"Spoonful of Sugar" offers a bleak, sardonic vision of contemporary US society, with its culture of homeschooling, unaffordable and deficient mental health care, and atomized individuality. Structured as a psychological horror film, with elements of suspense and eroticism, it is much more than simply a run-of-the-mill mainstream horror outing. The script is excellent, the acting superb, and the pace perfect. The scenes structured around the use of lysergic acid introduce some surreal elements, as do the somewhat quirky solutions the parents adopt for dealing with their problem-child (e.g. The space suit). Who is the monster and who the victim? In the alienated and alienating culture of 2020s America, the film suggests, correctly, that we all are both. This is indeed a "horror" film for "the happy few"! Would that they were many!
Reviews
11 Reviews
Hernán
(2019– )
Excellent Mexican miniseries on Hernán Cortés
14 April 2023
More historically-accurate than most film retellings of the Spanish Conquest of Mexico, this miniseries presents a well-rounded portrait of Hernán Cortés and his complex personality. This is NOT a documentary on the Conquest of Mexico, but rather a fictional reconstruction of Cortés, the man behind the Conquistador. As such, the decision to devote each chapter to a different historical figure and their perception of Cortés adds a level of complexity rare in such film biopics, as well as adding to the aesthetic pleasure of the total composition. And the frequent flashbacks serve the same purpose with equal success. The use of native languages -Mexica and Maya- as well as Spanish heightens the sense of authenticity which the excellent visual effects also produce. "That most transparent place", as Alfonso Reyes described Tenochtitlán, shimmers in all its beauty in the morning light, in more than one scene in this miniseries. The acting is systematically excellent, but Ishbel Bautista's subtle portrayal of Marina steals the show. As concerns historical authenticity, one of the most admirable aspects of this miniseries is the deft and sensitive way in which it succeeds in communicating to the viewer the profound religious nature of Mesoamericans belief in their gods and the accompanying practice of human sacrifice. I felt the direction of the first six episodes was superlative, but the final two seemed slightly less satisfying. Hence only 9 points.
Under the Silver Lake
(2018)
Ingenious, sexy, film for the happy few
13 August 2022
"Under the Silver Lake" is both an ingenious surreal mystery and a palimpsest of previous film history. The film noir mood, the generally surreal structure -reminiscent of David Lynch (and of Thomas Pynchon's novels)- and the excellent acting combine to offer the viewer a solid mystery story. The resolution is logical within the absurd overall logic governing the film's narrative. This by itself makes for an entertaining and highly-engaging work.
At the same time, another delight offered to viewers with a rich knowledge of film history, are the constant references to other films: a system of quotation which constructs a second, parallel, level of meaning. Marylin Monroe, Alfred Hitchcock, certain Monogram quickies, "Sunset Boulevard", etc., are explicitly referenced. More subtle is the image of Charles Laughton among the "life masks" or the parrot reference. Palimpsest as mass-entertainment.
The abundant nudity and humorous sex-scenes were for me the cherry on this movie-goer's delight. I love nudity, sex and a sense of humor in film, as I do in life. The actresses are gorgeous, and in addition to being beautiful, they act very well. For those attracted by men, there is also male "eye candy" here, although less than of the female variety.
Deep, occult, meaning in the script? I think not: if there is a message -and neither good narrative nor well-wrought art need one to be good- it is that life itself is too precious to be wasted seeking for meaning that probably isn't there.
At the same time, another delight offered to viewers with a rich knowledge of film history, are the constant references to other films: a system of quotation which constructs a second, parallel, level of meaning. Marylin Monroe, Alfred Hitchcock, certain Monogram quickies, "Sunset Boulevard", etc., are explicitly referenced. More subtle is the image of Charles Laughton among the "life masks" or the parrot reference. Palimpsest as mass-entertainment.
The abundant nudity and humorous sex-scenes were for me the cherry on this movie-goer's delight. I love nudity, sex and a sense of humor in film, as I do in life. The actresses are gorgeous, and in addition to being beautiful, they act very well. For those attracted by men, there is also male "eye candy" here, although less than of the female variety.
Deep, occult, meaning in the script? I think not: if there is a message -and neither good narrative nor well-wrought art need one to be good- it is that life itself is too precious to be wasted seeking for meaning that probably isn't there.
The Cloud in Her Room
(2020)
Poetic meditation on longing, loneliness and love
10 August 2022
Filmed in Hangzhou, "The Clouds in My Room" seeks to capture states-of-being and the feelings that go with them, and does this remarkably well through a subtle montage of cinematographically stunning images. Mood is more important than plot, although the plot offers a story which is universal: the loneliness of young adults, longing for companionship, understanding and love. And at the same time situated with precision: here that universal experience is captured in a specificity that is female, Chinese, and set in Hangzhou. Well-acted throughout, the first sex scene is surprisingly explicit, and yet perfectly conceived as underscoring the profound loneliness of Zhou Mozi, her existential despair at lack of meaningful connection. Like the ancient art of calligraphy, this film applies its ink (its sequences and frames) gently yet precisely to produce a work of art.
