Reviews
Antichrist (2009)
Don't yet know what to think ...
We all know that Von Trier is a master provocateur, and he's really outdone himself this time. I just saw Antichrist, and it's going to take me awhile to digest it, but I can say already that it might be the most provocative and disturbing film that I've ever seen, and yes, I've seen Pasolini's "Salo."
The performances from Dafoe and particularly Gainsbourg are heroic, something almost beyond acting. The cinematography is brilliant. People are going to hate this film. There won't be anyone in the middle. The violence is extremely graphic, and I was forced to look away at some points, but it's in service to the story that Von Trier is telling.
This film has given me a lot to think about.
Adventureland (2009)
The Post-Graduate
I saw "Adventureland" today, and I thought it was one of the most enjoyable films that I've seen in quite some time. Just the right blend of humor, and heart. It's certainly not your average gross-out comedy, no matter how the marketing is portraying it.
I haven't read all the comments, but does anyone else feel that this film has a strong kinship with "The Graduate"? After all, both films deal with a lead character who has just completed his undergraduate work, and though the character in "Adventureland" thinks he knows where he's heading, there's still that lost generation quality at work here. I don't know, to me the comparison was obvious, and as much as I love "The Graduate," "Adventureland" doesn't pale in the light of the classic film. The other obvious parallel to the earlier film is the absolutely amazing soundtrack.
Bandwagon (1996)
Nice surprise
I'd never seen or heard of this one. I put on the television and there it was this morning. I must say it was a very pleasant surprise.
It strikes me that inasmuch as a comedy can be gritty, Bandwagon is a grittier version of the Tom Hanks film, That Thing You Do. Instead of the cute sixties moptops of that film, here we get the tired, bored, living in the van, probably smell bad band of the 90s, Circus Monkey.
The story is a familiar one. Band forms full of idealism and belief in their music. Band goes on the road.Band starts battling. Band reaches breaking point. Anyone who has been in a band will appreciate Bandwagon a bit more than the casual observer. The cast of largely unknown actors does very well. The songs are good, but there should have been more of them.