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Reviews
Wordplay (2006)
count me among the fans
I saw Wordplay at the Philly Film Festival without knowing or expecting anything. I'm not a big crossword guy, but I do love a good documentary movie. Real stuff. Since seeing Wordplay about 2 months ago, I've raved about it to everyone I know who enjoys good, out-of-the-mainstream films. Probably the best thing I've seen all year.
It's inevitable to compare this movie to the spelling bee "Spellbound" even as you watch it. I think it holds up. I found it informative, funny, touching, human, and most importantly, compelling. One slight worry: With the cameos by President Bill, John Stewart, the Indigo Girls, etc. I'm afraid the Limbaugh-minded folks will turn right off and start yelling "LIBERAL propaganda" or some such trash. Hopefully not.
I Loved it.
Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972)
High on my Top Ten
I love this movie. KLAUS KINSKI at his very best. Brooding and terrifying. Kinski was born for this role and HERZOG was brilliant to cast him. Herzog worked on a shoestring budget of (I think) 600 thousand dollars. He shot the entire film with only one camera (!) which draws out what I consider to be his finest work. I think it helped to Keep him focused on the story and its essential simplicity. (The story is, by the way, a work of fiction although it is presented as fact) The Amazon and the jungle are two of the main characters, and it's fascinating to get to see this remote part of the world.
Please get the DVD and listen to Werner's commentary, which is one of the best I have heard. If you are intrigued by Kinski and Herzog you MUST get hold of "My Best Fiend" which chronicles their stormy relationship in this and four other films.
Music from the Inside Out (2004)
I wanted so much to love this, but . . .
Let me start by saying I'm sorry! I know that there are many passionate supporters of this film, so I apologize if you disagree, but it just bored me. And I love classical music, the Philadelphia Orchestra, AND documentary movies. I thought that this would be the film for me. I think that memfree (above) is too kind by saying "the first half was very interesting." I'd have to say maybe 20 minutes before I started to get very frustrated. With a few notable exceptions, the average audience member could have contributed about the same comments about the "meaning" of music, passion for music, and the transcendent qualities that great music can possess. Pretty predictable stuff. I felt that there were only three or four scenes in the movie that successful offered anything new or engaging. And one of those featured a non-orchestral musician (accordianist)! Of course the music in the soundtrack is exceptional. It is the P.O. and they are one of our finest. BUT WE RARELY GET TO HEAR THEM WITHOUT BEING INTERRUPTED by a Voice-over!! And I mean every ten seconds! Literally. At one point I resorted to counting the intervals between them. At most 20 seconds - an average of about 12 seconds.
Why just first names given during the interviews? A small point, maybe, but musicians of this caliber, such as concertmaster David Kim and principal trombonist Nitzan Haroz really deserve to be household names among classical music lovers. Couldn't they just give us their full names? And why so little mention of conductors? Almost none. And we don't really see the Orchestra members in performance, mostly in rehearsal. I realize this may be a contractual or economic issue, but it didn't help the movie for me.
OK, I know I'm nitpicking. Yes, the Brahms was very nicely done. David's story was intriguing and enlightening. There were some nice moments. But bottom line, I felt like a bored 6th grader forced to watch some unimaginative school music appreciation video about something that I really didn't have much interest in to begin with. I can assure you that my interest wanted so much to be there. I'm sorry to say that Inside Out didn't deliver for me.