Film: I Want a Third Pill
The festival begins.
The Pervert's Guide to Cinema: Parts 1, 2 and 3
That title's a mouthful, and the movie itself, if this were a real word, is a brainful.
What we have here is documentary filmmaker Sophie Fiennes taking us through the thoughts of psychologist (or pschyo-analyst, or guy way smarter than me, or something) Slavoj Zizek as he talks about the meaning behind some of his favourite films, and of cinema as a whole. We watch him talk about The Birds, Vertigo, Psycho, Fight Club, all the films of David Lynch, Three Colours: Blue, a couple of Charlie Chaplin films, and a lot more. And if that sounds too dry, he talks from within the films he talks about. He discusses Psycho from Norman Bates' cellar, Blue Velvet from Dennis Hopper's den of creepy sex, The Birds from Tippi Hedren's speedboat.
It's all fascinating stuff, and Fiennes puts it together fantastically. She matches some scenes perfectly to the original, like Vertigo, sitting in Scotty's apartment. Other times production values show, with what I assume is MiniDV footage not standing up next to the film segments we watch, but it's not at all jarring, just understandable. Fiennes occasionally gives us candid glimpses of Zizek as well, making him more likable. Not that he wasn't already.
So, style is good. What about substance?
Zizek is, as mentioned, way totally smart, but he's also funny. As he boats to the island of The Birds as Tippi Hedren did, he says "I know what you're thinking: I want to fuck Mitch.". After showing the scene from The Conversation where blood rises from the toilet, he likens the black of a cinema screen before the feature begins to a toilet bowl, and viewers waiting for something to rise from it. "Basically, we are all watching shit!"
I occasionally find psychological analysis of films to be jarring- I encountered some real wank about Alien last semester at uni. Here, though, what Zizeg says is never too implausible, even if it isn't my favourite type of film theory.
Although the film is too long. It's two and a half hours, three parts put together. I think it was intended to be on TV (although now the hardcore pornography that appears in part two would prevent that on most channels), which would suit it better, because there's so much in it you feel weighed down (in a good way) by the end out part one. It's all pretty interesting stuff, it's just tiring.
It's definitely worth a watch, but aim for DVD rather than at a cinema, if it makes it to a cinema near you. It was fantastic to watch some classic scenes on the big screen, but a pause button would have been a pleasure.
8/10
Next, I'm seeing Borat. Apparently it's so funny it hurts. Sweet.
The Pervert's Guide to Cinema: Parts 1, 2 and 3
That title's a mouthful, and the movie itself, if this were a real word, is a brainful.
What we have here is documentary filmmaker Sophie Fiennes taking us through the thoughts of psychologist (or pschyo-analyst, or guy way smarter than me, or something) Slavoj Zizek as he talks about the meaning behind some of his favourite films, and of cinema as a whole. We watch him talk about The Birds, Vertigo, Psycho, Fight Club, all the films of David Lynch, Three Colours: Blue, a couple of Charlie Chaplin films, and a lot more. And if that sounds too dry, he talks from within the films he talks about. He discusses Psycho from Norman Bates' cellar, Blue Velvet from Dennis Hopper's den of creepy sex, The Birds from Tippi Hedren's speedboat.
It's all fascinating stuff, and Fiennes puts it together fantastically. She matches some scenes perfectly to the original, like Vertigo, sitting in Scotty's apartment. Other times production values show, with what I assume is MiniDV footage not standing up next to the film segments we watch, but it's not at all jarring, just understandable. Fiennes occasionally gives us candid glimpses of Zizek as well, making him more likable. Not that he wasn't already.
So, style is good. What about substance?
Zizek is, as mentioned, way totally smart, but he's also funny. As he boats to the island of The Birds as Tippi Hedren did, he says "I know what you're thinking: I want to fuck Mitch.". After showing the scene from The Conversation where blood rises from the toilet, he likens the black of a cinema screen before the feature begins to a toilet bowl, and viewers waiting for something to rise from it. "Basically, we are all watching shit!"
I occasionally find psychological analysis of films to be jarring- I encountered some real wank about Alien last semester at uni. Here, though, what Zizeg says is never too implausible, even if it isn't my favourite type of film theory.
Although the film is too long. It's two and a half hours, three parts put together. I think it was intended to be on TV (although now the hardcore pornography that appears in part two would prevent that on most channels), which would suit it better, because there's so much in it you feel weighed down (in a good way) by the end out part one. It's all pretty interesting stuff, it's just tiring.
It's definitely worth a watch, but aim for DVD rather than at a cinema, if it makes it to a cinema near you. It was fantastic to watch some classic scenes on the big screen, but a pause button would have been a pleasure.
8/10
Next, I'm seeing Borat. Apparently it's so funny it hurts. Sweet.
posted by Simon A at 11:26 AM
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