40 Film Challenge: Week 5 (5-11-2020)

Editor's Note: The revolving catalogue of Netflix claims its first victim in this challenge. "Rosemary's Baby" has shipped over to Amazon, so "Locke' has stepped in to replace it.

WEEK 5: "WHAT'S LOVE GOT TO DO WITH IT?"

"What's love got to do with it?" sang Tina Turner as she strolled through New York City on a hot summer's day. The song wasn't originally written for her, but after a decades long career churning out hits during the Motown era, it ended up being her first song to hit number one in the U.S. and launched a second phase of her career.

"What's love but a second-hand emotion?" asks Turner. Is love is something we're taught or handed, rather than developed from within ourselves, and if that's the case, what's the point of worrying about it? This week's films all feature characters struggling with that same issue. They're either looking for love or stuck chasing the wrong version of it, with both other people and themselves.

CLASSIC:

“The Talented Mr. Ripley” (1999)

Written by Anthony Minghella Directed by Anthony Minghella Genre: Drama

Anthony Minghella’s sultry neo-noir excellently approximates Hitchcock’s signature flair for tightly-wound tragedy. Tom Ripley (Matt Damon), a lifetime con-man, is flown to Europe to retrieve dashing and tanned playboy Dickie (Jude Law), but Tom becomes infatuated with his target. Ripley's sexuality isn't explicitly articulated until later in the movie, but his attraction to Dickie is still clearly understood, thanks to both what is arguably Damon's best peformance and a star-making turn from Jude Law, who's so golden on the beaches of Italy that he's basically glowing. The movie effectively overlaps romance and male companionship to illustrate Ripley’s violent inner turmoil as he keeps digging himself into a deeper and deeper hole, running away from enemies both real and invented. "Mr. Ripley" remains a timeless portrayal of devastating emotion.

NEW CLASSIC:

“Hell or High Water” (2016)

Written by Taylor Sheridan Directed by David Mackenzie Genre: Western, Crime

Taylor Sheridan, who made his name writing modern explorations of the Western genre, submits a heartfelt entry into the canon of wide-brim, dust-coated tales. The setup feels archetypal: two bank-robbing brothers try to stay ahead of the cunning Texas Ranger who’s on their tail. The story, however, reveals a thoughtful motivation for their crime spree, rooted in the contemporary social and financial perils of modern America. Chris Pine’s wield his impossible good looks, now tinged with gray, to sullenly soulful effect, playing perfectly against Ben Foster’s crackling turn as his reckless and fiery brother, who carries a chip on his shoulder so large that everyone can see it's a time bomb.

DEEP CUT:

“The Body Remembers When the World Broke Open” (2019)

Written by Kathleen Hepburn, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers Directed by Kathleen Hepburn, Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers Genre: Drama

This movie may have an abnormally long title, but it's fitting since this film will stick with you for an abnormally long time. Mournful and poetic, this stripped-down drama explores a universal issue (domestic abuse) within a rare context (indigenous populations in Canada). Writer/directors Elle-Máijá Tailfeathers and Kathleen Hepburn effectively capture the chance interaction between two people from different worlds in real-time, letting them quietly and slowly find the common humanity in each other. The movie's subtle resolution denies the audience any real catharsis, but that’s the point; this issue, and this conversation, aren’t anywhere near finished.

OUT THERE:

“Under the Skin” (2013)

Written by Jonathan Glazer, Walter Campbell Directed by Jonathan Glazer Genre: Drama, Horror, Sci-Fi

“Under the Skin” will be off-putting to viewers looking for straightforward explanations, because Jonathan Glazer’s entrancing essay on humanity and society doesn’t ever stop to describe the ‘why’ of what’s happening on screen. Instead, Glazer confidently lets his stunning combinations of image and sound express the story's details in the subtext, which we slowly learn involves an extra-terrestrial who assumes a female persona to trap wayward male suitors and then "harvest" their organs. That setup sounds sickly, but the movie isn't schlock, and Scarlett Johansson is extraordinary as the alien interloper who begins to experience a devastating wave of perspective and emotion. Mica Levi scores all of it with a truly great soundtrack that's filled with lots strange, unsettling sounds, always deepening our interaction with the visuals while never guiding our reaction to them.

KELLY’S PICK:

“Locke” (2013)

Written by Steven Knight Directed by Steven Knight Genre: Drama

This movie finally answers the question that’s been on the tip of everyone’s tongue: can Tom Hardy sustain an audience’s attention for ninety minutes by just making phone calls in a car? The answer, unsurprisingly, is a resounding yes. Stephen Knight’s drama runs headfirst towards concepts of honor and responsibility, and how they can both substantiate and destroy masculinity. Hardy plays Ivan Locke, a respected foreman who drives towards the birth of his bastard child while dealing with the significant and tragic impact this affair has on both his job and family. The movie is rife for discussion (is he really making the right choice?), but succeeds by affording the central character the dignity to believe in choice he’s making. It terrifically demonstrates what “simple but effective” means, and Hardy stakes his claim as one of our generation’s finest actors.

BONUS:

“Moonlight” (2016)

Written by Barry Jenkins, Tarell Alvin McCraney Directed by Barry Jenkins Genre: Drama

“Moonlight” shines its blue-tinted spotlight on three different phases of a young man’s life, chronicling his impoverished upbringing as he struggles to define the kind of man he wants to be while reconciling that with his sexuality. Barry Jenkins shoots this story with flair, capturing the story’s Miami neighborhoods with unfettered authenticity, and injects the movie’s central romance with equal parts desperation and devastation. Mahershala Ali won the Academy Award for his amazing performance, but he’s only in a third of the movie. The real stars are the three men who portray the main character as he grows up, all three feeling distinct yet similar in surprising fashion.

BONUS “COMMUNITY” EPISODE: 

“Remedial Chaos Theory” (Season 3, Episode 4)

A lot of episodes on “Community” thrive by just putting the cast in a room together and letting them bounce off each other for half an hour. “Remedial Chaos Theory” ups the ante by showing us seven different scenarios, all determined by a dice roll. It’s a brilliant way to demonstrate how each character fits into the larger framework of the group’s dynamic, since the absence of each person leads to a different sequence of events. Some are played more for laughs than character development (like the scenario that birthed the long-running “Darkest Timeline” gag), but each one offers a different glimpse into how they all perceive each other, and suggest where they’ll be going from here over the course of the season. If you can, make sure to watch this episode before Ep. 3, as they were written in the opposite order they were broadcasted (and an opening joke at the beginning of Ep. 3 will make a lot more sense).