And how was your week? I talked to a lot of people who saw “Capturing The Friedmans” last weekend, and so many of them were just completely depressed, or weirded out. I saw it Friday night, and, truth be told, it got me a little down. And I had seen it before. Why see a movie that makes you feel bad twice, you ask? Well, I wanted to see if it would have the same effect on me the second time through. And, yes, it did. Jarecki’s film, now nominated for an Academy Award for best documentary, is constructed exceptionally well. It’s also incredibly manipulative, as are most documentaries, whether we perceive that we are being manipulated or not. Throughout the film, the careful selection and presentation of narrative information guides our opinions. This is a very conscious and well-executed manipulation. I think that no documentary has ever had an effect on me the way “Friedmans” di—oth times I saw it, my opinion of the “truth” really kept shifting. By keeping events ambiguous and by not postulating a theory, Jarecki’s film leads us to believe that we are constructing our own opinions; in fact, “Friedmans” is so well made that it constructs and repeatedly changes our opinions for us. It’s a troubling film, not only in its content but also in its construction.
So why see a movie like this? Why be uncomfortable? Some think that movies are supposed to be an escape from the mundane and/or the bad things in life. I think that good films can certainly fit into this category, but we must look beyond the close-mindedness of seeing only movies that make us feel warm inside. I find that when art holds a mirror up to natur—lemishes and al—e learn more than we would if we had taken the easy way out by merely escaping from reality. So we suffer through all the denial and pain in “Capturing The Friedmans” as though we are a part of the family. My opinion is in no way meant to cheapen lighthearted films. I think a good laugh is hard to come by. It’s just that I feel a need to approach the dark side. Some of the best films strike a balance somewhere in between. At times “Friedmans” is very scary; other times it is darkly comic. It is always riveting.
So as you see more and more movies, don’t be afraid to approach the dangerous ones, the ones that frighten you a bit. It is only through experiencing dark things that we can emotionally combat them. My question is: why doesn’t everyone love horror movies? I think that they’re the bees’ knees and I think they don’t get enough respect, especially in the realm of film criticism and film scholarship. Foes of genre films rarely point to the aesthetics of the pictures they trash. But scary subjects often make for exciting aesthetics.
This weekend in the Cinema, we’re showing a very well made new horror thriller; “28 Days Later.” It’s a zombie movie for people who think zombies are cheesy. In this film, the zombies are fast as hell, and totally rabid and blood-puking. It’s directed by Danny Boyle, who did “Trainspotting,” “Shallow Grave” and “The Beach.” And it’s written by Alex Garland, who wrote the books “The Beach” and “The Tesseract.” It is shot on video, by Anthony Dod Mantle, cinematographer of “The Celebration,” “Mifune,” “Julien Donkey Boy” and Lars Von Trier’s newest film, “Dogville.” If you have any idea what those films, or other Dogme 95 films look like, you’ll understand that this film looks and moves unlike any zombie movie. It’s like a European art film version of a classic zombie story, except that instead of being slow-paced, the movie is really fast, because the European art filmmakers took a lot of speed. People also seem to be pretty scared by this movie, so it’s a good bet that the person with whom you’re going to the Film Series will grab you in fright. And, again, I advocate making out in the Cinema (or the Science Center, for that matter, although it’s difficult to do so with those strange slide ‘n’ swivel desk chairs), unless it distracts people from the movie or makes them envious of your skills. Plus, this movie features a penis. Not a zombie penis, though.
“28 Days Later” plays in the CFA Cinema Friday and Saturday, February 6 & 7, at 7:30 and 10pm, $3.
For Free in the Science Center:
If you like Monty Python, Kevin Kline, Jamie Lee Curtis, or OF animals, you need to see “A Fish Called Wanda.” Actually, if you’re a lover of animals, this movie may upset you. But for everyone else, it is an orgy of dark humor. It’s about a heist and a lot of double-crossing and some animal killing that ensues. It isn’t really that offensive. Or maybe it is. I’d say that if you go to see it and are offended, then you should leave and ask for your money back. But it’s free, so you can just leave. Or you can stay. Whatever. I’m a vegetarian, and I still think that “A Fish Called Wanda,” is pretty brilliantly funny. It’s probably because John Cleese, Michael Palin and Kevin Kline are awesome. Kline got an Oscar for this movie, which sounds like a mistake or something, but it’s actually very cool. Just don’t bring any animals to the film, because they might be insulted. Nor should you let them see “Fierce Creatures,” the terribly inferior companion film made in the late ’90s. In this instance, though, the insult would come not from seeing cruelty to animals on screen, but from seeing brilliant comedic actors do something so unfunny.
Charlie Chaplin is special. His ability to express so much with only his body language, specific actions, and goofball charm is brilliant and unparalleled. “Modern Times” is his last performance as the Little Tramp and, if you haven’t seen this movie or, gulp, any Chaplin, you really, really, really owe it to yourself to actually see him. This was the first film in which we heard the voice of the Little Tramp. But, just as, for most of his career, Chaplin didn’t rely on words to convey meaning, my description of this great performer and director is completely inadequate. His work must be seen to be fully appreciated.
“A Fish Called Wanda” plays in the Science Center Friday, February 6 at 7:30 and 10pm.
“Modern Times” plays in the Science Center Saturday, February 7 at 7:30 and 10pm.
Next Week:
Wednesday in the cinema at 8: “The Believer,” a controversial film about a Jewish skinhead.
Thursday in the Science Center at 8: “My Name Is Ivan: Andre Tarkovsky’s first film.
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