in time to follow the story
to the end. Why these pictures? To me they belong to
the category of digestive movies. They are
professionally made, well casted and well acted
stimulants for ones digestion. My advise: eat lighter,
and enjoy more happy and more real stories that
celebrate something else than the badness of human
nature or the total failure of wealth and societal
accomplishment.
(website)
Seen:
10.19.00. Dir,Peter Segal, starring: Eddy Murphy and
Janet Jackson (the singer). Uncomplicated fun with the
Nutty Professor. People who love the Murphy-style are
fully served with this picture made by the director of
Naked Gun 33-!/3. With the latest technology it is
possible to have Eddy acting a complete family
actively engaged and walking around each other. Of
course the story is full of typical american humor:
giant hamsters making love to bad characters,
impossible science and the weirdest plot. All excuses
to see all the jokes line up are forgiven. Janet is
sweet sugar and Eddy is crazy as ever. One can only
recognize him by his typical laugh. Its Inherited in
the Klump family of which only the kid is a real fat
one (laughs differently). The story is not really to
be analyzed or would it be that the quest for a
rejuvenation recepy would equal he quest for the soul?
No, that we do not think of. One shouldn't think
either about laughing at the madness of fat people or
of frustrations about not being able to get the beauty
that only wants you with your being special. The theme
of the alter-ego of the schizoid of modern man is also
too much to be taken seriously here. Everything is an
excuse for the Eddy Murphy theater and thus it is
exactly what it promises.
(website)
Seen:
10.19.00. Dir. Mary Harron, starring: Christian Bale
and William Dafoe. To a novel of Brett Eaton Ellis. I
am always glad to see movies of the next generation.
In this case the Wallstreet yup/weekend millionaire.
It reminds of the the movie Fight Club. It is about
the double mind of a straight business guy who is more
worried about his business card than about his
freedom. He dines always out and spends money like
water. Some woman about him are like whores, some are
like drug addicts. Everything seems to be wrong with
the yuppie life of perfect bodies, worked out and
manicured. Never ones sees them in the workplace, they
watch t.v.. in the office and constantly socialize in
and about restaurants and other incrowd places. Under
the surface the American Psycho lives in an unreal
word of sexual and violent fantasies. The guy called
Bateman is on a powertrip and doesn't know reality
from fantasy anymore. He is psychotic and hardly
capable of keeping up his front. Also the onlooker
doesn't know what of his life is real and what not.
Nor does the detective, who accidentally researches on
a disappeared friend, really penetrate the problem. In
the end the story itself cracks up: the apartment
where he has hidden his victims is suddenly rented to
someone else, his lawyer takes his confessions for a
joke and in the end the ones he thought he killed are
still alive. The police doesn't get to him. Everything
continues. But is that a relief? The psycho was alive,
and could have been living the crimes he thought he
committed. In fact the movie warns against the
breakdown of these kind of people, the whole lifestyle
of falsehood and stylish nonsense. Too much
materialism can't be good. Go and see and be convinced
of the necessity of a new time of living.
(website)
Seen:
10.12.00. Dir. Eric Vali, starring: the Dopo-people.
In a small village at the border of Tibet a classical
drama enfolds: the older generation has to give way to
the younger, and that is a problem. The young are
adamant and take risks defying the gods of the elders
who sort everything out with proper timing to the sky
to take the salt on yaks over the 5000 meter high
mountains for their living. Chief Tinlé loses
his eldest son and thus the control over the transport
of the salt. He first tries to persuade his other son
in the buddhist monastery, but finds out he has to do
it himself. But he is too old. Still he puts it to a
test with other elders to prove his prowess. Karma the
upcoming leader takes of with the younger ones without
respecting the elders. They do not confide in their
propositions. He leads and goes ahead. Later
Tinlé follows with the elders. End of the story
is beautiful and honorable: the chief proves himself
and passes his leadership to Karma and leaves for the
eternal abode of the gods. The story impresses as very
authentic. The images are delightful and the spirit is
high. After seeing it one would like to keep it at
heart always. But we low-to the ground westerners eat
too much and live to alienated from nature and one
another to see the real of life as these people do:
they still live as a community. That soul is what one
must keep and cherish. Go and see.
Seen:
10.12.00. Dir. Jerry Bruckheimer, starring: Piper
Perabo & John Goodman. A young girl goes to New
York to take her chances as a songwriter. She is too
shy to perform her songs herself and finds no
reception for her work. Trouble: how to make money.
Her father wants to support, but she has decided for
her own. She begins working in a freak out bar called
the Coyote Ugly ('Cheers was taken)' with hot ladies
on the tab going wild to stimulate the customers.
Meanwhile a nice guy is courting her. Everything works
out fine in this movie, although father is quite
shocked at the exhibitionist show of his daughter. but
realizing that it helps her over her shyness to sing
her own songs the problem is over with him. The movie
touches soul because the lady starring is a virgin.
