"The Science of Sleep" (Michel Gondry, 2005)

"Will you marry me when you are seventy? You'd have nothing to lose."

A-

"Under Capricorn" (Alfred Hitchcock, 1949)

A

"Il Conformista" (Bertolucci, 1969)

"I want to see how a dictatorship falls. "

Vittorio Storaro's lush cinematography beautifully complements Bertolucci's rich symbolism, but I can't help but feel with some reluctance underwhelmed by the theme of conforming to society's perception of normality. Obviously, there is a profound sense of universality here, but Bertolucci's allusions to Plato and Italy's historical roots are curiously deceptive in providing the film with the illusion that there's much more than meets the eye. Regardless, Storaro provides a depth that remains astonishing and the score is effectively composed by Georges Delerue.

B+

"Cache" (Haneke, 2005)

“Cache” (2005) is yet another probing exploration of intermediation from filmmaker Michael Haneke, who has taken it upon himself to make self-awareness a pre-requisite to the majority of his work. Here, as in “Funny Games” (1997), Haneke manipulates video into his film as a source of confusion. On more than one occasion, Haneke challenges his audience to contemplate the subjectivity and point-of-view of his camera. In doing so, Haneke magnifies his themes of surveillance. Rather than turning to religious perspectives where he could have easily drawn from stories such as “Sodom and Gomorrah” where God is the source of guilt, Haneke explores Hitchcockian mystery with an anonymous stranger who torments a seemingly functional upper class family. The performances and Haneke’s examination of guilt add a sense of urgency to this unpleasant, but fascinating film.

A-

"The Last Temptation of Christ" (Scorsese, 1988)

"It is accomplished."

Martin Scorsese's long awaited venture into the realm of religious epics isn't amidst his best work, but it's far from his worst. Willem Defoe's contributions are noteworthy and David Bowie's brief presence is among one of the more memorable scenes. As much as I'd like to forgive the westernized elements (notably the accents), they're occasionally distracting. Several scenes are plagued with questionable motivations and Scorsese could have used more time in post-production. Nevertheless, Bauhaus' cinematography is wonderfully tinged in sepia tones and Peter Gabriel's experimental score, although initially out of place, grew on me. Scorsese's flair for stark imagery is evident, but dampered by the film's overly long final sequence. The film is definitely worth a look, if only to see Scorsese's original inspiration for his themes of redemption.

B-