Saturday, April 16, 2011

Cashback (2006)

An artsy guy experiencing insomnia finds inspiration in dreams about naked women's bodies while he works nightshifts in a supermarket. I guess I've just told you the whole storyline in just one sentence. :) Blame me not, since the most interesting part of the movie is in the details, but the story itself is as stupid and absurd as stated above.

Actually, apart from camera work (worth noting that some of it resembles that seen in Vertigo (1958)), there isn't much to mark. Perhaps the most important part is how this movie depicts the process of creating art. An artists has to virtually freeze the time to make out features of a person, a place, a circumstance, or whatever else they want to devote their piece of art to.

While looking through the features, the artist chooses either beautiful and perfect, or bizarre and weird ones. Finally, these features are layered on a "canvas", perhaps undergoing through hyperbolization, metaphorization, or some other sort of transformation. I put the word "canvas" in quotes because the process applies to any form of art actually, be it paintings, literature, or, say, music.

Note that there's also a short version of the movie: Cashback (2004), however, it doesn't carry the same amount of meaning as the full one. Basically it looks simply like a short comedy. Although some people may start with the short film first and consider it as a teaser for the full version (that was my case, actually.)

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0460740/
My vote: 7 of 10

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Malj (The Mallet) (1977)

Unnatural selection doesn't always produce correct results. Some may seem strange, unusual, or even alien enough to filter them out of the society. However, being strong and optimistic helps to keep sane and alive, even if the majority (or just a "selector") thinks you don't belong there. Watch it:



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0273771/
My vote: 6 of 10