Bitter Moon
(Roman Polanski, 1992)

Boring English people meet obnoxious Franco-American couple; really interesting Indian character is woefully underplayed.

Let's cut the crap and get right down to it. This film sucks. It's one of them weird over the top "perverted" sex movies designed to shock. Sadly, nothing is terribly perverted or gasp worthy. We have Hollywood to thank for that. Having truly lived thru the era of release was fond of some of the trappings, but didn't find the jolts jolting. Though a decade its senior, Bitter Moon is akin to The Dreamers (Bernardo Bertolucci, 2003) w/ the snore inducing sex romp. However, what saved The Dreamers was excessive nudity. The term saved is used in the loosest sense.

'Aight, Bitter Moon. What you need to know! Poorly written, unnecessary scenes, excessively long scenes, excessively long runtime, wooden acting, amaterish line delivery, &c. Sitting there wondered to thineself, "why in the h-e-double hockey stick did I select this title again?" And so while the film whiled itself away ran to the interweb... right! Vangelis soundtrack. Sadly, even so this trait was not enough to grant a pass. Sample of sick ass V-dawg cut: Dorky saxophone licks.

And so if you're the type that finds 50 Shades of Grey scandalous and tittilating this one's for you! If you understand that there are positions beyond missionary and enjoy actually good movies this one is not for you!

Not Recommend.

All that aside, there were perhaps two interesting scenes towards the end which genuinely dripped contempt, likely even disdain. Though, it is acknowledged such is comparatively related to rest of film. Not Recommend stands.

wait it's set in korea, but about vietnam?

M*A*S*H
(Robert Altman, 1970)

Unrelentingly crude field surgeons romp 3 miles from the front.

Pleasingly well cast (❤ u E.Gould), oddly paced, sensation of deep background. To be sure based upon a text, as are most films, but modified to critique/discuss topics of the time. Or so scant research hath revealed. A spirited conversation w/ rrriles did ensue asking, "Have we, 'Murricah, proxy films re: Mid-East military excursions of the past 3-ish decades?" Converstaion courtesy Google Talk which Google is shutting down today, or soonish. Thank you Google for removing/changing yet another perfectly fine service and forcing yours truly into yet another overly heavy, unnecessarily option laced, pseudo-app. Jennywho. That is to say, are there films set in Vietnam, but about Desert Storm? Or really as stage for discussing . Oh, sorry, "policing action."

Right, so anyhow. At the core, M*A*S*H does indeed exude good filmness. However, best consumed by folks living thru the era, or those w/ better understanding of the social context. That said, as one might be interested, do look into such. A dated film at first blush, but truly a window into a day long gone by. Unlike say, Nighthawks.

Recommend'd.

Note: ❤ listed as HEAVY BLACK HEART. How accidentally topical. Is that serendipity? I'm not going to bother w/ looking the word up, so I'll never know. As you, dear reader, are more studious the truth shall be known.