Movies You May Have Missed: 10/5/08
Gabe Nevins in Gus Van Sant’s moody Paranoid Park
This week’s Movies You May Have Missed features a solid line-up of three films that get 3 1/2 stars from LiC. Since these are all scheduled for DVD release on Tuesday, now is the time to readjust your Netflix queue.
Paranoid Park (2008) *** 1/2
Though I haven’t seen it again since I first reviewed it, I think I might like Paranoid Park even better than I did six months ago. With his story of a troubled teen teetering on the edge of oblivion, Gus Van Sant has put some of the formal experimentation of his most recent small-scale pictures to its most satisfying use. It’s still arty and some will find it pretentious, but if you give it a chance you might find it sticks with you.
Boy A (2008) *** 1/2
Buoyed by a terrific lead performance from Andrew Garfield (Lions for Lambs), the UK drama Boy A is a haunting look at whether you can ever really escape from your past. In this case, Garfield plays a young man who spent his childhood in jail for his part in a brutal crime. Upon his release he’s given a new start with a new identity, but he lives in constant fear that his history will catch up to him. Good stuff, but don’t just take my word for it, here’s what Alexander had to say at Coleman’s Corner in Cinema.
The Visitor (2008) *** 1/2
I liked The Visitor, but not nearly as much as some of the people who helped make it the closest thing we’ve had this year to an indie crossover hit. Richard Jenkins is terrific as the emotionally wounded college professor who learns to live life when his staid existence is shaken up by two illegal immigrants. Unfortunately, filmmaker Tom McCarthy doesn’t have enough faith in the intelligence of his audience. He tends towards heavy-handed obviousness and he has to underline moments of emotional drama when the film begs for subtlety and restraint. In the end, The Visitor plays to the cheap seats and the result is a good film instead of a great one. I’m giving it the same rating as the other two films, but it’s an odd case where the glass feels half empty instead of half full. On the other hand, I’m pretty much in the minority of opinion on this one so see it yourself and then come back and tell me I’m full of it.
Filed under: DVD
Tags: Andrew Garfield, Boy A, Gabe Nevins, Gus Van Sant, Paranoid Park, Richard Jenkins, The Visitor, Tom McCarthy
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I was very moved by Paranoid Park when I first saw and reviewed it over at MZ, but I watched it again a few weeks ago and it left me cold. Perhaps it was my mood.
I missed The Visitor in its theatrical run. I’ll definitely be picking that up Tuesday.
I completely agree with your assessments of Paranoid Park and The Visitor, looking forward to seeing Boy A. I also would like to revisit Park. It’s still vying for a spot as one of my favorites of the year, but I recall being a little thrown off by some of Van Sant’s more stylized sequences.
Also releasing this week is the doc The Mindscape of Alan Moore, which talks with and profiles the well-known but somewhat eccentric and reclusive artist. Sounds interesting…or possibly incredibly pretentious. I’ll be checking it out.
Interesting take on PP Phillip. Like Joel, I’m looking forward to another visit with it, but we’ll see how it holds up. The first time I watched it, I’d just finished with Gerry and Elephant so comparisons were inevitable. I wonder how it plays on its own.
I’ve seen Paranoid Park 4 times now, I have the DVD already, and I love it more and more each time. Still my number 1 film of the year by a long shot.
I would love to see the other two at some point as well, especially The Visitor.
Interestingly, there were at least a few critics who praised Boy A as the film Paranoid Park wanted to be. I liked Paranoid Park a good deal, I think it’s Gus Van Sant’s best in a long time, but Boy A sort of blew me away, and is certainly one of my favorites of the year.
The only problem with this Movies You May Have Missed feature is that my Netflix queue has a way of getting longer much faster than it gets shorter. I’ll be adding Paranoid Park and Boy A to it now, though. The Visitor was already on there. Looking forward to checking them all out.
I know what you mean Jennybee. I’ve been watching a crapload of movies and I feel like stuff is still slipping through the cracks. Forget about going back to watch old movies.
I should change LiC’s motto to “So many movies, so little time.”
I strongly disagree with those above who were underwhelmed with THE VISITOR, and I have the professional establishment completely on my side. (It is one of the best reviewed films of 2008) This is not a good film but a great one. It is a cross-cultural drama that resonates emotionally in a way that few contemporary films do. It boasts the greatest performance by an actor in a leading role this year by Richard Jenkins, and the supporting players are marvelous and the screenplay excellent. I was overwhelmingly moved by the film, and I picked up the DVD earlier today in Manhattan so I can savor it again and share it with others.
Alexander did indeed write a great review of BOY A, and he acknowledged that it may well be one of the most unforgettable films of the year. It’s a wholly visceral and intellectually challenging independent feature.
PARANOID PARK isn’t Van Sant’s greatest film, but again like BOY A (nice comparison there Alexander) it’s a deft mood piece with all of the director’s probing visuals. Nick Plowman is to be fully commended and appreciated for his passion for this one.
Paranoid Park ****
Boy A ****
The Vistor **** 1/2
It is not out of the question that THE VISITOR may end up my #1 film of 2008. EDGE OF HEAVEN, UP THE YANGTZE, MAN ON WIRE, THE LAST MISTRESS and ALEXANDRE are the other contenders at present for the top spot, but of course we have three months to go.
Among the other releases this week are two more Criterions (both by Melville), LE DOULOS and LE DEUXIEME SOUFFLE, the former an engrossing genre piece and the latter lesser Melville but still with much to revel in. (I picked up both today as well.)
I saw THE HAPPENING there too, but I think that will street in most stores next week. I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t buy it! LOL.
Ii must bump up all of Craig’s ratings here.
“So many movies, so little time.”
Oui oui, Monsieur Kennedy. That would apply to men as well.
Yeah…
I will be receiving my promotional commission from Tom McCarthy later this week. It was well worth posting up my tirade.
hahah Sam, I’m glad you got that off of your chest.
Here’s the thing, the emotional resonance of which you speak is a highly subjective measure and for me it simply wasn’t there. There were too many scenes that took me out of it. All these months later the one that stands out was the ghastly stereotype of the rich white woman buying something from the Senegalese girlfriend.
I’m not trying to talk you down from your passion for the film. I think it’s great and I’m a little jealous I don’t share it. But the fact is, I don’t.
I agree that Jenkins was great and I really liked Tarek.
Fair enough Craig, if the emotional resonance did not work for you, I agree the film would drop a few notches. What you say makes sense, and with THE VISITOR the element of taste seems to be stronger than with most films.
curious Craig, would you convey to me your own sentiments on McCarthy’s THE STATION AGENT?
“I should change LiC’s motto to “So many movies, so little time.”
Offseason, anybody?
Boy A was outstanding, as has been conveyed here. It’s not the best movie of the year, but it might feature the best performance I’ve seen, by Andrew Garfield.
I haven’t seen Station Agent since it was in theaters, but I loved it at the time.
I understand a healthy majority of people found the emotional resonance you speak of Sam, so maybe I’m just broken inside. :)
Ok Daniel, I’m almost convinced by your notion of an offseason. Not sure how I’d fill my time though…