Children of Paradise (1945)

5/5

Children of Paradise is wondrous. There are so many scenes of such magnificent power; it must be seen to be believed. From the opening shot of carnival (with undoubtedly 200+ extras), I knew I was in for a treat. It is one of the most engrossing movies I have ever seen. Funny at times, sad at others. And in just the right proportions. Unique yet universal. The three hour plus running time went by so fast; I would continue watching this if it were 24 hours long, or longer. The camerawork, dialogue, and acting in this movie carry themselves with such authority, you tell yourself that this is how movies are made. Every shot in this movie is so precise, so absolute--you can't possibly imagine it being better if anything had been changed.

The screenplay was written by the poet Jacques Prévert, and it shows. Every sentence is a poem. The acting matches, and acting of such high caliber by a cast as large and diverse as in this movie is a rarity. But Carné's work as director somehow manages to outshine even those aspects. He understands cinema so intimately. The framing, the timing, the background (in each shot and of each character), the movement (of the camera and the actors in front of it)--all are delivered with such pinpoint accuracy. The outward simplicity belies the necessary technical skill. But the movie is incredibly self-aware, an entity poking fun at itself while standing firm in its beliefs. And it is a veritable goldmine when it comes to analysis.

I really cannot think of any negatives. Like I said before, I can't possibly imagine it being better if anything had been changed. This movie is without a doubt a masterpiece of the classic style of filmmaking.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0037674/

The Grand Illusion (1937)

4/5

The Grand Illusion refers to war--the Great War, and every other war. Renoir shows how life and social interactions remain unchanged in times of war; are we really in a war then? But its thematic underpinnings go so much deeper. Countries themselves are illusions, separated only by man-made, self-imposed differences. Even language is an illusion; with the right person speaking, the right emotions on display, the engaged listener, it doesn't even matter what words are coming out of their mouth. This was Renoir's point of view, and it seems a little too idealistic and romantic for me to believe. Also, I was not particularly impressed with the acting, the editing, or the music, but the story (on thematic and emotional grounds) and the camerawork were absolutely stunning. Without a doubt, Renoir knows long tracking shots and mise-en-scene.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0028950/

Princess Tam Tam (1935)

3/5

I didn't know going in that this movie was supposed to be a comedy, so I was pleasantly surprised. My favorite part about the movie was the use of transitions in the beginning (they sort of deteriorated after the first fifteen to twenty minutes, but they were awesome fun while they lasted). It would cut so that the composition stayed the same, while the people and places changed. For example, he cut from the shadows of a couple in France to the shadows of another couple in Tunisia.

A lot of the movie felt out of place. I don't think the director was very good. He reminds me of Ed Wood; he had big ideas, but a small budget and no editing talent. The acting was over-the-top. There were sound problems. It went into song and dance, which I wasn't expecting, more often than I would have liked. All in all, not a bad movie. It was pretty fun to watch, especially because I liked those gimmicky transitions.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0026891/

The Prestige (2006)

4/5

I went into The Prestige not expecting to like it, as I hate all other Christopher Nolan movies (Batman Begins, Insomnia, Memento), but I found this one surprisingly entertaining. As a story involving competition between illusionists, it's very clever, but can at times be too clever. The script is excellent and the acting matches. I thought the camerawork and style did not distract from the quality of the piece, as it did in his other movies. I liked how Nolan was not afraid to tread into other territories than just the main rival magician storyline (I especially liked the part where Fallon comforts the daughter when her parents are arguing). There were a lot of subtle touches and hints of things to come, e.g. the little boy crying about the dead bird, asking why its brother had to die.

The movie is definitely too long; it very barely manages not to feel like an ordeal towards the end. I still don't like Nolan's obsession with nonlinear storytelling because it feels like he's making the movie artificially more complicated so when the dumb audience figures out the timing of each scene, they feel smart and therefore like the movie more. Much of the inherent deception seemed superfluous and could have easily been cut out to make the movie tighter and more engaging. Indeed, a lot of the movie did seem extraneous in general (for example, why was Thomas Edison involved?). Even so, it was a very enjoyable moviegoing experience and is highly recommended.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0482571/

Pan's Labyrinth (2006)

4/5

For me, Pan's Labyrinth didn't live up to the hype. It's still a good movie though: vividly envisioned and surprisingly deep (emotionally and thematically). The mood was pitch perfect throughout, with nothing feeling different when switching from the real world to the fantasy realm. The interconnectedness between the two environments is perhaps a bit hidden if you don't discuss the movie afterwards, and can be easily missed. The acting on the part of the little girl was absolutely incredible (I am thinking specifically of the scene where she is begging her brother not to hurt her mother when he is born).

The transitions killed me; as Erik said, it was like Star Wars all over again with the ludicrous wipes in every conceivable direction and variety every five seconds. I felt the violence was gratuitous and probably didn't add that much to the mood (although I obviously can't be certain). There were even some inconsistencies in the violence; sometimes nothing happened when someone got shot in the head (no bullet holes or blood coming out of their face), while other times it was senselessly grotesque. Regardless, it's a thoroughly entertaining movie that can generate healthy discussion afterwards; just be wary of how graphic the violence in the film is.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0457430/