Her desire to be found is real and so is the movie
justified at all. A less innocent young flower would
have made the story quite desperate or false. Proven
is that given a flower pure a lot of weed can be
taken.
Seen:
10.06.00. Dir . Brian Singer with Patrick Steward, Ian
Mckellen and Famke Janssen. Mankind is mutating and we
have to learn to cope with it. We are developing
abilities like supernatural hearing laser eyes,
walking trough walls etc. The spirit gains control
over matter. In this almost comic-book style flashing
movie there are two types of mutants, the bitter &
bad ones who want to change all normal people into
mutants and the good ones who believe that they can be
of service and goodness. These two forces fight with
one other in this picture that has a lot of
spectacular special effects keeping the fascination
from the beginning to the end. But still after all the
exciting adventures and the classical victory of the
good over the bad one wonders. Developing special
abilities is in fact a hindrance on itself. Of course
it is not about the material abuse of spiritual
powers. Only an integer spirit without material
motives will be successful in persisting to the good.
But who cares. The bad must be fought with its own
weapons and thus we may thank the bad that we really
need these special abilities and may be excited to see
all these beautiful hero's and their technology. It is
superman' s children we are looking at and we are
getting somewhere.., but darn, all that abuse... how
to get rid of it? Yes a plastic prison for Mr. Magneto
will do till the next version of X-men. I will develop
also a special ability for it: but don't tell
anyone.
Gezien:
10.06.00. regie. Erik de Bruijn, hoofdrol: Fedja van
Huet. Ooit gedroogde mossels gerookt? Je wordt er
helemaal wàzig van man. Een aantal jonge kerels
op het zeeuwse platteland brengen hun tijd door met
rocken, raven, zuipen, met de moter crossen en achter
de wijven aanzitten. Ze zijn op de leeftijd dat er wat
moet gebeuren: settelen of uitvliegen. De zaak van
vader overnemen of een droom najagen. Het gaat om de
zoon van een eigenaar van een kleine werf. Hij helpt
z'n vader in de zaak, maar wil die niet overnemen.
Moeder is een niet-zeeuwse die een ietwat te
incestueuze fysieke liefde voor haar zoon koestert
omdat het zo'n stoere vent is. Pa is allang bekeerd
tot enkel werken. Ma verveelt zich in een te luxe huis
en doet alsof ze onder de rook van Amsterdam zit. Pa
gaat dood en zoon lief mòet het dan overnemen.
Dingen lopen echter mis: hij raakt z'n vriendin kwijt,
z'n moeder krijgt een middelbare zak van een vrijer.
Onze held boos op z'n motor d'r vandoor. Hij steekt
z'n schip in de fik: en pa en ma en z'n vriendin is te
veel voor hem want hij is maar een vage dromer die
naar Ierland wil of zoiets. Hij vecht maar verliest.
De hele film denk je: alles gaat toch goed, alles komt
weer op z'n pootjes terecht. Maar een happy end zit
d'r niet in. Misschien Nederlands: we geloven niet in
werelds succes, maar moeten naar de hemel. Nu nog
wachten op een film die de wedergeboorte voor een
nieuw leven laat zien als overwinning zonder dat het
drama weer op de mislukking blijft hangen en op de
dood en de leegte uitloopt. Toch een goede rolprent,
fijn geacteerd, goed verfilmd en onderhoudend. Niet
missen. o.k. de nederlandse film zoekt naar iets...
maar wat.
Seen:
09.27.00. Dir. William Friedkin, starring: Tommy Lee
Jones and Samuel J. Jackson. There was an incident
with an american embassy in the east of Africa which
ran into a drama casting doubt on the integrity of
american military conduct. This movie is the
definitive official answer to the questions raised by
the killing of some 80 civilians in the riot against
the embassy. It is somewhat shocking to find out how
crooked and cruel officials in reality can be in the
defense of a supposed honor of state. In the movie
this leads to a courtcase in which in fact hypocrisy
of modern statemanagement stands trial against the
ones who have to do the dirty work and are almost
doomed to be scapegoated. The cover-up doesn't win and
of course righteousness wins. otherwise it wouldn't be
of the american cinema (most probably), but it is as
deludingly made as it was in reality. The viewer sees
things go wrong and serving as the public opinion one
in the beginning asks oneself why this movie was made.
Until seen to the end this question is not properly
answered, so that viewers should be forbidden to walk
out of it halfway. The movie itself is the wrestling
for the truth against the foul lies of populist
pragmatics. It gave me personally hope that someday
too the whole cover up of the so called blessings of
modern time are unmasked as a perversion of the
time-management itself on this planet. It was after
all again the complaint of Vietnam and the classical
christian estrangement with Islam that led in this
story. Only after doing full justice to the truth of
this sixties generation will we be able to truly have
confidence in a future without the pack of lies we all
suffered and still are suffering under. Happy passion
to all with the rules of engagement!
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backgroundgraphic: Argotique