Three Reviews of Movies I’ve Recently Seen From Amazon Prime Video & More

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Shame (2011)

Michael Fassbender’s Brandon shows little shame and pushes the issue.

Michael Fassbender stars in Shame, a film made with his frequent-collaborator-as-director Steve McQueen. Fassbender plays Brandon, a single playboy with a sex addiction and aversion to commitment. His phobia manifests itself in several ways throughout the film from excessive porn to playing the field to one-night stands to attempts at more with tragic consequences. His sister, Carrie Mulligan’s Sissy, invades his space, which only complicates matters. Sissy is a mess and challenges Brandon’s limits. Shame is insightful, thought-provoking, avant-garde and challenging.  The film likely demands repeat viewings for true enrichment. I enjoyed this one quite a bit and fans of McQueen will likely eat it up as well. It’d be a shame to miss it. There, I said it.

Bullitt (1968)

Steve McQueen’s cop Bullitt roasts ‘em in his iconic ride.

Bullitt is a classic cop film, known for it’s groundbreaking and lengthy car chase scene. The scene is often referenced as an influence in Hollywood and in particular to action directors. That is the reason I saw the film, which stars another Steve McQueen, with his iconic blonde crop. Bullitt, the titular character played by McQueen, has an edge that goes against the grain to other San Francisco cops. This makes him hard to love at work or at home. Still, Bullitt manages to present genre conventions that might have seemed radical in its day. I can’t say that I gleaned much from Bullitt as even the thrilling car chase, while long and innovative, felt a bit underwhelming. That being said, I could definitely feel its influence in modern films, so I don’t want to sell the film short. Check it for the scene if you haven’t and perhaps you can feel more rounded as a result.

Harold and Maude (1971)

Harold and Maude make a connection in the film of the same name.

Another film set in San Francisco, Harold and Maude, which was recently released on Criterion Blu-ray, inspired my viewing through Amazon Prime. The film is about a loner boy (Harold) who is attention starved and privileged and therefore creates elaborate pranks, mostly surrounding death. He will hang himself; cover himself in blood; etc. – much to the chagrin of his mother. Harold meets Maude at a funeral and an unlikely friendship is thus struck, Maude getting Harold to explore himself more and find more joy in life. It’s a coming of age tale, oddly amusing, but nothing overly resonant. The film, which is now received as a cult classic, is worth seeing for Ruth Gordon and Bud Cort’s off-kilter chemistry that undeniably works on screen. See it if a fan of the era or curious as to what the hubbub is about, but temper your expectations accordingly. It’s funny in that peculiar sort of way.