The Creature Below
(2016)
Excellent Lovecraftian horror
4 August 2022
This is a low-budget gem that concentrates on atmosphere and growing tension to convey a sense of horror. Anna Dawson is an EXCELLENT actress, whose deliberate lack of emotion -after the encounter with the ancient one- underscores her alienation from normal human existence. Counterpointed by flashbacks where we see her joy at the initial meeting with the ancient one. Despite budgetary restrictions, the basement scenes communicate a feeling of eerie claustrophobia, in which tentacles are sufficiently well-designed to obtain a "willing suspension of disbelief " on the part of the audience. The finale would have pleased Lovecraft himself.
The only reason I can see for the viciously negative comments of other reviewers on this site is their own lack of film culture. European quality film employs conventions which American audiences tend to find "boring" or "eurotrashy", and, although a genre film, The Creature Below uses those same conventions. And classic horror film -which emphasized Gothic atmosphere rather than action or gore- constitutes another language of film to which this movie refers. This said, the male actors are all mediocre, at best.
Finally, Anna Dawson's nude scenes are tasteful and aesthetically pleasing.
All told, this movie is a delightful surprise in the midst of the wasteland that mainstream horror has increasingly become.
The only reason I can see for the viciously negative comments of other reviewers on this site is their own lack of film culture. European quality film employs conventions which American audiences tend to find "boring" or "eurotrashy", and, although a genre film, The Creature Below uses those same conventions. And classic horror film -which emphasized Gothic atmosphere rather than action or gore- constitutes another language of film to which this movie refers. This said, the male actors are all mediocre, at best.
Finally, Anna Dawson's nude scenes are tasteful and aesthetically pleasing.
All told, this movie is a delightful surprise in the midst of the wasteland that mainstream horror has increasingly become.
Don't Kill Me
(2021)
Not a zombie movie
22 March 2022
This is a surprisingly well directed gem from Italy, whose film industry was a leader in horror films in the 1960s and 1970s, but which of late only occasionally dabbles in the genre. Its supernatural theme centers on the "undead" -"i sopramorti", literally the "surdead" as the opposite of the "survivor"-, and hence has more in common with the vampire than with the zombie film tradition. De Sica paces his film well, interspersing flashbacks with scenes set in the present so as to underline the horror of Mirta's predicament. The "benandanti" -a reference to a real 16th century sect of witch hunters- are precisely portrayed as the misogynist fascists they would be if they still existed, and the general structure of the plot permits the director to use the rhetoric of horror to criticize bigotry and intolerance, with a feminist subtext to boot. Precise, elegant performances from the three protagonists, and solid acting by the rest of the cast. The sex and the nudity are beautifully filmed -and are by no means gratuitous-, adding an extra layer of aesthetic pleasure to the multiple meanings coded in the narrative. More like this, please, and perhaps we will find that the spirit of Bava and Argento can continue to grace our screens, transfigured, in the 21st Century!
Voyagers
(2021)
Inane premise, stylish scenography
22 November 2021
Indeed, as other reviewers have notes, Lord of the Flies, with its Hobbesian pessimism, inspires the central and decisive portion of the film. Science fiction requires some willing suspension of disbelief for the plot to work, but in this case the initial premise is inane: humanity is to be saved by a crew of teenagers brought up in a lab without parental affection, and doped up most of their lives, on a spaceship with a single adult to offer supervision and guidance! So obviously a recipe for disaster. Exit Colin Farrell, the adult, and the dope -a hormonal inhibitor of sorts- and all too predictably nature produces mayhem. And even if the assumption were that sex on a spaceship might breed jealousy and conflict, how "human" would sexual relations -and love- be for the third generation when neither their grandparents or parents had had the experience of either? This said, the set design is elegant, the acting -especially Lily Rose Depp and Colin Farrell- highly competent, and the cinematography precise. Pity the plot was based on such a weak premise.
Manor House
(2020)
Brilliant film of ideas in context
19 October 2021
With impeccable framing of each scene, both in terms of the material environment and the framing -classically precise- by the camera, Puiu dares to film a dense but rewarding theological conversation informed by philosophy, history and the subtleties of upper class politesse. The discussion itself is drawn from the work of Vladimir Solovyev -who in Russia and Eastern Europe is as central a thinker as Kierkegaard in the Wést-, often remembered as the friend of Dostoyevsky and the noble campaigner against antisemitism in Russia. Laced with irony (Puiu's), it offers a meditation on the nature of good and evil. But this is not merely a conversation filmed. The filmic construction of each scene through camera perspective, the bodily language of the actors, the choreography of servants and aristocrats, all combine to produce a deeply moving fresco of an instant in time, a lull before the impending storm which would sweep the characters and their world away. Sublime.
