Movies You May Have Missed: 11/15/08
So you find yourself on an elevator with a drunk and lonely Audrey Tautou…
After a couple of bum weeks with little in the way of decent under-the-radar DVD releases, the calendar finally rallies in the middle of November. Besides the high profile WALL-E and Tropic Thunder, the coming Tuesday brings an armload of solid documentaries plus an effervescent French romantic comedy.
Priceless (2008) ****
A lighter than chocolate mousse romantic comedy with the slightest of bitter tinges, Priceless stars Audrey Tautou as a gold digger patrolling the French Riviera and Gad Elmaleh as the hapless hotel employee who falls in love with her. The LiC review was rather plot heavy, but here are the opening and closing paragraphs:
“If you peer too deeply into the heart of Priceless, you might be horrified by what you see. My suggestion is that you don’t look that hard because you’ll be depriving yourself of one of the frothier, more entertaining romantic comedies to come down the pike in a long while. It’s the kind of farce that only the French and possibly the Italians seem able to pull off. In America, unless the name above the title is Blake Edwards (and sometimes even if it is), the result is usually crass. Here, it sparkles like champagne and it even tickles a little bit going down.
Like beauty, Priceless is only skin deep and best taken at face value. It’s a trifle, but it’s a funny and entertaining trifle full of beautiful locations and a unique French flavor.”
Recommended if you’re a fan of Audrey Tautou or in the mood for a romantic comedy that isn’t insipid like they mostly are in America.
Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson (2008) ****
It turns out I liked Gonzo a lot more than other people I know who saw it. It’s funny, in my optimistic post-election glow (well, except for the part where California voters cavalierly stripped the civil rights of many of my friends and neighbors), the bitterness and rage of Thompson’s language doesn’t quite have the same impact. Last summer however, I was still pretty pissed off and it was like a balm (or was it a bomb?) Once again, let’s go to the LiC review:
“Thompson’s anger is toxic, but it’s also intoxicating – not a narcotic that makes you relaxed and sleepy, but a shot of Wild Turkey that juices you up and gets you ready to fight. It’s a finely honed rage that is cutting, direct and bitterly funny.
Time and again from the front lines of an era experiencing tumultuous change, Thompson caught a whiff of the boundless promise this country seemed to offer only to report back with bewildered amazement at its failure and its willingness to slouch toward mediocrity rather than seize brilliance.”
All of this says more about Thompson than about the documentary. It’s true that filmmaker Alex Gibney admittedly reaches for obvious musical cues and biographical highlights in shining the light on his subject, but he also has the good sense to let Thompson’s abundant words speak for themselves. For that, the documentary is recommended.
Encounters at the End of the World (2008) *** 1/2
It’s hard to say what Werner Herzog finds more intriguing, the interesting creatures he encounters at the South Pole or the people who study them. I take that back, he’s definitely more interested in the people. Herzog insists that he has no interest in returning with another story about “fluffy penguins” and he delivers on his promise. Though he does take a moment to grill a scientist over whether there are “gay” penguins and he spends some time watching in fascination as a single penguin wanders off from the flock to its certain death, Herzog is really looking for signs of the end of the world, in more than one sense. This is not some tree hugging global warming documentary however. Herzog makes that clear as he moves from one curious story to another. I still haven’t settled on exactly what Herzog was getting at and I’m not sure he knows himself, however one of the refreshing things about the documentary is its willingness to simply look and listen and ask questions rather than cling to a pre-established agenda. Sadly I never quite got around to reviewing it.
Up the Yangtze (2008) *** 1/2
A documentary about the impact that the world’s largest hydroelectric project has on some of the 2 million residents it will displace. More generally, it’s about a group of people who are in danger of slipping through the cracks as China lurches from Communism to Capitalism. On a more hopeful note, it’s also about the innate human capacity to exist and thrive even in the most trying of circumstances. I was expecting a more political documentary from this and was pleasantly surprised to find it was a much more human story. Here’s another one that deserved an LiC review and didn’t get one.
Filed under: DVD
Tags: Alex Gibney, Audrey Tautou, Encounters at the End of the World, Gad Elmaleh, Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson, Priceless, Up the Yangtze, Werner Herzog
You know I was thinking back the other day about Priceless and how I still think it might be one of my favorite movies this year. At least one of the funniest along with OSS and Tropic Thunder. I wouldn’t mind catching it again at all, especially to see Elmaleh again.
Encounters is fading slowly, but I still loved that underwater sequence. I didn’t enjoy Gonzo so much but I think I might be in the minority in that and not you. Either way, it’s not like it was the worst documentary (Where in the World is OBL) or anything.
