À Bout de Souffle (1959) Directed by Jean-Luc Godard

Nick:
Definition of a sacred cow when used as a noun:
"an individual, organization, institution, etc., considered to be exempt from criticism or questioning." 

I think it's fair to say that the cinema of Godard and especially À Bout de Souffle (aka Breathless) have both passed into the realms of being beyond criticism.  I'm a huge fan of some Godard movies, Pierrot La Fou,  Le Mépris, Week End and Une Femme est une femme' especially. But like a lot of Godard's films À Bout de Souffle falls into the category of overrated for me. 

There has been a lot of focus on the picture this year as it celebrates 50 years, and its influence on modern cinema is without doubt. The first 20 minutes which captures Jean-Paul Belmondo's petty hood Michel raging against the world in a fast car are as good as any movies get. After that, a very boring film opens up, as Michel delays his escape from the police to bed his American girlfriend, the stunning Patricia (Jean Seberg).

All the themes that would obsess Godard in the 60's are here, as are the cinema references that litter his later films. His fellow New Wave compatriot François Truffaut delivered the script, and it's here that the picture loses some of its initial appeal. Belmondo is good value as always. The film looks great and has an effortless cool.

As a gateway into Godard's later movies, À Bout de Souffle is essential, the original grain and spark of so many good movies that follow this is here. It's just when ever I watch the film I always feel disappointed. 

Astrid:
OK, I'm back and so are the romantic comedies, candles, roses, kitchen cloths and vacuum cleaners – romance in life more over. I am a late-bloomer in appreciating the beauty of men. As I have mentioned before, I used to be oblivious to beautiful men. Blind. But my eyes have opened and I can see. Jean-Paul Belmondo.

Breathless appears to be an exercise of many aspects, which Godard becomes a master at later in his career. The dream-like narrative turns, fantastical reality, cultural in-jokes, style; everything is here but still budding instead of blooming. I love Anna Karina and she is not here. I love color and this film is still black and white.

Yet, Breathless more than other Godard's movies starring Belmondo, is a loveletter to his youthful, symmetrical, arrogant and playful masculinity (the kind that was becoming dubious and questionable in the 1960s). It is a lesson to wearing suits, putting on shirts, lighting cigarettes, hiding behind shades. It is a celebration of the boy that remains in a man. The power and domination which may be unfair and threatening in reality appear endearing in this film.

Belmondo is not about to grab my ass in real life. And would I really mind if he did?

Platoon (1986) Directed by Oliver Stone

Nick:
I have not watched a movie for over a week. I needed a break. Other things on my mind. But then, I had this completely random thought about Willem Dafoe. It was about his cock. Has a Hollywood actor been so exposed on the popular screen? Hang in there on this one, I'm maybe trying to justify another men on a mission film on this blog! Dafoe's dignity was not spared in the overly serious The Last Temptation of Christ, his libido was overworked in the dire Body Of Evidence and his nether regions were brutalized in the sadistic Antichrist.  He's the guy that goes the extra yard, he's not afraid to bare his all, emotionally and literally. Dafoe has retained credibility despite being in a Mr Bean movie or a bunch of straight to video fair, the roll call of great to good films is impressive:  Light Sleeper, Wild At Heart, Mississippi Burning, The English Patient, Affliction, Auto Focus,The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. The random cock thoughts gave me license to go back to Platoon, the film that established Dafoe as such a unique and risk taking actor.

Dafoe plays the Christ like Sgt Elias, the good soldier who pits his wits against the evil macho of Tom Berenger's Sgt Barnes. This conflict plays against the backdrop of Oliver Stone's autobiographical Vietnam story. Of course, this being Stone nothing is subtle, heavy symbolism is to the fore. There's also very little originality here, the film owes a lot to The Deer Hunter and mostly to the king of Hollywood Vietnam pictures, Apocalypse Now. As if to acknowledge Platoon's debt, stone casts Charlie Sheen (son of  Apocalypse Now's Martin) as his on screen alter ego Chris, who, in Apocalypse Now fashion, supplies the voice over for this violent writes of passage picture.

I'm not saying Platoon is bad, re-visiting it after many years the films' own power stands up with an ability to be disturbing and moving. Stone injects his won political view on the futility of this war, depicting the casual unjustified genocide of an enemy we never really see. The use of Samuel Barber's Adagio For Strings, although now a classical cliche, does work in this context, adding extra pathos to many scenes. There's also a heavy suggestion that Elias and Chris are lovers. This homoerotic aspect of the picture could have been explored further. If Platoon has a fault it's that it descends to easily into revenge picture in the final third, so Platoon loses a bit of it's focus.

As well as bringing Dafoe and Sheen into the spotlight, Platoon established Stone as a directorial heavyweight, winning Oscars and becoming hugely successful. Stone also introduced a bunch of young actors to the screen in this picture, Johnny Depp, Keith David,  Forest Whitaker, Kevin Dillon and the creepy John C McGinley. But Dafoe casts a spell over this picture, his Elias is a fine creation. What a face, what sexual energy. Man Love.