Beyond
(III) (2014)
Fraud
2 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Clearly this is not a science fiction film, as all the science fiction elements are in the male character's head. Pretentious, with a banal script, and deliberately confusing continuity, a poor show all round. Centred on the love relationship of two characters, who are both disagreeable, uninteresting, obnoxious individuals. Do the directors and script writers REALLY believe a make or break factor in a relationship can hinge on liking pesto or not, or on sharing the same taste in alcoholic drinks? Shallow, trivial, with an absurd premise, once the willing suspension of disbelief a science fiction film would require, is foregone. And as a reflection on love and intimacy, utterly trite. To be avoided.
The Blood Spattered Bride
(1972)
Vampire feminist film within a surrealist matrix
23 February 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Vicente Aranda was one of the finest directors to emerge from the Spanish transition to democracy, overshadowed by film "auteurs" such as PedroAlmodóvar, Víctor Érice, or the late period of Luis García Berlanga. Often dismissed as merely a cultivator of exploitation-style cinema, with abundant nudity and sometimes over-the-top sexual scenes, he was an excellent translator of literature into film, but also a clear, if subdued, visual stylist, who knew how to capture the complexities of Spanish culture, both popular and learned, and history -traumatic in the extreme- during the second half of the Twentieth Century. This film, one of his earlier works, already exhibits the feminist stance that appears over and over again in his more famous films -"La pasion turca", "Amantes", "Si te dicen que caí", "Carmen", even, perhaps, "Tirante el Blanco"-: his female protagonists are always endowed with agency, strong, impetuous, free, even when the structures of male domination in society are most powerfully ranged against them. As some other IMDb reviewers have observed, an appreciation of "The Blood-Spattered Bride" as simply a vampire film, one more of the abundant slew of early 70s, erotic-horror offerings from Europe (and the UK's Hammer, etc.) is simply wrong. Much of the imagery is not only surrealist, but deliberately echoes Buñuel - Spain's greatest classic film auteur, surrealist and ironic to the core-: the beach scene -brilliant- evokes "Un chien andalou" and the diver-suited customer at "Belle-de-jour"'s brothel; Carmilla's sucking the blood from Susan's palm again quotes 1930's Buñuel/Dali, etc. One clear theme, underscored by the surrealist touches, is that the boundary between real and unreal, dream and waking reality is not stable, but blurred. The other central theme is the horror of male domination and the justice of women's rebellion against it: in the French version, not only is horrible hubby a cruel hunter, and a chillingly manipulative and cruel husband, he is also a child-molester who forces oral sex on 12 year old Carol, only a day or two after his marriage to Susan. The scene, despite being tastefully-filmed, is disgusting, shocking (more than anything else in this work) and seems to utterly justify Carmilla and Susan's later blood-spree. The photography is beautiful, and the structure of the film is extremely precise in conveying its dual message: concerning the multiple readings "reality" offers to the imagination, and in rendering clear the final statement that despite gender violence, women will continue to live and fight for their freedom.
Heading South
(2005)
the darker side of tourism
5 February 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Laurent Cantet's film "Vers le Sud" (Going South) is not so much about sex tourism as it is about tourism tout court. If the sexual element in this plot serves to highlight the sordid nature of unequal power relations (between wealthy or simply prosperous First World tourists and impoverished Third World natives), whether in the bedroom or out, the critique proposed here -with marvelous subtlety and a precision-honed camera-eye for the telling detail, for the revealing nuance- holds true for tourism in general. After the macabre events that strip away the facade of "tropical paradise" in which the lonely, sensitive women of the film have until then been living, the police official (it is not clear what is his precise capacity) utters the telling line: "Tourists never die." Alas, this is the tawdry reality of all tourism ultimately, as it implies service with an(unwilling) smile by those who have not towards those who have. In some Caribbean countries, this relation is rendered explicit -and sublimated- through the practice of "towel sculptures": leave a generous tip for your chambermaid and at your return from a day of sand and sunshine, a swan will be waiting on your bed; leave no tip at all, and a snake or a scorpion will. Cantet's film -whose photography is exquisite and perfectly adapted to not only the subject but also the mood of this work- shows the viewer its message, rather than tell it. Understated and subtle, the well-drawn out characters of the three women protagonists -Helene/Ellen, Brenda, and Sue- develop against the backdrop of Haiti's Tonton-Macoute/Duvalier regime, a backdrop implied more than actually shown. Ménothy Césaire's (and to a lesser extent Lys Ambroise's) acting, in my opinion, virtually steal(s) the show, a remarkable feat considering the powerful screen presence of Charlotte Rampling -who is here impeccably, elegantly, "classily" venomous- and Karen Young. Thoughtful and intense, well-worth viewing and worthy of this sophisticated director's other excellent work.
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