A Franchise Matures Wow. There are few things more interesting than the evolutionary forces of the market that push and pull something to ensure survival. I’m a strong believer in how market forces shape film, even our most exotic art films. This isn’t art, of course, not in the usual sense. But it is a… Continue reading American Wedding (2003)
Tag: f2003
Films released in 2003
Bad Santa (2003)
Inversion It is a simple idea: exploit the sweetness of Christmas by being mean to kids. Superimpose this on the old genre of bad man turns good through an unwanted role as parent. This works only because of extensive script doctoring, thanks to the Coen brothers. If you know their expertise in genre-bending, you’ll appreciate… Continue reading Bad Santa (2003)
Anger Management (2003)
The Game I can’t tell you whether you will like this movie. But I can tell you what they did in putting it together to make you like it. For a long time, professional screenwriters have been leveraging the effects of “folded narrative.” That’s where there is in some way: a movie or a play… Continue reading Anger Management (2003)
The Aminatrix (2003)
Busy I’m not sure I understand why this is being made. Presumably, the goal is to advertise the upcoming matrix sequel in such a way that sets the stage for game and doll marketing. Industry studies show that the type of fantasy that drives the commerce targeting teens and younger does best when “real” images… Continue reading The Aminatrix (2003)
Italian Job (2003)
The In, The Out This slick production lacks the cinematic acrobatics of “The Good Thief.” Except, except for one clever thing. The editing. The direction, acting and all that are pretty ordinary, as is the actual story and it tested very poorly. So — the story goes — the concerned producers brought in a giant… Continue reading Italian Job (2003)
Japanese Story (2003)
The Broken Hill This is a simple project, executed flawlessly. As with most films that bring you into human emotions, this uses an external reference. The gulf between two souls is referenced by cultural differences. The opening of the inner emotional fountain is folded into profound Australian landscapes, opened for mining. Our woman is a… Continue reading Japanese Story (2003)
All the Real Girls (2003)
Diversions Warning, if you watch this on DVD, avoid the commentary at all costs. This is a case where the creators are inarticulate nitwits, but what they have created has a particularly intelligent design. Superficially, this is the simple formula: boy meets girl; boy loses girl; boy gets girl back. With this edition, the two… Continue reading All the Real Girls (2003)
Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
God Gets Cut The title of the comment is from the ersatz master who makes a new sword for our avenger. This denotes what is wrong about this film, indeed why Tarantino is to film as Brittany Spears is to music. Martial arts are about generational wisdom, about the rigidity of the masters all the… Continue reading Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003)
Memories of Murder (2003)
Watchers Excepting Snowpiercer, this filmmaker has a distinct style. He surveys watchers and watching by creating and weaving layers. So far as I know, this is his masterwork. This filmmaker sees differently. He sees people seeing, weaves stories around this to keep us engaged, then simply shows watching. The story here is superficially a murder… Continue reading Memories of Murder (2003)
Acid Dreams (2003)
Spaced Out For background on another film, I had to pick a Michael Ninn film. I picked two that sounded interesting. The Ninn approach to porn is from the 70s. He has ideas that are really movie ideas. Then he does them with relatively high production values. Because he trowels in the porn sequences the… Continue reading Acid Dreams (2003)