Movies: Last Tango In Paris, Action Boys

Films I have recently watched:
(Please note: films that I have watched that are part of the Melbourne International Film Festival have been prefaced with MIFF)

Last Tango in Paris starring Marlon Brando. I had never seen this film before so I was curious to see why this film has such a huge reputation. I hated it. I thought it was turgid, unpleasant and pretentious. The famous, supposedly erotic, butter scene turned out to be a depiction of anal rape and that just doesn’t do it for me. I thought the whole thing was a wank but a large part of my problem with this film was that I didn’t like Brando’s acting. I know that what I am about to write would be considered as heresy by most actors but I thought he was terrible. I thought that he gave a very self indulgent performance whereby he seemed to be immersed in the business of being a Great Thespian and trotting out impressive actorly tricks (watch me cry! Watch me shout! Watch me gaze intently into the distance!) rather than just being the character. I also felt that he had a poor sense of rapport with the other actors – I couldn’t sense any connection between them. Viewing this film was an exercise in tedium.

MIFF Funeral Parade of Roses. I actually didn’t end up going to see this film. I had seen Action Boys on the same day (see reviewlet below) and had a wait of a few hours to fill before going to see this film. As these films were shown on the 1st of August and my birthday was on the 5th I thought I would organize a birthday dinner for myself (seeing as how I would be knocking around the city where there are restaurants galore for a few hours). I put the call out to see who wanted to have dinner with me. No one did. Oh. Oh. Um. I pulled myself together and thought “Never mind! I will find a nice quiet restaurant, treat myself to a delicious meal, take along a good book to read while I nurse a glass of yummy red wine.” Good idea in theory, huh? I went to a restaurant near the cinema and endured what I considered to be astonishing rudeness from the staff. When I entered the restaurant was quiet with just 3 other tables occupied. They had obviously just had a rush as every spare table was piled high with dirty dishes. I placed my order at the counter and sat at a table and waited for the waiter to come and clean my table. He studiously ignored me and proceeded to clear and clean every other table in the place except mine. He paused to have desultory chats with other staff members and, when every other table in the restaurant was clean EXCEPT mine, he went to a little table that had the restaurant’s stock of magazines and newspapers on it and proceeded to scratch away at miniscule spots on its already spotless surface. A waitress rushed up and flung my dinner on the table and I had to call her back and instruct her to remove the pile of dirty dishes on my table. She didn’t wipe it though. I scoffed my meal, stormed over to the waiter and made a few sarcastic remarks and left. By this time I still had a couple of hours to fill. I went across to the Forum theatre where the MIFF Festival bar was situated thinking that I would nurse a glass of red wine and a slice of cake there while I got over my temper and read my book. The Bar was closed. Who closes a bar in Melbourne on a Saturday night? I went home. I felt angry, disrespected and lonely. I didn’t want to wander around the CBD by myself on a chilly night. Of course I am OK now as this was weeks ago but I don’t mind admitting that I hated the world for a few hours that night.

MIFF Action Boys, South Korea, 2008, directed by Jeong Byeong-gil. This was a documentary about stunt men in Korea. Its director had studied at stunt school and had decided that although a career as a stunt man was not for him he would make this documentary about a few of his classmates who were working in the industry. I enjoyed being taken behind the scenes and allowed to see these unsung heroes at work. A particularly effective and engaging characteristic of this film is the humour the director manages to introduce (when referring to himself the humour is particularly self deprecating and very funny). However the film does have a serious side. We are left in no doubt that the demanding lifestyle of working in a dangerous occupation and on call to film directors requires great dedication, courage and sacrifices. Towards the end of the film 2 of the 3 stunt men being shown actually quit the industry following the on set death of a leading stunt player whom they respected. If you are interested in action movies then I can highly recommend this film.

Also:
Buddy
Buena Vista Social Club
Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure
The Sting
United Red Army
Yakuza Eiga
Still Walking