CQ

Delightful mash-up of 1960's Euro- retro sf cinema

Took the time to send an email to the Criterion Collection suggesting adding CQ to their list. Mixes the genres of sci-fi with comedy and with romance...

As someone who has enjoyed In Like Flint and Barbarella and other movies of the era, I thought this movie would be along the same lines. After watching CQ I found out it couldn't have been farther from the truth. The movie within the movie was interesting and would have made the movie more enjoyable if it was done better. The "Secret Agent" part of the movie would have made a great "B" movie if it was more than just a short portion of the film. However the "real" part of the movie left a lot to be desired.

Cheeky, cheesy, funny, and thoughtful! I discovered this small gem of a film and rented it w/no idea of it except for what the back cover disclosed. Upon initial reading, I thought it might be akin to the "Matt Helm" or "Flynnt" films of the 1960's with a twist or a spoof of the spy film genre. I was wrong. It's Roman Coppola's (Nicholas Cage's cousin) sentimental treatment of his early movie-watching experience as well as the personel odyssey of a first time director against the backdrop of the making of a late 60's/early 70's spy film. The idea of a film within a film is not new and could be confusing; however, Mr. Coppola's use of the technique works for him here. Though it is not the best film of 2002, it is an intelligent, thought-provoking, and entertaining little movie. The caliber of talent Mr. Coppola assembled in Jeremy Davis, Elodie Bouchez, Angela Lindvall, Giancarlo Giannini, Gerard Depardieu, Jason Schwartzman, John Philip Law, and Dean Stockwell go a long way in making this a little gem and not a lump of coal. The choice for casting worked nicely for this 1st time director. The confusion and searching portrayed by Davis' character kept me interested in his trials and tribulations as he tries to find truth through the media of movies in his life. It is his search that ultimately made me like the film. This main character is neither good or bad, but a man trying to find his way in the world he has chosen, meanwhile, like the rest of us, he still has a day job [sound editor-turn-director] to contend with while searching. It is Mr. Coppola's handling of this character that will either keep or lose you in the film. His first outing shows he has definite potential and not just b/c of family ties. As his first directorial movie, its likable. On a secondary note, the music and cinematography are reminiscent of the times. The Dragonfly visual sequences and soundtrack provided by Mellow almost take you back to those psycodelic times. Compare the Dragonfly scenes w/movies of the same period and you will notice how well the cinematography was done. The background music, though could sound cheesy, comes across authentic. In both categories, Mr. Coppola did nicely. It would seem his choice of music was influenced by his sister's "The Virgin Suicides" OST, except the dark electro-synth sounds of Air are replaced in "CQ" with the dreamy, relaxed sounds of Mellow. In conclusion, if you're looking for a little movie done sentimentally, but not sappy about a person searching for truth to the background of some laid-back sounds, then CQ is the film for you.

If only you could judge a movie by it's cover !!! My imagination runs wild with scenes that include the super hot girl on the cover, buy alas I believe she only appears in that outfit briefly or not at all.

それにしてもこの安さは何なのでしょう？もしかしてプロモ盤？と思った方心配御無用です。ちゃんと本編が入っていました。日本語サポートは勿論ありませんが、この価格なら損した気にはならないと思います。映像自体を愉しむならかえってこっちのが好いかもしれないくらい。私は、日本版のＤＶＤが出たらまた買うつもりです。両方あってもきっと無駄にはならない気がします。