5 Reviews: Mona Lisa, Millennium Actress and more!
The Page Turner: (2007)
5/10
The Page Turner is an intriguing but ultimately underwhelming French slow-burn thriller. It concerns a young pianist named Melanie (Deborah Francois of L’Enfant) who seeks revenge on pianist Ariane (Catherine Frot) who inadvertently destroyed her potential as a pianist during a botched audition when she was young. The film suffers from throwing in unnecessary lesbian innuendo which not only makes no sense as Melanie’s plan but it is an example of a film that so desperately needs to remain interesting that it relies on same-sex intrigue that fails to work on any level. The interaction between the two remains interesting based on two purposely cold leading performances by Frot and Francois. However, the actual meaning it latches itself to in the film outside of what the actors bring to it felt pointless. The film keeps up suspense by not revealing Melanie’s plan of any characteristic of hers outside of her apparent mission. This emphasizes her one track mission and enhances how much it means to Melanie to get her revenge.
The film’s other problem is that Ariane’s arc feels like the screenplay needs her to make certain decisions without them feeling justified or built up or even motivationally understandable in a subtle way. This makes it hard to look at Ariane as an actual character when her choices are clearly governed by the script’s needs for Melanie’s plan to work. The best scenes in the film are the ones with Melanie and Ariane’s son in which she persuades him to both play the piano above his level and to hide the pain in his wrists to his parents. The Page Turner is able to sustain itself throughout and it certainly not bad but a few missteps make the film hard to recommend as it comes off as a forgettable thriller.
The Magdalene Sisters (2002)
8/10
The Magdalene Asylums were where ‘fallen women’ were sent in Ireland. They are now notoriously known for having physically, emotionally and sexually abusing over 30,000 women throughout their existence. The Magdalene Sisters has (actor turned writer/director for this film) Peter Mullan’s take on the atrocities that took place there by using the true stories of three women who passed through. This is not a film to watch when you are in the mood to feel happy. It is devastating to watch to say the least. The three women focused on are Margaret (Anne-Marie Duff) (sent for being raped), Bernadette (Nora-Jane Noone) (sent for being pretty) and Rose (Dorothy Duffy) (sent for having a child out of wedlock).
The characters are developed only slightly. The effects is has on each are clear but at Magdalene, identity becomes non-existent so it helps make the film more powerful. A fourth woman Crispina, has the most haunting story of all. Her fate will leave the viewer disturbed and troubled. Sometimes the film misguidedly shows moments with the nuns which make them look foolish. This takes away a little bit of the integrity of the film but not much. Mullan’s goal is not to look at this even-handedly. These are things that happened; horrible things that ruined thousand of girls’ lives because of the sexism that is so latent and rampant within the Roman Catholic Church. At a certain point, balanced depictions simply are not deserved. His goal is to show things from the woman’s point of view and trying to get into the heads of the nuns is a pointless and undeserved task. This is a rewarding but depressing film that depicts resiliency, hopelessness and everything in between through the girls experience in Magdalene Asylums.
Millennium Actress (2002):
8.3/10
This is an anime film from seminal anime director Satoshi Kon which, like his other works blends reality and fantasy as it looks at the life of actress Chiyoko Fujiwara. This could have come off as extremely pretentious. Kon has been hit or miss for me. Perfect Blue is a wonderfully imaginative thriller but Paprika failed to engage despite the creativity on display and I have yet to see Tokyo Godfathers or his series "Paranoia Agent".
Millennium Actress is doing a lot at once. Genya Tachibana is a director who is filming a documentary about Chiyoko. As he interviews her, we view her life both in the backdrop of World War II when she grew up but also through the settings of her various films which take us through all the different centuries. The director and cameraman who interview the older Chiyoko are present as they film her life and Genya appears often in the role of protector which mirrors a real-life incident that Chiyoko is unaware connects her to the filmmaker.
The look of this film is beautifully cinematic as well as Kon’s stylistic aesthetic. The frames are rich and layered and have the look of a high budget live action epic and the score fits the grand scale of the film as well. The only complaint is that there should have been more development with Chiyoko as a whole. If she had felt like a more specific character, maybe the film would have been even more powerful. Millennium Actress manages to encapsulate Japanese film history and the life of an actress through broadening her story to fit through the centuries of Japanese history. It is quite an achievement and should be seen.
Mona Lisa (1988):
9.5/10
Bob Hoskins’ in Mona Lisa is one of the great screen performances of all time. The arc of his character George is so well transitioned and heartbreaking that he will stay with you long after the credits appear. This is a difficult film to review because I just loved it so much. The complaints are minor. George’s conversations with Thomas (Robbie Coltrane) grow slightly stale after a while and the Genesis song that plays at midpoint is terrible (because it’s Genesis) and throws off the mood of the film. Also, by the end it becomes difficult to understand what the film wants us to think of the mysterious Simone. The latter complaint is feeling more and more like a positive aspect though. The film does not seem to blame Simone; she was doing what she felt needed to be done. Since the film is really George’s story however, his reaction is understandable in the same way that Simone’s action are understandable but conflicting to the audience because of what it does to George.
The chemistry in the scenes between George and Simone is incredible and the transition is beautiful. The film is really dealing with prostitution in a brutal and raw way without being preachy or obvious. George’s character is specifically well-developed that the film becomes unlike most others through his character alone. He has a temper and gets mixed up with the wrong people and he is very naïve and almost child-like in many ways. I am not sure what else to say about this except that it is easily my favorite Neil Jordan film and it has become one of my new favorite films.
Autumn Sonata (1978):
8/10
Bergman’s showcase for Ingrid Bergman in her last film role which earned her an Oscar nomination mainly deals with rehashing the past too late to make any changes. This is a familiar kind of story dealing with an adult (in this case Liv Ullmann) confronting a parent (Bergman) on their failings as one. The reason this works so well is because Bergman has created two characters that are specific enough, a mother who had richly specific neglect for her child and a daughter who has turned out richly specific from that neglect provides an individualistic story that remains compelling through the two lead performances and the specificity of the screenplay and characters.
Bergman smartly takes advantage of the close-up with actresses Bergman and Ullmann. Their pain comes through loud and clear as well as mother Charlotte’s false act and realizations and daughter Eva’s long awaited outbursts and repressed feelings. He also, along with Bergman’s crucially important cinematographer Sven Nykvist, create some disturbingly objective snapshot flashback shots which hold all of Eva’s feelings within the frame and represent the loneliness and neglect that Charlotte has failed to see all these years.
The outcome of their overdue confrontation is very pessimistic with a glint of hope (this is a Bergman film after all). As Charlotte struggles but is seemingly able to deny what has happened with Eva, Eva is left worse off than she was before and becomes submissive in her last attempt to reconnect yet again. Autumn Sonata works really well overall and can be added to the abundant list of successful Bergman films that exist. The scene in which Eva plays the piano for Charlotte and vice versa is the film’s standout scene.
Horrorphile
Mona Lisa I've not seen since it came out. At the time I thought it was good, but not brilliant. Just what was the dreadful Genesis song? Invisible Touch?? LOL
Film & TV on DVD
Mona Lisa still amazes me.
I don't know why but The Magdalene Sisters didn't effect me the way it does others, juts felt like I had seen it all before.
Millennium Actress I have wanted to see for a while now. Worship Perfect Blue.
Cinema Enthusiast
Thoughts from a Cinephile
Thoughts from a TV Watcher
JohnDoe - When The Magdalene Sisters first started I felt a bit like that but by the end it had really effected me.
Horrorphile