BBD Comments:
‘Romeo is Bleeding’ was a fitting pick for our first attempt at an indoor Movienight. This Post Modern Noir had almost as much smoking in it as my apartment, and it made the milieu seem quite apropos.
But before I speak to the Selection, I must spend some time on the milieu in question. In many ways, my apartment is the birth place of Movienight. It was in these walls that the Founding Members first convened to listen to Jim Ladd’s “Headsets,” and it was this ritual that led to the formation of our Cinematic Salon. Still, as much as I can reason out the propriety of convening here for our films, it became very clear that good old 7850 is a fine forum for watching ‘Executive Action,’ but as an Official Movienight forum it leaves a great deal to be desired.
The frustration of accepting our current homelessness is all the more upsetting as we arrive at the BEST time of year for watching films outdoors. It is currently staying in the seventies well past midnight, and it kills me to be indoors as the warm nights finally have arrived. The brilliant full moon Wednesday only exacerbated my frustration.
Further, as much as set up has become far easier given the fact that there is nothing to set up - we’re still just sitting in my house. I fear the ring of my phone, or the ill timed knock on my door by an unwelcome neighbor and so the great escape of Movienight is diminished.
To be certain, there are minor fixes I can bring to bear on the environment. Most obviously is the lights and clocks atop Mr. Wiener’s magnificent television. They will be a non-issue with Nubs’ first indoor pick, but I have to say, in almost every way, Movienight indoors isn’t Movienight.
But then there’s the Crew. Waiting with all of you for the film to begin I realized something new. If we were reduced somehow to watching our Selections in Nubs’ Odyssey, if we were together - it’d be Movienight. Or at least we’d keep Movienight’s heart beating with the effort.
As to the evening’s effort? ‘Romeo is Bleeding’ is a fun film to watch. Lena Olin and Gary Oldman are engaging and committed to the pointedly (at times overworked) grittiness of the film. But I am reminded of Wiener’s review of ‘The Sting’ (remember when Wiener wrote reviews? No? Well he did, and they were fucking great!) which he called “confectionary.” Like a sweet after dinner, it tastes great for a moment, but quickly is gone leaving no nutrition in its wake. I know I gave ‘Romeo’ high marks after the showing, but as the week has worn on, I have found little to chew on in reflection. Perhaps it is because the film seems more interested in its style and intensity then it does in the truth of its characters. There are a great many ideas at work in this film, but their ultimate significance escaped me.
As a pick, I felt it worked overall and brought some octane back into Wednesday night. I am glad as hell to have WildCard in the SELECTOR rotation. But it’s going to take a little bit more than ‘Romeo’ offered before I credit him with his first straight up Slam Dunk.
Thanks as well to Slim for bringing our first Official Indoor Selection. I pray we all get outside soon. The company and feeling is still there, but if I can’t look up and see the stars - it just is not the same.
Viva Movienight.
Onwards.
Buffy Comments:
While indeed I lament the loss of a full Movienight moon, many thanks to Tooda for pulling out the host-with-the-most hat and making things cozy and comfortable for everyone. I trust that soon our way will be smoothed and we will soon be back outdoors among the charred remains of our fair city. Refreshing margaritas await.
Slim’s first pick as an Official SELECTOR was awesome—there’s a lot in this film that is very Wildcard to me, and as far as throwing down your junk, this is the way to do it. Talk about a fun ride. I hadn’t seen this one before and I am ever so glad I did, especially among family. Love the literal take on the femme fatale…and that she was a woman of a certain age. The events shown therein really reinforced my theory (stated heretofore on this very website) that women, like cats, are killers at heart. Men might kill, but I don’t think they have the same fun with it (kind of like sex, I guess). Additionally, several weeks ago I blogged on the myspaces (prestigious, I know) the unsolicited advice to men of “Control Your Wiener, Control Your Life.” Dude. A sergeant falling for notoriously conniving murderess mobster pussy within 5 seconds? Selling lives for a measly $65K and hoping the mob won’t kill your pals? Sad, not to mention pretty stupid. But it’s not like he didn’t realize it in the moment, not like the film didn’t realize it in the moment, in fact it’s this very vulnerability and attraction to something and/or someone you consciously know is entirely NOT in your best interest or anyone’s, but which you seem to be unable to curb or even to want to curb, and in fact seem to be begging to destroy you that makes life truly batshit crazy. I think I just stated the obvious there, in re this movie, but oh well. Let’s just say I can relate. Or used to. Too bad I didn’t have a chunk of cash as part of that deal.
