Rohmer and Maud

When asked to respond to Bazin's question (What is cinema?), Rohmer says something to this effect: it is the art of space. His film seem to deal with space not as a geographic thing but as an area between people that deserves consideration.

WEEK-END

What's logic? Capitalism leads to cannibalism? The end of cinema? What?

Alpha 60

Poetry transforms darkness into light in a computer controlled society at war with art, thought, and love (Andrew Sarris).

Contemptuous

This film takes on myriad subjects, not the least of which is BB, her image, and "woman" more generally. In the crucial scene early in the film as JLG frames her nude body in the blue, white, and red of the French flag, to the overall manner of love and obsession that fills the film, JLG seems to take on so many subject that one could argue that the film finally falls apart to some degree. Hm.

Pierrot

Pierrot le fou is a film that showcases all of JLG's machinations: criticism of society's acceptance of the status quo, the impotence of revolution, the challenges of living life. What say you?

(not) MY LIFE TO LIVE

There's a sense of irony and contradiction in the title of this film, as indicated notably by the scene in which Nana is told by the pimp that she has to accept anyone who has the money to pay. The clinical (rather than romantic or melodramatic) way in which this scene is presented (pimp in VO with mismatched shots of Nana in various stages of "dates") flattens the work of prostitution to an object of study, so far as to drain it (prostitution) of any feeling or drama. Why does this film use prostitution in this manner? From PRETTY WOMAN I learned that it's fun to be a prostitute, that they have limits (no mouth kissing; that's saved for love), meet billionaires and have the same travails as other couples. Plus, the johns always are hot like Richard Gere (who hasn't found the right arm-candy woman who will just let him be!!!), the world (store managers) accepting of them, and that they turn down pigs like that played by George Castanza (because that's creepy). I am so confused.

Masculin Feminin

A cinematic essay rather than a film (with story, narrative, etc), this film presents some nice topics for thematic discussion and some points of investigation into cinematic operations. What you think?