Invisible Empire: A New World Order Defined (2009)

From Jason Bermas (one of the Loose Change guys) comes this examination of 'the New World Order'. Culled from various conspiracy theories and seemingly calibrated to our times, there's a mixture of Bercher stuff here, anti-corporatism, anti-globalism, allegations of an occultic elite ect. Movie spends a lot of time at the beginning citing various political figures and the like who have used the term 'New World Order' from the progressive era on. Really 'New World Order' while a very loaded phrase to some, can also be seen as one that really means nothing, other then that the geopolitical situation changes from time to time and hence the phrase tends to get trotted out after major power shifts like the end of World War I, or the collapse of the Soviet Union. George Bush Sr. seemed to like to use the phrase, but it didn't really seem to mean anything more then Bill Clinton's 'Bridge to the 21st Century' did, just rhetorical boiler plat stuff. The implication, yea the main contention of the film is that there is a surprisingly gradualist, even meandering plot to enslave the worlds citizens, perpetrated over time by an elite through various overlapping think tanks and policy groups like the Trilateral Commission, The Council on Foreign Relations, The Bilderberg Group ect. I admit I actually spent some time thinking about this film, its implications could be scary, and some of the things it says about the general direction the world is taking is probably accurate, but I just have a hard time with the idea of a vast world governing conspiracy, especially one so esoterically showy and slow moving as here alleged. It's interesting though, I'll give it that. Thumbs: sideways.

The Deal (2003)

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The initial installment in writer Peter Morgans 'Tony Blair trilogy'. This film focuses on how the upstart centrist Tony Blair, not the old-school party stalwart Gordon Brown, rose to become leader of the Labour party after the unexpected 1994 death of (the apparently much respected) John Smith. What makes the film so fascinating is the dynamic between Blair and Brown, the two where good friends, they shared an office together after having both been first elected to Parliament in 1983. For a long time Brown was seen as destined for greatness in Labour circles, very smart, brilliant even, quite capable and hardworking, but possessing a prickly Scottish personality. Upon first coming to Parliament Blair was considered something of an oddball, even an anomaly, Labour was very left wing at the time containing socialists (and as the film implies) even communists in its ranks, while Tony was a Third Way centrist. Four consecutive defeats for Labour lead to an understandable appetite within the party for someone with wider appeal to take the rains of leadership, and Tony Blair fitted the needs of that time and place perfectly. However Brown and his faction would need to be placated, thus the titular 'Deal'. What's interesting about this deal is that Blair gave Brown such unprecedented domestic power as Chancellor the Exchequer that he essentially had nothing to do, thusly he turned his attention to world affairs and was able to establish himself as quite the statesman. I find this kind of 'inside baseball' political story quite fascinating but I think the personal element is what drivers the film. It's the whole Kennedy/Nixon thing, the charmed charismatic one so good at the politics and the socially awkward, kind of angry one so brilliant at policy but horrible with people. The movies very specific to a certain nation and era, but also timeless in a vaguely Joseph Campbell archetype kind of way. I recommend, but if you don't like movies that are basically all talking and political maneuvering, you'd better pass.

Keepers of the Frame (1999)

Documentery on film preservation and its importance, a cause I hold dear. Very informative. You can watch it here.

Bulldog Drummonds Escapes (1937)

This time a young Ray Malland plays the Bulldog. Malland's portal, and indeed the whole film, exudes the air of characters knowing they are in a sitting room mystery drama, one of the characters even has a line to the effect of 'your here Mr. Drummond, so we know inevitably there will be some kind of crime for you to solve'. This air of nonchalance and fun is perhaps not surprising given that the film is based on a play called 'Bulldog Drummand Again' (no seriously, that was the plays title). The mystery here involves the counterfeiters of fake war bonds, an inheritance, and the lovely Heather Angel being held captive. Ideocentric fun.

Bulldog Drummond's Revenge (1937)

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While preparing for his wedding pulp hero Bulldog Drummond (John Howard) becomes involved in plot to steal an experimental super explosive. Programmer offers lots of dry humor, John Barrymore as a Scotland Yard Colonel, and Frank Puglia cross dressing about as successfully as Corporal Klinger. Interestingly Drummond doesn't actually get revenge on anyone in this movie, I don't think he's the type to hold grudges. Lite fun.

Dodsworth (1936)

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This 1936 best picture Oscar nominee was based on Sinclair Lewis's 1929 novel of the same name. Midwestern automobile manufacturer Sam Dodsworth (Walter Huston) retires, sells his company, and takes his wife Fran (Ruth Chatterton) on a long European vacation at her insistence. While on this trip Fran succumbs to European 'charms' and worldly ways (she cheats on him), while Sam remains his earnest, though kind of boring mid-western self. The movies popularity I think came from its frankness (Sinclair Lewis had a sharp literary knife for American foibles), and that it felt remarkable like a pre-code film in its sensibilities, but passed The National Board of Review apparently unchanged. This is a case where I must say I liked a film despite its often unpleasantness, these characters are in what's a pretty nasty, often petty situation which they are not all that adult about. Chatterton's Fran at first seems likable enough if a little naive and pretentious, even at first a little hesitant about becoming involved in situations she knows will tempt her, she practically begs her husband to do something before she succumbs, but fights him whenever he does. Sam Dodsworth is a much more moral person, but boring, thoroughly middle-American, and prone to sometimes misplaced anger and passive self-loathing when things don't go his way. Certainly the portrayals of these complicated, even modern seeming characters elevate the film beyond its time, its also one of a still minority of films in which after a point, you actually root for the main characters to get divorced. Elegant support proffered by Mary Astor and David Niven, William Wyler's direction shows his immense skills at the serious family drama just beginning to unfold. Grade: A.