The Barefoot Contessa (1954)
Very much like Lola Montes - though perhaps not as consummate - about an enigmatic woman everyone wants to "get". A great style that's hard to pin down... a kind of reserved lavishness, which is contradictory, I know, but it makes sense to me, damn it. Framed beautifully and told cleverly through several narrators, but never the woman herself. Gorgeous big melodramatic gestures and dialogue and Allusion Overload. Great great great.
The Scarlet Letter (1926)
Lilian Gish in the role of Hester Prynne at first seems odd casting. The events described in the book start after 30 minutes, and before that Hester isn't Hester at all. She's more like Pearl. And I can't decide whether that's ludicrous, or an inspired touch. But after that, Gish is tremendous. She grows larger than herself, in a sense, sometimes larger than the movie. Really steals the show. The movie's morals are not quite those of Hawthorne, but all in all a very good adaptation. In my curiosity I also watched the trailer for the 1995 Demi Moore version, and LOL, gonna steer clear of that one.
The Double Life of Veronique (1991)
Didn't like this nearly as much as I'd hoped/expected. Maybe I'm underwhelmed because Red dealt with similar themes, like the 'puppeteer' thing, in a more convincing way. I don't know. It tackles these broad and big themes in such an airy manner that it may very well be poetic, but it seemed slight to me. Gorgeous to look at, though, not least because of Irene Jacob.
Beau Travail (1999)
Only thing I knew about this beforehand was that it's about French legionnaires, so I figured I was in for a political drama. But it's very personal, with a very complex character in the centre of it. Strangely intense. Ending is one of the best I've ever seen, made me hella cry (I say hella to sound tough). Went out and bought Melville's Billy Budd the next day.
Thieves Like Us (1974)
Now here's a period picture. Looks so washed out, it's perfectly dreary. It really evokes the setting and era and makes for great atmospherics. It's a shame that today's movies can't look like this. Anyway it's like Bonnie & Clyde, except better, with A+++ performances.
And how perfect is the dialogue?
That Obscure Object of Desire (1977)
Dysfunctional doesn't begin to describe this relationship. Pure Emotional Terrorism. It's weird, one moment I felt like had the characters figured out, next moment my findings were shattered. Both inspire sympathy and contempt. Always love the little Bunuel touches. What's with the bag?
La Belle Noiseuse (1991)
Here's a nice way to spend the evening (all of it): Watching an artist draw/paint in long, uninterrupted shots. But for some reason, it's irresistible, impossible to tire of, though I did have to mute the sound at times. And he strains his model, physically and emotionally, but she's doing the same to him. It's perfect interplay. Everything goes into the creation of it, all sorts of pent-up passion and anger and just awful pretentiousness (which is great), it doesn't matter what comes out the other end.
