Volver review

Number 685 on the top 1000 films of all time is the Spanish Volver (to return.)

Raimunda (Penelope Cruz) is a young housewife stuck in a loveless marriage. When her daughter Paula (Yohana Cobo) commits a horrific crime, we see the extent she will go to protect her. Meanwhile Raimunda's mother Irene (Carmen Maura) seemingly comes back from the dead to tie up loose ends. 

This is the fourth Pedro Almodavar film I've seen after Talk to Her, All about my Mother and the Skin I live in. This has definitely been my favourite. Almodavar's films tend to be marked by a dark irony which underpins sometimes very surreal elements.

Although Volver definitely has dark parts they never overshadowed the storyline. Plus the surrealism was kept to a minimum. This was all for the best as otherwise the themes of womenhood and family connection would have been diluted or lost completely.

The supporting cast is rounded out by three other female characters: Raimunda's sister Soledad, (Lola Duenas) neighbour Agustina (Blanca Portillo) and the sister's ailing aunt Paula (Chus Lampreve.) It was very much a film with a strong female cast with few male characters. Yet it never felt disingenuous. All the characters felt real. It's probably no surprise that the six principle actresses shared the Best Actress Award at Cannes.

Volver was a good film. Yes it was dark and a little surreal but unlike Almodovar's other films, this only enhanced and not distracted from the story.

The Misfits review

 The Misfits does not feature on the 2015 iteration of the top 1000 films of all time.

Roslyn Taber (Marilyn Monroe) Is a recent divorcee leaving her unhappy marriage. We see her develop friendships with a group of misfit men: the old-school cowboy Gaylord Langland (Clark Gable,) trucker Guido (Eli Wallach) and rodeo star Perce Howland (Montgomery Clift.)

The Misfits is best-known for being the final film of Clark Gable and Marilyn Monroe - both of which died soon after the film's release. Both were also terrific in this film. Hitherto I've never rated Monroe as an actress. Perhaps unfairly she has always been dismissed as a dumb blonde - although her roles in Some like it Hot or All about Eve do little to dismiss that image. 

Yet Roslyn was a far more mature role and Monroe did well in the part. It was a maturity I've not really seen from her before but maybe that's more the fault of Hollywood typecasting. Roslyn was also a tragic character - as tragic as Monroe whose own marriage with Arthur Miller, who also wrote the film, was disintegrating through the film's production.

I would argue that Clark Gable's performance as gruff outsider Gaylord isn't anything out the ordinary but he still did well in the role. Alas his heavy smoking and drinking would soon catch up to him.

Considering all the production difficulties from Monroe's pill addiction to Clift struggling to remember his lines to Miller constantly rewriting scenes, it's a miracle this film was made at all but I'm glad it was. It showcased what Monroe could have been. 

Disconnect Review

Number 687 on the top 1000 films of all time is the psychological drama Disconnect. 

Disconnect tells three interrelating stories that centre around the theme of disconnection. The first story sees the Boyd family led by Rich Boyd (Jason Bateman) a high powered lawyer too busy to see his troubled son Ben Boyd (Jonah Bobo.) The second story follows journalist Nina (Andrea Riseborough) and her efforts to free cam model Kyle (Max Thierot) from his sexual slavery. Finally we see couple Derek (Alexander Skaarsgaard) and Cindy (Paula Patton) deal with the after effects of having their credit cards stolen. 

It's been a while since I've watched a film too upsetting to watch again or a film that had me utterly engrossed from start to finish. But Disconnect certainly fit the bill. It was quiet but loud. Subtle but intense. The characters certainly weren't the most likeable but damn were they real. And they were certainly flawed. 

We can look at neglectful father Rich who after feeling guilty for being blind to his son's emotional turmoil, goes on a one man mission to uncover the truth. Jason Bateman might be best known for his comedy roles but he does just as well in dramatic performances.

Andrea Riseborough was just as good as the misguided Nina who after interviewing Kyle promises to rescue him from his sexual slavery. But he doesn't want to be rescued. In the end she makes it worse for everybody involved. You can lead a horse to water...

But there wasn't a weak link in the cast. All the actors, even the child ones, brought their troubled characters to life. 

What struck me the most about the film was its ending. Yes I could have done without the cheesy slow-motion but none of the storylines are properly resolved. There are no happily ever afters. In one sense, it's a downbeat and disappointing ending. At the same point although the characters begin broken and disconnected, by the end they are much more connected to each other. This seemingly paradoxical ending was very interesting. 

The characters may have been very disconnected from one another but I was very connected to this film.