Finally got around to watching Possessor, the uncut version. [...] What let me down was the pacing [...] character development
Felt the same way, although I'm not sure if I watched the uncut version or not?
The Turin Horse
Finally watched my first Bela Tarr movie. And I think my last. As one of his shorter works (only 2.5 hours) I'd imagine it is one of the "easiest" as well. Beautiful b/w cinematography but this is super boring. I do like some slower movies like Tarkovsky's Stalker but I do not find anything interesting in this one. Dialog is super minimal except for a 5 minute (or is it 1, 2 or 10 minutes, I don't know, time loses its meaning with a movie like this) rant by a guy who ran out of alcohol. If you are into horse riding/feeding, boiling and eating potatoes, (un)dressing, and walking in the wind then you're probably gonna love this.
Thanks, great and interesting review. I think I loved the movie just for the reasons, you didn't like.
Yeah, I thought it was an amazing movie.
After managing to make it to nearly 365 movies watched last year, I've been taking a bit of a breather to read and do other things. Still managed to knock a few out though:
Thief (Michael Mann, 1981) - Held off on watching this for years, and glad I waited. Not perfect, but still very good.
Blood Simple (Joel Coen, 1984) - Been at least a decade since I'd first/last watched this. Dark and violent.
Once Upon a Time in the West (Sergio Leone, 1968) - Near perfect epitome of a western. Much more rewarding upon rewatch. There's a nice Morricone score, but I think his work for The Good, The Bad and The Ugly is still my favourite.
The Wild Bunch (Sam Peckinpah, 1969) - Hail Bloody Sam.
Words of Advice: William S. Burroughs on the Road (Lars Movi, Steen Møller Rasmussen, 2007) - Seems like a school project more than a documentary with any sort of budget or depth. Non essential. Though, if more/full footage exists of the memorial Burroughs held for Allen Ginsberg in his backyard, with Burroughs reading Howl, I would like to see it.
Ballad of AJ Weberman (James Bluemel, Oliver Ralfe, 2006) - Documentary about the Bob Dylan-obsessive / garbage picker AJ Weberman. In the 70s he picked through Dylan's garbage to try and figure out what he perceived to be the hidden messages in his songs, and eventually would be paid by magazines to dig through garbage of other celebrities (he even got Nixon's trash). Worth it just to see the crazy people in his life that all seem way more out there than him (and he's out there). It's unreal.
