My Week in Film #9

My good friend Karthik recommended that I watch Primer, which I did so a couple of weeks ago (the ‘My Week in Film’ banner seems to have been stretched to ‘My Month or so in Film’). I watched Primer with absolutely no foreknowledge whatsoever (other than assumptions based on Karthik’s tastes) which is a very rare privilege for me. Seriously, when was the last time any of you watched a film that you knew nothing more about than the title? It’s an experience I would advocate. In the spirit of this, I’m not going to explain anything more about it other than that it’s about a couple of scientist friends that make a discovery. It was made for $7000 by actor/director/writer/etc Shane Carruth in 2004. I found the film compelling, confusing and unnerving. It was shot using Super 16mm film stock, which gives the picture a gorgeously oversaturated, 70’s style look. Carruth’s script also embraces highly technical dialogue and refuses to ‘dumb down’ in any way, which adds to the film’s commendable realism. I cannot recommend it enough.

I also re-watched one of my all-time favourite films, Starship Troopers recently. For those who haven’t seen it, it’s a pitch black humoured satire on fascism in which the extreme right-wing forces of earth fight disgusting giant alien insects. Or to paraphrase one critic, ‘a sci-fi WWII from the Nazi’s point of view’. Partly shot in the style of a recruitment video/infomercial, Starship Troopers mixes tongue in cheek, gung-ho brutality with a dash of intellectualism that serves it very well indeed. The special effects look great ten years on and it’s got Neil Patrick Harris in it. What more could you want?

I also saw the second and third Terminator films recently. Rise of the Machines really isn’t as bad as everybody said it was (in fact, it’s the Terminator film I’ve seen the most). It’s properly funny, which I welcome, just as action-packed and plot driven as its predecessors (the latter prerequisite not being too hard to match) and has the best ending of all three. I’m still not convinced that I’m going to see Salvation yet though.

Finally, in a break from the sci-fi. I saw Happy Feet. Frankly, this is probably the weirdest film I have ever seen, and I am not knowingly exaggerating. It utilises a very twisted internal logic in which we have to believe that singing is a crucial part of penguin society. It doesn’t get any more logical from thereon in. It has a great voice cast, well choreographed action sequences and some impressive CG rendering. I’m not entirely certain kids will properly understand or like Happy Feet (I’m not even sure I did) but I cautiously recommend you watch it, if only as it is original if nothing else. I’d be interested to hear what you think of it.