Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter? (1957)
Dir. Frank Tashlin
9.5/10
I initially went in to this filmexpecting a minor, mindless comedy that would be good for a few laughs, but it ended up being one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. There are very few films that have made me laugh as hard and as frequently as Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter (1957).
A Biting satire on everything ranging from advertising and celebrity idolatry, to very rational the fear of television replacing film. Not only is it hilarious and well written, but the intro was a fantastic parody of the commercials of the time period, definitely a precursor to the fake ads that would later be popularized by SNL and SCTV.
There was also a scene that I’m 90% sure Richard Lester “borrowed” in a hard days night for it’s iconic opening scene. Frank Tashlin is an underrated master of comedy, also being the main director behind the amazing Martin and Lewis film and tons of Looney Tunes shorts.
Woody Allen's 1978 film Interiors is a very good film and as always with Allen, the dialogue is the best
part. I didn’t connect with the characters as much as you’re generally
supposed to with this type of film. Occasionally, it failed to really
focus on any of the 4 main characters, instead it drifted back and forth between them. Many films have succeeded with balancing the story lines of multiple main characters, but this is not the case with Interiors. Although it could be argued that Geraldine Page is the central figure in the film, she isn't seen very often and we don't ever find out enough about her.
Additionally, it is heavily influenced by Ingmar Bergman. I often had
trouble finding Woody Allen’s own style within this film, he
seemed more focused on emulating Bergman. His influence is obvious in
everything from the story to the cinematography and you can certainly
tell how highly Allen regards him. Of course when one great film maker
emulates another, it will most likely turn out to be a well made film, just slightly unoriginal. However, it
lacks many key elements of Woody’s own personal style that I really wish
he hadn’t sacrificed for this film. My guess would be that after
spending the last decade doing straight comedies, he wanted to prove to
his critics that he could handle a 100% humorless film, and to that
extent, he succeeded. He later references this quite a few times in
another great film of his, stardust memories, when fans and critics
alike insist on mentioning that they preferred the “funny” films. I
think Interiors can definitely be considered a precursor to one of
Allen’s best films, Hannah and Her Sisters. So far I’ve seen 25 woody
Allen films, and Interiors is currently my #10.
4/5
Although film noir is considered to be an American movement, Louis Malle's debut feature, Elevator to the Gallows, is just as authentically noir as Double Indemnity or Out of the Past. At first glance, the plot looks painfully familiar: a seductive femme fatale (Jeanne Moreau) convinces her lover to murder her husband. Everything that happens after this point, however, is completely original. Set to a fantastic original score by Miles Davis, the film never fails to create an atmosphere that is visually satisfying, yet so discomforting.
Given the fact that this was Malle's first film, it isn't perfect. However, it doesn't try to be. Elevator to the Gallows is one of the most unpretentious art films I've seen. The intricacy of the situations in the film are purely entertaining.
Yes, it's somewhat of an homage to American noir, but Malle's own innovation's to the style should be acknowledged. The two simultaneous story-lines and the way the intersect is not something that you'd see in your average low-budget film noir. In Elevator, Malle demonstrates an excellent knowledge and understanding of American cinema. Additionally, he shows potential as an extroidinarily talented storyteller, something he would further prove with his later films such as Atlantic City and Murmur of the Heart.
The entire film revolves around two separate relationships. Every action that a character makes is due to the great pressures of the relationship they are in. None of the main characters ever act alone; they are constantly taking risks and breaking the law, not for themselves, but because of a devotion to something that vaguely resembles love.
By the end of the film, all four characters have made severe mistakes. Throughout the film, the viewer assumes that only one person will suffer the consequences, and the rest of the characters will simply go on with their lives. Soon enough, however, it becomes clear that the past catches up with everyone, eventually.
5/5
