Day 38: Brazil (1985)

Terry Gilliam is the one of those directors I've heard nothing but great things about, who's work I am mostly unfamiliar with. Not counting 'Monty Python and the Holy Grail', this will be my first foray into Gilliam's visual wonders.

Starring: Jonathan Pryce, Robert De Niro, Ian Holm
Directed by: Terry Gilliam

The Positives:

- It's like 'The Office' meets 'Minority Report' with a dash of 'V for Vendetta' peppered about.
- The humor is excellent, especially the take on the government being completely self reliant on paper work.
- Also a very excellent/humorous observation: Despite making our lives easier, technology is getting more and more complicated.

- The score of 'Brazil' is the perfect blend of peppy and chilling.
- I love the design of the futuristic computers. Type writers + iPhone sized monitors + Magnifying glass = Genius.
- Shoe hats. Equally genius.

- Jonathan Pryce plays a very good well-to-do government paper pusher.

- The scene toward the end where Sam is hanging in one of those straight jacket hoods, moving down the assembly line of executives as the screaming gets louder and louder with each one, genuinely frightened me. The forced perspective from Sam's hood certainly helped.

- The thing that creeped me out the most, however, were the extremely unsettling baby masks.

- For a flick that takes place in all of about three buildings, the scope of the film feels epic. I believe this falls back of Terry Gilliam's excellent visual direction.

- The end is a schizophrenic nightmare... and it's perfect.

The Negatives:

- Holy crap, this film is long. While it drags at times, even the most dull scenes are kind of charming.
- The film's color scheme is made up of mostly grays, and though it fits the drab tone it kind of makes the film feel dull and lifeless at times, and thus loses my attention.

Grade: B

While the flick could've used a good thinning out, Terry Gilliam has created a hilarious dystopian tour de force.

Day 22: The Purple Rose of Cairo (1985)

Woody Allen's 1985 flick has been described as a love movie for movie lovers. Let's see if I'll love it.

Starring: Mia Farrow, Jeff Daniels, Danny Aiello
Directed by: Woody Allen

The Positives:

- Jeff Daniels played both of his parts phenomenally. He's definitely movie up on my favorite actors list.
- Though, Danny Aiello stole the show for me.
- About a fifth of the way through the film, there is a dramatic tonal change I wasn't expecting but delighted to see. It was both refreshing and original to say the least (I suppose it may help if you go into this movie knowing nothing about it like I did.)
- The score was fantastic and complemented the film's tone perfectly.
- The scenes set inside the movie within the movie stood out to me as my favorites.
- Political Correctness? The 1930's didn't have it and neither does this movie.
- Religion and the meaning of life is quite a deep subject for something as shallow as a romantic comedy. But then again, this isn't just any romantic comedy.
- It's relatively short and very face paced, just the way I like my movies. No bloated self-appreciation here. Just love and laughs.
- Has little to do with the movie, but when a scandal about a Mr. Fatty Arbuckle was referenced, I took to the Internet to learn more about it. I enjoy movies that make me go out a learn things.

The Negatives:

- Mia Farrow was just a bit too air-headed and spaced out for my tastes. She reminded me of a little ol' granny more than a leading lady.
- You like happy endings? Fuck you. There's your ending.

Grade: A

Not only is this one of the best romance movies I have ever seen, but it's also one of the best films I've watched since I started this project.