Repo Man (1984) directed by Alex Cox – A Film Review

This bizarre science fiction comedy caper follows our punk rocker protagonist through a number of unusual situations; none of which seem to add up to anything. Repo Man is a mixed bag of fun set pieces that never really add up to a complete story.

On the whole the film looks nice. It’s well shot and the scenes are nicely edited and framed. There’s a nice use of its punk rock soundtrack: with a casual tone about it, it never asserts itself; instead its quietness is simply used to help set the mood.

The actors here also give strong performances: the standouts here being Emilio Estevez and Harry Dean Stanton. Estevez plays the punk lead Otto with just the right amount of subtle angst and nonchalance, and Stanton as the grizzled and cynical repo man veteran / mentor, Bud. Yet for me the problem still remains, even with all of the great craft and workmanship of the crew, the film doesn’t seem to add up to much on the whole.

Many other critics have complemented this work on its aesthetic choices. Its punk like style and brashness, its taking chances in its story telling and going off the beaten path. As an audience member it can be quite rewarding when a film goes in an unexpected direction. But what if an entire film was made up of left turns. Would it have direction to it or would we just be going around in narrative circles? I would suggest the latter.

However even though I myself don’t think that the narrative was overall satisfying, I do think that it is important that films like Repo Man are made. Film is a story telling medium. And as such, if the medium continued to rely on the same formulaic model of storytelling over and over again the medium would stagnate, and eventually die. Nevertheless, when we have a film like this that goes against the grain it gets us thinking. It gets us to re-examine the way that stories like this can and should be told. In short, Repo Man makes you think.

This film is far from perfect, and its scatterbrain sense of direction is certainly a turn off for me. Nonetheless, it has a good sense of humour and a tactful level of wit about itself that really helps it stand out. If the director Alex Cox set out to make an original witty Science fiction comedy with an unconventional air and style then I’d say he did so. But for me the film didn’t really work as a whole. However, if you’re looking for a different kind of comedy with an unusual tone to it, then maybe this one’s for you.

People Places Things (2015) directed by James C. Strouse – A Film Review

When a graphic novelist discovers that his wife is having an affair, his life is knocked out of balance. After a year of social paralysis, Will (played perfectly by Jermaine Clement of Flight of the Concords fame) is coerced on a date with his student’s mother.

This film is a kind of comedy of manners. It doesn’t go in with the big strokes, as broader comedies are known to do, but instead plays out its humor in the little details. That’s not to say that this film isn’t overly funny. There’s a great sense of comedy and character to this piece. But it’s all a very subtle affair.

The protagonist Will is kind of morose in his lethargy. He is stuck in the moment of his wife leaving him, and as such he has been unable to move on. It is only when one of his students Kat (Jessica Williams), sets up a date between him and her mother (played brilliantly by Regina Hall) that he begins to come out of his shell.

Altogether the story works quite well. There is a very naturalistic, almost improvised way in which the story is told. The big events of the film are kind of down played, as they might be in real life. Confrontations aren’t so much thrust into the story, as the characters themselves attempt to avoid or divert away from them. When they do come about it is usually in a much more anxious and organic manner.

In terms of the other aspects, the characters are well crafted and performed greatly. Jermaine Clement delivered a great performance as Will, a man who seems to be trying to ignore his anxieties bubbling to the surface. Regina Hall also stands out in this sober performance as Diane, Will’s new love interest and mother of one of his students. As I am most familiar with Regina Hall’s performances in  broad comedies (in particular the Scary Movie films) I was pleasantly surprised to see her deliver a much more down played straight man role here.

That’s not to say all the performances were perfect. In particular, I felt that Stephanie Allynne’s performance as Will’s ex Charlie was a bit stilted at times. It may be that she was simply overshadowed by the previously mentioned performances of Clement’s and Hall’s, but Allynne certainly stuck out here as inconsistent by comparison.

However, overall People Places Things is a very good indie comedy. It has a nice minimalist setup, good characters and a fun sense of direction and humor. Whilst the comedy might not be to everyone’s taste, I personally found it rather eloquent and charming.

Diane (1975) directed by Alan Clarke – A Film Review

Alan Clarke was one of the great social realist directors of British cinema, and in this made for television production he presents a melancholy story of a naïve young woman and the strange relationship she shares with her father. However, unlike many of his more hard hitting works like Scum (1979 & 1977) and Made in Britain (1982) it fails to leave the same kind of deep impact.

The titular character Diane is quiet really. She seems somewhat passive and childish in her aloofness. Throughout the film we see her interactions with friends, with boyfriends and with more authoritative figures: like the local priest and her father. The scenes are nicely framed, well acted with a strong mise-en-scene, but overall there’s a lack of cohesion in the narrative structure.

In the first half of the film there is a slow burn. There is a mystery about Diane and we want to know what it is. Then about half way through the picture we get the revelation. From there on out the film had a kind of flatness about it. The writing (scene by scene, viewed on its own) was still good. Direction as well was still strong, but it was as though the story had lost its way. It had lost its point and meaning.

The second half of the film could perhaps be viewed better on it’s own. As we see Diane trying to move forward from the previous events.  But even with this in mind, the second half felt dull.

Yet that isn’t to say that there aren’t any worthy points of recommendation for this film. The direction of Alan Clarke (as always) is a stand out. Here he frames his scenes in a very concise and self-contained manner. Many directors like to shoot and cut scenes up to provide a distinct variety to their scenes, whereas Clarke does just the opposite. He sets his action in the frame and naturally lets it unfold. There’s something very exciting and brave about this method of filmmaking; it’s quite reminiscent of the Japanese master Yasujirō Ozu really.

