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Noirs et blancs en couleur, a review by Danae Cassandra

wikipedia

What We Watched:


Noirs et blancs en couleur (Black and White in Color)
Year of Release: 1976
Starring: Jean Carmet, Jacques Dufilho, Catherine Rouvel, Jacques Spiesser, Dora Doll, Maurice Barrier
Directed By: Jean-Jacques Annaud
Genre: Comedy, War

Overview:My Thoughts:
While I haven't seen its rivals, judged solely on its own merit I can see why Black and White in Color won the Oscar.  It's a really well done film.  It reminded me a lot of Dr. Strangelove - obviously because both are satires, both are well done, and both are very funny.  The film has a lot of good points to make about the treatment of Africa by the West, but it's not just a film with a message.  It's also really entertaining.  It's clever and ironic and timeless.  Recommended.

Bechdel Test: Fail

Overall: 4/5

(From Around the World in 86 Movies on April 16th, 2013)

Let the Right One In, a review by goodguy

(Sweden 2008, AKA Let the Right One In, AKA So finster die Nacht)

IMDb summary: Oskar, a bullied 12-year old, dreams of revenge. He falls in love with Eli, a peculiar girl. She can't stand the sun or food and to come into a room she needs to be invited. Eli gives Oskar the strength to hit back but when he realizes that Eli needs to drink other people's blood to live he's faced with a choice. How much can love forgive? Let The Right One In is a story both violent and highly romantic, set in the Stockholm suburb of Blackeberg in 1982.

In its use of vampirism, LTROI reminded me of Abel Ferrara's flawed masterpiece The Addiction. There is the same messy and grim approach to the actual blooddrinking and the same disregard for the typical vampire lore. There are vampires in both movies, but neither is a vampire movie; they are about something else entirely.

Linking a vampire tale with a coming-of-age story is not that unusal. But LTROI doesn't fall into the traps of a teenage love fantasy. There is tenderness and even a kiss between the two leads, but their bond is decidedly asexual and prepubescent; it is forged from a deep sense of alienation and has a haunted innocence. Both performances are spectacular.

Alfredson finds striking visuals in the most banal and desolate settings, creating a bleak and chilling atmosphere with a strong poetic quality. This is combined with a beautiful score and an ingenious sound design that draws the viewer into the isolation of the protagonists.

Highly recommended and certainly one of last year's best movies.


(From goodguy's Watch Log on May 31st, 2009)

Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon, a review by Tom

19. I Only Have Eyes For You (1998-04-28)
Writer: Joss Whedon (Created By), Marti Noxon (Writer)
Director: James Whitmore Jr.
Cast: Sarah Michelle Gellar (Buffy Summers), Nicholas Brendon (Xander Harris), Alyson Hannigan (Willow Rosenberg), Charisma Carpenter (Cordelia Chase), David Boreanaz (Angel), Anthony Stewart Head (Giles), Meredith Salinger (Grace Newman), Christopher Gorham (James Stanley), John Hawkes (George), Miriam Flynn (Ms. Frank), Brian Reddy (Police Chief Bob), James Marsters (Spike), Juliet Landau (Drusilla), Armin Shimerman (Principal Snyder), Brian Poth (Fighting Boy), Sarah Bibb (Fighting Girl), James Lurie (Mr. Miller), Ryan Taszreak (Ben), Anna Coman-Hidy (50's Girl #1), Vanessa Bednar (50's Girl #2)

A good episode. I especially like the fact, that Angel and Buffy switch the (gender) role at the re-enactment at the end.

Rating:

(From Tom's Buffy and Angel Marathon on February 15th, 2009)