Review of Mon Oncle (1958) by Michael T — 19 Jan 2005

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Ratcatcher (Ramsay 00).

[/i][/b]*Spoilers*.

[left] I usually not a big fan of depressing films, but [i]Ratcatcher[/i] really took me by surprise. The opening shot of a boy tangling himself in a curtain sets the tone for the film. Very shortly into the film Ramsay pulls a [i]Psycho[/i], and turns the viewer upside down as the film focuses on a different character than was once expected. The film is a coming of age tale of a young boy during the garbage strike in Glasgow. It shows the experiences of the constantly troubled boy.

Ramsay does a great job directing her debut film, making a beautiful but tragic tale. The visuals are wonderful in this film. Each frame is immaculately shot, providing the viewer with something beautiful and meaningful. [i]Ratcatcher[/i] has non-pro actors which do a great job, especially the main boy actor. Finally, the score is also wonderful with tracks such as Nick Drake's "Cello Song". [i]Ratcatcher[/i] is the best debut film this so far this decade and is a must see.

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[left][b]Rating: 9.5/10[/b].

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The Life Aquatic (Anderson 04).

[/i][/b] [left] I feel Anderson's [i]Life Aquatic [/i]has been unfairly reviewed in many cases. It would have been difficult for Anderson to have made anything better than his previous effort [i]The Royal Tenenbaums[/i]. Thus, when he made a film with less heart and less character development, the critics jump all over him. Although [i]Life Aquatic [/i]is weaker in some aspects than [i]The Royal Tenenbaums [/i]or [i]Rushmore[/i], it makes up for it in other aspects of the film. For instance, I thought [i]Life Aquatic[/i] was Anderson's funniest and most creative film yet. There were many funny scenes and the stop motion effects provides for some unique and interesting scenes. I really liked this film and will stand by it, but I do need to see it again before I know exactly what Anderson want the viewer to get out of the film.

[b]Rating: 8.5/10[/b].

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Mon Oncle (Tati 58).

[/i][/b] [left] M. Hulot is a more sophisticated and French Mr. Bean. I'm sure Mr. Bean's main influence is Tati's films with M. Hulot. I thought Mon Oncle had more to say than Mr. Bean ever would too. There multiple themes surrounding this film and they are enjoyable to watch unfold. I did not like a good portion of the jokes in this film though. I don't like the type of joke you can see coming from a mile away and this film has a lot of them. I did love the eyeballs in the house gag. [i]Mon Oncle [/i]is a decent film that gives me hope for the other Tati/Hulot films.

[b]Rating: 6.5/10[/b].

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Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick 99).

[/i][/b] [left] Going into [i]Eyes Wide Shut [/i]I didn't know what to expect, except a lot of nudity. I was really surprised at how good it was though. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised since I'm a big Kubrick fan, but I was. It was different than any other Kubrick film I had seen. It showed that Kubrick has even greater range that I once thought. Anyway, [i]Eyes Wide Shut [/i]is a great erotic/thriller/mystery with some good acting, from actors a usually loathe (Kidman and Cruise). [i]Eyes Wide Shut [/i]is another great film to add to a big list of great films by Kubrick.

[b]Rating: 9.0/10[/b].

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The American Nightmare (Simon 03).

[/i][/b] [left][i] The American Nightmare [/i]is a documentary on horror films presented by IFC. I watched it in first day of my Horror Film class in order to get some background on the genre and its directors. It's a pretty good documentary with some great insight from Romeo, Hooper, Cronenberg and other horror directors. It's worth a watch if you're a fan of the genre.

[b]Rating: 7.0/10[/b].

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