Wednesday

Three Westerns came out in the Autumn of last year - Seraphim Falls, 3:10 to Yuma and The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. As you may be able to tell by my formatting of the titles, it was the former of these that I watched recently. I intended to see them all at the cinema, but somehow other films, and other things, got in the way. Now they're out on DVD, I'm going to attempt to make my way through them again. Strangely, this movie stars two Irish actors - Liam Neeson and Pierce Brosnan - in the main roles. I was impressed by the way this movie began, giving no back-story or explanation for what was happening: a group of five men hunting down another man. Indeed, it is not until the end of the film that things are explained (reminding me of Once Upon a Time in the West). But I don't even think that an explanation should be given. The film would do much better without the flashbacks. The director was lucky enough to work with two experienced actors who I'm sure could've portrayed and conveyed regret and anger over the past sufficiently without us needing to see slow-motion images of it. The meetings with people and communities along the journey become increasingly surreal as the film progresses, and this disturbed me. It took away the brutal, tough reality that the film began with. This is a classic sort of Western, similar to The Naked Spur, attempting to expose a moral, or question the notions of right and wrong, but I feel that it loses track of itself towards the end. They weren't brave enough with a conclusion, and I felt slightly unsatisfied. Overall, though, this is a compelling story, and the inclusion of Liam Neeson is always a reason to watch a film. We'll have to wait to see how it compares to the others.

Tuesday

Be Kind, Rewind is the latest film from Michel Gondry, director of Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep. I think the partnership of Jack Black and Mos Def works extremely well - one exaggerating scenarios as the other understates them. It's an intriguing idea - all the movies in a video shop are erased, forcing the two characters to re-enact them - but it does teeter on the edge of being a 'concept film', or, if you prefer, a 'one joke movie'. The humour and inventiveness of Gondry, however, as well as the performances of Black and Def keep you interested. A fascinating and seductive world is invented for you. The problem here, though, is the sentimental over-used Hollywood plot that runs behind the creativity. The video store is threatened with closure and destruction. The characters must do something to save it, and also the community. The conclusion is unsatisfactory, leaving many plot-lines unresolved, and trying to seduce us with a sickly sweet ending. This could have been a truly brilliant movie, especially if they tried to say more about creativity, copyright, and the current trend for sequels, franchises and reproductions in modern American cinema. Unfortunately, this remains just a sweet, light-hearted movie, but it will be interesting to see if Gondry can adapt his incredible creativity to tackle more serious themes in the future.