ROBERT ALTMAN'S PERFECT COUPLE

So, I've basically been sort of 'layed up' this weekend. I'm in a sort of overly medicated fog and trying to hide from a migraine which seems to be trying to catch me when I'm not looking. With the exception of a fun visit from my Ing and Miss. S, it has been me and DVD's all weekend. Actually, I guess I nap'd mostly, but I did watch some DVD's.

One which I watched was the 1979 Robert Altman film, A PERFECT COUPLE. I saw this movie when it came out. I remember loving the music and thinking that the two male singers were so cute --- and that one was actually gay in the movie! My little 12 year old gay heart went crazy when I saw it. And, it was cool to see Marta Heflin in a staring role. Marta Heflin was too skinny, but I don't remember thinking that when I was a kid. I thought she was cool and hot! ...and she was naked in A STAR IS BORN in Barbra's swimming pool so I thought she was the coolest!

But, I remember thinking the story in the movie was dull but that the musical group, Keepin' 'Em Off The Streets, was sooooooo good and cool! I wanted the soundtrack but there was never one that I could find. ...but a quick 'google" search reveals that there was an LP by the "group" which was essentially created for the movie but it was not a soundtrack as such. How could a 12 year old in a little town in Texas have figured that one out?!?!!? Anyway, imagine my surprise today when I realized that one of the cute guys in the band is the same cute guy who played Jesus in JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR!?!!? ...he is still cute in the movie but way-dated and the other cute (and gay) guy is actually thinner than Marta Heflin which is pretty scary.

Anyway, when I discovered that this lost Altman film had made its way to DVD I couldn't wait to revisit it! So, re-visit it I did.

(sigh)

OK. We all know that what appears cool to us as a child can often be lame as an adult. The music in this movie is so bad it actually hurts my feelings! I mean, this music is bad and it is more than half the film!!!!?!?!?! How could the genius behind MASH, NASHVILLE, 3 WOMEN and McGABE & MRS. MILLER have made this movie??!?!

...Well, actually, it is easy to see that it is his film. Classic Altman framing and over-lapping dialog. Clearly improvised moments between the actors. Moments when you suspect the actors have no idea if the camera is on them. But, what is up with the music? How did I ever like it?!?!? ...I'm glad they were kept off the streets!

What is interesting is my perception on the story and acting in the film itself at 40 vs. 12. I almost liked the actual plot of this rambling plot-less film. The concept to present two actors who look like real people who have real problems and who are both desperate to find love before they get too old. ...It is a feeling we all know all too well and it was so nice to see a film where two characters meet and actually fall in love via awkward dating moments, a dating service, clashing friends/family -- it was all painfully real and sweet. And, interestingly, sad. The two leading characters are sad and lonely. ...they are not perfect, but by the film's end you know that they will actually form a perfect couple. And, in that rarest of movie moments -- you actually believe that these two characters would fall for each other.

...I can remember thinking that it just wasn't funny, but it has a few funny moments. Adult moments. And, I can remember thinking that Paul Dooley was so ugly and that there was no way Marta Heflin would go for him. ...but now, he seems cute and she is not as cool as she once seemed.

I learned that Altman had wanted Sandy Dennis in the Marta role but Sandy insisted on bringing all 35 of her cats to the set and Paul Dooley was allergic and ended up in the hospital -- so Marta got Dennis' role. Originally, the film was going to be about a "moma's boy" meeting an aging "flower child" --- but, Altman liked this band (?) and knew that Marta could sing so he changed the film to showcase the band which then "re-invented" itself to include Marta and Jesus.

Ugh. The music just hurt. And, the film is not great. Only bother if you totally adore Robert Altman. ...or if you were a 12 year old who used to love the music that fills the entire film. Time for a wake-up call, kid!

...I think I need to watch this to cleanse my soul. I keep meaning to watch it with Altman's commentary. So, maybe I will have some soup, climb into bed and do just that. ...and, this Robert Altman film is one of the greatest American films ever made -- and one of my all-time personal favorites!

SHAMPOO

Tho, not in my Top Ten, SHAMPOO is one of my favorite movies. I recently discovered it was on DVD for less than $10!?!?! So, I got a copy. I was so excited to show it to B as he had never seen it. He fell asleep.

This film is, in my view, one of those great almost experimental films from the 70's when studios were more willing to take risks and aim for something close to "reality" ---- and this is also director, Hal Ashby, at his very best! I know he is best remembered for HAROLD & MAUD and COMING HOME (both near-perfect movies!) but I think this is his finest hour as a filmmaker.

