The Long Goodbye (USA; Robert Altman, 1973)



    Finally! I had been meaning to watch this for years and never got around to it for reasons that are still unclear to me; I mean I bought it over two years ago and waited until now to watch it in its entirety. So much movies to watch I guess. Although The Long Goodbye is easily one of those that makes you want to slap yourself in the face for waiting this long to see it; especially if you're an Altman fan. And a Chandler fan. Perhaps one of the reasons I waited was to be able to read to book first, which I did a few months ago. This little detail made the film that more enjoyable to watch, always fun to observe the differences that exist between both mediums. Incidentally, no bigger gap existst between source and adaptation then it does for the ending, which inevitably affects the evolution of Philip Marlowe (Elliot Gould) and therefore the narrative's thematic concerns. All of this falls in line with Altman's presumed goal of deconstructing the typical private-eye film. In selecting Chandler's Marlowe, arguably litterature's most famous private dick, as his main protagonist, Altman acknowledges audiences' expectations with a the simple purpose of destroying them. Right from the start, the sharp, quick-talking Marlowe is turned into a smart-ass slob who can't even manage to feed his cat. The investigation in question seems to hover only in the background, the film's essence coming from the relationships between the various characters which are brough to life by a string of memorable performances, including Sterling Hayden's loud and imposing Roger Wade. Mark Rydell is also noteworthy, his funny yet threatening portrayal of persistent crime boss Augustine one of the film's hightlights (and the source of the film's unexpected scene of brutal violence).

 Stylistically, Long Goodbye is emblematic of Altman's strongest trademarks, including the extensive use of overlapping off-screen sound and moving camera that endows the films with its steady, unflinching rythm, something always present to be seen with a wandering eye. As funny as it is reflective, The Long Goodbye is unique, unprecedented and unequaled in the private eye genre.

Lifeforce (UK; Tobe Hooper, 1985)

  Well this was different; by today's standards anyway. As for the 80s, it fits in perfectly. While perhaps a bit dated on the special effects front, Lifeforce is still suprisingly effective in creating discomfort and puzzlement in its viewers, even if it does so between laughing fits instigated by scenes that have become hard to take seriously. Of course, the same could be said of the film as a whole. The discovery of three naked hibernating bodies in the a spaceship idling in the tail of Haley's comet leads to the unleashing of choatic madness in the streets of London. When the hibernators are brough back to earth, it is soon discovered that they are not human but alien beings that feed off the lifeforce of humans, literally sucking them dry and transforming them in to near-dead beings who need to suck life themselves before shatering into petrified dust. Much could be said about the psychological implications of the principal threat coming in the form of a naked woman (Mathilda May) who gets her energy fix through kissing, sucking the life out of her victims' mouths. When the colonel (Steve Railsback) of the original, presumed-dead team that discovered the aliens is found in an escape pod, he soon realizes that he is the only one that can put an end to this whole mess. Joined by a federal cop (Peter Firth), he sets out to find the deadly succubus he has unleashed on the world.

   While the film sometimes slips and falls narrative-wise, Lifeforce is still rather lots of fun, the graphic nature of its horrors still strong enough to induce awe and disgusted giggles. The entire ordeal is greatly aided by Hooper's polished imagery, his welcomed visual sensibility imposing itself on the looseness of the script in what seems like an attempt to make us forget its ficitional discrepancies. While not as career-defining as Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974) or Poltergeist (1982), Lifeforce still testifies to Hooper's creative talent and proves itself an emblematic product of its time.

Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga'Hoole (USA/Australia; Zack Snyder, 2010)

   I'm not usually a big fan of animal-starring 3D animation films so I was suprised to have enjoyed this one as much as I did. I was initially sceptical of a movie about owls but my friend's passion for them led me to join him in a screening; and I wasn't disappointed. As funny as it is action-packed, Legend of the Guradians is one of the rare, true examples of a film marketed for children that is equally, if not more, appealing to adults as well. Director Zack Snyder takes his lateral, sporadic slow-motion action style, made famous by 300 and Watchmen, and transposes it not only into the animation realm, but into the air as well, creating free-flowing battles between opposing feathered armies, the spectacle of which is the film's greatest strength. While the characters and narrative are inspired in themselves, where Legend really shines is in its visuals, the flying sequences being some of the most beautiful ones to show up in recent memory. Hard-put to come up with a title that has such convincing textures (the water in Surf's Up does come to mind though), I was blown away by the crispness of the images and (this always fascinates me) the human quality in the facial expressions that endow the owls with recognizably unique personalities. Legend of the Guardians is as majestic as it is engaging, the perfect vehicle for those looking to fly off and temporarily escape the grounded existence of human life.