My thoughts on Yangtze are known ad nauseum by now. It’s trying to stay as my top doc of the year but there are so many apparently insanely good ones that I haven’t seen yet.
That collection adds up to a whole lot of stars, including WALL-E and Tropic Thunder. Best DVD week of the year?
I really still want to see Priceless and Encounters, the former I have been wanting to see for a really long time, it looks lovely.
Much like Daniel, I’ve found myself thinking about Priceless more than I actually believed I would when I saw it this past spring. The bubbly effervescent charm of the movie just won’t allow it to merely drift away. Your review of it is tops, Craig.
I saw PRICELESS and the dire TROPIC THUNDER (as well as GONZO) on the shelves at Kim’s last night after seeing Despletchan’s A CHRISTMAS TALE last night. I have not watched PRICELESS yet to say anything, but I will over the upcoming week, and I will go back to Craig’s review as Alexander urges here.
I bought both the legitimate version of UP THE YANGTZE while I was over there (Craig should rightfully tell me I am a money waster, since I had the perfectly fine bootie release) and I also bought ENCOUNTERS AT THE FAR END OF THE WORLD.
The new editions of TOUCH OF EVIL and SUNSET BOULEVARD were there and impossible to resist at this point.
I also bought the three-disc WALLE-E, which looks fantastic.
Three Criterions were there:
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Fanfan la Tulipe
Chunking Express
I bought the latter, as the other two are on order, even though the Region 2 Fanfan and Paramount SPY are most fine, and are here on my shelves.
BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!
FEBRUARY CRITERIONS ANNOUNCED!!!!!!
Bunuel’s THE EXTERMINATING ANGEL
Bunuel’s SIMON OF THE DESERT
Lean’s HOBSON’S CHOICE
The Lean is great, but the two Bunuels are truly reason to celebrate!
Daniel:
The best documentary of 2008 in my opinion is no longer UP THE YANGTZE or MAN ON WIRE, as much as Top Ten berths for both on the general year-end list (where docs and feature length films are combined) are highly likely.
DEAR ZACHARY: A LETTER TO A SON ABOUT HIS FATHER has now moved into the #1 position among 2008 documentaries.
This is my opinion, yes, but the 97% stellar rating and only a single negative review do place it (in the general concensus right up there with the other two) But all three are magisterial, as well as a few others like the Herzog that make this the greatest documentary year in memory.
Looking forward to seeing Priceless on DVD this week. REALLY looking forward to getting the Wall-E Blu-ray in my hot little hands from Amazon too.
Good week of releases, no doubt about it.
Sam, I don’t think the connotation of ‘magisterial’ gives it the meaning you want it to have above (not to mention your traditionally flawed argument re: Rotten Tomatoes reviews).
Is Priceless out on DVD now? I meant to see it in theatres but just never got around to it. I have been looking forward to seeing it for a long time now. Actually, I think it was your review that got me interested, Craig, and I believe I became even more excited when I read Daniel’s write-up over at getafilm.
Smart chicks love Priceless. That’s what’s really important.
Jeff, I beg to differ. One of the dictionary synonyms of “magisterial” is “masterful.” Are not the three films above “masterful?” I think they are. Perhaps you’re only thinking of some of the other synonyms.
Magisterial is actually a terrific word to use for these three.
As to the “flawed” argument of usuing RT, fine then we will never use the reference of other critics again. These paid professionals, most of whom were serious film school students or journalists, have no say or bearing on how good or bad a film is, even in tandem.
Look, my friend, I disagree with the RT concensus as much as I agree with it, (this year even more than ever) but that’s not going to stop me from making reference to that concensus, not as the ‘proclomation to end all’ but as a useful barometer of measurement.
Do you think it would be much more worthwhile if we ask Jeff McMahon want he thinks, and to post it here, and say professional critics are insignificant, even to mention in passing?
Look Jeff, I am well aware that someone (like myself) who has strong opinions becomes a lightening rod (at least in your way of thinking). I do not come to LIC to be loved (there are a few others here too, who, upon seeing my long submissions, generally skip over me without saying a word, and that’s fine, I’m not here to please any specific person, other than the site’s proprietor) but I’d like to think I have some friends here within the wonderful world of blogging.
I don’t have the same kind of personality as you Jeff–I am extremely outspoken and outgoing and I generally don’t mince words with my opinions. I wasn’t afraid this morning to proudly announce that I thought the new James Bond was total shit, despite the fact that Craig (whose opinion I greatly respect) conveyed his pleasant surprise with it. I proudly and without a tiny bit of remorse gave this noisy garbage one star.