An American Tragedy hiding as a comedy. Satire hiding behind dramatics. This just might be the most non-political - political film you will ever see. And, it is certainly the most unsexy film about sex you're likely to ever run across. One can say a lot of things about Warren Beatty but the man has produced some fucking fantastic film work!

Essentially, I think this movie is focused on why in the world the US would have re-elected Nixon to 4 more years of total hell --- and, why, especially in the 70's, sex became an addiction -- and an act as meaningful as a handshake between business partners. It is fully loaded.

Very loosely based upon the early career of Jon Peters (tho, both Beatty and Robert Towne were quick to claim it was actually loosely based upon the career of Jay Sebring -- don't believe it!) ...a somehow clever guy who became a hairdresser so he could sleep with as many women as he wanted and a guy who is quickly losing interest in sex and more concerned with where his place in the world should be ...or could be.


As Goldie Hawn (who one forgets could once act quite well) tells Beatty's character: "You never stop moving and you never go anywhere!" ...a fact he knows, but her words seem to shatter him.

No one in SHAMPOO is able to connect. The film is quick to parody the world of LA. So many quiet and priceless moments. Julie Christie and Goldie Hawn having lunch, but when conversation drifts to something important they escape behind their giant Hollywood glasses and fall into the laid-back/mid-70's-Hollywood-vernacular of the film ---

"Oh, George? George is great."
"Yeah, he's great."

TV sets and radios blare throughout the film, but no one is watching. The TV/radios are usually warning about the upcoming victory of Nixon and his vile administration or some form of violence. But these characters are too apathetic to bother turning down sex they don't really want to even notice the importance of what is going on in outside of themselves.

And, yet, somehow the actors manage to make these hallowed-out/shallow people so human you do feel for them.

As George stands up on that canyon mountain watching the one person with whom he thinks he might have had something close to love --- you're left wondering if anyone could ever really love him or if any of the people in his world even know how to really feel anything.


...And, the hostility of Lee Grant's character! One can't help but laugh at the clever inverse of THE GRADUATE plot twist when she realizes that her lover has just slept with her teen daughter (played with perfectly tinged anger and angst!) --- she gets turned on vs. jealous/angry.

Also, let's face it. That has got to be one of the coolest posters any major studio created to promote a film. ...but, don't expect a sex comedy or a laugh a minute film. This is carefully edited and paced film. Great editing and even greater cinematography. And, Paul Simon's score even works. This film asks the viewer to think. And, I think that is something most films no longer require. No one blows up. And, there are no fart jokes.

And, who knew a Beach Boys could packs a punch when placed at just the right moment.

Terry Gilliam's TIDELAND

...Terry Gilliam's "little" movie upset, confused and annoyed a lot of critics. I even failed to see it in the cinema during its very limited run. However, I saw it tonight. It is odd, disturbing, gruesome, funny, surreal, sad, bombastic and fucking brilliant. I was going to buy a new pair of shoes this weekend but shall be picking up my own copy of DVD instead. It blew me away. I don't know that it is for everyone. It taps into some dark corners of childhood. ...and humanity. But, it also sheds lights into those places. Survival. Working one's way through those very grim moments of childhood --- and making the horrible into beautiful. And the insane into family. Accidents into myth.

"...I wonder if I've been changed in the night? Let me think. Was I the same when I got up this morning? I almost think I can remember feeling a little different. But if I'm not the same, the next question is 'Who in the world am I?' Ah, that's the great puzzle!"

INLAND EMPIRE - David Lynch Unrestrainded!!!

Yes, INLAND EMPIRE is a full 3 hours David Lynch assault to the senses. Did I like it? Yes, I think I did. Actually, I may love it. I need to process it. While I did find it a bit long, I was never bored and I my eyes, ears and mind were stuck to the screen the entire time. This is a film which seems to require multiple viewings. There were more than a few people in the audience who had seen it twice already. Hypnotic, oddly gorgeous, without linear thought/plot, brilliant performance from Laura Dern, horrific, confused, lost and funny --- if you like David Lynch you will not want to miss it. I plan on seeing it again with my pals Ing and Alan. I am still trying to figure it all out in my head. What did all those symbols mean? Most importantly, what does it symbolize to have Nastassja Kinski sit on a sofa while Suicide Girl types dance and lip sync to the late/great Nina Simone? I guess she could stand for a lot of things. And, why the Beck song? Word to the wise: if you do see it -- stay thru the final credits! I love that the cinema in which I saw the movie was playing selections from the new Tom Waits compilation CD! Quite fitting! I guess, ultimately, if one must ascribe a meaning to this film --- and I'm not entirely sure one should --- perhaps it is about the loss of identity of an actress. So, deep into her role(s) she becomes lost in an endless loop of plot. ...A woman in trouble.

