Into the Wild (2007)

directed by Sean Penn

based on a novel by John Krakauer
with: Emile Hirsch

Christopher McCandless decides to abandon what apparently seems to be 'the ideal life' to get lost in solitude in Alaska. Escaping from society and from the limitations that it enforces he creates a new way of life and philosophy that only a true adventurer and idealist could bare. It is about freedom of the soul, freedom from the chains of social repression, hypocrisy, fear and shame, to enjoy full contemplation of the natural surroundings.

Into the Wild is one of those life stories that may have the power to greatly influence people, positively or negatively, optimistically or pessimistically. It is meant to be a poetic ode with the purpose of filling people's hearts with a dense liquid mix of emotions and rebelliousness. The problem with the film is that its power is accidental. It does not truly inspire by itself. The viewer idealizes the Alaskan beautiful imagery and the concepts of the story and adapts them to their personal life, with a slight fake feeling of empathy and courageousness. McCandless psyche is not explored in extent, so the movie takes advantage of our innocence and tries to surprise us. I feel that Sean Penn could have created a simpler version, more realistic. He tries to match the artful prose of Krakauer with imagery that sometimes seems out of place and film techniques that confuse instead of making it more enjoyable. At times, I loved Hirsch's acting very much, but sometimes it felt weak. This is Sean Penn's debut and it is pleasant, it may have been a little bit too ambitious (and lenghty), but he had a good team (cinematographer Erik Gautier and Eddie Vedder's effective songwriting) that helped him achieve the success that the movie was.

Recommended.
Rating: 6.25/10

Up (2009)

written and directed by Pete Docter and Bob Peterson

with: Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer

The movie starts off great, the first half of the movie is full of emotions, entertainment and wit, and it feels different from other family-oriented animated films. It evolves with a good pace and touching characters. The second part of the movie is predictable and similar to most children adventures, sometimes exasperating and exaggerated. It loses strength and power and ends up being ordinary. I find it risky that Pixar decided to launch this movie because of the themes contained (death of a partner, iconic misconceptions, deceit and betrayal, selfishness, alienation from nuclear family, civil disobedience, strange friendships, rejection of law, obsessive behaviors, impulsive decision-making situations and others), but I admire the challenge.

I wasn't too impressed by the visuals, but Up is still very pleasant to the retina. In general, it's not bad, the story had potential and it could have been better. I felt like at some point the creators stopped paying attention to the true essence and atmosphere of the film and decided to focus on the villainy and lengthy and unnecessary action sequences.

Worth a look.

Rating: 6/10

Persona (1966)

written and directed by Ingmar Bergman

with: Liv Ullman, Bibi Andersson

Elisabeth Vogler, a famous actress has gone mute. Nurse Alma is assigned to her case by the psychiatrist. Following the doctor's instructions they both go to an isolated cottage near the beach. There, it slowly becomes harder and harder to distinguish who is the patient and who is the nurse as they both have psychological problems.

Bergman's Persona is a psychological drama that may appear to be simple at first glance, but that is so complex and Freudian that it is capable of defining human natural impulses and behaviors, and redefining the history of cinema at the same time. This film has highly artistic values that were innovative for the sixties, some visuals will permeate your brain and stay there forever. It contains dream sequences and flashbacks that at times may confuse the viewer (but the characters as well). It drills a hole in the character's psyche and explores memories and desires, blending them with reality, creating a world of the most honest feelings.

Recommended.

Rating: 8.5/10

Blue Velvet (1986)

written and directed by David Lynch

with: Kyle MacLachlan, Laura Dern, Isabella Rossellini, Dennis Hopper

This film is sensually disturbing. It gets to the point where the viewer (in a voyeurist role) may feel guilty and repulsed by the imagery and inhumane behaviors in Blue Velvet, but at the same time, so attracted and compelled by the characters and the violent plot that it becomes an irresistible and exquisite masterpiece of American film. Isabella Rosselini's fearless performance makes the film what it is, she is devoted to her role and she understands that she is responsible for the world to experience Lynch's ideas, she took a risk and succeeded. Kyle MacLachlan, Dennis Hopper and Laura Dern do an excellent job as well.

Blue Velvet mainly tries to explore the unexplored evils of small towns in America, similarly to Twin Peaks and Wild at Heart. Even in places with white picket fences, blue velvet sky and smiling neighbors, hidden in the grass are insects, bugs, pests that infect the lives and destroy life.

There is so much to deconstruct in this film that it is worth watching several times. It is beautiful, brilliant and genius from beginning to end. As most of Lynch's films, Blue Velvet is surrealistic and full of absurdities, but it is linear and easy to follow, making it a good introductory piece for Lynch's work. 

Approach with caution.

Rating: 9.5/10

Wild Strawberries (1957)

written and directed by Ingmar Bergman

with: Victor Sjöström, Bibi Andersson

An elderly professor begins a journey of self-discovery while on his way to Lund, Sweden, to receive an honorary degree. He learns from places, objects and people to understand his present existence and through nightmares, daydreams and flashbacks he remembers things he has done that he regrets. He discovers that he is empty but that he can still change that and give a new meaning to life. This movie is very accessible because of the universal themes that it plays with, it experiments with some visual styles that may have influenced many directors today. At times it may seem slow, but it is always interesting as it has a thick layer of psychology material that it is worth analyzing. It also has very interesting and enjoyable dream sequences. Considered by many to be one of Bergman's most humane and optimistic films, he wrote it while he was hospitalized.

Recommended.
Rating: 8.75/10

Brand Upon the Brain (2008)

written and directed by Guy Maddin

with: Erik Steffen Maahs, Sullivan Brown

Brand Upon the Brain is an autobiographical piece on Guy Maddin's childhood. He made this film silent because he only had 6 weeks to come up with the script and because, noticeably, he is a 1920's silent film lover.

Guy goes back to the island where his parents owned an orphanage, to cover up his memories in layers of paint, to hide the shocking reminiscences and haunting experiences, to remember his love for Wendy and to uncover the mysterious behaviors and metaphorically diabolical attitudes of his parents who 'experimented' with children, that where traumatizedly hidden deep in his subconscious.

This film is artful because of its visual style and use of precise titles to explain the silence behind the characters. The music enhances the imagery incredibly with a score by Jason Staczek. But what is really respectable is the editing, along with Isabella Rossellini's intervention as interlocutor. This film is not pretensiously experimental, as it may appear to be at times, instead it is a great achievement on fearless filmmaking that would never happen in Hollywood.

Must see for b/w, silent film, surrealism appreciators.
Rating: 8.5/10