2010: Salt

Pointless film in which a proper plot is eschewed in favour of almost constant, but not particularly spectacular, action. Even genius cinematographer Robert Elswit apparently could not be bothered. (5.5)

1974: The Odessa File

Yes, the screenplay makes suspension of disbelief hard at times, but it's a 1970s Hollywood thriller involving an upstanding journalist, old Nazis and Israel. Is it going to be entertaining? Of course it is! (7)

1963: Muriel ou Le temps d'un retour (Muriel, or The Time of Return)

Four people meet in a room in Boulogne-sur-mer and their interconnected lives proceed from there. There's love and hate and the war in Africa and a lot of stuff I'm sure I didn't get on the first viewing. But, if that's a basis for that kind of opinion, it's not about the plot anyway, it's mostly about style. Muriel has a modernist soundtrack (think Stockhausen), shows lots of modernist architecture, both interior and exterior, and employs at least two ways of quick editing: First, a kind of proto-hip hop cutting, in which quick successions of cuts skip only a few minutes each; second, quick cuts away from the main plot to show small scenes that are not allowed to take any longer than they absolutely must (e.g., four seconds). That's a main technique for presenting a film not only about specific people, but also one about the city on the whole, as a kind of side order. Or is it the main order?

For the time being, I'm giving it eight points, but I think it's a grower.

1963: Le petit soldat

Godard's second feature, starring Anna Karina and some bloke who's not Jean-Paul Belmondo, was banned by the French government for three years, for telling the story of a man who gets caught between the fronts of the opposing fractions fighting the Algerian war in Europe. More importantly, like the earliest talkies, it was apparently shot silently, with only the most important sounds overdubbed later. To me, that's a technical weakness rather than a bold artistic move, but I got used to it at the time. With its grainy black and white and its nervous energy, it feels like a lesser version of À bout de souffle, which is not to say it is a bad film at all. (7.5)

2008: Flammen & Citronen (Flame and Citron: The Nazi Assassins)

The film about resistance fighters in Nazi occupied Denmark is generally good, but little not-so-good elements here and there make it merely o.k. (6)

1960: Rocco e i suoi fratelli (Rocco and His Brothers)

Visconti tells the story of four southern Italian brothers who come to Milan in search of a better life, focusing on the tender Rocco and the up-to-no-good Simone. - It's got a last half hour to die for, but the other two have some (mild) lengths. Overall, a very good movie, though. (7.5)

1962: Salvatore Giuliano

The nonlinearly told film starts with the death of the title character, a 1940s Sicilian outlaw, and tells the stories of people connected to him, as well as the history of Sicily during that era. It's a little hard to follow at times, but nicely contrasts the city with the countryside, Sicily with Rome, and darkness with light. (7)

1962: Birdman of Alcatraz

You shouldn't think a film about a prisoner in solitary confinement who becomes a bird expert is all that interesting, but it's pulled off in a very professional manner: a well-structured screenplay (Guy Trosper) and no-nonsense direction (John Frankenheimer). Old Hollywood: It did have something going for itself. (7)

2001: Vanilla Sky

David Aames has it all: Good looks, great job, shitloads of money, and he gets to dump Cameron Diaz for Penelope Cruz. Naturally, fortune must soon deal him a bad hand, and deal him a bad hand it does. - Everybody seems to like the Spanish origninal (Abre los ojos) better. I haven't seen that one; at any rate, Vanilla Sky creates a cohesive aesthetic system which is pleasant in a Dido kind of way. Suits me fine. (7)

1998: Rushmore

Wes Anderson's movie about an outsider at an expensive high school is noteworthy for the contrast between the quirkiness it's trying very hard to project and the fact that the screenplay is a collection of the most-used devices from the screenwriting textbook. A self-indulgent film about a self-indulgent teenager, but it does have its strenghts, such as Bill Murray, Olivia Williams, early The Who songs, and a play about the Vietnam war. (6)

1970: Das Millionenspiel

Despite identifiable weaknesses such as a poor leading actor and some implausibilities, the German TV classic, about a game show in which a candidate can win a million if a bunch of killers does not manage to get him within seven days, manages to entertain thoroughly. (7)

1963: Nattvardsgästerna (Winter Light)

I hear Jerry Bruckheimer's planning a remake of this one: A Swedish village pastor has doubts about the existence of god in Bergman's unremarkable, but decent significant-slice-of-life picture. (6)

1962: Cleo de 5 à 7

Cleo spends the two hours between visiting the hospital to have a test done which will tell her whether she suffers from cancer and receiving the test results driving in a taxi, being visited by her lover, talking to her maid, etc. Very good music (though sparse) and cinematography; overall decidedly decent. (6.5)

1962: El ángel exterminador

The bourgeois guests at a dinner party find themselves unable to leave afterwards. Their subsequent behaviour suggests poor stress resistance. Featuring lots of dialogue, perhaps too much, and the little surrealistic touches one may expect from Bunuel (in addition to the general surrealistic setup). Why not? (6)

1943: Vredens Dag (Day of Wrath)

In a 17th century Danish village, witch-burning is alive and well, and people are not shy to let non-witch-related influences guide their decisions about whom to denounce. Combine with the intra-family conflict in a Danish pastor's household, and you have a nice setup for this drama directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer using austere frames and deliberate (but not slow) pacing. (7)

2008: Synecdoche, New York

Brilliant movie, reviewed here. (8.5)

2010: Inception

Reviewed here (6.5).

2004: Collateral

A run-of-the-mill script about a cabbie who gets kidnapped by a contract killer to drive him around L.A. so he can go about his job. Directed by Michael Mann, but it's not in the same league as Heat. It's not even in the same league as Manhunter. (5.5)

1965: Per qualche dollaro in più (For a Few Dollars More)

Once you got over the concept of manliness that is promoted in the second installment of Leone's trilogy about the overly talkative bounty hunter and are ready to enjoy it for what it is (an exercise you're already familiar with, having seen the first one), you'll realize it's not very entertaining. (5.5)

The Best of July 2010

1. The Guns of Navarone (1961) - 8
   
2. L'armée des ombres (1969) - 8
3. Love and Death (1975) - 7.5
   
4. Le clan des Siciliens (1969) - 7.5
5. Oktyabr (1928) - 7.5

Films Not Finished: July 2010

The Honeymoon Killers, Ikiru, The Mist, 16 Blocks