Manderlay (2005) by Lars von Trier - (7/10)

Manderlay is the second film in what seems like now, a never to be finished trilogy. It seems rather obvious as to why Lars von Trier might be reluctant now to finish the trilogy.


On its own right, Manderlay would have been an excellent movie. Following the masterpiece, Dogville, its impact was lessened somewhat. The visual style which was not as unique and shocking as it had been in the first movie, is was no longer as new and fresh as before. No matter how hard the story hits you, it is not as soul crushing as it was the first time around. Sadly Nicole Kidman wasn’t around this time, Lars von Trier apparently bullied her a bit to much the first time around, she was often reduced to tears. Bryce Dallas Howard does a pretty good job here, I wouldn’t be surprised if some people preferred her over Kidman. Despite this complaints, Manderlay is an excellent movie. It is a study about racism in America, one that I might find easier to agree with than some Americans might because just like Lars von Trier, I too have never been outside of Europe. I do think that, the lessons to be learned and conclusions to be drawn are universal in many ways. The movie is made more interesting by the main characters good intentions, she is not someone who is racist by her own accord and tries her best to avoid being one. She is perceived as one by the ones that she tries to help. Wait for the wonderful twist at the end, misanthropic ending. Reminded me a bit of The Village, the twist is meaningful, realistic and interesting here. Much like the first part, Manderlay is not as much anti-American as it is simply misanthropic. It makes you question the worth of the human race.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans (2009) by Werner Herzog - (5/10)

“Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans” is one of the two feature films that Werner Herzog released in 2009, the other one being “My son, My son what have ye done?”. Bad Lieutenant may have been the one that received better press but “My son, My son what have ye done?” is the one that I would recommend seeing.

Much like 2007’s Rescue Dawn, Bad Lieutenant feels too much like an average Hollywood film. This time around it is even worse, hardly anything about this movie feels like Herzog at all. He seems to have been only present to do some scenery shots, the scenes featuring or referencing animals and the “shoot him, his soul is still dancing scene”. Everything else could have been done by almost anyone else in Hollywood. It was billed as a black comedy but safe for the previously mentioned scene, hardly anything about this feels like a comedy to me. The script doesn’t feel like Herzog for 95 % of the time, he did not write the script himself (a very rare thing). I hated Cage’s acting in this one but that might be just a personal thing. To me, it feels like he does the same thing in every movie and here it was just too much. I wasn't too exited about Xzibit either. The ending did save it a bit, it was rather interesting and not that stereotypical. Given the large Herzog filmography and the fact that the recently released “My son, My son what have ye done?” was much, much better, I would recommend skipping this one unless if you are curious or have already seen a lot of Herzog movies. I do wonder what Herzog was thinking when he made this. I am certain that if I would go up to him and ask him, he would have no idea why I am saying these things and would consider me to be an idiot. I cannot shake the feeling that everyone would have been better off, if they would have let someone else make this one. There are plenty of hired goons in Hollywood that would have been happy turning out a passable cop story starring Nicolas Cage.

My Son, My Son What Have Ye Done? (2009) by Werner Herzog - (7/10)

My son, my son what have ye done? is one of the two feature films that Werner Herzog released in 2009 (the other one being Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans). Although this one received less glowing reviews than the Bad Lieutenant, I did find it to be the by far superior one of the two. Comparisons are bound to be made between the two movies but besides the fact that both movies share some cast members (luckily both featured Brad Dourif, he plays a redneck, racist ostrich farmer in this one), they are radically different in style and substance. David Lynch as most will know by now, produced it and although Herzog says that he had no creative influences. The movie not only features references to several Lynch movies (try to spot them), it does play out like Herzog tried to channel Lynch into this movie, style-wise. It contains plenty of Herzog elements as well, some of the lines are really typical of his, animals act important roles in this one (ostracises and flamingos are present) and it has that thing – which he used a lot in his recent documentaries – where he just lets actors stand around without giving them any clue as to what he expects of them and they just stand still and it is so incredibly awkward.

Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call New Orleans might have been promoted as the comedy and My son, my son what have ye done? as a horror movie of sorts, My son was by far the funnier and more absurd one of the two. This one does play out like a dark comedy with plenty of absurdity.

My son, my son what have ye done is a mood piece, a character study. It is slow, not much happens, the ending is both odd and anticlimactic and it is all about the mood and atmosphere. The atmosphere is just superb, the music is excellent. I heard some complains from everyone including Herzog himself about the quality of the image, it was shot on a digital camera but I though that it look beautiful. The story is based on a true story – true in they typical Herzog way – of a man who killed his own mother, believing that he would safe the world by doing this. A man that Herzog felt was too demented and dangerous to ever meet again.

Although I am usually not one to gasp over the cast, I am more about the directors. The cast of this one must be mentioned. Brad Dourif which I mentioned before makes his fourth collaboration with Herzog and does a great job. Udo Kier does a nice job as the gay theatre director (not sure whether he is just being himself or playing but it does make some comments funnier). Grace Zabriskie plays as usual the insane mother, she has worked with Lynch before, she was the crazy neighbour in Inland Empire. Willem Dafoe is sort of just there. Most import of all was Michael Shannon who plays the role of mentally troubled main characters well, with such subtle and brilliance that I wouldn’t be surprised if he went out tomorrow and stabbed his own mother. He is just so convincing that I find it almost hard to believe that he is acting.