Latest viewings over the past week:
The Insider (1999, Michael Mann)
Michael Mann's riveting and uncompromising observation into corporate avarice and journalistic dysfunction in the midst of almost unparalleled impropriety. The film examines everything from the role of the media and its devious ability to shape and distort our very perceptions to the sordid underworld of corporate influence in our institutions. This is told with a great deal intrepidity, thanks to Mann's assertion direction and its (mostly) well-written script. On one level, it is a political film. On another, a compelling character piece. It works either way. Mann has always adopted this imposing ability to balance out a story with both fleshed-out characters and potent subtext (Heat and Collateral did this remarkably well). In spite of this, the film does lose some of its vitality in its latter acts (perhaps because of the running length), and it is not as aesthetically impressive as some of Mann's other works, but it is a great piece that holds just as much relevance today than it did fifteen years ago. Crowe is towering in his role and Pacino does an expectably great job, too. Overall, impressive and gripping, even with its flaws. Maybe a 7.5.
Prisoners (2013, Denis Villeneuve)
A thoroughly absorbing viewing told with a remarkable deal of both restraint and assiduousness. Villeneuve's aesthetics is what separated this piece from being another unvaried and insipid throwaway thriller. The bleak and arid photography (emphasising the desolate climate these characters inhabited) felt vaguely reminiscent of Kurosawa's work in Rashomon, where weather had an imperative role in symbolising the temperament of these characters. This is a very moody and glum piece, with towering performances (Jackman and Dano being particularly imposing in their roles) and generally impressive work behind the camera. It clocks in at just over two and a half hours but never feels protracted, purely because of its well-paced writing and 'composing' nature. By composing, its story never lost any vitality, as the film proved most potent in its most significant moments. Oddly enough, I expected this film to be a rather conventional piece, but it proved anything but - it is both unflinchingly callous but also very real. The sound design was another facet worthy of recognition, too, with its low-frequency beats proving extremely effective and contributing to the ominous nature of the film. I loved this. A superb, well-crafted thriller that pretty much exceeds in all areas, ultimately making this one of the best American films of the last five years. An 8.5 or perhaps a 9 here.
The Face of Another (1966, Hiroshi Teshigahara)
The last film in Teshigahara's informal trilogy. This is an erudite assessment of identity and selfhood in a gargantuan, disconnected world that embraces the appearance more than anything else. Like its predecessors, the film spawns some impressive sound design and a notable presence behind the camera. Like The Women in the Dunes, it seems to have this matchlessly incongruous touch that very few films I have seen can replicate. It is such a real tale on one level, but also feels strangely surreal on another - the imagery is downright alluring. This piece is also a great example on how you can make a 'hard' science fiction film without resorting to its 'predictable' conventions. My only quibble stands in its writing which lacked a strong degree of subtlety and all too often spelled out - what seemed to be - the themes and notions of the film. It felt strained and unnatural. Other than that, a very good film. Maybe a 7.5 or an 8.
12 Years a Slave (2013, Steve McQueen)
This is a ferocious and callous depiction of the slave industry, told with both heart and candor. McQueen's vision does not seem to be hindered at all here - it adopts the same savagery approach of Hunger and the same unconcealed candidness of Shame. Considering its subject matter, this is the type of film that could have easily been plagued with sentimentality, but it stays mostly restrained throughout, never feeling like a mawkish or unduly dramatised story. From a technical standpoint, is a well-crafted piece, but to me, not the unreservedly gripping and compelling masterpiece some have claimed. It more or less met my expectations (in terms of how McQueen told the story), but I couldn't help but shake the fact that the film never felt like it stretched twelve years. Call it implausible or just ineffective, but it bothered me. Nonetheless, it is a good film - brutal, plaintive, and poignant, but nothing more than that from where I am standing. Maybe a 6.5. This is "the" perfect Oscar film, though, especially in a time where American cinema is becoming increasingly more attentive and aware of the tragic history of the slave trade, a subject largely disregarded of prior.
Nebraska (2013, Alexander Payne)
A tender and human film that thrives in its simplicity. An effortless tale about trying to obtain independence and value in one's later years, Payne tells this adeptly written tale with both a remarkable deal of unfeigned fraternity and deadpan humour. The black and white photography is beautiful, furnishing the film with this sense of timelessness, but also a distinctively wretched undercurrent. It is such an undemanding and and 'steady' film that greatly impressed me on all levels, particularly Bruce Dern's performance and Payne's self-controlled presence behind the camera. It is a wonderful tale that had vague reminiscences of David Lynch's The Straight Story - a compassionate and human portrayal of seniority, told with flawed (but highly relatable) characters. It also has a lovely soundtrack. I'll give this an 8 or maybe a tad higher.
720p is more than enough for older Asian movies imo. 
