(don't know why this didn't post the first time but fingers crossed this time)

Punch Drunk Love

Of all the directors to come of the "VCR filmmakers," none have been more audacious than Paul Thomas Anderson. No one has helped pushed the bar of modern film making in America more than him. Like Scorsese, his films are often a celebration of the medium, not being afraid to reference his favorite films and/or filmmakers. In Punch-Drunk Love, it's evident with the placement of "He Needs Me" from Altamn's Popeye, as well as the long tracking shots that helped define Kubrick's career. While the references from Punch Drunk Love aren't as obvious as his other films, Magnolia, which took the structure of one of Altman's films as well as some of the director's regular actors, Boogie Nights, which celebrates the best of 70s film making, or even There Will Be Blood, which is him channeling both Welles and Kubrick, they are still there. Some, like many of classmates (one in particular), believe this to be a sign of unoriginality and perceive Paul Thomas Anderson to be a director that lacks his own style. Though I understand the argument, it's the same one I've had against Brain De Palma; But I don't think a director who loves to reference or allude to his influences should be criticized because as Godard once said: “It’s not where you take things from - it’s where you take them to."And Paul Thomas Anderson elevates it, like Scorsese, Jarmusch or of course Godard, who wont be afraid to say that many of their films had scenes influenced by pother great driectors (or in the case for Scorsese, minor or obscure B filmmakers). Hell lets not forget even that even Kubrick alluded to his favorite artists; the shot of the twin girls in the Shining is awfully reminiscent of Diane Arbus' photo identical twins; But that doesn't stop the Shinning, or that scene, from being one of the best and most popular in film history. Paul Thomas Anderson's films are a celebration of film and each have taken the many influences in different and interesting decision.

the Fountain

I'm not sure what the big attack on The Fountain was when it first came out? Is it a perfect film? no but then again when are films ever perfect. Is it the director's best? Since the release of the Wrestler, I wouldn't put it at the top of his list but had you asked me when the film had come out I might have said yes. It's a much bigger step from his previous films, not because it's more visually audacious but because it's visuals take a backseat to the emotions. Too often in his films, the visuals take the stage while the emotions may be secondary. Requiem for a Dream is a good example for this; while I agree that the film does evoke some powerful response from it's audiences, especially myself, I feel like every time i think of the film, the visuals come to mind first. Maybe that just me, but sometimes the emotions come second. Now I will say that Requiem for a Dream is a great film and one of the better films of the last decade but I don't think it's as mature of a film as the of his works that follow it, the Fountain and the Wrestler. While The Fountain does still contain many of the director's idiosyncrasies and strong visual, I feel its the narrative and performances upstage it, evoking a much stronger reaction from me. The final sequence alone is so fabulously done and it probably wouldn't have been as powerful if we weren't so invested in the two characters.
The Fountain is a film that the director made in response to other science fiction films which he perceived as Matrix knock-offs. He wanted to bring something new to the genre and in a way he did and didn't. Few science fiction films have ever visualized space the way Darren Aronofsky has and to make a science fiction film that is more motivated by spiritual ideas rather than scientific ones is a rarity. A film that focuses on the meaning of life and exploration of ever lasting love rather than be something action packed is a nice fresh of breath air. But of course it isn't a new thing, with guys like Andrei Tarkovsky doing it before him; But that was such a long time ago and to see a nice throwback to films like Stalker or Solaris is always nice to see. With this film being both a critical and box-office failure, I don't see think we'll really see another science fiction film like it in a long time.

