Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Aurelio S. (A) on December 21, 2001 at 09:07:23

Pola X (1999)
A French film with yellow subtitles. It was directed by Leos Carax and stars Catherine Deneuve and Guillaume Depardieu. It is based on a Herman Melville novel (which I can't remember). Depardieu plays Pierre, a seemingly bright, well-to-do young man who seems to have everything going for him - a loving mother (Deneuve) and beautiful fiance. But Pierre's dreams are haunted by a faceless young woman who surprisingly appears to him one night while riding his motorcycle through town. She says her name is Isabelle. Predictably, Pierre falls in love with Isabelle thus setting the stage for his inevitable downfall after his family and fiance cannot understand or accept his decisions and irrational behavior.

I thought the film was okay. Whether intentional or not, the lighting was horrible IMO; but the acting, I thought, was firts rate. The premise of the film may be unsettling to some, but I thought Carax handled the subject matter perfectly - not too intense but not glossed over either.

Recommended if you like dark, intense movies with a twist.

Requiem for a dream (2000)
Directed by Darren Aronofsky. Starring the wonderful Ellen Burstyn, Jared Leto, Jennifer Connelly and Marlon Wayans. This movie centers around the lives of four people, Harry (Leto)...his mother Sara (Burstyn)...his girlfriend Marion (Connelly) and best friend Tyrone (portrayed surprisingly well IMO by Wayans) and their desperate hope to make something of their empty, seemingly dead-end lives. The mother Sara, dreams of becoming a contestant on her favorite game show, and when she's called to actually be on the show, she determines she's too fat and must lose weight first. Her obsession to lose weight takes her to a rather shady doctor who prescribes uppers for her problem. Meanwhile, Harry and Marion dream of opening a business but must resort to illegal means, with the help of Tyrone, to fund their effort. Ultimately, their hopes and dreams come crashing down with horrifying consequences for all.

As depressing and emotionally wrenching that this movie was, I loved it. I thought it perfectly depicted the sense of lost hope and the great lengths that people will go to to achieve happiness.

Highly recommended if you're an emotional sadist.

Any other thoughts?

Aurelio S.