Review of Basquiat (1996) by Nickels K — 07 Jan 2007

[size=3][font=Franklin Gothic Medium]Well this is the 1st entry in awhile which didn't have something I saw in theaters (I would say any oscar hopefuls, but L'Enfant will get nominated at least for the foreign language catogory), and the 1st one to have more than 3 films (I usually feel like shit when I write these, not because I hate doing this, but it's a strange coincedence). Well let's start.

High Art is a film about an assistant editor of a high fashion photo mag who is having a bland relationship with both life and her boyfriend. Although when she meets a retired photographer she starts a friendship with her, and as the most summary's put it "and their friendship turns into something much more involved". Well you can probably guess what that means, only one film I have seen didn't have lesbians in it when it had that sentence in it's synopsis. Well the main chracter is supposed to be bland, but I didn't know the whole film was supposed to. Even when they are snorting heroin or having sex, it seemed bland. And it also seems kind of like a cookie cutter version of the homosexual film which gets to be "Seen it, whatever" throughout the whole movie. The cinematography is kind of bland too now that I think if it. I mean it wasn't a terrible film, but I've been there already, give me something different.

Basquiat is about the famous painter who died very young from an overdose. Basquiat (played by Jeffery Wright who keeps popping up in good films) who at the beginning of the film lived in a cardboard box until it started to rain even though he was brought up by a middle class family, he was later discovered by Andy Warhol (Played ironically by David Bowie) which made him famous, but at what cost. I know what your thinking: SEEN IT! The style of the film at points is interesting, but most of it is just a cookie cutter biopic formula that happened to use a very interesting person as it's subject. The most of the cast is great (Jeffrey Wright, Benicio Del Torro, David Bowie, William Dafoe in a cameo, etc.) but a couple people are great actors, but play their parts either blandly or in some Warholian deadpan, but not as interesting like Dennis Hopper's role. Yawn. Then there are the parts that are played by bad/disgusting actors, actually just one part. Courtney Love has a part in her ugliest. Anyways I probably would give this a 7/10 however I learned about an artist I didn't know much about, who was a very interesting character, and a good painter.

L'Enfant pretty much starts out looking like French New Wave which it pretty much is except it has a little more emotion to it. Like even when you first see the main character he's wearing the classic French New Wave hat and cigarette straight from Breathless. Anyways it's about a guy who sells his baby, and then is girlfirend goes psycho (as most mother's would), so he tries to get it back. The acting and style is great. And me being a fan of French New Wave (who isn't?) I really enjoted the new twist on the style of film making. Overall I think well deserving of the Palme d'or, but I'm an Almodovar fan so I hope Volver beats it in the oscar race.

Now here is not a cookie cutter biopic. Bird the story of Chralie "Yard Bird" Parker who was a famous jazz musician who died at the young age of 34. The story told is not at all times chronilogical with flashbacks and other people's thoughts in a different person's flashbacks. Forest Whitaker is of course amazing as is the rest of the cast. Cinematography and direction is superb. It's somewhat long which makes the trip last awhile which I like in biopics. Again also me being a wannabe jazz fan I enjoyed learning about one of it's important figures. Clint did a good job this time around, and I'm gald he fought to get this film made, it was well worth it. I reccomend it to all.

Well they were kind of short, but hey four for the price of 3 ain't bad.

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