For a movie featuring the proverbial cast of thousands, with spectacular backdrops, and telling a tumultuous story, check out the Mel Gibson (yes, the actor) film Apocalypto, which Gibson directed in 2006 (on video on demand). The setting is Yucatan Mexico and the subject the Mayan civilization in its literally final days before the Spanish Conquest. This is a harrowing story. A peaceful hunting and gathering tribe are captured by its aggressive neighbors, their village destroyed, and the adults taken prisoners. It’s what happens to the prisoners that is so diabolical. We’ve all seen the Maya pyramids and heard of human sacrifices. Apocalypto immerses into the subject spectacularly, showing this otherworld’s harrowing landscape, figuratively and literally. A surreal feast for the eyes with painstaking sets, costumes, make-up and an astonishing cast of literally thousands.
Take Me (on Netflix) is a 2017 film directed by Pat Healy in which he also stars as Ray Moody, a wacko businessman who runs a real-life kidnapping service, for clients who, you know, just like to get their kicks that way. These “authentic simulated” experiences are staged and Ray charges a sizable fee for the thrill. One day he gets a call from a woman, Anna St. Clair (Taylor Schilling), who is asking for more than he offers. She’s willing to pay big bucks but he turns her down because it’s against his ethics. She’s persuasive and in the end he can’t resist. All goes as planned. The kidnapping happens but then something takes place – evolve may be the right word - which blurs the line between the fake and the real, or is what’s going on ultimately still fake? The fact the viewer doesn’t know until the very end is the genius of this screwball whodunit with good acting by both Healy and Schilling. There’s a great original score by Heather McIntosh. Only problem? While the storyline keeps you guessing it stretches too long. Chop off 20 minutes and it would be perfect.
Le Beau Serge (Criterion Channel) is the very first film of acclaimed French New Wave director Claude Chabrol. Released in 1958 it’s a very human story about two friends: Serge (Gérard Blain) and François (Jean-Claude Brialy). One day François arrives in his childhood village to spend the winter after recovering from a mild case of TB. He immediately seeks out his old friend Serge, only to find him to be an utterly depraved alcoholic, literally the town drunk. He sets his mind to rehabilitate him despite the scowls of Serge’s abused wife Yvonne (Michèle Méritz). Meanwhile, the town flirt Marie (Bernadette Lafont) provides temporary distraction to the fiercely handsome François. And guess what? She’s also having an affair with Serge. What’s best about the film is the incredibly naturalistic acting, especially by Brialy as François…..After the film you can watch a short documentary, featuring Chabrol, about the film’s making and Chabrol’s early life as critic and then filmmaker.
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