mikeycmikeydo
Joined Sep 2002
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Reviews8
mikeycmikeydo's rating
This film starts off relatively strong with two young girls making a pact to manipulate men in order to get ahead in life. French director Catherine Breillat's incendiary view of gender relations certainly came to mind but it soon became clear Les Choses Secrètes doesn't even deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as films like À ma soeur, Anatomie de l'enfer or Romance.
This film stumbles each time it tries to deviate from the norm. Its gender commentary is simplistic and its attempts at symbolism seem like an afterthought. The strong beginning becomes a mediocre middle and finally an almost laughable ending.
I have absolutely no idea how this was the top film of 2002 according to the once reputable Cahiers du Cinema when the best Breillat film has ever done was 9th place (Parfait amour/1996).
If you're looking for edgy gender commentary, get any of the aforementioned films by the brilliant Catherine Breillat. If you're looking for an erotic French film with nubile young women I'd highly recommend Naissance des pieuvres aka Water Lilies (2007).
This film stumbles each time it tries to deviate from the norm. Its gender commentary is simplistic and its attempts at symbolism seem like an afterthought. The strong beginning becomes a mediocre middle and finally an almost laughable ending.
I have absolutely no idea how this was the top film of 2002 according to the once reputable Cahiers du Cinema when the best Breillat film has ever done was 9th place (Parfait amour/1996).
If you're looking for edgy gender commentary, get any of the aforementioned films by the brilliant Catherine Breillat. If you're looking for an erotic French film with nubile young women I'd highly recommend Naissance des pieuvres aka Water Lilies (2007).
This is a great film on paper but when translated to screen it's a disaster.
Let's examine writer/director Zak Penn's resume....
He wrote X-Men 2, Behind Enemy Lines, Inspector Gadget (??), PCU, Last Action Hero and Suspect Zero.
With perhaps the exception of Suspect Zero should it really be any surprise that this film is terrible ??
While there are a few jabs at/allusions to Herzog that will tickle dedicated fans the grins quickly turn into frowns as you feel nothing but embarrassment for Kinski's "best fiend".
This film attempts to "blur the line between fantasy and reality" but only succeeds in digressing into what it was attempting to comment on.
While Zak Penn certainly fulfils his role as cog in the Hollywood machine supplying us with necessary soma to escape the drudgery of our lackluster existence his attempt at a "real film" is a failure.
"Incident at Loch Ness" is marred by a terrible plot, embarrassing dialogue, an execrable performance by Mr. Penn and awful attempts at comedy relief.
Herzog fans will want to speedily rush home and put on Heart of Glass in an attempt place the undisputed enigma of German film back on the pedestal where he belongs.
Let's examine writer/director Zak Penn's resume....
He wrote X-Men 2, Behind Enemy Lines, Inspector Gadget (??), PCU, Last Action Hero and Suspect Zero.
With perhaps the exception of Suspect Zero should it really be any surprise that this film is terrible ??
While there are a few jabs at/allusions to Herzog that will tickle dedicated fans the grins quickly turn into frowns as you feel nothing but embarrassment for Kinski's "best fiend".
This film attempts to "blur the line between fantasy and reality" but only succeeds in digressing into what it was attempting to comment on.
While Zak Penn certainly fulfils his role as cog in the Hollywood machine supplying us with necessary soma to escape the drudgery of our lackluster existence his attempt at a "real film" is a failure.
"Incident at Loch Ness" is marred by a terrible plot, embarrassing dialogue, an execrable performance by Mr. Penn and awful attempts at comedy relief.
Herzog fans will want to speedily rush home and put on Heart of Glass in an attempt place the undisputed enigma of German film back on the pedestal where he belongs.
Wong Kar-Wai is in fine form with this tale of a pair of lovers in a strange land.
Christopher Doyle's cinematography provides some of the most beautiful images a disheveled urban landscape could possibly yield. I would go as far to say that this could be Kar-Wai's was aesthetically accomplished film (with perhaps "In the Mood" neck-in-neck).
This film differs from the more romanticized or fantastic elements of Chungking, Fallen Angels or In the Mood. This is a very real story and while Kar-Wai's universal theme of love plays a huge part it does not transmute the world into a world through the looking glass.
It is also worth mention that cultural difference plays little if any role in this film. While Leung is seen interacting with Asian tourists neither he nor his lover seem alienated while in Argentina. You feel the same about the environment as you do when you see the urban world of Hong Kong. Perhaps this is Kar-Wai proving that one's perception is far more important that one's location.
Overall this is an incredible film bursting at the seems with originality, humor, emotion and a flair that imbues all of this Hong Kong auteur's prolific and consistent body of work.
Christopher Doyle's cinematography provides some of the most beautiful images a disheveled urban landscape could possibly yield. I would go as far to say that this could be Kar-Wai's was aesthetically accomplished film (with perhaps "In the Mood" neck-in-neck).
This film differs from the more romanticized or fantastic elements of Chungking, Fallen Angels or In the Mood. This is a very real story and while Kar-Wai's universal theme of love plays a huge part it does not transmute the world into a world through the looking glass.
It is also worth mention that cultural difference plays little if any role in this film. While Leung is seen interacting with Asian tourists neither he nor his lover seem alienated while in Argentina. You feel the same about the environment as you do when you see the urban world of Hong Kong. Perhaps this is Kar-Wai proving that one's perception is far more important that one's location.
Overall this is an incredible film bursting at the seems with originality, humor, emotion and a flair that imbues all of this Hong Kong auteur's prolific and consistent body of work.