The Netflix Files: March 12 - 18

The Servant (1963) dir. Joseph Losey: An outstanding domestic thriller that owes more to its screenplay (adapted by Harold Pinter from Robin Maugham's novel), The Servant starts with ordinary ingredients and few predictable turns, but manages to end up in a frightfully exciting place at the end. Aside from the fascinating is-there-isn't-there? homoerotic subtext to the relationship between aristocrat Tony (James Fox) and socially awkward servant Barrett (Dirk Bogarde), the film's sharp deconstruction of employer-employee power dynamics is thrilling to behold. Throw in the fact that it's edited and paced just about to perfection, and even the more mundane conversations feel as though they're richly layered with barely visible tension. The final half hour is a bit of a sharp turn stylistically, like something that Ingmar Bergman and David Lynch might have cooked up over coffee, but in the end it only elevates the film, which owes so much to Pinter's excellent script to another level. Not terribly deep from the human side of things, but as a work of narrative manipulation and character maneuvering, it's a wonderful little gem of a thriller.

Grade: A-

Le Cercle Rouge (The Red Circle) (1970) dir. Jean-Pierre Melville: Melville's last noir (and his penultimate film as a director) also stands as one of his best. Understatement is the name of the game, but even coupled with the film's deliberate pacing it never fails to intrigue, if at times from a very chilly distance. Melville takes his time setting up the four principals (three criminals, one cop) and their loose connections to each other. The film won't ever be remembered as a strong work of character study, but at least the gradual pacing and extreme understatement lend the material more depth than would have been there otherwise. Much more impressive is the narrative's build towards its masterful highlight: a near-silent heist sequence set inside a supposedly impenetrable jewelry house. It's stripped down, icy stuff, but Melville ultimately makes all of the pieces worth caring about, even if the emotional reactions it inspires are often rather muted.

Grade: B+

The Netflix Files: December 19 - 25

Le Doulos (1962) dir. Jean-Pierre Melville:

One of the reknowned French director's best-loved noirs, this entry in the genre, Le Doulos features some stellar scenes amid a narrative that drifts just a hair too long. Despite an excellent, bleak ending, there are moments along the way where the narrative is in need of a little tightening later on. Still, it's hard to overlook Melville's gifts as a director and story teller. His cast is strong, and when scenes really need to connect (albeit in a very distant manner), Melville hits a home run. As Silien, Melville regular Jean-Paul Belmondo turns in a reliably solid performance, playing one of many two-faced characters throughout the story. As in most of his films, however, the true star remains the man behind the camera, for good reason.

Grade: B/B+

Misfits - Season 1 (2009) created by Howard Overman:

Consider Misfits the antithesis of NBC's short-lived Heroes. The NBC show introduced a large ensemble filled with startling powers and a narrative that involved the fate of the world. Misfits, on the other hand, is focused on a very small group, and though there are struggles, everything is relatively self-contained. After a group of teens sentenced to community service get caught in a freak lightning storm, they discover that they've been given various powers. Though Misfits is generally well-made (ignoring the horrible desaturated color correction that makes even plant life look grey), it does sometimes suffer from a sense of aimlessness. The devotion to the limited set of characters is nice, though it's honestly not as deep or insightful about youth culture as it would like to believe. Still, the actors are quite engaging to watch (except for fangirl favorite Robert Sheehan, whose character I just want to punch over and over again), especially Lauren Socha's feisty, profane Kelly. Now that season 1 is out of the way, however, it will be interesting to see if Misfits can try its hand at something more ambitious, without stretching itself too far.

Grade: B-

The Netflix Files: November 7-13

Army of Shadows (1969) dir. Jean-Pierre Melville:

Not officially released in the United States until 2006, this long-withheld gem from French master Jean-Pierre Melville is a highlight, regardless of what year you consider its true release. Documenting (from a fictionalized perspective) the director's experiences in the French resistance, the film is a long and somber look at a group of people under constant threat of sudden death. Beautifully shot and strongly acted, it possess a slightly clinical view of its characters, but don't mistake that for a lack of humanity. Melville keeps his distance to that when moments really need to hit home, they do. Rather than drown us in anguish or suffering, he raises the stakes subtly, culminating in several moments of heart-stopping (though never exploitative) emotional trauma. It's a sobering film to be sure, one that doesn't shy away from the unpleasantness of the war, or the resistance members' actions. It's also quite a brilliant one, and it deserves to be exalted after being kept in the dark for so long. The film's initial release may have been in the 60s, but not for one instant does it feel dated.

Grade: A-/A

Reservoir Dogs (1992) dir. Quentin Tarantino:

I was a little surprised when Reservoir Dogs didn't grab me right off the bat. I generally like or love Tarantino's work, and was taken aback when I wasn't sold immediately. Unfortunately, things didn't improve from there. Though it has all of the trademarks found in his subsequent works, Reservoir Dogs is lacking the sharp, darkly funny, absurd characterization that fills just about everything else he does. So despite all of the talent flooding the ensemble, there just wasn't enough to keep me fully engaged, which is surprising, considering how fond I am of Tarantino's work in general. The structure is fun, but at the end of the day, the characters never felt strong enough to make distinct marks.

Grade: B-