In only its second month my film of the month award has hit an obstacle. A month with a lack of new releases (that are of interest to me) therefore we have a reduced nominee list this month; they are:
Antichrist: For being the most controversial film of the year.
Public Enemies: Great story, great acting , great direction. It has its problems but is still a great film.
The Blues Brothers 
Not eligible as a re-release, honourable mention only. It would have won if eligible!
Three films that I will probably see: Moon, Coco Before and Taking of Pelham 1,2,3 all open today, the last day of the month, as I wont get to see them this month I will include them next month if good enough. You many be wondering why I have seen so few films this month. As I mentioned before I am not interested in seeing: Bruno, Harry Potter, The Proposal or Year One!
The Movie of the Month is:
Michelangelo Antonioni is a complicated uncompromising director, he can alienate viewers because his films demand the viewer pay attention and think about what they are viewing. Those who don’t pay attention to or think about the film they are watching will probably never realise that it is their loss not the directors! The Passenger is a perfect example of his work and in some ways better than his more famous Blowup. There are long periods of wide-angle long shots without dialogue followed by conversations that are essential to the character development but not always relevant to the plot. In many ways it is Jack Nicholson’s best ever performance as an actor. It has all the gravitas of Five Easy Pieces but with real restraint. It is the kind of performance he could give in his sleep but usually chooses not to in favour of grandstanding over the top performances.
Set in Europe and an unnamed African country the film combines a linear narrative with flashbacks that give insights into the story and its lead character. The story is actually not that important, it is all about the journey David Locke (Jack Nicholson) takes. The film starts with him driving around the aforementioned unnamed African country looking for the rebels that appose the government. On returning to his hotel he discovers a man he had befriended a few days has died. Disillusioned with his life he swaps identities with the dead British businessman David Robertson (Charles Mulvehill-a producer making his only appearance as an actor). As he assumes the dead mans identity David is drawn into the mans life. Along the way he hooks up with a young tourist played by Maria Schneider (best known for Last Tango in Paris). The locations are truly stunning and Antonioni and his cinematographer Luciano Tovoli really make the most of them with great if occasionally wandering camerawork. This includes the infamous and hugely complicated shot towards the end of the film and the opening that is bereft of dialogue for about four minutes. If you don’t mind the slow pace this is a beautifully crafted and rewarding film that demands multiple viewings.
To summarise I agreed with the academy once. More than half my choices were foreign language films. I desperately wanted to award Lost in Translation but City of God was just that little bit better.
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