More detailed reviews will be coming later today and this weekend, but in the limited amount of time I have before another day of multiple press screenings, I couldn’t let this weekend arrive without taking note of the multitude of riches available to filmgoers this weekend.
The major release today is the latest film from Martin Scorsese. I’ve never made any secret of my near worship of the man I consider to be the greatest living and working American director, but I’ve also tried to be honest about his most recent work. His last truly magnificent film came well-over a decade ago with Goodfellas. I found both The Aviator and Gangs of New York to be perfectly fine films, maybe even pictures that would have won a lesser filmmaker an Oscar (like, say, if they had been the first film from someone like, I don’t know, Kevin Costner?), but as Scorsese films they were very middle-of-the-road, and maybe not even that good.
The Departed, however, is a breathtaking and startling return to greatness. Not that Scorsese ever left, but with this film, he’s back doing everything he’s done before, but with a twist. It’s definitely his best film since Goodfellas, and it ranks up there among (or at least, right behind) the top tier of his work overall. I will have lots more to say on this soon.
Meanwhile, last night at the New York Film Festival, the seventh and latest film in Michael Apted’s “Up Series”, 49 Up. Apted has been reuniting with the same group of subjects for the past 42 years, documenting their lives. You don’t need to have seen any of the previous films to get a lot out of 49 Up — the nature of the work is to juxtapose the lives of the subjects now with where they have been over the years, so clips appear from each of the previous films. 49 Up is magnificent and fascinating, the best film in the series and a truly remarkable continuation (if not potential conclusion, should that unfortunately turn out to be the case) to the entire series. After its screening last night, it opens for a run today at the IFC Center. Just go.
And finally, this weekend, aside from marking the midway point of the New York Film Festival happens to contain screenings of films that are certainly among the best playing at this year’s Lincoln Center soiree. Sure, there’s Volver, the latest from the great Almodovar, but in reality, that film is not one of the highlights. Rather, two films from different parts of Southeast Asia highlight the weekend. They have little in common other than the fact that they are potentially the two best movies at this year’s entire event. Thai filmmaker Apichatpong Weerasethakul’s meditative and beautiful Syndromes of a Century plays tomorrow night for one screening only at 6:15 PM.
The other not-to-be-missed selection is The Host from South Korea’s Bong Joon-ho. The Host is one of the most creative, intelligent and political films you’ll see all year. It’s also a family drama and … a monster movie. It is a remarkable work from an extremely talented filmmaker. Magnolia Pictures will be releasing the film in theaters this year, but The Host is one to rush out to see, so if you have a chance (and a ticket) to get to Lincoln Center this weekend, you should. (The Host is also screening at the now-running Mill Valley and Chicago Film Festivals.)
Offside and Paprika are also worth seeing, although the latter will certainly be an acquired taste, but the latest from French master Alain Resnais, Private Fears in Public Places is a mediocre and maudlin relationship drama that has more working against it than in its favor.
Little Children (my review here) also opens nationwide today, but with all these other choices available, Todd Field’s new film really seems like the smallest child of the lot.
More to come today and this weekend …
Out of Focus 