Crisp Criticism - "Fury", "The Tale of the Princess Kaguya", "Listen Up Philip"

by

Julien Faddoul

Fury

As WWII approaches its end, a tank of five men are ordered to go on a mission behind enemy lines.

Violent American WWII film that despite clear attempts to take the material seriously becomes marinated in its own heavy-handedness. It remains merely a wallow in machismo dramatics.

wd – David Ayer

ph – Roman Vasyanov

pd – Andrew Menzies

m – Steven Price

ed – Jay Cassidy, Dody Dorn

cos – Owen Thornton

p – David Ayer, Bill Block, John Lesher, Ethan Smith

Cast: Brad Pitt, Shia LaBeouf, Logan Lerman, Michael Pena, Jon Bernthal, Jason Isaacs, Jim Parrack, Brad William Henke, Kevin Vance

The Tale of the Princess Kaguya **

An old bamboo cutter discovers inside some bamboo a miniature girl whom he believes is a princess sent to him from the heavens.

Austere, contemplative Japanese animated film that many consider to be its director's best. Despite the sumptuousness of his animation, it lacks the humanistic candor of his previous films.

d – Isao Takahata

w – Isao Takahata, Riko Sakaguchi

ad – Kazuo Oga

m – Joe Hisaishi

ed – Takeshi Seyama

p – Yoshiaki Nishimura, Seiichiro Ujiie

Cast: Aki Asakura, Kengo Kora, Takeo Chii, Nobuko Miyamoto, Atsuko Takahata

Listen Up Philip ****

A “notable” New York writer who has just published his second novel decides to destroy his relationship with his girlfriend and move into an isolated summer home owned by his idol.

An immeasurable work of American cinema: Mixing eye-level close-up compositions on 16mm, dateless mise-en-scène and Phillip Roth-esque passages to encapsulate the narcissistic posture one can inculcate to be protected by past pain. It is one of the most deeply empathetic movies ever made.

wd – Alex Ross Perry

ph – Sean Price Williams

pd – Scott Kuzio

m – Keegan DeWitt

ed – Robert Greene

cos – Amanda Ford

p – Joshua Blum, Toby Halbrooks, James M. Johnston, David Lowery, Katie Stern

Cast: Jason Schwartzman, Elisabeth Moss, Jonathan Pryce, Krysten Ritter, Joséphine de La Baume, Kate Lyn Sheil, Lee Wilkof