Screening Room

by Ari

The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford - Andrew Dominik

My favorite movie of last year only gets better on subsequent viewing. It’s a shame this film is so underrated, but I suppose it happens to the best of them sometimes. The Assassination of Jesse James is an epic portrait of an American legend at the same time it’s a meditation on the nature of celebrity in our country. It’s surprisingly timely considering the setting, but because Brad Pitt is Jesse James it’s easy to draw parallels between the two. His performance is remarkable, easily the finest work of his career. And have I mentioned that Roger Deakins is a genius? Because he is.

Early Spring - Yasujiro Ozu

Another Ozu classic from the recent Criterion box-set of his early movies. Early Spring follows the same tone and style Ozu established as a filmmaker early in his career: slow and precise, contemplative and poetic. It’s not easy to recommend some of Ozu’s films (this one included) because of their deliberate pacing and quiet tone, but if you have the patience and interest in his work then you’ll find yourself gradually absorbed by this touching story of a salary-man who struggles to maintain a stable relationship with his wife while having an affair on the side. Beautiful photography as usual and excellent, restrained performances by a talented cast.

Last Year at Marienbad - Alain Resnais

Alain Resnais’s surreal drama about the nature of memory is a fascinating experiment of visual imagination and a total bore of a story. The film is well known for its exquisite photography and dream-like narrative, but where David Lynch uses dream-logic to emotionally compel the viewer, Resnais uses surrealism as a way to purposely confuse, baffle and distance the audience. The characters are paper-thin, and while you could say that’s one of the points of the film - that the characters who dwell in this enormous, luxurious hotel are no more important than the expensive furniture or beautiful statues that contribute to its beauty - the interest these people inspire is still very little. The only reasonably intriguing character is the Bogart-like card player who always wins no matter what the game. The film is a visual wonder, though. There’s no arguing that.

Lust, Caution - Ang Lee

This is Ang Lee’s best film. After watching Lust, Caution for a second time, I’m tempted to rearrange the order of my top films of ‘07 list and place this higher. I had this at #6, but I’m not so sure that’s entirely correct anymore. This is a masterful film, beautifully constructed with Lee’s trademark grace and depth. The performances are astonishing by Tony Leung and Tang Wei (where was her Oscar nomination?), fearless and complex in a way that we rarely see in contemporary film. The relationship that develops over the course of the film is oddly romantic and quietly tragic, and the sex that ensues is both dangerous and emotional. This is a great film.