MICHAEL HANEKE'S CACHE

Where, in my opinion, David Croenenberg failed with A HISTORY OF VIOLENCE --- Austrian/French filmmaker, Michael Haneke succeeds. Haneke's CACHE (HIDDEN) is one part thriller/mystery and more part societal commentary. And, quite timely coming from the French perspective. Without cramming the message down the collective throat of the audience or banging the message into our heads, Haneke finds a number of interesting ways to illustrate his point. In one very telling scene as the husband and wife fret over their problems we see a world at war on their big screen television to which they are both oblivious. The undercurrent of racial and class tension runs strong throughout the film and the white upper class characters never seem to notice or acknowledge on any level.

The challenge in writing about this film is avoiding spoilers. But, "the set up" --- upper class French family begins to receive anonymous video tapes taken of their home and other mysterious long running scenes where very little if anything ever happens. The tapes arrive packaged in what appear to be a child's rendering of a bleeding mouth or the dismemberment of a chicken's head. The creepy factor runs high and the family slowly begins to unravel under the pressure of the stress that "the threat" of these odd tapes and the many hidden secrets being carefully concealed. Working on both the emotional and metaphorical levels of emotion and non-acceptance of French history (specifically the French war in Algeria and the horrid repression against Algerians living in France at that time) or the unwillingness to admit that there are some very serious and brewing racial and class tensions just waiting to explode. French riots, anyone? The almost pathological refusal to accept any blame for something horrible from the past on the part of the main character packs a strong punch to the French conscience. This film is not just liberal posing --- Haneke is out for blood. And his aim is his chosen home country.

Anyone familiar with the challenging, transgressive and violent work of Michael Haneke knows that his films are not going to be every viewer's cup of tea. However, to deny the impact and power of his talent would be a horrible mistake on the part of any viewer. Deliberately paced so that we fall into a sort of trap - midway into the film we are not quite sure when we are viewing "real time" reality or the creepy surveillance tapes being made of and for the family. It works. The suspense builds. However, don't be fooled into thinking you can predict what is going to happen. Suspense and thrills are not the point of Haneke's vision.

I do want to offer a bit of a warning to potential viewers -- There is a particularly surprising and gruesome scene which caused a number of gasps and two quick exits when I was viewing the movie. However, there is a point being made and it would not be made without the shock value of that moment. However, it is nightmare-inducing.

The performances are pitch-perfect. One would expect no less from such talents as Daniel Auteuil and Juliette Binoche. Auteuil is particularly effective in a role that allows him to go from one extreme to the other. By the film's end he is a very different man than the one we meet in the first few minutes. French film fans will love Annie Girardot's brief cameo! With barely 4 minutes on the screen she still manages to rip your heart out. An amazing actress.

To say that CACHE is thought-provoking would be an understatement. This film left me in total awe and horror. There are no easy answers. In many ways, this is a mystery left for the audience to solve. ...or to resolve. There has been much written and discussed about the film's "odd" and "unconventional" ending. Going into the cinema I was already aware of this, but did not know what the nature of the ending. I guess this is with good reason as it was the topic in the lobby as the audience headed out into the fresh San Francisco air. Several people debated the idea that a plot point or clue was given to us in the closing sequence. It is my opinion that to focus on that is to miss Haneke's point. In the end, it isn't the mystery that matters. It is the horrible secrets and truths we hide from not only our loved ones, but from ourselves.


...the talking head discuss the literature, but the books are all empty and blank.

It takes time to determine if a work of art is a masterpiece. But, I suspect that this film will stand the test of time. If you love movies that makes you think --- this is one for you. If you're looking for light entertainment or pure horror, this is not the movie for you. And, don't expect any easy answers or conclusions. They are hidden, but you might be able to find them if you watch closely.

If we had a rating system in place I would be giving this the highest rating possible!

Shame on the OSCAR for ignoring this brilliant work! This is worse than their failure to recognize Herzog's GRIZZLY MAN!

