Classics in short: Contempt

I've been trying to continue my film education beyond class by dissecting the old auteurs. Right now, I'm trying to understand the works of Jean Luc Godard, one of the more extreme foreign filmmakers. This week, I watched Contempt. Interesting that I watched this now, because who would I see in it but a young Jack Palance. Actually, not really young, but not the old guy we were used to. I didn't expect to see him in a French New Wave film, but he was playing a boisterous American, so it worked.

This is an interesting film because it deals with filmmaking, like a lot of those critic-auteurs do. A spoiled American producer tries to make Homer's Odyssey with a European crew and cast, including legendary Fritz Lang as the director. Lang plays himself, which is fun. (For the record, Mr. Lang, I prefer M as well.) Unfortunately, all this takes a back seat to the personal life of the French screenwriter, who arrives on set with his beautiful but annoying wife. The film shifts to their arguments and troubles, and it lost me. It went from a biting satire on filmmaking to a relationship movie where two people lash out at each other as much as they can. Their marriage is failing. You could even say.... (dun-dun-dun!) .... that they have CONTEMPT for each other!!!!! I kid, I kid. I would not recommend this to the average citizen, but for those interested in the New Wave, it is a solid piece.

Old School

Late 90's films such as American Pie and Road Trip allude to the glory days of college comedies, when John Belushi was alive and the genre was still somewhat fresh. Nowadays, these films may garner box office success and be hits with younger audiences, but they just don’t match up with the originals. Old School is no different.
Director Todd Phillips tries to emulate the old campus flicks with a film that has many connections with his first major comedy, Road Trip. They’re both awful. Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, and Vince Vaughn are three near-thirty buddies with a midlife crisis. Wilson finds out his girlfriend is a sex fiend, Ferrell’s new married life isn’t what he wants, and Vaughn pushes both of them to his new scheme. When Wilson moves into an old college frat house, Vaughn decides that they should create a fraternity that anyone can join. Wannabe- Animal House hijinks ensue.
The film, as expected, is a cheap comedy aimed at younger audiences. It does what it says, but it’s not very funny or original. Phillips uses hackneyed situations and really one-dimensional characters for a story that isn’t that interesting. The minor characters are annoying and unreal. Vaughn does well as the guy who starts the mess, but Ferrell can do much better, as his starring take in Anchorman attests. Wilson aptly handles his lead role, but this is a far cry from the heights he reached in The Royal Tenenbaums.
Ultimately, this film is a comedy that isn’t that funny, and an original story that really isn’t that original. Thankfully, it only lasts 90 minutes. I knew there was a reason I waited until now to see it.

Welcome

Welcome to cinematics schematics! I'm currently in film school, studying for a Master's degree in Film & Writing. I love watching movies, writing scripts, directing short films, and discussing big movies in both casual and academic settings. Hopefully, this blog will serve as a springboard for discussions about all kinds of films - indie, popcorn, classic, foreign, and anything else. If you have any recommendations, questions, complaints, I'll listen to anyone.