First Love

[silvernyc at earthlink.net]

Am I here to come to WKW's defense?  Perhaps.  For me the problem with
Fallen Angels has more to do with bad acting (main killer guy, forget his
name) than bad shooting.  There is always the fear that filming in such a
particular way (hand held, wide angle lens, etc) will fall into the realm
of style, but so far I don't think that this is the criticism I'd throw WKW
or Chris Doyle's way.  Not being a fan of MTV of recent people who have
eaten their way thru the history of experimental film in one
feature/ad/music video, i am certainly not the prime person one would pick
to be a WKW fan, but in fact i find his work, when it functions, to be full
of the life and the stuff of loving to film/see.   People in a space and a
space in people.  I preferred Chung King Express to Fallen Angels, but
still, there was that excitement and surprise in FA also of turning a
camera on.  Of seeing what happens.  And  this is very very rare these days.

First viewing of Happy Together I didn't love, but the more I watch it, the
more I think it holds together as among the great, or at least good  'break
up' films -  or maybe one could say 'break up in a foreign country' films.
And the way it is filmed is integral to this. Not just something to keep
people awake or to be cool.  I would say also that the music functions well
in this film (typically I hate the way  music is used in films), not just
to help the time pass but to also speak and locate. I think (I don't know
why) to the cut from the couple in their bedroom trying to do the tango, to
a good 30 seconds of a street under construction  in the rain to the couple
again dancing in the communal kitchen, surrounded by tile and burners and
sinks. Not sure why.  Maybe I'm just a sucker for Piazzolla too  - I admit
it.


I can't say anything about 'First Love' as I haven't seen it.  I am very
curious to see the results of the new 'Psycho', directed by Gus Van Sant
(early films very interesting) and shot by Chris Doyle.  Although I have to
admit that it sounds like a suicide project (remake Psycho in the 90's in
color - why?  for what reason?).

Which is not to say that the next WKW film will not fall into imitations of
other WKW films, or that I look forward to seeing an outpouring of films
shot in this style because its cool.  This would be horrific.

My 2 cents