Synopsis:
Twin zoologists Oliver and Oswald Deuce (Eric and Brian Deacon), become obsessed by death and decay of different species (mostly animals), since their wives were killed in a freak swan-related car crash. The sole survivor, a woman called Alba Bewick (Andréa Ferréol), loses a leg in the accident and becomes entangled in the twins' strange experiments.
My Review:
This movie is an artistic masterpiece. The lighting and photography is beautiful, in spite of the deranged things we are seeing onscreen. There is a fascinating beauty to the decay sequences. I've seen two other Greenaway movies (The Pillow Book is among my favorite movies of all time; the other one I've seen is The Cook, the Thief, his Wife and her Lover) and this one has all the elements that I liked about the other two. The plot is disturbing but the way it is presented visually is haunting and appealing.
The subject of the movie is grief and the extremes to which a person can go to cope with it. Also I believe it tries to show that life and death has no explanation, that it is random and chaotic.
I recommend this movie to people who are interested in naturalism and the works of Johannes Vermeer (there is another movie which includes him and his work called Girl with a Pearl Earring by Peter Webber and starring Colin Firth and Scarlett Johansson from 2003).
Synopsis:
Fred Madison (Bill Pullman) is a jazz saxophone player who suspects his wife, Renee (Patricia Arquette) is cheating on him. After receiving a strange message on his intercom, he has a nightmare and then video tapes start to appear at his doorstep. Concerned by what the tapes show, they call the police. That night they go to a party, where Fred meets a Mystery Man (Robert Blake). After the bizarre encounter, things start getting even more twisted.
My Review:
I enjoyed this movie a lot. It has all those Lynch elements that make it fun: the dark atmosphere, the cool soundtrack, the odd characters, the puzzles and the unsolved mystery of what the hell is going on. And the best part is having Trent Reznor doing the video sequences score!
I've read some interpretations of the movie to get hints of what could have been happening. One of them is kind of like Mullholland, Dr. where this movie seems to happen in two different scenarios, one is reality and one is fantasy. Fred escapes from reality when he is in his jail cell by becoming Pete, but his new fantasy life goes wrong when he encounters the spitting image of his beautiful wife who also seems to have a shady past (the thing that doesn't fit is why would Pete be in the cell instead of starting fresh somewhere else, with the cops watching his every move). Another has a supernatural take, which has to do with body swapping, striking a deal with the devil, alternate reality and time traveling. No matter which interpretation is more accurate, I've just GOT to watch Twin Peaks!
Whatever the actual meaning could be (if there is one, since I think the director's intention is to keep people guessing and making theories) , I think the obscure ambiance, the confusing symbolism and the haunting soundtrack make it highly recommendable for all "neo noir" fans.
Synopsis:
George (Tim Roth), his wife Ann (Naomi Watts) and their small son, Georgie, have just arrived at their summer home. Soon their idyllic family vacation will be brutally interrupted by an unexpected visit.
My Review:
I just finished watching this movie. I thought it has value in the sense that it doesn't give the general audience what it wants: a happy ending (as much as it could be, since the son is killed by the middle of the movie, which makes it hard to keep thinking "they'll be fine" right at that point). It also shows what I think would be a pretty realistic depiction of a normal, high class family's reaction to a home invasion, I mean, what could they have done differently? Normal families aren't familiar with survival skills, weapons, martial arts, etc.
Then there's the involvement of the audience, when Paul addresses the camera directly. I interpreted that in two ways: one: the guy is crazy and it shows what media can do to an unstable mind, believing that life is like a game show or reality TV; or two: the director wants us to know that there is a complicity with the viewer, some kind of voyeur of the sadism taking place.
Something else that caught my attention was the rewind sequence that starts with a possible hope for the family and then its like "yeah, right!" and it simply doesn't happen. That was the director saying: "this is not THAT kind of movie".
The last conversation in the boat I found confusing. Could it be that Paul and Peter are aware of their condition of characters in a work of fiction that could easily be reality ("But isn't fiction real?")? The breaking of the fourth wall is an indicator.
In the end, I believe the movie shows how vulnerable we are and that the real world can be a harsh place where the bad guys can win, and still when it happens in a movie, its considered entertainment. No Hollywood ending to this one.
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