From a technical standpoint, the film is great. Truly it features some excellent minimalist, naturalistic performances. The shot composition and direction on the whole are fantastic. However with a wishy-washy script and drab second half the film seems to just flounder. If the film had been made as two separate stories then the results may be different. But as it stands, it isn’t really worth the watch.

Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story (2012) by Arnold Schwarzenegger – A Book Review

It’s rather a rarity in my case for me to pick up (or even gloss over) an autobiography. Yet there was something about this book that tempted me to it. Something strangely intriguing, and admirable much like the author’s many on screen personas.

Arnold Schwarzenegger has always divided opinion. Some view his work as tactless and wooden, brutish and annoying, even stiff or shallow. Whereas others mention his bizarre charisma, the way he is able to stand and mesmerize on screen, or how he embodies the American dream, of a young Austrian who through his own tact and determination became a self made man.

I myself of course, have my own opinion. I’ve always enjoyed his on screen roles. Even from a young age I can remember watching his performances in the first two Terminator movies and being mesmerized by a man who, through his physical presence, was able to convince me he was a machine. Even taking into account his more comedic roles, I think it shouldn’t be doubted that from his performances in Terminator (1984) and Terminator 2 (1991) that Schwarzenegger is a talented actor who can well and truly embody a role.

But to be fair, this book isn’t about Arnold Schwarzenegger the actor – it’s about Arnold Schwarzenegger the man. Who is he? Where did he come from? And what happened in-between? These are all reasons that would usually put me off reading an autobiography. But it’s Arnold, and there is just something so unique about him, his charisma and his personality that just draws me in.

The book itself is split into three sections, covering the three main passions of Arnold’s life: bodybuilding, acting and politics – with each covering roughly a third of the books length.

In the first third, the narrative is able to grab and engage you in a subject that’s considered quite fringed in the subject of bodybuilding. Yet from Arnold’s perspective he is able to ground us on his level. Through his telling of the story, we are able to understand his passion and love for the sport of bodybuilding. This energy and enthusiasm flows through the reader as you read about his struggles and triumphs, and ultimately we empathies with his desire and determination to succeed.

When later in the book we reach his recollection of his acting career he is honest about his goals and determination to where he wanted to be. We see how many people in Hollywood didn’t take him seriously, and how through being tactful in choosing roles that worked to his strengths and personality, he was able to achieve those aims.

Not to say that Schwarzenegger didn’t put in the necessary effort to study and perfect his craft. Arnold made a strong effort to learn from everyone he could to improve his performance. Whether from acting teachers, fellow actors or members of the production crew, he made it his goal to learn from those who could (and were willing) to make his performances better. Not only that, but he would also pay attention to audience reactions and made a direct effort to understand particular box office trends.

The book tells of Arnold’s business skills and studying throughout. He see’s himself as a self-made man and in particular, he discusses how he pushed himself to learn and succeed in numerous ventures. He’s someone who doesn’t hold back on his dreams and in the third section we are told how and why this lead him into politics. Arnold is a large personality with a strong sense of morals, and he explains how he wasn’t afraid to go off party line to do what he thought was right.

Like the rest of the book, the section on politics is interesting, but I think in realty this has more to do with Schwarzenegger’s personality shining through than the political content being exposited. Because of this, I’m not really sure how well this book would come across to others. For myself, the most interesting autobiographies are often those where the story being told shines through. The sense of engagement with the narrative and what is going on as you read the pages should pull you in a way that you feel as though you are almost an accomplice to the story. And yet with this book it’s not necessarily because of the content, but more through the charisma of the narrator that the story continues to be engaging. Less the story, and more the man telling it that makes it what it is.

That isn’t to say it’s a bad story, it’s an interesting one at that; it’s just to say that it might not live up to what some people would probably expect.

(I myself on the other hand, really liked it.)

Pumping Iron (1977) Directed by Robert Fiore & George Butler – A Film Review

It seems strange to me that a documentary about a sport of which I have never had much interest could be so engaging throughout. But in a way Pumping Iron (1977) isn’t so much about the competition itself, as it is about those who compete: people like Mike Katz, Lou Ferrigno, Franco Columbu, and of course, Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

The documentary might be a Hollywood drama, as each of the key bodybuilders is given a backstory and the correct time to tell it to the camera. You have the middle-aged man trying to step up to the big-time (Mike Katz), the young up and comer (Lou Ferrigno), and the king of the mountain (Schwarzenegger). Each has their own needs and reasons for doing what they do. In many ways you’d expect this to be clichéd or trite in its presentation, but one of the things that sticks out about the documentary is the genuine sincerity that each participant brings to the film.

No one in particular stands out as a good guy or bad guy, and everyone appears genuine. They discuss their passions freely and many larger than life personalities shine through. Some of them are show offs; others are more down to earth and sincere.

In the second half, the film transitions to the story of Arnold vs. Ferrigno; champion vs. challenger. We hear both sides of the story as we cross cut between each of their preparations for the Mr. Olympia event. We see the struggles, we see their pain and eventually as the two meet, we see some mind games at play.

Overall, the documentary is well shot in a kind of cinema vérité style. Many shots are static and help the audience focus on the events being shown to us, however others feature a zoom lens in stylized motion, which at times felt unnecessary. Yet, it would be unfair to suggest these stylistic choices didn’t add some charm to the overall presentation. At times the zooming helped highlight the pace and action that the filmmakers were going for, although I think this only worked to a certain degree.

Those looking for a documentary on the intricacies of the sport of bodybuilding might be disappointed by this work. But those interested in the psychology and mindset of these athletes will be pleasantly surprised by this intricate and genuinely endearing document of their work.