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Reviews
La virgen de los sicarios (2000)
An at first perplexing, yet ultimately rewarding film...
Barbet Schroeder's Our Lady of the Assassins is a perplexing film. Yet, it is ultimately rewarding in ways that most films aren't.
Shot in high definition digital video, the film has an immediacy to it that cannot be simulated by film. At first, the immediacy seems to cheapen the look and one wonders what Schroeder was thinking when he decided to undertake this format. Yet as the complexity of the story progresses, we seem to be "taken in" by the video's hypnotic effect and we realize that we are viewing a medium with its own look, feel and characteristics and we accept it.
About an older man who befriends and enters into a relationship with a young ex-gang member, the story takes a while to unfold. In the beginning it seems all but pointless, yet within the hour, we are caught up in a film of overwhelming depth and emotional power. Schroeder deserves tremendous credit for having the courage to make a movie in which the main character openly denounces the church and where themes of political corruption and anarchy in a real world setting actually exist.
Most disturbing is that the themes in this movie ring true with an authenticity that cannot be challenged. We are simultaneously horrified yet held captive by a reality which we don't want to believe exists but that we know already does, not only in Colombia, where the film is set, but elsewhere as well. Schroeder is a master here of making the "city" of Medellin just as much a character as the protagonists. He charges the environment with an electricity that seems to pervade the screen and crawl into our psyches.
Unfortunately it is the medium itself which may prevent Our Lady of the Assassins from becoming a commercial success or as being taken seriously by a lot of people. But film purists and those who enjoyed the gritty realism of similar films like Pixote and Santa Sangre, should love this one.
La virgen de los sicarios (2000)
An at first perplexing, yet ultimately rewarding film...
Barbet Schroeder's Our Lady of the Assassins is a perplexing film. Yet, it is ultimately rewarding in ways that most films aren't.
Shot in high definition digital video, the film has an immediacy to it that cannot be simulated by film. At first, the immediacy seems to cheapen the look and one wonders what Schroeder was thinking when he decided to undertake this format. Yet as the complexity of the story progresses, we seem to be "taken in" by the video's hypnotic effect and we realize that we are viewing a medium with its own look, feel and characteristics and we accept it.
About an older man who befriends and enters into a relationship with a young ex-gang member, the story takes a while to unfold. In the beginning it seems all but pointless, yet within the hour, we are caught up in a film of overwhelming depth and emotional power. Schroeder deserves tremendous credit for having the courage to make a movie in which the main character openly denounces the church and where themes of political corruption and anarchy in a real world setting actually exist.
Most disturbing is that the themes in this movie ring true with an authenticity that cannot be challenged. We are simultaneously horrified yet held captive by a reality which we don't want to believe exists but that we know already does, not only in Colombia, where the film is set, but elsewhere as well. Schroeder is a master here of making the "city" of Medellin just as much a character as the protagonists. He charges the environment with an electricity that seems to pervade the screen and crawl into our psyches.
Unfortunately it is the medium itself which may prevent Our Lady of the Assassins from becoming a commercial success or as being taken seriously by a lot of people. But film purists and those who enjoyed the gritty realism of similar films like Pixote and Santa Sangre, should love this one.
Gangs of New York (2002)
A Frustrating Experience
I found watching this movie to be a frustrating experience. On the one hand, it is a visual tour de force--a quality I would expect from a master filmmaker like Scorcese. It is also about an important, yet ugly, part of American history. Scorcese has masterfully recreated an entire era with painstaking detail that is a marvel to watch. The movie also has a great performance by Daniel Day Lewis and some great individual scenes.
On the other hand, however, my enjoyment of it was taken away by the horrendously loud volume level at which the movie was played. The sound system in the theater is probably one of the best in the country, yet, a good sound system does not have to be blasted to be enjoyed. So, watching the movie at home would have been more relaxing--a shame since it was made for the big screen.
I also found the narrative to be a jumbled mess. The characters could not have been more contrived. While The Butcher character was convincing, it could not have been written more theatrically. Instead of a movie that is trying to be everything--a romance, a history lesson, a revenge thriller--I would have enjoyed it much better if the scope would have been narrowed down a bit. I loved the historical aspect of the movie and the battle sequences. Yet, those aspects were undercut by the contrived plot, the ridiculously Hollywood treatment of the love story between De Caprio and Diaz and the familiar revenge theme. This is a shame since Scorcese can very well be a commercial director who doesn't pander to the lowest common denominator--but tragically he does so here.
Overall, the movie did not have the clarity and brilliant execution that Scorcese mastered in just about every other movie he's made, especially those bigger in scope like Goodfellas and Casino. That is too bad.