The Tenant
|
Our Price: $27.95 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $5.81 (click here) Category: DVD See more DVD releases |
|---|
Buy this DVD movie at online store in your country
Canada
Canada
Movie Reviews of The Tenant
Movie Review: A neglected gem from Polanski
Summary: 5 Stars
Not much to add to any of this, except two things: One - I would just like to say that this is a COMEDY!! Two - having seen this once on VHS, I thought just for the hell of it I would try watching the French dub on the off chance that it would be the one made for the French first-run release. It is, and let me tell you, folks - the social humor that comes off as rather heavy-handed in the English version becomes subtle, muted and sardonic. The regional Parisian colloquialisms immeasurably enhance the film's atmosphere and authenticity. Sure, there are American actors in the film, we don't get to hear their voices, but that's all right as Polanski gives a fine rendition of his role in French and the actors dubbing the rest of the cast acquit themselves extraordinarily well. I am nominally a purist about foreign language dubs as a rule - meaning I don't watch them as they generally vitiate the unique character of a film. However, "The Tenant" is a French film in all but the particulars of its completion and release for American audiences. It used a French studio, French actors and technicians, and is thusly as sharp an evocation of the damp, mouldy side of Paris as has ever been seen in pictures. For these reasons, the French dub seems to me to improve on the original - superb as that track is, don't get me wrong. But I hope you won't just take my word for it - to see "The Tenant" in French is a unique viewing experience.Movie Review: One of the Best Psychological Thrillers Ive Ever Seen
Summary: 5 Stars
'I think i'm Pregnant'... Roman Polanski's quote as he stands in front of the mirror of his dank apartment dressed as a woman and slowly losing it while thinking hes the target of a plot to have him commit suicide by his landlord and fellow tenants
...This is the 2nd Roman Polanski film ive seen so far and I think I enjoyed this film even more than Rosemary's Baby. You cant really put this film into words or categorize it. Its truly an eerie creepy slow moving film. Despite the fact it can be slow at times you still cant take your eyes off of it. I was enthralled by Polanski's character and portrayal of the polish immigrant living as the tenant in Paris. The overall atmosphere, the paranoia, the alienation and the plot are engaging. Ive seen many movies and this is unlike any other ive ever seen. It not only has the suspense and story which pulls you in deeper as the story progresses but it also has plenty of black humor to it. I laughed out loud in a couple scenes.
As soon as this film was over I turned it off then put it back on the shelf, but as the days went by I just kept thinking about it and wanting to watch it again. There is so much more to this film than meets the eye, ideas to contemplate, etc.. After i watched it and it sunk in over the days i was thinking , this is truly a great film. One of a kind. Highly Recommended. 4-4.5 stars.
Movie Review: After "The Pianist," Polanski's best
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this DVD solely because I have always wanted to see this film ever since a friend told me it is Polankski's best. I found it especially disturbing, I think, because I saw it shortly after seeing "The Pianist." The social isolation of Polanski's character (a timid but clever young man who manages to take over the apartment of a dying woman even before she dies from injuries sustained in a suicide leap), the fascist-like brutality of the the neighbors, and the ever-growing maddening tension that pushes the film forward are all elements that Polanski used effectively once again in his more recent masterpiece. This juxtaposition made me think about how even the most mundane lives are small reflections of a vaster political landscape. Of course, one doesn't need to draw these comparisons to be blown away by "The Tenant." (In fact, the film has more obvious links to "Rosemary's Baby.") The film can be appreciated as a well-constructed, flawlessly acted (Melvyn Douglas as the landlord and Shelley Winters as the concierge are great) suspense thriller. I highly recommend it.Movie Review: Learn Egyptology fast!
Summary: 5 Stars
(this probably won't help you if you haven't seen the film)"Stella" is the name of a beer in modern Egypt. They used to use beer in their holy festivals, but it was ground with a stone which left small particles in it which ground their teeth, perhaps a reason for their rather "schizophrenic" religion. Finally, removing a tooth was considered a graduation from the pre-sexual state into adulthood. This is of course, put very stupidly by me, but i just wanted people to know that the truth is real and your intelligence doesn't matter if you're plain wrong, so if you honestly think you have something to say, speak up! Otherwise listen...
ps. just wanted to add the Japanese movie "Pulse" has a similiar theme...
actually, if you want the full Egyptian workout, see "Cure" and then "Charisma"
pps. i just love the reviewer who says "I've been to Paris - it's not that bad!"
Edit: not the 0 for 6! Aiee! Just a warning the comment's a spoiler.
Movie Review: Wildly Surreal
Summary: 5 Stars
Not everyone's favorite Polanski film, but it's great to have it out there. The "plot" concerns a man taking a flat in a Paris walk-up,(the conceriege is Shelly Winters, one of the neighbors is Melvyn Douglas) and sure enough it was once rented by an extremely strange now-dead tenant. It gets weirder from there (don't miss the make-out scene in the Bruce Lee film). This is one of Polanski's finest and strangest. There's eyes in walls and an incessant tapping by the sink. Polanski is the main character, even more than he was Pardon Me <the Fearless Vampire Killers>. This is a movie for late at night, when the lights are out and you're willing to be weirded out of your mind. Not to miss for fans of David Lynch or David Cronenberg--it seems to have had a lasting effect on those two gentlemen. You will not have seen much like this one. A definite five star odd movie.