Movie #99 The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo *2009*

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first film in the millennium trilogy.  Tattoo (as I will now be referring to it) is based on a book of the same name.  It is the story of an abused orphan who works as a private detective and a publisher that has been convicted of a crime.  They end up working together on a missing person case at the estate of a rich excentric family.

The book is an airport book.  By that I mean that it is the type story that fills an international flight or great for relaxing at the beach.  I of course haven't read it, but I am told that the film is a good representation of the source material. 

The films is a dark one that deals with issues like rape, Nazi's, torture, incest, self mutilation and other taboo topics.  The star of the film and the series is Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander.  She is excellent in a difficult role.  She has to play a detached , hard as nails vamp.  But she need to be a sympathetic character to the viewer or we wouldn't care about her story.  We have to love the woman that doesn't believe in love.

This film is a Swedish one and it is subtitled.  But if you watch this movie and the sub titles are the thing that bothers you most, you should probably seek professional help. 

I watched this over the Christmas break.  I just never got around to blogging about it.  My fondest memory will be of my girlfriend falling asleep on my lap while watching this.  I don't think that says much for the film, but I won't forget it for a long time.

Tattoo is a solid thriller in the vein of Michael Criton films.  It did make me want to see the rest of the trigiloy.  FYI:  David Fincher is remaking this in English.  I am excited about that, but I am excited for every new Fincher film.  I give Tattoo 3.5/5 stars.  Check out the Trailer Park to see for yourself.

I am proud to say that I am now totally caught up on my bolgs!  Vacation here I come.

Movie #88 Irreversible *2002*

A masterpiece?

I just finished watching Gaspar Noe film Irreversible.  I can honestly say that I have never seen anything like that in my life!  I really don't know what to say.  I am truly at a loss for words.  I am going to write a review of this, but there is a good chance that if I watch it again I might have a totally different take on the film.


The film opens with a camera technique like I have never seen.  The camera seems to be attached to a gyroscope of some kind.  It pans and wipes at 360 degrees without ever cutting.  It is fluid and dizzying.  The lighting is minimal and mostly natural.  Once the story begins it takes place outside a gay S&M club where there has been a murder.  The film then proceeds to play out in long, 10-20 minute sequences playing backwards to explain why the murder took place. 

The film revolves around a rape that occurs about half way through the film.  This rape sequence is about the first time in the film where the camera sits still.  It is about a 9 minute un-cut single shot of the most brutal anal rape sequence I have ever seen.  I don't know how to feel about this.  I kind of feel bad for having watched it.  This is not a film that I would ever recomend to anyone without a detailed description of what they would be getting into.

Irreversible is an assault on the senses.  It is terrorizing and beautiful.  As an example; The opening credits are printed upside down and backwards.  They are presented in a strobe light fashion.  They also scroll from the bottom of the screen up instead of the usual.  Then close to the end of the roll the credits start to slowly rotate counterclockwise.  This is not just a gimmick thought.  It really prepares you for the film and it's eccentric camera technique.   Then, the final shot is another fluid camera movement centering overhead on a water sprinkler.  The camera being to spin opposite of the sprinkler.  It moves faster and faster as the score grows louder and louder.  Then it fades into a whiteout that starts strobing.  Through the strobe we get glimpses of outer-space.  Then it cuts for the first time and the film is over.  Very reminiscent of 2001: A Space Odyssey.  The music was done by one half of the band Daft Punk.  It is a techno sound scape.  This would have definitely made a spot on my favorite score of 2002. 

The films stars Monica Bellucci and Vincent Cassel.  Bellucci is probably best known for her work in The Matrix, and Cassel would be know from the Oceans 11 franchise or from this years Black Swan.  They are unbelieveably good in this movie.  I felt so bad for Bellucci having to be subjected to filming that rape scene. 

I gave Irreversible a 5/5 stars on Netflix.  I think I will hold true to that ranking.  I have a rule that I will only watch one David Lynch film a year.  I find his work so disturbing that I will only put myself through 1 of his films a year.  Even though I own three or four on DVD.  I love them that much.  I wonder if Gaspar Noe will be another director like that.  The closest film I can comapre my feelings to is the Michael Haneke film(s) Funny Games. 

I will attach the trailer for Irreversible if YouTube has one.  I will also add a link to the credit sequence of his new film Enter the Void.  Check out the Trailer Park to see for yourself.

Day #2 - Naked

Another day of continuing this charade that I will be able to watch a 365 movies in a year.  Kind of funny though, I made it though the film today but got really drowsy during the movie (I worked until 2:00am this morning).  But as soon as the movie was over I got up and started diner and washing dishes and folding laundry.  Once I ate, I sat in the spot I watched the movie and turned the TV on and started flipping.  I wonder if this has something to due with the mindless nature of TV, or did I simply get my second wind after a long day at work and a not exactly riveting, plot driven film.

The boring film I am speaking of is the 1993 Mike Leigh directed "Naked".  And to be honest the film is anything but boring.  It is the story of a wondering, social misfit from Manchester played with ruthless vigor by David Thewils.  As is often the case with Mike Leigh's films which include Secrets & Lies, Topsy-Turvy and last years Happy-Go-Lucky plot takes a back seat to performance.  This character study delves deep into the self importance, self destructive nature of Thewils "Johnny" as he wonders around London interfering with a former girlfriend, her flatmate and various other unsuspecting bystanders.  He rants about the bible, the end of the world, alienation, drugs, sex and any other thing he can get an audience for.


This is not an easy watch for a number of reasons.  First off is the action is character.  Which leads to several scenes of talking and talking and more talking.  I have read that a good deal of the films dialogue was improvised or constructed during rehearsal.  Which, if true, is quite impressive.  Another reason this is a difficult watch is that is is highly sexual in a disturbing nature.  There is a lot of sex in the movie.  Not all of it is consensual or it can not be recognized if consent was given during or before the act.  Rape has never played well for American audiences.  The final reason this can be difficult to sit through is that no one in the movie really gets you to root for them.  All the characters are either a total a-holes, sexual prevents, delusional flunkies, manic control freaks or perhaps the greatest sin...passive bystanders in life.  That might be the message this film is trying to get across.

Overall I did enjoy this film.  It had been in my queue for a long time and I am glad that I have dug deeper into Mr. Leigh's catalogue.  I would give Naked a 3/5 stars.

For more please check out the trailer on YouTube by clicking the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WdAPqhnzwQ