PUT THE CAMERA ON ME

If you enjoy documentaries, filmmaking and human psychology then this film by Darren Stein and Adam Shell is for you! And, it is now on DVD!

PUT THE CAMERA ON ME is a deceptively cute film. It is actually a complex glimpse at the psychology of children and offers interesting insights into the development of adults and an artist. On the surface this is a nostalgic look at some home movies made in the 80's by a group of upper class neighborhood kids. One of the film's directors, Darren Stein, had access to a video camera and quickly took over as the artistic leader for all of the movies. Sure, these are just some cute kids having fun. But, this is also much more. This is a look into some moments in time as children grapple with a number of confusing issues that all of us face in life --- fear, sexual awakening, unrequited love, loneliness and just trying to make sense of the adult world which seems to explode all around us. As we get older we tend to forget how overwhlelming the realities of life were when we were little.

What makes this film all the more valid is to watch a young Darren Stein turn into a little general of a filmmaker. It is clear that Darren is running this show and these little movies are his vision but they are all informed by his friends, their problems, the interpersonal dynamics and the general confusion regarding the horrors of adult life. A lot of children make home movies, but I've never heard of or seen children create "little" movies about the holocaust, homosexuality, nuclear war and the inability to fit in and make friends. These kids are confronting and dealing with some heavy stuff! This ain't no Brady Bunch happy hour!

Stein and Shell today...

As an added feature of the DVD one can watch the home movies in their entirety. Some are extraordinary and rather disturbing for us, as adults, to view. Still, others are just some kids fooling around with a camera. The power of this film is the way Stein and Shell pull various scenes together so tightly with running interviews with the kids --- all now adults and all still friends. This adds a new angle to the film. How many of us have stayed in touch with our childhood friends? These guys have. And, many of the issues with which they were dealing are still running between them two decades later. Much is all revealed thanks to some great interviews with the parents.

Among the conflicts -- a confession of a crush reveals a heart still broken, a very normal childhood sexual experience continues to be a "sticky" subject between two of the men, some ongoing resentments over the dynamics of relationships and there is still a member of this team who remains very much in charge and in center stage! Which makes perfect sense as one watches these home movies progress over the course of a couple of years. Darren Stein is a director. No doubt about it.

Stein today...

Stein and Shell take turns chatting with each other from time to time and one can't help but imagine the awkwardness of allowing us to peek into the young lives of these people. This is particularly true for Stein who has gone on to a great deal of success in the entertainment industry as a film producer, writer and director. From the first moment of PUT THE CAMERA ON ME we can see the emergence of a gay little boy trying to figure it all out. We also see sides of the artistic mind and personality that are not always "nice" or "caring" --- and, this is a bold move for any artist to share with an audience.

There are so many revealing moments, but a few that really stood out for me is a movie called "Gay As A Whistle" which stars one of the kids who is clearly also working out the fact that he is gay. Just at the same time as Darren who wrote the movie. In this movie, our little star is dressed in women's work out clothes (most likely Darren's mom's workout outfit) and acting as femme as possible. He holds a "magic" whistle that will turn you gay if you look at it. He goes on to turn the football team queer and per Darren's direction there is a bit of uncomfortable sexual energy going on here --- along with the humor. Just the fact that these kids are comfortable enough with each other to have filmed this says a great deal about the bond between these children. Another interesting moment features Darren dancing seductively --- as if to a mirror. We all did it. It is very personal moment --- and full of joy, innocence, curiosity and self-discovery. Another is that of one of the boys who seems to find ways to show off his chest and body whenever he can --- and the fact that Darren's camera is always quick to follow. I'd bet money that neither Darren or his friend could have named what they were feeling or doing, but the power dynamic we normally associate with adults is already formed in these normal boys.

The most disturbing and complex moments involve a movie in which we see a Jewish concentration camp victim being tortured and killed by a Nazi. We discover thru interviews and narration that the Nazi is played by a Jewish child and the part of the victim is played by a gentile child. It is a painfully disturbing moment that glimpses into the darker side of fear and the way children work thru the horrors of the adult world that are beyond adult understanding much less that of a child.

Entertaining, insightful, funny, cute, disturbing and memorable --- this is a film which all of us can relate to on at least 2 to 3 levels. This is much more than some home movies. This documentary captures the pain, beauty, joy and sadness of growing up. Powerful stuff --- and well worth seeing!


...on the 'set' of "Gay As A Whistle" ...I forgot his little apron thing! LOL! So cute!

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