The Perfect Neighbor

I watched a Canadian film, Rituals, starring Hal Holbrook, at Ottawa's Mayfair Theatre many, many years ago. The film at times was so grainy, it was almost unwatchable - the equivalent of black and white TV snow. Despite this, I loved the film. It's Canada's Deliverance. Cinephile's often get into the weeds about 35 mm prints and what kind of camera or lens David Fincher use when he shot. . . whatever. Frank Capra's Lost Horizon has footage missing and it's still a great film. What does this all have to do with The Perfect Neighbor, Netflix's latest crime documentary? Well most of it police body-cam footage. It doesn't look great and it doesn't matter, because it's riveting. My wife and I have been watching true crime documentaries for 25 years and when I tell you this is a good one, please pay attention. This is the true story of a "Karen," a grumpy white woman who didn't like kids playing in the yard beside her house. She would call the cops. A lot. For me, this film is a grisly portrait of America. In a year of scathing portraits of America, (Eddington, On Battle After Another) you can add this one to the examination of the dumpster fire south of our border. I won't spoil it for you, but The Perfect Neighbor is a kettle on the stove. Slowly it begins to boil. It's tragic. There have been a lot of good documentaries this year. Don't scream at this one to get off your lawn - invite it in. Streaming on Netflix. 

The House that Jack Built

I have been scarred. It's pretentious as fuck. It's also horrifying, boring, arty, and likely to be a polarizing to audiences. Lars von Trier's The House that Jack Built is a portrait of a serial killer unlike any you have seen before. Like I mentioned, it's boring and yet, the longer you stick with it, the more un-boring it becomes. It slowly transforms into something horrifying, disturbing, and riveting. There are images stuck in my head and I'm not sure I like them there. Matt Dillon, who I've always loved as an actor, it an interesting choice. He has always played characters that have a bit of a bad-boy edge, a kind of beer swilling, pool playing greasy punk with attitude. At the same time he has a kind of apple-pie, football all-American quality to him. So to have him play somebody who commits horrific killings somehow makes it all that much worse. The movie kind of walks up to you and says, "So you like horror movies do you? Well then watch this!"  The film is two and a half hours long and at times you will be made uncomfortable. Lars Von Trier's take on the serial killer film will leave you questioning - How dark do you want to go? Why am I even watching this? What is the point? Is there a deeper meaning or is the point that there is none? The ending of the film is pure art house cinema. To watch this movie is to have an experience. It won't be for everyone. I understand those who hate it and I can understand those who think it's brilliant. Do you like horror movies? Well try this one and see if that is really true.

Chain Reactions

Similar in style to Lynch/Oz, this is a candid conversation about one film, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Five individuals are profiled with their thoughts and feelings about the film and what they believe the film's cultural impact and legacy are. The most notable of those guests profiled is Stephen King, however for me the most interesting is comedian, Patton Oswalt. I found his assessment to be the most robust and thought-out. Famous Japanese horror auteur Takashi Miike says that without seeing Texas Chainsaw, he wouldn't have become the filmmaker he is. Chain Reactions is not going to be for everyone. This is cinephile geek stuff. That said, it is a documentary about what art is and how the horror genre fits in. There are tons of references to other films, other directors, and visual artists - Hieronymus Bosch, Francis Bacon, etc. This isn't a documentary about the making of the film, although there are aspects of that which creep in. There are no cast or crew interviews, just five people talking about the film. I loved it. I confess that I did rewatch Chainsaw a few days prior to seeing this documentary. I'm not sure it's necessary but I think it gave me a deeper appreciation of the subject matter. Chainsaw is a tough film to sit through. Made in 1974, it remains one of the most terrifying and disturbing films ever made. This year, a year that has given us two harsh and scathing portraits of America - Eddington and One Battle After Another -  Chain Reactions' discussion of Chainsaw seems to fit right in. 

One Battle After Another

It's likely, from all the hype and reviews, to win the Oscar for best picture of the year. Cinephiles have been wetting their pants for Paul Thomas Anderson's new movie, One Battle After Another. I confess, I have not been his biggest fan. I have enjoyed some of his work (Boogie Nights, Magnolia) and loathed others (Punch Drunk Love and Inherent Vice). I LOVED Licorice Pizza. I thought it might be his best work to date. Next to it will stand this film, One Battle After Another. Like Eddington, it's a contemporary portrait of America in what I might classify as a Coen Brothers' style thriller-comedy. It stars Leonardo DiCaprio as Bob, an explosives expert for a radical left wing revolutionary group The French 75. He raises a daughter on his own and has kept off the grid for 16 years until his nemesis, Col. Steven J. Lockjaw (Sean Penn) comes looking for Bob's daughter. Bob and Sensei Sergio St. Carlos (Benicio Del Toro) go on a rescue mission to get Bob's daughter back. There is a ton to love in this film. Sean Penn's army walk, like he's had a pickle jammed up his ass, is fantastic. Benicio's "few small beers" line is great. And the best, DiCaprio trying to remember the password for the rendezvous point is one of the funniest things you will see all year (almost as good as him trying to manage the stairs in The Wolf of Wall Street). Is it the best film of the year? For me, no. I liked Eddington and Weapons more. However One Battle After Another will likely land in third place and is one of Anderson's best works. The car chase scenes are some of the best I've ever seen on film. Catch this now in theatres. 

Hopscotch

I acquired this Criterion DVD from Peter Thompson, the owner and operator of Movies 'N Stuff here in Ottawa. I usually make several weekly pilgrimages to his store - you never know what film treasures you will discover. I had never heard of Hopscotch before, a film from 1980 starring Walter Matthau. When I think about Walter Matthau, I think of The Odd Couple and then I think of Grumpy Old Men. Then maybe a basset hound. I have never really thought of him as a leading man. Hopscotch has delightfully changed my view of the actor. He plays Kendig, an aging cold-war CIA agent who has been demoted from field work, interacting with his KGB counterpart, to doing paperwork at a desk. Ned Beatty plays his short, over zealous, petty boss who is the one responsible for Kendig's abrupt change in job roles. Kendig doesn't dig it and promptly goes AWOL. Let the fun begin. Kendig has a romance going with a woman from Vienna, played by Glenda Jackson, who sports a short hairdo like she belongs from the 60s. In fact, the whole film has a 60s vibe to it, rather than that of 1980. I loved it - it took me back to a different time. This was pure fun. Catch it on the Criterion Channel or go rent it from Peter at Movies N Stuff here in Ottawa.