Movie Report

I've recently seen the following: A Prophet, Black Swan, Exit Through the Gift Shop, and Restrepo.

A Prophet - A French film about an Arab man who goes to prison very green and not only adapts, but climbs his way up through a criminal underworld. This movie has been universally praised for its straight, non-manipulative portrayal of prison. Here's the trailer:



I'm not as gaga about it as most critics are, but it's very good. The pacing was good, it was watchable in spite of the subject matter, but I didn't find it to redefine the genre of prison films as some critics have said it does. I need to see it again.

Here is the link to Filmspotting's review of the film and an interview with the film's director and star, Jacques Audiard and Tahar Rahim.

Black Swan - The first dance/dream sequence is an amazing piece of film-making. My impression coming away from this film is that the dance sequences are exquisitely filmed and the acting and portrayal of obsession are also very good. I think it goes off the rails a little bit with the effects and horror movie aspects, but not too much. Go see it - the dancing scenes alone make this film viable.



I don't find myself enjoying A.O. Scott's reviews, mostly due to their length and pretense, but he is a masterful writer. Here's his Black Swan review.

Exit Through the Gift Shop - A documentary about a Los Angeles-based shopkeeper, Thierry Guetta's obsession with filming LA street artists leading up to hunting for the famous London street artist, Banksy. The film is directed by Banksy and has a nice twist at the end that questions the nature of art. It is funny and thought-provoking. I watched it via Netflix instant viewing.



Here is Melena Ryzik's review.

Restrepo - A documentary that chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan's Korengal Valley. I wanted to see a different movie. This is a very good portrayal of a platoon's tour of duty. Just because I wanted to see a movie that explores more of the macro notions and fallacies of "nation-building," I cannot discredit this documentary. The fact that it is made entirely from the soldiers' points of view is what makes this film special.



I'd link to Michael Phillip's review of it on the Chicago Tribune's website, but the site itself (not to mention the paper) is such a disaster, that I'll link to Filmspotting's Top 10 of 2010 episode where Restrepo is discussed and Phillips is a guest reviewer. Hopefully Phillips will find greener pastures sooner rather than later (sorry for the digression).