Alas, Netflix is getting rid of four fantastic films from its streaming content next week. First up is Roman Polanski's 1974 enigma, post-noir "Chinatown," starring Jack Nicholson, Faye Dunaway, and John Huston. I'll admit that it took at least a few viewings for me to fully appreciate the story of this classic. But even if you only have a chance to watch it once and even if you don't fully appreciate the story, it's still a outstanding film that cannot be missed. Why? The number one reason this film is great, for me, is that all of the events of the film are seen subjectively through Jack Nicholson's character's eyes. For example, when Gittes (Jack Nicholson) is knocked unconscious, the
film fades to black and fades in when he awakens. Importantly, Gittes appears in
every scene of the film. Too often, I think, in films these days the viewer is granted a sort of bird's eye view on events or, at least, granted objective and information beyond the main character(s) point of view. One thing I've really been into lately are films which refuse to spoon feed viewers by doing this (this is why I really don't like "Cabin in the Woods," but that's a story for a different day maybe). I like films that limit space or time or perspective in some way. Polanski does this well in "Rosemary's Baby" and arguably it's used to even better effect in "Chinatown." Other than the fantastic performances from the three leads and the bat-shit climax, the other thing to take note of is the perfect pacing Polanski achieves here. Again unlike films today, we're not at rapid MTV pace. See for yourself on Netflix instant before it's too late!
Second up is Woody Allen's 1984 black & white "Broadway Danny Rose," with Woody Allen and Mia Farrow. Talent agent Danny Rose (Allen) becomes ensnared by a love triangle involving the mob when he helps a client. The story is told in flashback mode among a group of comedians reminiscing about Danny Rose. Danny Rose's clients are mostly talentless. But one, Lou, is making a comeback as a club singer. He's married, but he's also involved on the side with the ex-girlfriend, Tina (Farrow), of a mobster. Lou orders Danny to pose as Tina's boyfriend in order to divert attention away from his affair with her. The mobster thinks Danny and Tina's relationship is real and becomes extremely jealous. So he orders a hit on Danny! This is one of the best Woody Allen films from his severely underrated 80s period. Woody Allen and Mia Farrow work beautifully in this one. Both are hilarious. The climax isn't especially great, but the ending is charming and well-worth the watch. It's quite moving and funny all at the same time in only the way Woody Allen has perfected over his many, many years as one of the best filmmakers of all-time. Check it out on Netflix Instant before it goes extinct and be sure to keep your eyes peeled for Allen's new "Blue Jasmine" next week and following weeks.
Third up is Jim Jarmusch's 1999 strange crime action film "Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai," starring Forest Whitaker and with music by RZA. Ghost Dog (Whitaker) is a hitman for the mafia who follows the ancient code of the samurai. His master orders Ghost Dog to kill a mobster sleeping with the boss's daughter. Ghost Dog does so but doesn't realize the boss's daughter is in the room when the hit goes down. Ghost Dog leaves. But then the mobsters decide to kill Ghost Dog so as not to be implicated in the murder of a mobster. Ghost Dog must kill all of the mobsters in order to save himself and his master. The film is one of Jarmusch's most original and strange. Ghost Dog only communicates through pigeons with his master. Ghost Dog has a friend who only speaks French. They don't speak the same language but somehow they understand each other. The film references Akira Kurosawa's "Rashomon" among other Japanese films as well as Jean-Pierre Melville's "Le Samurai." Also, cartoons are used as a metaphors for the plot. It's fascinating to watch if only because of how Jarmusch seamlessly brings all of this together. Jarmusch has always made movies about how different cultures come into contact and sometimes clash (really, there's too many to list). He's also always made moves about outsiders (or real-life vampires as Tilda Swinton has recently stated). "Ghost Dog" is no different. In fact, it may be the most explicit in this regard out of all his films. Ghost Dog is born into one culture, indentured to another, and expresses a strong affinity for yet a third. Forest Whitaker does a supreme job in his role as Ghost Dog. He has the ability to do little with his expressions and communicate melancholy and a sense of pride in his work as a samurai hitman. Perhaps it's not as effective a commentary on American violence as Jarmusch's "Dead Man," but this theme is still there. Jarmusch relentlessly shows us Ghost Dog's acts of violence in a behaviorist way without giving much away of the emotions and thoughts of the main character. The film works principally because of this, I think. (I love Bela Tarr's films for exactly the same reason.) Instead of getting into the head of the character the viewer is forced to make inferences based on external behavior. It forces viewers to pay attention and be engaged as opposed to allowing them to passively expect the film to give all away for nothing. It's been awhile since I've seen it---in fact, I think I'll watch it again before Netflix snipes it out of existence---but I also remember really enjoying the music by RZA. Watch it with me and keep your eyes peeled for a stateside release date of Jarmusch's new vampire flick "Only Lovers Left Alive," starring Tilds as a vampire!
Finally there's 1994's dark dramedy "Swimming with Sharks," starring the fantastic Kevin Spacey. Frank Whaley and Michelle Forbes are in it as well, but Spacey really makes this movie worth your while. Spacey plays Buddy Ackerman, a big-wig movie studio executive. He hires Guy, a recent graduate from film school, as his new assistant. Guy is naive in the beginning. But he soon realizes that Buddy is the boss from hell. The dynamic between the two in the first part of the movie are darkly hilarious. My one criticism is that the film isn't sure tonally of what it is in the concluding parts, but it's still worth watching. Well, it's a bit unbelievable too and a bit of a letdown imaginatively, but the main issue is the tone. Still, as I've said, it's worth watching if only you're a Kevin Spacey fan. He's really great as the impossibly mean boss that you can't do anything right for. We've all had similar experiences, and when they're embellished to this degree it really does makes for a great subject. Though it does seem embellished I don't think any other actor could've pulled this off as well as Spacey does here. He's perfectly understated, which makes his sporadic volcanic eruptions all the more insane and horrifying. Kevin Spacey is one of our greatest actors, and he had a really fantastic run in the 90s. This one is definitely another feather in his cap, and you should waste no time in seeing it if you're a big Spacey fan or you want to become one.
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