Alright. A long post.

Mike Leigh makes films that I often procrastinate in watching perhaps because they are so dense and always deal with difficult, emotional subject matters. Vera Drake has been on my list for a number of years, but I never could commit to it; however, when I did, it was far more rewarding (if I can even use that word) than I had anticipated. I'll start with the visuals which use a stark, oppressive palette--plenty of blacks and and dark browns--befitting the 50s urban England setting, not to mention the subject matter. The title character is a spry and cheery older woman played by the mesmerizing Imelda Staunton who performs covert abortions as a side gig, though she accepts no payment for them. Leigh has a fairly obvious opinion on the subject matter, but it does not overwhelm the complexity of the issues. He focuses more on the oft over-applied term "slice-of-life" drama which allows the characters to fully realize for the viewer. The films later scenes carry more weight than I could possibly have expected them to, even knowing much of Leigh's filmography. A must see.

Mean Streets has been heralded as one of the premier offerings from Scorsese. Sure, it's good enough, but it did not carry the weight of most of his other earlier films (I think we can all agree he hasn't made a film a truly remarkable film since the 1990's Goodfellas). Visually, it is somewhat appropriate albeit somewhat schizophrenic in its over-saturated colors, and it has a few camera flourishes that we have seen echoes of from many more recent filmmakers, but there is too much narrative to say that it toes the line of episodic Italian films (Fellini's or Antonioni's) that it evokes. 

A movie like Shame is as difficult to pin down as it is to watch. It highlights the problems of male sexuality in the modern world of widely available pornography. Not to say that is its only or maybe even primary focus. I knew what I was in for after seeing McQueen's previous offering, Hunger, and it was at least as effective. He and Fassbender seem to have a tremendous working relationship. The character is appropriately out of reach from the audience and yet we still understand the progression of his actions. McQueen's use of the camera has the same panache we have come to expect as it highlights what takes place on screen in an interesting way at almost every turn. Avoid the film if you have trouble with some very sensitive subject matter, but if you can stomach it, there are plenty of rewards. 

The stories of Vincent Gallo that bounce off the walls of Hollywood and have spilled out into the hallway of the wider film culture abound. This is part of the reason I have avoided seeing Buffalo '66 despite its reputation. It turns out that Gallo is one of those individuals who alienates just about everyone he meets but is capable of incredible artistic creation. Buffalo is a fairly simple one in terms of film grammar, but the inventive camera work would keep you glued to the screen even if nothing else in the film was working. Thankfully, just about everything else works too. The script is precise and very often guffaw-inducing. There are so many wonderful and unexpected moments in it that I can't recommend it highly enough. 

Sidney Lumet has made some of the most revered films in American cinema, and one of my personal favorite directors. Dog Day Afternoon is a solid classic, though far from my favorite of Lumet's I liked his use of sound in the film, particularly at the airport which give us a sense that the world is impassive to the events that have gone on during our time with Pacino. Planes are coming in and taking off unconcerned with the relevant issues that were fleshed out during the film. 

Beautiful Losers is a rather unfortunate documentary about artists such as Shepard Fairey, Harmony Korrine, and Margaret Kilgallen, among others who have influenced the art world in the last 15 or so years. The problem with the film isn't that the material is bad--some is quite interesting and some less so--but its lazily constructed. Perhaps they were going for a whimsical tone to match the subject, but it comes off as simply disorganized and aimless. The interview bits with Korrine are mostly interesting, though, and the one time it seems to follow a particular thread is when the death of Kilgallen is discussed which is the high point of the work. But overall.....you can skip it. 

For a change of pace, the Avengers. I may get 40 lashes for this, but unless you are going for some mindless fun, I wouldn't bother. But as far as mindless fun goes, it is definitely the upper crust. Some fun one-liners, a plot that doesn't require too much of a stretch on the part of the viewer and not so awful casting. But still, if you are looking for substance, search elsewhere.

Morvern Callar is Lynne Ramsay's 2nd feature, and it is nowhere near as good as Ratcatcher, but a film with a great deal of merit. Her proclivity to emphasize still photography is still evident but the character of her images grows. You notice the shift during the trip to Spain but still with a distinct visual signature. I am also struck by the number of scenes that take place in bathrooms, particularly of characters in the bathtub. They aren't always integral scenes, but each has a specific bearing on the overall affect of the film. 

I must say that I do not see the appeal of Emily Browning's performance, which some have heralded, in last year's Sleeping Beauty. Her portrayal seemed flat to me. The crying scenes almost worked, but for whatever reason, I could not connect with it. That's not to say it is an overall bad film but neither is it good. There is a lot of room in the script for viewer interpretation which I appreciate, but there are some elements of the film were opaque without good reason. That is unfortunate because there are some great compositions in the film, a great emphasis on the aesthetic, and some gender related subtext. But it all felt incomplete.