Das Leben der Anderen

The dramatic possibilities presented by the Stasi's monitoring of the people of East Germany are numerous. This film tries to explore quite a few of them but adds some melodramatic twists that waters down the film's overall impact. I enjoyed the acting in this film immensely and was introduced to some great actors I've never seen before (Ulrich Mühe, Sebastian Koch, and Martina Gedeck). The story presented here though was very frustrating. This basic story chose to create plot points that came off as too convenient and overly melodramatic. Here were great performances trying to tell the story of survival, desperate choices and betrayals most of us in the West have never had to face, but this story veers closer to soap opera than it does to informative drama. I had a similar problem with The Good Sheperd. There is a scene where Wiesler intervenes with Christa to help save her relationship with Georg. He is acting on information he obtained through surveillance and emotions he developed while watching this couple. Right here the story has an opportunity to subtlety tap into all the natural drama a surveillance story creates. Instead the scene is followed by a cheesy montage of the lovers reunion. There are other clumsy directorial moments (suddenly in one early scene Georg and Christa look directly into the camera as they speak to each other in one scene for no reason and never again in the film). But that said the film was intriguing and hopefully is a foreshadowing of some of the great drama to come out of this terrible episode in history.
Memorable moment: Wiesler identified as Stasi by an innocent little child in the elevator.
Film # 106

300

Bloody and beautiful. I was drawn to this film by the teasing and amazing visuals but concerned that the violence might be too much. It is too much but this film is shot in such a compelling style I could not turn away. I still have to read up on the technology of how they crafted these painting-like stop action sequences. The style complements the audacity of the story as 300 Spartan soldiers fight off hordes of armies amassed by Persia. The battle sequences are unrelenting and nicely distinct. The director Zack Snyder has crafted a great visual and narrative tale which bodes well for his next project Watchmen. I can't believe that film might actually get made. If he succeeds maybe he can take a shot at Neuromancer next and become the successful director of impossible projects. The cast is great especially the exceedingly fit Gerard Butler as King Leonidas. I was lucky to see the film in Digital Projection which was stunning.
Memorable moment: Leonidas cutting his way through waves of the enemy shot with the camera shooting him in profile. Reminded me of a similar shot in Oldboy.
Film # 105

We Were Soldiers

This film isn't exactly haunting but a day later it is still bouncing around in my head. I was thrown at first by this film. I guess I had expected a straightforward documentary style film because the story is based on true events, specifically the Battle of Ia Drang as recounted by Lieutenant Colonel Moore and journalist Joseph Galloway. Instead it is told in a traditional war film format and plays very heavily on the theme of soldier as family man who honorably fulfills both roles. We get to know the conflict, we are introduced to the soldiers who will go to the front, we meet the wives who will wait and pray from home, we meet the old weathered sergeant major, we watch as the young untested sergeant matures in the heat of the fight, etc. I was thoroughly sucked in and invested in all the action and the consequences. Mel Gibson's gravely voiced Moore is charming, caring, forceful, nurturing, brave and above all realistic about what he and his boys may face. I really liked Gibson in this role. The score by Nick Glennie-Smith is terrific and worth taking a second listen to on its own. The battle sequences are vicious and show, much like Band of Brothers, how confusing an actual battle can be and how necessary a great leader is in the heat of the moment and how tremendous the sacrifices are made by the boys on the front line. This is very much the true details of war through Hollywood's distorted lens. It definitely makes the horror palatable but still serves to tell us about people and places very far removed from our safe quiet lives which is probably the most important role of the war film.
Memorable moment: Moore's pre-deployment speech (minus the annoying chin strap).
Film # 104

Black Snake Moan

I woke up the other day to hear a local entertainment reporter say that this film was better than it should be. Huh? Maybe I dreamed that. I certainly did not keep the radio on to hear the rest. I don't like to read or listen to any reviews before I see a film. I look to see who made it, who's in it and maybe what does the poster look like. Now if I was shortsighted enough to go by this movie's poster (and simple enough to take it literally), I probably would not have gone; and I can only guess that is what my radio reviewer was referring to. On it's face this film is about a guy who keeps a girl chained in house. And frankly quite a few of the solo males in the theater at my screening looked like they were there to learn just how to do that. But that is not what this film is about. Black Snake Moan is a wonderful passion play about the pain of living with the blues. I loved the language and phrasing in this script. The characters speak concisely and poetically about their fluctuating states of mind. Samuel L. Jackson and Christina Ricci are terrific together as the unlikely duo trying to work through love lost/interrupted. SLJ is not on my list of must see actors, so I was very surprised at what he does here and how I reacted to it. First the physical transformation is very effective. Second he nails the performance. This film also includes a cameo by Kim "Escape From Witch Mountain" Richards though in this film she is the witch.
Film # 103
Memorable moment: Laz playing electric blues to Rae in a lightning storm.