by Sam Juliano
The coronavirus scare is now expanding into a nationwide and worldwide panic that is incing closer to drastic steps that could curtail or suspend public events and even cancel classes while buildings are sprayed. For some of us this is surely the most frightening health crisis we’ve yet witnessed on a widespread scale. Many are thinking of little else and are envisioning a plague-like spread even if the final outcome of this fearful threat is far less catastrophic. But while it is happening few can be consoled. The Democratic Primary race for President is moving forward with former Vice-President now firmly in the driver’s seat. The Republicans of course will continue to pound away at his speaking gaffes and competency, but like so many others in our nation on both sides of the divide any alternative to Trump is far more preferable. Vital in fact.
This past week Jim Clark published another stupendous film essay, this time on Claire Denis’ Trouble Every Day. J.D. Lafrance posted a fantastic essay of his own on George Miller’s The Road Warrior as well.
We saw the high-stakes Romanian heist movie The Whistlers Saturday night at the Film Forum. It appears in general that movie attendance is down because of the coronavirus scare. The film is a wildly entertaining noir-dark humor hybrid that pays homage with tongue and cheek bravado to American cinematic classics like “Psycho” and “The Searchers” as well as operatic treasures by Offenbach and Bellini and classical pieces by Strauss and Orf. Add in exotic locations like the Canary Islands, where a new whistling language is born and an intricately-structured gangster yarn breezily filmed in New Wave tradition and you have a work that bristles with freshness and immediacy, one showcasing some terrific performances and direction by Corneliu Porumboiu. 4.5 of 5.0
The Whistlers **** 1/2 (Saturday night) Film Forum