I thought the movie worked both literally and as a type of allegory (I can’t remember the word for allegory that doesn’t imply religion, though maybe religion plays a part here? Haven’t thought about it. Hey, wait a minute, did this movie have a priest? I don’t think it did! A church? Hmmm….that would be a first, no priest or church at Movienight). Levels, people, that’s what I like to chew on as the week cruises by…plus unanswered questions. I was thinking that the wife couldn’t get any photos of Mona, but then I realized Mona stole the pictures out of the album when she killed the poor observant lady. Duh. Man, Mona is way ahead of me. However, there’s a reason thong bodysuits went out of fashion and this movie really illustrates why. I felt like I was in the Nordstrom intimates department in 1993.
Wildcard Slim, way to spike it.
Nubs Comments:
Wildcard Slim earned his nickname by being quite unpredictable and having a propensity towards the outrageous, and also being skinny. Wildcard’s first Official Pick didn’t seem so wild at all. With Gary Oldman as the lead, an all star supporting cast including Roy Scheider, and lots of sex, violence, and the fact that’s it’s a fairly obscure movie none of the Crew had previously seen, ‘Romeo is Bleeding’ is a somewhat safe pick for our unpredictable new member. When I IMDBed this “contemporary noir” my findings were just as I suspected; the movie’s overall rating is a mere 6 stars with a lot of rave reviews from fans who hold this gem very dear. Like those web geeks that IMDb won’t let me hear without registering, Wildcard ignored the critics and went with his gutsy gut. You have to give much respect to Brandon for his passion and also his willingness to brave the lack of elements in Movienight’s temporary indoor digs.
I can see why our SELECTOR and others can appreciate this film. With the exception of a few chick-flicks, Gary Oldman is always the right starting ingredient for Movienight baking. I even think his performance in ‘Immortal Beloved’ could someday challenge the overly feared Rule 6-B in the By-Laws. Oldman’s Jack is the typical anti-hero dim-wittedly driven by lust and greed over all other noble choices. His stylish voice-overs are a throwback to a noir past, which make for interesting juxtaposition with the gratuitousness of modern cinema.
Though the noir tone and sordid characters give this film its unique charm, they were also the movie’s downfall for me. As per usual my complaints are with pace and story. The cool, steady voice-overs detract from this otherwise actiony thriller. It didn’t succeed as a movie like ‘Sin City’ does in weaving action and gore with jazzy narrative. It did succeed in lulling me to sleep on occasion.
The story didn’t necessarily keep me engaged either. I thought it was a tale of love lost or a tragic romance, yet, where is the love? One assumes because of the wedding album Jack carries like a torch for his lost love that their relationship was worthy of some screen time. I know that Annabella Sciorra is as interesting an actress as Neve Campbell (which is why neither are working now) but did she do anything in this? Why does she go away and why should Jack or we care? Is it Juliette Lewis we care about? It doesn’t seem like Jack cared much even when he killed her. Mona is the only character that Jack and the film care about and when she is not part of the story there is no story.
Other than those problems with the story and style, the story and the style were cool. Gary Oldman’s performance was so good and convincing it was almost forgettable. Finally the movie had fewer contradictions then in this review. Congrats, Wildcard Slim. You are one of us, one of us, one of us…
SELECTOR Comments:
Well, I wanted to wow the Crew with my first official Selector-Status selection, and I believe (at this point, before the reviews) I came real damn close. ‘Romeo is Bleeding’ is one of those obscure classic films that not only cozies into that tasty film-noir genre, but it redefines and contemporizes the genre for today’s audiences.
Gary Oldman is in top-notch form with his character of Grimaldi, a dirty cop who justifies his deeds of selling information to the Mafia. And Lena Olin…good God, has there ever been a more sexy femme-fatale in cinema history? The story is as gritty as a meth addict’s molars, and the dialogue and narration are as close to film-noir perfection as chum is to ‘Jaws.’ Add in the fact that every character smoked cigarettes (matching our Crew), and the claustrophobic feel of the film (like us indoors), I stand by my Selection as the proper pick for the time.
I went through a lot of films the five days before Movienight, trying to find the gem that would be my Selection for May 2nd. Painstakingly, I watched movie after movie, epic after epic, until deciding on ‘Romeo is Bleeding’ the eve before. You may not have liked ‘Sorcerer’ or ‘Boondock Saints,’ but, by God, how could you not cop wood or get all squishy in the thighs for the sexiest, dirtiest, roughest, meanest, most perverted film-noir in movie history? And I didn’t see one damn person fall asleep for this one!
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