Beyond the Valley of the Dolls

Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (Russ Meyer, 1970)

Three young women—Kelly MacNamara (Dolly Read), Casey Anderson (Cynthia Myers), and Petronella "Pet" Danforth (Marcia McBroom)—perform in a rock band, The Kelly Affair, managed by Harris Allsworth (David Gurian), Kelly's boyfriend. The four travel to Los Angeles to find Kelly's estranged aunt, Susan Lake (Phyllis Davis), heiress to a family fortune.

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes

The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (Billy Wilder, 1970)

When a bored Holmes eagerly takes the case of Gabrielle Valladon after an attempt on her life, the search for her missing husband leads to Loch Ness and the legendary monster.

Husbands

Husbands (John Cassavetes, 1970)


It’s been a while since I wanted to catch a John Cassavetes film and I choose Husbands first because it was one of the few I could put my hand on and second because it was starring the late Peter Falk that I miss a lot. Beforehand, I knew that it was going to be some sort of improvised acting without specific story lines.

The plot is about the loss of a friend in a group of four men that were friends since childhood and now in their adulthood they are having troubles dealing with their lost and their common lives. The many scenes of this film are long and make those moments like true moments. It is shot almost like if Cassavetes wanted to document the lives of men who have difficulties to handle the passage from boyhood to manhood. However, this “passage” isn’t a metamorphosis, it is more like the gain of maturity and the case of letting things go. For example, the passions you have while you are a teenager slowly fade away and those nights drinking and hanging with your friends are part of that “passage” to maturity and the evolution as men and adults. The average man will always have to struggle between his responsibilities and his envy to go back to his days of lust. Husbands demonstrates how these men with responsibilities are struggling to pass over their best friend’s death by trying to rememorized their time with him when they were partying and “free”. It resumes an old saying that goes like that: “Life sucks! You’re gonna love it!”.

In some way, this is a sad movie that feels true and also nostalgic because it is the mourning of a lost friend that starts it all. Husbands, is a study of the modern day man alienated by his work and the world of today. Even if sometimes the portrayals are overly exaggerated it’s the magic of the moment that counts when you are watching a Cassavetes’ picture. Moreover, it is the wonderful acting that does it all. The photography is pretty subtle and there is a certain restraint in the technique, its purpose: let the acting talk and carry the film. This is why the presence of Falk, Cassavetes, and Ben Gazzara is the center of Husbands and the major reason why this is a highly regarded picture.

This is a raw film that feels true and down to earth. It’s like watching something without a filter. Far from being a perfect film or a life changing picture, Husbands defines how men can be weak and how they’ll always have to face live and death.

Le genou de claire (1970)

TSPDT Greatest Films #385 Le genou de Claire (Eric Rohmer, 1970)

One of the most sensual offering of Eric Rohmer's Moral tales. Le genou de Claire tells the story of Jérôme, a diplomat living for a month in the villa of his family in Switzerland near the Leman Lake. He mets one of his closest friend, Aurora a writer that convinces Jérôme to flirt with Laura and then he choose by himself to extend the play or simply by his own curiosity to seduce Claire, Laura's older sister.

This film would have had never seen the light of day if it was made today. The weirdness of the relationship between Jérôme, 35 years and Laura, 16 years old gives us a little uneasiness to care for the succes of the relationship. On some level, we actually are relieve to learn that there was no attraction, but the images are still weird. The first half of the film is all about Jérôme and Laura. But when Claire appears, the sexual desire is more palpable and the shots of Claire's knee and the rest of her body too, are very sensual and attractive. The strenght of the situations is fully exploited with the fact that the viewer knows that Jérôme is strongly appealed by Claire's knee. Rohmer undresses her knees and it appears in every frame of the scenes she is in.

Like the other Rohmer films I had the opportunity to see, there are lots and lots of dialogue. French films probably earn their stereotype of being laborious on the talks because of Rohmer only. Don't read me wrong, I love this kind of blabbering that reminds me of a Woody Allen or the Before Sunrise/Before Sunset duet by Richard Linklater. On the visual level, this is by far his most beautiful film, filled with images of nature and colorful outdoors. It's fact, Rohmer loved to shot in exteriors and I think that he simply mastered those scenes.

I am ashamed to say that I am discovering Rohmer's oeuvre and I think that this is way too late after his death earlier this year. In respect I will check everyone of them and report back my thoughts on every of them.

Five Easy Pieces

Five Easy Pieces (Bob Rafelson, 1970)

From the era that brought us Easy Rider until Raging Bull aka The Second Golden Age of Hollywood/American Cinema. The 1970's were a time where new American directors like Martin Scorsese, Francis Ford Coppola, William Friedkin, Hal Ashby, Terrence Malick and many others redefined the way films were made. Influenced by European Cinema of the likes of Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Ingmar Bergman, Luis Bunuel, Federico Fellini, Michelangelo Antonioni, the American directors digested the those influences and used them to analyze and criticism the modern America.

Of that group of filmmakers, actors, producers Jack Nicholson was one of the center actor. He wrote and acted in many films now classics of that era. On his side Bob Rafelson was mainly a producer and his most known and successful film is Five Easy Pieces. Sadly, for his directorial career Rafelson was a cocaine addict and it took all of his credibility apart from him.

Five Easy Pieces is the story of a musician from a wealthy family who has to work on oil-rigs away from the family he left. One day he learns that his father is very ill and decides to move back to make peace with the ones he abandoned. His existence is rhythmed by his excess of wrath, frustration and his impulsions. On the "mise en scène" I had a feeling like if I was watching a 1970's Ingmar Bergman film made in the US. Something like Autumn Sonata I guess. The colors have a brownish feel and the natural lighting gives to the story a "true" touch to it. Unlike many American films Five Easy Pieces has that gloss of real humans that can act like you and me and do good as to do bad. There's nothing black or white here and it gives somewhat a good vibe to the entire film.

The major flaws are that the film feels outdated and amateurish at moments. There are many errors of continuity and some takes give evidence of poor editing.

On the other side, Nicholson's acting elevates the quality of the film and once again he is on the top of his game.

Five Easy Pieces is a very good film from one of the most crucial eras of American filmmaking.