Recommendation: Run Lola Run (1998)

Run Lola Run 

I really love world cinema. And as any film buff should know, America is not the only place that knows how to make genuinely good movies. This selection is a German piece of cinema right out of post-pop-art-MTV-era 1998. Its the kind of film that gets completely forgotten about unfairly because it is an amazing work of art.

The narrative style of this movie is very original, there is a main story line that is repeated with three different variations. You're essentially watching three short films of the same subject, with the same characters and the same plot but with different endings. I wont touch on the plot because I don't think it needs to be addressed, there are deeper, more technical things that get brought to light through this movie.

For one thing the editing is absolutely phenomenal from two perspectives. First, the pacing at which everything flows, rather fast, successfully portrays the speediness of the film. With fast simple cuts that carry the viewer from one scene to the next to drive the plot line along. And second, keeping the story together with every turn was very impressive, most movies get lost in their action, Run Lola Run fed off of its action as it was an integral part of the film. 

Run Lola Run stylistically stands out as a visual delight. The cinematography pops off the screen with highlights of arresting colors (such as Lola's rose red hair). The use of animation is even a very bold, artistic move that director Tom Tykwer pulls off with such astounding ease.

I cannot suggest this film enough to people. When people say "I wanna watch world cinema films. What foreign film should I start with?" I immediately  think of this movie. 

See it.

Recommendation: Tiny Furniture (2010)

Tiny Furniture

Lena Dunham has become somewhat of an indie household name, and for a good reason. Her writing style has been compared to film god Woody Allen in multiple ways by many film critics. She's a one man band (or should I say one woman band) directing, writing, and starring in her first feature film. While the film does have its moments of amateurism, it is immediately offset by the level of mumblecore realism that really drives the atmosphere  of the picture.

The main themes of this movie connect on a more personal level then a studio film could even attempt to get across. The plot, although very simple and yet successful, centers around Aura (Lena Dunham) who has recently graduated college and is trying to find her place in the world among old friendships, love interests, and a complicated family.

This movie uses realism to its advantage in that it does not follow a Hollywood "happy ending" plot line. The characters are depicted as true real life people, not embellished celluloid popcorn film fantasies. And that is what really sets this film apart from other independent character studies that I've seen.

The movie was shot completely on prosumer Digital Video giving it a "film student" look. The cinematography was achieved with  ample amounts of natural lighting to give the film a documentary feel coupled with specifically framed shots to compliment the narrative flow. This filming style just ads to the realistic nature of this movie.

Not only do I think this is a personal film for the audience, I also see this a personal film for Lena Dunham who plays here character of Aura almost too convincingly. Exploring the realm of what to do now that one chapter of her life has come to an end and another has just begun. It as if she had written a script about her life and just wanted to shoot it as a movie using friends and real situations.

Its very obvious that this film played as a springboard for what is now the hit HBO television show Girls, in which Lena Dunham plays a similar main character facing similar problems. So needless to say I highly recommend this movie to anyone who enjoys the TV show or films that explore realism with an indie flare.

Recommendation: The King of Comedy (1983)

The King of Comedy

Rarely has there been a film that successfully blurs the lines between what a character depicts in their head and what is actual reality. In Martin Scorsese's 1983 film, The King of Comedy, this is achieved flawlessly.

The plot follows a lonely and detached aspiring comedian named Rupert Pupkin (played perfectly by Robert DeNiro) and his obsession with a desperate-for-privacy super star talk show host Jerry Langford (played by the equally impressive Jerry Lewis). The film has a very quirky, black comedy feel that touches on psychological themes such as obsession and child neglect.

The movie is broken up into two portions that seem to bleed together during the end; what Rupert Pupkin daydreams and fantasies over, and then what is actually taking place in the reality of the film. Some of his fantasies are aided by cardboard cutouts of famous movie stars, talking to them, as he sits in his room depicted as a talk show set. And other fantasies are completely fabricated conversations that take place between Jerry Langford and Rupert Pupkin that later spills out into reality.

This standalone feature is crafted perfectly by Martin Scorsese. He makes a powerfully engaging "comedy" that doesn't force laughter on its audience. Its a black comedy that doesn't tell the audience when to laugh, but rather shows us scenarios that could be depicted as comedic and gives us the option of laughing or taking it as a serious scene. The driest of any black comedy as I've ever seen.

Arguably, the most underrated piece in Scorsese's filmography. Overshadowed by bigger, more complicated films like Goodfellas or Raging Bull it was tainted after being deemed a box office failure due to it only grossing $2.5 Million of its $20 Million budget. But this movie has aged well with time and hails as containing one of the greatest performances in Jerry Lewis's career.

I urge anyone who is a fan of deep psychological comedies, as a minority as that may sound, to see this film. I guarantee it'll  leave you satisfied.

Cinema as Art

Cinema is the greatest art form, of all time.

Not since the creation of cinema has there been the most astounding union of all the major artistic expressions to come out of the human mind. It successfully marries visual storytelling with the most eloquent orchestral arrangements conveyed through the most colorful lenses. Blending together carefully conceived dialogue with meticulous optical illusions. Cinema is filled with all kinds of raw art.

The purpose of this blog is not to give reviews of movies, but to recommend films, discuss film concepts, and talk about cinema in different eras as it has continually evolved. Films are not just looked at as entertainment, but also as expression, like any other art form.

So, join me, as I look at cinema through the art lens. Whether it be the art house scene, the independent circuit, the studio films, or the "wave" movements.  All will be discussed and admired.

"Cinema is truth, 24 frames a second" - Jean-Luc Godard