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This Girl's Life (2003)
Almost challenging
This film has a lot to recommend it but we better deal with the disappointments first. After a liberated opening and some three dimensional characters it moves, perhaps inevitably for a Hollywood movie, into a rather clichéd final third where every character is in some way made to pay for their involvement in the porn industry and the 'moral message' is invoked - even the initially avuncular internet mogul wearing devil's horns by the conclusion. Given what began as quite a fresh approach to an undoubtedly morally complex industry it would have been nice were we not exposed to such a whitewash at the end.
And this film does have a lot of promise. The supporting cast is solid and Woods acts his sock off as the Parkinsons afflicted father subtly dealing with the awareness that his daughter is supporting him by working in the sex industry. It is the central performance that really carries the film though. Juliette Marquis's Moon is sensitive, erotic, intelligent, warm and alluring. Her voice overs meld surprising well with the action and her straight to camera digressions seem much fresher than they should for such an over-used device. In the end you will begin this film for her and it is her that carries you through to the end.
A shame then that her, and Woods's, outstanding performances are let down by a rushed and simplistic ending.
Playtime (1967)
Certainly not for everyone
How to describe Playtime? Jacques Tati's film is less a film than an extended series of gags - a dance if you like - with background noise and muffled, multi-lingual dialogue rather than music. If you are looking for a modern equivalent the closest comparison I can find is Rowan Atkinson's Mr Bean TV series and film. Looking further back we can see the influence of Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd.
At nearly two hours this 'film' is overlong and offers nothing in the way of narrative to carry the audience through it's scattergun approach to action.
If you are fan of dense mise-en-scene (constructed entirely for the film apparently) and gentle, dry, humour then there may be something for you here but to the casual viewer you leave the film wishing you had the hours spent watching it back. Undoubtedly a masterpiece of choreography this film nevertheless left me cold and salivating for another look at the likes of A Bout de Soufflé for some really enjoyable French cinema.
Only for the specialist I would suggest. Certainly not for everyone. Certainly not for me.
Match Point (2005)
A poor central performance
Woody Allen at his worst I'm afraid. The main problem with this film is the unconvincing central performance of Jonathan Rhys Meyers - and you would have thought a director of Allen's stature could have coaxed a better performance than this. Scarlett Johansson and Emily Mortimer are good but wasted next to Meyers who seems to be trying to be the kind of Englishmen Americans imagine rather than going for any veracity.
The plot itself works in that disjointed way Hollywood deals with time and has some merit with the final scenes at least raisng the interest but the changes in tone make the film inconsistent - an odd mix of uptight stage play and supposed thriller.
If you want a dark treatment of relationships over time you would be much better off going for Closer.
Disappointing.