All that Jazz

It's strange how Bob Fosse's film is a personal one but still an ode to another filmmaker. It's easy to see All That Jazz has a semi-autobiographical work, seeing that the character of Joe Gideon  and Bob Fosse are so closely linked: both big time choreographer as well as working on a film about a big time stand up comedian. Yet Fosse is also indebted to Fellni, whose 8 1/2 was an obvious influence; So much so that it's kinda scary: the stream of consciousness way of film making, the main protagonist being surrounded by all the women in his life, and of course the idealized woman whom he can can't get (Claudia Cardinale's role here being played by Jessica Lange). But when using the 8 1/2 structure, one will probably face the same criticisms that great masterpieces faced, which could all be summed up by the word: pretentious. Is there a worse word in the English language than that? It's one that gets so overused and most times incorrectly. Sadly whenever a director writes himself into the work, there will be a critic ready to use that word, which is bullshit to say the least: were Bukowski, Joyce, and Twain pretentious for creating their own alter egos in their work? But while I wont say Fosse doesn't try to boast his ego a little bit through the film (with the rest of the characters thinking Gideon to be a genius and the whole Lucas Sergeant side plot really doesn't help), I won't point to it being pretentious for the sole reason of trying to be a personal film. I think a lot of the decisions he mad in the film weren't only to tell a personal film but to further the   idea that show business is not a business that is has glamorous as it appears. This is best personified in the death sequence, an audacious move to say the least (even Fellini didn't have the balls to have his protagonist's death). Though many have speculated it to be just another hallucinatory dream, I actually think Fosse really did film his own death. It can't be seen any other way because it's the ultimate personification of how show business can actually kill you. Maybe the best scene to show this is the ending shot of his boy in the plastic bag with the song "No Business like Show Business" playing in the background. While many have used the 8 1/2 set up, few have done it as interestingly as Fosse.
But before I finish this post, wasn't Roy Scheider such a phenomenal actor?Watching him in this film was such a joy. truly one of the most underrated actors of his era and easily one of the best performances of the last century.

Pecker is weird, but not a John Waters weird, because it’s not really
that weird which is weird. It felt like a kid’s movie but with some
nudity, one f-word, and a few sex jokes. The characters were off beat
and I feel that was intentional but sometimes it was just bad acting.
The ending was ridiculously happy and strange as was most of the film
for that matter. It left me feeling bored and confused. That being
said I noticed some important issues being discussed in the film.
Pecker’s little sister seemed to be not a vital role to the plot but
as a social comment on the way we eat/feed our children in America-
with junk food. Then, if that isn’t bad enough, we blame them for
being too hyper so we drug them up- definitely not the best way
to raise a child. There’s also the question of what is art, a question
that has remained unanswered since Marcel Duchamp’s Fountain. Would
Pecker have ever been known nationally as a brilliant artist worth
hundreds of thousands of dollars if the art dealer from New York
hadn’t stepped in his sandwich shop? The answer is no, he wouldn’t.
His photos would only ever be appreciated by close friends and family
and he would continue his uneventful life. Would that be so bad
though? I don’t think so, because there are so many great things about
life other than being famous, which is what I was hoping to get from
the film. Instead, Pecker is able to open his own bar because of his
short-term fame and because of this he seems a lot happier. So I don’t
know what the last scene was trying to show me besides a strange and
happy ending.

-Max Schlickenmeyer

eXistenZ is a great concept played out in the most subtle of ways. A
fully realized and virtual gaming world that goes beyond 3D graphics
will soon be a reality and a heated ethical discussion. Strange days
will ensue. Players will neglect there physical bodies and identities
to support their fake ones. Oh, wait that’s already happening. Games
like World of Warcraft already have strong grasps on the way people
live their lives. A man died from playing Starcraft for 50 hours
without a break. But wait a minute, this man is a minority, not
everyone plays till they die.
I agree that true virtual reality will most likely result in more
deaths and addictions such as this but I believe that, like today, it
will be more a matter of self-control. People will have to know their
limits as with anything else, the problem with a product like eXistenZ
(or transCendenZ) is that it will be harder to establish self-control.
Think of these future gaming systems as a Dyson vacuum cleaner and the
current consoles as a low-end Hoover, future systems will have more
power to suck you in. Of course once you do get sucked in you will be
dependent on the game like a drug, then you will begin to physically
suffer, then a mental breakdown or psychosis and loss of identity. So
yes, future gaming systems should warrant concern but they will also
be controllable.
Going back to the film though, I thought it strange that the game
environments were dull and stark. I appreciated the context sensitive
dialogue and blocky objects but it seems like a game with the
technology to accurately recreate tastes, textures, detail, and sound
would also up the ante with the 3D models and human interactions. I
feel the film could have gone further if it wanted to show more of the
faults of game design as well as what could be achieved but then again
eXistenZ was made in 1999 with a surprisingly high but still
relatively small budget. The concept kept me watching, the execution
of it kept me uninterested (though I did like the tooth pistol).

-Max Schlickenmeyer

I was lucky enough to get to re-watch “A Very Long Engagement” as well as “Delicatessen” recently and was glad that I did. I like “A Very Long Engagement” quite a lot, but particularly for the dark humor of Juenet that I fell in love with in “Delicatessen.”

