Wild Grass

I found Resnais' latest effort every bit as baffling as his New Wave era films. This was only surprising because the reviews made it sound like Wild Grass would reveal a softer side to the philosophical puzzle-master. Apparently, he had set aside his heartless experiments to create something with more feeling, even some narrative. Not that I have never thought of Last Year at Marienbad or Hiroshima Mon Amour as heartless formalism at all. To me, they are deeply moving. Wild Grass may be masked in a narrative of unrequited love (albeit, a circuitous one), but it is still filled with Resnais' calling cards, and then some. Notably, when each character is introduced, it takes a good five minutes for us to see their face; we are stuck in their point of view for a while, within their actions, before we really get a sense of who they are. Is the purpose of this to set up a fusion between character and viewer? Who really knows. In addition, there are many points of view to juggle. There is an omniscient narrator carrying us along, as well as internal monologues, and a camera that sometimes drifts aimlessly as if it has become bored of its subjects.

I honestly don't have enough time to spend on this as I would like (I'm currently taking advantage of friends' hospitality until the 1st when my apartment becomes mine). But here's what I've got:

Chicago Bound and Bueller... Bueller...?

via

In 1 day and about 5 hours I will be relocating from Rochester, NY to Chicago, IL. Could I have picked a more refined cinematic representation of the Windy City? Honestly, this is the first one that came to mind. It's a fantastic representation of the city itself. Also, the longing for such an epic tale of truancy is never far from my heart. It's been a while since I was actually in high school, but everyone has that day when they fantasize about escape. Most people don't manage the style of Ferris, though. Most people call in sick and watch his exploits on TV, because this movie is on every other day. But then again, not everyone has such a fantastic city to play around in, and that's what escapism is all about. Thank you, Ferris Bueller.

p.s. Anyone heard of the Ferris Bueller challenge?

Happy Birthday, Beautiful

Exit Through the Gift Shop and some ravings on representation

On a whim, more because I felt like going out to a particular theater than I felt like seeing a particular film, I saw Exit Through the Gift Shop. It was actually a really rewarding experience, and a unique one. As someone who doesn't generally gravitate towards documentaries, I can say that they are refreshing every one in a while. And just like any film I sit down to, except on rare occasions, I end up being relatively engrossed, traditional narrative or no.