Your dismissal of RT (and I assume MC) as useful barometers of measurement flies in the face of opinion gathering. When you say or imply that their opinion means nothing, you are not saying anything that a six-year old doesn’t already know. But we don’t have a better way of gaging a common critical concensus, which is useful for a number of reasons.
Just Saturday I parted ways with a film that received a 93% positive rating from the RT critics en masse. I am referring to Arnaud Despletchan’s A CHRISTMAS TALE. I found this film problematic, and completely disagree with the concensus. Does this mean I am saying this concensus is insignificant or worthless? Of course not. I just happen to personally disagree, but the opinions of others does matter in the general matter of film criticism. At least it does to me and the vast majority of people. It doesn’t ever alter or compromise my opinion, but it does bring about a constructive forum for discourse.
And, Jeff, many others here at LIC have used the RT and MC reference time and time again. So you are not just taking me to task, but are taking everyone at this thread who has used it to make a point of comparison or reference, or just to solidity a “general perception” as I did above in explaining that the entire ‘critical world’ loved DEAR ZACHARY, MAN ON WIRE and UP THE YANGTZE. You seem to think I use it as some kind of “leverage.” But that’s just YOUR bankrupt ’spin.’
That was a magisterial comment Sam. :)
I kid
Actually Daniel, I think you’re well in line with the conventional wisdom on Gonzo. I don’t know many people who really liked it. Ah well, they can’t all be winners.
Is Chunking Express out in blu-ray yet? I haven’t been paying attention to DVDs…
Craig: LOL!!!!!
I bought the CHUNGKING EXPRESS regular DVD over the weekend at Kim’s. I do think the blu-ray is there too.
I guess I should dust off my Netflix pile. It’s been sitting on my TV for ages unwatched. I don’t even remember what’s in it.
After watching WALL-E again yesterday with the family on the plasma, I again am prepared to proclaim it one of the best films of 2008, and one of the greatest of all animated films.
Not sure if this was mentioned before, but I just noticed that the Wall-E DVD and Blu-ray special editions also contain the entire documentary “The Pixar Story,” which we’ve discussed here previously. So if you’re like me and you didn’t get to see that and want to, rent or buy the SE set.
Pretty cool.
I believe Daniel has been singing the praises of The Pixar Story for months. That’s good news.
Sam, declaring WALL-E among the greatest of all animated films is quite a statement…one I’m sure will get you poked in the nose….heh heh. I haven’t seen it again (and my review of it crashed with my hard drive), but it’s still not even my favorite Pixar film. However, to argue about it would be to split hairs because I liked it a lot.
Yep, I have “The Pixar Story” on my three-disc edition. I envy you and Joel though, with that blu-ray set-up.
Craig I know I put my neck out with that statement, but I genuinely believe it. I have read the contraian positions (one even by our dear friend Alexander) but this film has the emotional power of Spielberg’s E.T., a virtually breathless use of those HELLO DOLLY songs, and set design, art direction and animation that has defined just how far the technology has taken us. In fear of getting reprimanded by (my still very good friend) Jeff, I confidently point to the spectacular numbers at RT and MC that prove that I have not lost my mind, that most of America’s critical establishment is thinking what I am thinking. Time will either corroborate or refute my position, but I’ll take my chances. This movie brings genuine tears to your eyes and they are well-earned.
I was so imprssed with the film last night that I did something I very rarely do. I raised the 4 and a half star rating to a 5. Now I have three 5 star movies, and any of them can end up number 1, depending on my mood. And for me there is still THE VISITOR and EDGE OF HEAVEN high in the mix. But I am sure that MILK, BENJAMIN BUTTON, REVOLUTIONARY ROAD, GRAN TORINO, DOUBT, AUSTRALIA, and a few others will complicate things before the cut off on December 31.
Yes I am a blowhard. I admit it.
If I were a gambling man (and I am), I’d bet that you’re right about WALL-E holding up and even improving its reputation over time. We shall see.
Ok grammarians…is it “If I were” or is it “If I was” ?
You got it right the first time Craig.
Thanks for that confidence, but I must admit I am most interested in hearing what your thoughts are after a second viewing.
As I write this e mail from a PC in the back of the room where my after-school gifted and talented program is gathered, I have WALL-E playing for them. Not surprisingly, about 90% admitted they had already seen it in a theatre.
Well I’m honored you remembered my praise for Priceless, k. It would be worth an ItG review if you’re so inclined, since I don’t think it got a lot of attention during its theater run.
Well I’ve talked “The Pixar Story” to death here. Hopefully you all find it as interesting as I did. I think it was made right around the time of Cars (and I saw it last fall), so it’s not that current. But it still pulls the curtain back on what to me is a fascinating story.