Raising Arizona.
Hi and Ed are an odd couple. Hi is a serial convenience store robber, in and out of prison after repeated offences; Ed is the policewoman tasked with taking his many mugshots. They fall in love leading Hi to propose upon his next visit to the pen, the punishment of prison at last being fully felt as he counts down the days to his release. After his incarceration, Hi renounces his former ways and settles down into a dead end job, while Ed is desperate for a baby as soon as humanly possible. Upon hearing the news that they can’t have children of their own, they seek adoption, only to find that Hi’s past prevents them from completing their family. This news sends Hi and Ed into a deep depression; Ed quits her job while Hi considers returning to his former life of petty crime. That is until a plan is hatched, whereby the couple intend to steal one of local furniture mogul Nathan Arizona’s quintuplets, justifying the kidnapping anyway they can. Raising Arizona is a wacky comedy caper featuring fugitives, bounty hunters and swingers, by the kings of unconventional comedies, the Coen Brothers. Underneath the hilarity are serious reflections on family, parenthood and the American dream that ought not be overlooked. A typically beautifully shot Coens’ film and a standout performance by Holly Hunter. 87 off to a flyer.
The Fly.
Scientific genius Seth Brundle invites a female journalist to his apartment in order to impress her with his latest invention, pods capable of teleportation. Although the telepods as of yet only works on inorganic material, Veronica, the journalist, intends to write an article on the discovery, much to Seth’s dismay; luckily her magazine’s editor refutes her claims and labels Seth a conman. Seth and Veronica hereafter form a relationship as they record the progress of the telepods upgrade to organic, living beings. While slightly drunk one evening, Seth tests the telepods on himself while Veronica is away; unbeknownst to him, a fly is also present in the chamber. Seth’s body and personality gradually begin to change as he believes the process has “purified” him, while the reality is far more terrifying. David Cronenberg’s sci-fi horror classic is a tremendous, horrifying picture complete with the iconically disgusting practical effects we come to expect from a Cronenberg film. The Fly proves you don’t need to jump scares to be afraid. To be very afraid.
Blind Chance.
Witek’s father dies after a long illness. In wake of the news, he takes a year off from his studies as he reconsiders his future career as a doctor. Deciding to travel to Warsaw, Witek attempts to catch the outbound train as we are presented with three alternative paths Witek’s life follows. In the first, he boards the train and meets an old idealistic communist, Werner, who convinces Witek to join the communist party. Witek later meets his ex-girlfriend Czuszka, who is a member of the anti-communist movement, and the two fall in love again. In the second possibility, Witek narrowly misses the train, running into a guard in the process. The two fight momentarily, before Witek is arrested and later sentenced to thirty days of community service. As he carries out his punishment, he becomes friends with Marek, a member of the anti-communist resistance, who recruits Witek to the cause. Witek becomes deeply religious while also becoming involved in a love affair with an old friend’s sister. The third possibility begins with Witek missing the train, he stops running before he reaches the guard he would otherwise have scuffled with. As he turns to leave, he meets Olga, another former girlfriend, who as waited for him. The two continue their relationship as Witek has a change of heart and returns to his medical studies. Witek and Olga later get married and have a baby, while Witek remains politically neutral preferring to remain out of politics to concentrate on his career. Krzysztof Kieslowski’s visionary Blind Chance is an interesting study in how seemingly insignificant events can determine the course an individual’s entire life. Kieslowski raises difficult questions on the reality of free will and is critical of the concepts of fate and true love. A terrific philosophical and political drama concerning the turbulent lives of Poles in the 1980’s.
Wings of Desire.
Wim Wenders’ poetic romantic fantasy is an odd yet profound film. Damiel and Cassiel are guardian angels overseeing the inhabitants of Berlin, a city still recovering from the horrors of World War II, they travel unseen and touch the lives of Berliners through their spirituality. Damiel, however, becomes bored with his cold, colourless, lifeless existence and dreams of experiencing the breadth of emotion inherent in human life when he becomes intrigued and enchanted by a French trapeze artist facing existential problems of her own. We also hear the inner reflections of Columbo himself, Peter Falk, who is in Berlin filming a World War II detective story, as well as an elderly man who barely recognises the city he loves. This tale of philosophy and spirituality demands some work of the viewer, but those willing to contemplate deeper after the final credits will be more heavily rewarded. A cameo by Nick Cave adds to the charm and oddity.
Au Revoir les Enfants.
Julien bids his mother an emotional farewell at a Paris train station as he returns to his Catholic boarding school after Christmas. With the new year, 1944, comes a new schoolmate, Jean, who is assigned the bed next to Julien in the dormitory. Julien initially detests Jean, joining the other boys in hazing their new peer, however the torment he sustains appears to go beyond the ritualistic roughhousing inherent in boarding schools. Fearing Jean may be alienated, a priest instructs Julien to be kind and to engage with Jean. After the two bond over Alexander Dumas’ The Three Musketeers, Julien notices several priests hide Jean when Nazi collaborators investigate the school, and upon some investigation he discovers Jean is Jewish. Their friendship grows, but as the Nazi stranglehold tightens, so does the danger to Jean and the other Jewish boys harboured by the Catholic priests. Louis Malle’s emotional drama is so brutally realistic it could only be based on genuine experiences of the writer/director himself. Au Revoir les Enfants is a touching tale of friendship and innocence, although the Nazi’s are understandably the villains of the piece, the true evil is in fact depicted in the French collaborators, reflecting Malle’s views on oppression in that the Germans were not alone in their persecution of the Jews during WWII. Less Tom Brown’s School Days, more The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.
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