Moon
England, 2008, 97 minutes
Director: Duncan Jones
Despite its low budget and one-set limitations, Moon doesn’t fail to evoke a grand sense of wonderment by putting its idea and execution its means. Resolving the mystery of its narrative quickly, the film’s heart and drive is in its treatment of its (two of the same) main character—supported by a strong performance by Sam Rockwell.
It’s a smart and memorable example of brainy science fiction, but more importantly, it’s also a sad portrayal of loneliness and the human trait of desiring relationships being the defining mark of a person.
Once Upon a Time in the West
Italy/USA, 1968, 165 minutes
Director: Sergio Leone
Sunday proved to be a very fine day as I also got to see the newly restored Once Upon a Time in the West, one of my favorite movies of all time. Despite already owning the film on DVD, I was still skipping like a schoolgirl as I was entering the theater. Let's cut to the chase: it kicked ass.
The film was as great as it’s always been, of course. 2.5 hours fly by like a breeze when you’re encased in Sergio Leone’s amazingly cool western epic, from its unmatched cinematography to its hilarious one-liners to the unparalleled music by Ennio Morricone—arguably the best original score in film history. For these reasons, seeing the movie on the big screen is truly the only way to go, and to see it at the Castro Theater was just sublime. I went home thinking I should throw my DVD copy in the trash, since the experience will never be the same again. Should the film ever comes to your neck of the woods, either as part of a festival or in an arthouse run, it’d be a crime to miss it.
Restored from the original negatives borrowed from the Leone family in Italy, the Film Foundation did an excellent job giving us what is essentially the best possible version of the film. The shots are re-color timed, accentuating the earth tones of the film and making the blue sky pop out in breathtaking manner. The audio is also restored from the original magnetic master tracks; the dialogue dub sounding much more comprehensible while the gunshots and Morricone tunes sound more iconic than ever.
The restoration version included a short introduction by Film Foundation founder Martin Scorsese, relaying the importance of preserving our classic films for future generations. Clearly, they’ve chosen very well with this one. Once Upon a Time in the West is a fine example of visionary filmmaking, which deserves to look its best.
