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jacob thomas
Reviews
Snakeskin (2001)
Decidedly Kiwi Road Movie
I went to Snakeskin not expecting much, perhaps something along the lines of "Stickmen" a NZ version of a successful overseas production, with a focus on Kiwiana and gimmicky NZ references. Too a large degree I was not disappointed. Oliver Driver plays yet another weirdo (although this time a skin head speed freak) which he does well, however, his appearances are becoming a little too familiar. While the acting and actors are excusable the writing is not, the first half of the film is nothing particularly new but works, but, by the second half the writing is completely incoherent. At one point towards the end it seems as if too many characters have been introduced and writer/director Ashurst just gets rid of them, they walk off, get shot etc. etc.... More noticeable than their demise is the increasingly strange (dare I say quirky) mishmash of ideas thrown in to try to hold the script together as it winds down towards the end which is neither a surprise nor original. (In fact for all you B-grade film viewers, very "Tales from the crypt" type thing). The whole film is very New Zealand on the surface and should be praised for being true to "NZ", those of you who liked "Stickmen" will like this film, but for me it does not compare with "Goodbye pork pie". Go and see it if only for the landscape.
American Masters: Edward Curtis: Coming to Light (2000)
Interesting subject standard format
Anne Makepeace has produced an interesting and informative documentary about Edward S. Curtis a fascinating character in America's history. However, while the film shows his fantastic photography and the contradictions of their production as ethnographic records, I found myself falling asleep due to the lackluster technical approach Makepeace adopted. Endless zooms and pans into and around the photos details, hardly uses the capabilities of film, the combination of movement and sound, effectively. The ambiguities of Curtis' life were the only thing keeping me awake in the cinema, despite these criticisms I think this documentary may work better on the small screen where we expect this type of documentary. If only Makepeace had been as innovative and interesting as Curtis, then perhaps she would really do him justice in this documentary.
Woyzeck (1979)
An all too faithful adaptation of Büchner's play
Woyzeck, Herzog's interpretation of Büchner's dramatic fragment is not as similar,nor as good as his films that follow, notably Fitzcaraldo and Aguire: the wrath of God. What is not present is the epic quality that the latter films possess, despite Herzog's attempts to instill the murder scene with importance and this epic quality. The scene is shot in long still shots which while showing Kinski's genuine psychosis, one feels the scene is over dramatized, a feeling which one gets throughout the film. It is as if Herzog wanted to make a play and not a film, so faithful is he to Büchner, the dialogue has a theatrical quality, every line attempts to put the inner turmoil into words, the lack of camera movement enhancing the pervasive theatrical quality, we are almost seated in an auditorium watching from a distance as the drama unfolds. I would only recommend this film to those who are either Kinski fans or lovers of theatre, being neither I was not impressed with this film.
Chopper (2000)
Episodic crime drama
Chopper, while released to general acclaim, did not satisfy me as a film. Visual and technical beauty are one's first impressions of Chopper, however, as the film progresses there appear large gaps in the narrative line. It is clear from the loosely thrown together collection of scenes that there were a number of strains within the production, the result is a structure which is episodic to say the least. This structure may be interpreted as writing outside the conventional three act structure or perhaps is an accurate representation of Mark Brandon Read's writing, either way the format is simply too incohesive in the film. Despite these criticisms I would say that the individual scenes and sequences work well, although what one takes away from the film is more a feeling of understanding for Mark Brandon Read as a person and not a satisfying story.