KAchatte Reviews

Copying Beethoven (2006)

the "real" Beethoven as most of us imagine him

[10/10 · 3 November 2006]

I'm not crazy about the basic idea ("that singular anomaly - the Lady Komponist!"), that smacks a little of the PC, but I find the treatment much better than it could have been feared. Anna's just a girl with a dream and an ambition, which is OK and not anachronistic at all, and, fortunately, the film stops short from saying that she's to be the Female Beethoven of the Future, which is even better. But the core of the movie is the relationship between the two, which is subtly, sensibly and cleverly done, avoiding all the obvious traps, mostly because it never pretends to be "History", just "a story". It's all about music, and this is where the film scores - haha - its biggest hit. I talked to some musician friends of mine, who had a peek at the movie, and they all agreed that this was most beautifully and professionally done, without any mistakes at all ("Amadeus" has many, one of them ludicrous), and a lot of deep musical sensitivity, Kubrick-wise, beginning with the fantastic, opening sequence on the Grosse Fuge, which captures its rhythm and drive just perfectly. And, of course, the concert sequence is simply amazing in its power, thanks to the camera work, the editing, and most of all, to Ed Harris' unique performance as a conductor (not to speak of his portrayal as such, which is - probably for the first time on screen - the "real" Beethoven as most of us imagine him). No one I know, including myself, has never ever seen an actor making such a job of it, it actually looks as if they could have performed the damned thing live with him conducting. But what would you expect from a guy who can paint like Jackson Pollock? If someone can make him to sing like Callas, they should make a movie of it, and quick! So, all in all, a very moving experience which should bring some new fans to this music. So now, what about one on John Dowland, with Sting as the composer?"

Looking for Jimmy (2002)

A true and funny portrait of life in LA. Shot in real time.

[10/10 · 10 February 2003]

I enjoyed the freedom of filmmaking and story telling. It is less pretentious than dogma films and in the same time truer to their ideology. The film captures the empiness of Los Angeles, of the life of a few misfits on an absurd journey through out the city. What is funny and original about the story is that there is no real self discovery being made. Every one start off neurotic and lost and end up neurotic and lost in the desert.