Out of the Past: The Week In Film

The Banal, the Blah, the Banausic:
1. School Daze (1988) Dir. Spike Lee - US

Astounding Cinema:
5. The Fallen Idol (1948) Dir. Carol Reed – UK
4. Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994) Dir. Alan Rudolph – US
3. Scarlet Street (1945) Dir. Fritz Lang - US
2. Set It Off (1996) Dir. F. Gary Gray – US
1. Chocolat (1988) Dir. Claire Denis – France

Theatrical Screenings:
4. Frozen (2010) Dir. Adam Green – US 8/10
3. The Last Station (2009) Dir. Michael Hoffman – UK 8/10
2. India Song (1975) Dir. Marguerite Duras – France 8/10
1. Made In U.S.A. (1966) Dir. Jean-Luc Godard – France 9/10

School Daze (1988): After my mini Spike Lee renaissance a week or two ago, I was eager to watch one of his first films, School Daze from 1988. And it’s not that Lee’s film is bad, it’s just more of a sounding board for themes he would go on to explore in his later work to better effect. Based on his own college experience, School Daze is set at an all black university where a variety of issues are explored between men, women, frat houses, sorority houses, etc. Light skinned vs. dark skinned, being Black in the Greek system, educated vs. non educated blacks, there’s a lot of important issues experienced in School Daze---if only it didn’t lose steam about half way into it. On a personal note, I can only watch the frat boy experience for so long before becoming utterly bored. The tone of School Daze also feels a bit uneven, sometimes dipping into musical numbers (which are entertaining) between some broad comedy and even more broad drama. But it’s worth the watch, especially for fresh faced Laurence Fishburne (who is still a bit old to play a college student here), Tisha Martin Campbell, and Bill Nunn. And it’s always a joy to see Ossie Davis.

The Fallen Idol (1948): Of the three collaborations between author Graham Greene and director Carol Reed, The Fallen Idol seems the least remembered (though Criterion has released a lovely DVD edition), especially when measured next to the masterpiece that is The Third Man (1949)---and my personal favorite of their efforts is the comedy/noir Our Man in Havana (1959). But The Fallen Idol explores plenty of dark themes with Reed’s typical masterful flair. Set in the French Embassy in London, the story focuses on the French ambassador’s young son, a character that may work your nerves, but who looks up to Baines (British star Ralph Richardson), the butler, as a friend and father figure. However, the butler’s wife is a shrewish bitch of a woman, hated by the young child, and suspecting that her husband may be cheating on her (which he is). And in the cinematic realm, these situations often end in disaster, and here we have no exception. Mrs. Baines takes a long dive down the stairs, it seems, and the young boy is convinced that his father figure pushed her, setting off a chain of events meant to keep us on edge, which the film effectively manages to do.

Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994): Directed by Alan Rudolph (and produced by his friend Robert Altman), Mrs. Parker tells the story of author/screenwriter Dorothy Parker, a boozy genius that, as the tagline tells us, is most definitely a woman ahead of her time. Parker was the founder of a now forgotten group of authors referred to as the Algonquin Round Table, and Rudolph’s film follows Jennifer Jason Leigh in an amazing portrayal of a drunken, bitchy, witty woman through love affairs, abortions, and the sad realization that she would never have the love of her life, Robert Benchley (Campbell Scott). Rudolph’s film is a fine period piece (with a lot of dialogue) and an almost unintelligible lead character---she is drunk most of the time. Apparently, the first screening of the film prompted Rudolph to re-edit Leigh to be less slurred. Leigh was nominated for a Golden Globe, and the rest of the fine cast includes Scott, Jennifer Beals, Peter Gallagher, Wallace Shawn, Martha Plimpton, Heather Graham, Matthew Broderick, Andrew McCarthy, Keith Carradine, Stephen Baldwin, Lili Taylor, Gwyneth Paltrow, and many others (including Nick Cassavetes and Rebecca Miller, who would go on to direct their own films). If you love Jennifer Jason Leigh, you shouldn’t miss this film.

Scarlet Street (1945): Joan Bennett was one of the most fabulous and famous femme fatales of classic noir, and mostly because Fritz Lang cast her in some of his best work. Previously I’ve had the pleasure of watching The Woman In the Window (1944), which also paired Bennett with Edward G. Robinson. Scarlet Street is a bit darker and features Bennett as a curious femme fatale – she’s really not after money or status, but rather intent on doing whatever her abusive boyfriend (Dan Duryea) tells her to do. Robinson stars as a bank cashier married to the oppressive widow he was renting an apartment from. Sad and lonely, he stops Bennett from getting beat down in the street by her paramour, and thus becomes enamored with her. Upon discovering that Robinson has been writing Bennett love letters, Duryea convinces her to swindle him. Robinson happens to be an artist on the side and Duryea and Bennett begin to sell his paintings for lofty prices under Bennett’s name. Of course, all goes awry in a rather violent fashion, and Bennett’s dim bulb femme fatale, though very entertaining, has to be one of the least intelligent fatales I’ve ever seen due to her utter lack of brains or problem solving skills. Needless to say, it makes for an entertaining film.

Set It Off (1996): Director F. Gary Gray may not have a very good track record in my book (he’s responsible for that abortion Be Cool, 2005) but his directorial debut about four African American female back robbers feels just as timely, hard nosed and intelligent (while packing a pair of huevos that puts any male studded action themed film to shame, especially in recent memory) as it must have upon its release. Notoriously, Queen Latifah was cast as a lesbian, though it’s probably Vivica A. Fox that shines the most as spurned bank teller. Jada Pinkett also stars, along with a very young Kimberly Elise as the more reluctant crew member, goaded into joining the robberies upon becoming desperate to raise cash to get her child out of Social Services. While the film may not always be particularly realistic about limited options afforded or denied African American women in this country, what’s most surprising is there’s little that seems to have dated the film now in 2010. And while we’re made to witness a completely unrealistic romance between Pinkett’s character and the manager of a bank, played by Blair Underwood, there’s plenty to appreciate in Set It Off, as a touching drama and a pretty damn good action flick.

Chocolate (1988): The 1988 directorial debut of French auteur Claire Denis (and not the 2000 pan European romantic film from Lasse Hallstrom) is based on her memories as a child growing up in Cameroon. Starring Giulia Boschi and Francois Cluzet as her parents stationed at an outpost in colonized West Africa, the film is basically told through the eyes of a young girl named France, played by Cecile Ducasse, and her close friendship developed with the house servant Protee, played brilliantly by a young Isaach De Bankole. Protee shares quite the mutual sexual tension with France’s mother, but due to the obvious class and racial tensions within which they live, you can virtually see their hopes and dreams dry up in the desert, their lives strained and exacerbated when a plane of colonialists crashes nearby and they take up residence with France’s family for a short while. Denis’ film doesn’t offer any answers or solutions to how people treat each other, but basically it made me think about small, tendrils of green foliage that sprout through severely charred landscapes. A very subtle, brilliantly fascinating film, with gorgeous cinematography, I loved this movie, and began the career of one of the best director’s cinema has ever known.