Just as fun as seeing Juenet’s re-cycled cast members is seeing Juenet’s favorite characters come back. Like the butcher, the generals and officers that the Corsican hunts are callous, self-absorbed madmen, which makes them quite gratifying to kill in ridiculous ways reminiscent of “Delecatessen,” such as shooting a ceiling mirror, or rigging a pull-chain gun. Manech, like Luoison, is the perfect nice likeable guy, albeit innocent and a little odd.

-David Roberts

“Schizopolis” is perhaps the most standout and different film we watched this semester, and of the films that I had not already seen it is my favorite. Solderbergh unapologetically does exactly what he wants, mocking convention with a goofy face grin, while still delivering a strong, quirky yet poignant film that entertains on multiple levels, and discusses everything from relationships and infidelity, to self-help cults, to work place interactions, to the role and validity of communication itself.

-David Roberts

I have seen lot of French movies, but ' Un Long Dimanche de Fiancailles' has lot of differences with other French movies. One can even tell the Americanism by its look. The way Jeunet  develops the film is also very Americanized. the war scenes and flash back are not really Frenches, and it has the same kind of structure than CITIZEN KANE. However, the movie has lot of cultural identity. even thought it's a romance, Jeunet follows some dramatic scenes with funny scenes. This technic is particular to French film makers. They have never been funny to me anyway. The romance is very interesting in the movie, it's the essence of it. it is true that if it was an American film Mathilde fiance would be dead at the end. however we can say that he is dead since he lost his memory. i guess Jeunet wanted not only a happy ending but also to give a sense to all Mathilde work trying to find her fiance. I don't think that it fair to criticize the film just because it's not 100% French.The film has it's own identity which is not French nor American but both.

ABDOULAYE

eXistenZ

eXistenZwas a weird one, but what else can you expect from Cronenberg? It reminded me of Strange Days a bit but I think Cronenberg did it better. The film explores the mind numbing video game genre. It is a comment on our society and how games and technology can take over our lives. I do believe that Cronenberg does it better than Bigelow.

--JON DODD

Films and directors are influenced by the nature of their upbringing, whether it is at home or on a more national level. There are certain attitudes that taint the work made in certain countries. For example in the United States there are many strong male roles and women are always portrayed a certain way. French flims tend to be more romantic in nature. Jeunet's A Very Long Engagement  is no exception to that national identity. In an American film even if there is a strong female character she has some sort of character flaw that makes her not as perfect as her male counter-part. She could be strong at the cost of being portrayed as a bitch or she could be physically unattractive, which is a big hindrance in our society. Jeunet portrays Mathilde as a strong female character and even though she has a physical hinderance that does not matter, it is just part of the character. I feel that her physical hindrance even makes her stronger and more determined to get back the man she loves. Mathilde is just a strong character regardless of her gender.

--Eve

eXistenZ is about virtual reality video games but is a relevant reflection of the time we are currently living in. The director of a movie is like God of the reality that was created through the film because they know the outcome of the main characters journey just like a video game. Both journey have only one outcome, the one they were designed to have. In eXistenZ the film and the game the journeys have one outcome, in the game for the players to advance they have to do and say the right triggers, and in the movie the audience doesn't have to say anything but watch just watch the journey unfold as it was created, and it doesn't matter how many times you play the game or watch the film it always ends as intended. In real life we all go through our own personal journeys without knowing the outcome and not being able to relive what we have already gone through, but as with the games and movies we have limited control over what we can influence.

--Eve

"I have a love in me a love in my life, it makes me strong you can't even imagine"

Love is a driving force for many people, it gives them courage, strength, confidence, and most of all a sense of belonging. In Paul Thomas Anderson's Punch Drunk Love Barry Egan experiences all of the fore mentioned emotions. At the beginning of the film Barry is a quiet guy that gets pushed around by his sisters and eventually by Dean Trumbell, a phone sex pimp. Barry takes all the abuse in his life until the day he meets Lena. When he falls in love with her she is more important than anything else. She also gives him the strength to be a better, stronger, more confident person. He stands up to his sister to find out where she is and then when Dean threatens their relationship and possibly her life he goes out of his way to protect her. She becomes his driving force and their love gives him, not physical but, metaphorical strength making him feel invincible.

--Eve