Tuesday, September 03, 2002
Movie reviews. This weekend we watched three films on video.
Naked, released in 1993 and directed by Mike Leigh (who later directed Secrets and Lies), confirms my opinion that he is one of the most overrated directors currently working. These structureless, pointless exercises in film improvisation must be unbelievably exhilarating for the actors, who chew the scenery and rape each other with great abandon, but tedious for any audience members who might not welcome the nihilistic masturbation provided by Leigh's methods. Yes, David Thewlis does a wonderful job as lead villain, and there are occasionally stirring scenes, but so what? The world depicted is simply uninteresting. 3 out of 10.
The Unbearable Lightness of Being, adapted from the Milan Kundera novel of the same name, is a boring apology for adultery directed in a ham-fisted sitcommy style which contrasts with some pretty hot love scenes. Starring a bedroom-eyes Daniel Day Lewis and an adorable Juliette Binoche, the story feels stagey and arch whenever there's no sex going on. Nearly three hours is too long to tell this poorly reduced version of the book. 4 out of 10.
The Conversation, Francis Ford Coppola's 1974 masterpiece, is one of those prior-generation movies that not only holds up under the weight of time but might even look a bit better for its psychological insights and sociological prophesies. Gene Hackman dazzles in his quiet way and the acting ensemble is equally outstanding. The beautiful balance between the human and the technical elements of the film help to project it higher than almost any other psychological thriller fare. This movie builds the kind of complex tension that makes you want to watch again -- immediately after having seen it. 9 out of 10.
For a second opinion, here are Roger Ebert's reviews of each of these films. He gave all of them 4 out of 4 stars. The Ebert take: Naked, The Unbearable Lightness of Being and The Conversation.
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