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The Great Buck Howard (2009)
Stuck in an awkward level between family film and dry adult comedy, McGinly's film is almost not worth the trip; John Malkovich, however, shines with what he is given and almost develops a worthwhile character in Buck Howard. His presence is enough to lift otherwise dull scenarios into often witty moments, and with a genetically charming Colin Hanks at his side he finds quiet scenes of grace. The humor is hit or miss, though, and the ratio is about one to twenty. There are echoes of a project that could have been something hysterical, but the attempt here falls flat.
Bicycle Thieves (1948)
Probably the most potent example of neoreolism I've ever seen, and an exquisitely delicate motion picture anyway. De Sica was an emotional genious, and neither brutal tragedy or blissful optimism escaped his career lasso. Surprisingly, this- his most popular film- is heartwrenchingly pessimistic. So why have generations of audiences been so captivated by this tender tale of poverty and rotten luck? Because people like the truth, and the simplistic realism of this story is honest and naked. Here is a piece of art that asks to be given a fair trial, to be seen and thought over and maybe even dissected as an example of the cold quietness of human suffering. Antonio Ricci is a reflection of man at his weakest moment, and his character almost transcends moral judgement, or at least after his sad story is told. Whether or not what he does is right or wrong, his shame for having been placed in such a dilemma seems a lifetime punishment, and the hurt he feels is captured unflinchingly by Vittorio De Sica.
Playtime (1967)
Unconventional and indescribable, Tati's 1967 take on the humor of modernism is unique and totally immersive. There's a rhythm to the film, and one either has the option of dancing along with it or sitting back and laughing at those who do; I partook in a little of both and found myself in a defying state of mind for a cool two hours. Though the film mostly follows a comic tone, there is a nightmarish hue to the events which make them sometimes hectic, sometimes distressing, and sometimes downright maddening. The world Monsieur Hulot inhabits is one of ever-growing alienation, where friends communicate only in uncomfortable public encounters and strangers dance methodically with one another between fits of business and pleasure. Many films have tried to paint a picture like this, but none have done so with such rich visual ingenuity; like a different kind of space odyssey, Tati's world drifts, floats, buzzes and jives with an almost documentary naturalism, and each inch of his enormous canvas is meticulously calculated so that multiple viewings might offer an entirely different experience. Brilliant and singular.
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