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Reviews
Paree, Paree (1934)
What a charming little movie.
Netflix should mention this short feature on the info for Silk Stockings. Superior in every way to that over-produced fluff. This had much better Cole Porter songs and lots more energy. Silk Stockings turned out to be a big disappointment. Fred was getting too old for this sort of thing, though the dances and Cyd are lovely. I will be on the watch for the Garbo--Melvyn Douglas version of Ninotchka. Was Peter Lorre ill during the making of Silk Stockings--he seems to be very passive in the more active numbers and with less lines? Very glad that I ran across Paree--Paree by pure accident. Made the whole experience a lot more enjoyable. Bob Hope, as a simple "song and dance man' is pure joy.
The Sixth Sense (1999)
a voice of dissent is buried here
it does not surprise me that most people like this movie so much. it is often well-acted, has a well concealed plot twist, and many, albeit canned, touching and startling moments.
unfortunately it just isn't very smart.
one can imagine the writer(s) asking this question, "what if some people with apparent psychological maladies really have insight into another world?" wouldn't that be nice. unfortunately this is not the world i am familiar with. in my world death and grief, the cruelty of human beings and the bonds of love, these things are mysterious. it is not that my imagination of the variety of 'what ifs' is pedestrian. it is that i have a wild imagination and am still wracked by uncertainty.
this film glosses over the fundamental human theme of this uncertainty and instead assumes a fantasy world of magic and ghosts and purposefulness to every event. by showing us the ghosts, not only are we assaulted with cheap special effects, but all uncertainty evaporates...the struggle of the boy and the psychiatrist are a foregone conclusion. we are left with just the fantasy world.
and it is not a rich fantasy world. it is mundane. it is commonplace for us to assume that our lives have meaning and that everything in them is somehow, given just the right perspective, understandable to us. this film supports that common assumption. that, i imagine, is why this run of the mill prostitute caked in obvious musical make-up is so attractive to many. it confirms their unquestioned biases.
Flaming Ears (1992)
the highest possible esteem for a movie with no apparent plot...
is it fair to criticize a film for lacking a plot?
probably not. (1) dependence on plot, the idea that every experience is part of some greater story which has a clear moral content, is a misnomer...and probably the underlying disease which is americanization of art. everything cannot be succinctly categorized. there is not just one perspective. (2) i might have missed the plot anyhow. after all, i was combating a poor knowledge of german, austrian accents, inaccurate subtitles, a less than stellar video copy, and, of course, my own limited sensibilities. but i can say, that i do like a plot. and there did not seem to be one here. that said, i was completely impressed by this film. the low-budget aesthetic was wonderful. from the chunky city-scape models, to the hermes-like metallic scrunchies, to the exploding possums, the futuristic car in a sheet, the red vinyl body suit, the fold-up character, and the alligator stir-fry. all very intriguing. add in poetic monologues and cryptic conversations. i was very happy, because it was so pretty.