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Reviews
Léon (1994)
8/10
A perfect film by no means. The relations are questionable. The motives as well. Leon's mystique is likely intentional, but leaves much to be desired. Its strange to see Oldman in this way, but totally its a tense movie that kept me interested in the not knowing of its direction. I cannot board the Portman train, either at this age or as an adult, but I tip my hat to the screenplay of it. I liked it very much, even with its complications.
Quantum of Solace (2008)
6/10
The Bond films (Daniel Craig exclusive) and I do have a long history of having no earthly idea about what in the world is really going on at all. I feel as if the only one I did not have this experience with is Casino Royale. This is my favorite of the iteration, and its followability just may be why. The set pieces and action sequences were on par. They weren't bad, and they weren't special. So when you get what you sort of expect with predictably precise action sequences and confusing plotlines, where can a Bond movie win? In the villain, say true. And this is where QoS loses. Compared to Bardem, Waltz, and other compellingly scary villains, the blunderingly stupid antagonists here were disappointing to say the least. In my humblest opinion, a villain can make or break a Bond film, and most unfortunately, this one left broken.
I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020)
7/10
Absolute unease. That is this movie. Never have I seen a movie that I felt some much more than I understood. What I mean is this: the film is painstakingly hard to follow. And unfortunately, I am not smart enough to pontificate upon what its supposed to be about. It could be relational ideals, aging, regret, or whimsy. Likely its a melting pot of all of those and much more. But aside from what's hard to understand, there is real discomfort in having this movie happen to you, and that is what it does. It happens to you. I am told its easier to follow if you've read the book, but as I digress, and can add only that I had no choice but to watch this movie. Buckley, Plemons, and Kaufman were like new age meeting a part of me that longs for emotional contorttions, and I was for it. However, I likely will not revisit. Kaufman calls it his swan song, and it was evident he felt like he may not make another one. Super weird; painfully uncomfortable.
The King (2019)
7/10
A reasonably enjoyable drama, directly inspired by the post-GoT era. Its strength, frankly, is in its writing and dialogue. The viewer hasn't a choice but to hang on every word of Harris, Chalamet, Edgerton, and Pattinson. Pattinson brings value to every scene in which he participates. It mattes not whether his accent is accurate. The man is entertainment. The dialogue and character relationships are what makes it a drama rather than an action epic or historical narrative of any sort. The action sequences themselves are dim and imperceptible, as I'm sure the budget dictated, but not much was lost in checking out of those scenes. I would watch more movies like this. I was pleasantly surprised.
Captain Fantastic (2016)
7/10
An incredibly sweet love story between a father and his kids, CF was quirky, awkward, and sincere. Viggo had me rooting for and against him in the same instance, and the journey was entertaining throughout. The narrative itself was a tad shallow and predictable, but a genuine family movie if you don't mind see a penis or hearing the F word with your family.
Paterson (2016)
7/10
Having watched this in a very dynamic and rapidly changing time in my early adult life, I suppose it has a different effect than it might were I to personally be in the same state of repetition that so many of us are. It is something I will think about for a long time, for it demands an introspection on life, meaning, and purpose in a simple way. The themes and symbols are fascinating. Driver is incredible as is he always. There's just something about this one.
Frances Ha (2012)
8/10
As charming as it was quirky, Frances Ha felt much like Gerwig's autobiopic. I have formed my relationship to Greta in achronological order, knowing her first as writer/director for Lady Bird and her adaption of Little Women, I knew not what talent she had for this side of the camera. It is one thing to interpose one's self onto a character and another thing entirely to allow that character to reveal themselves in you, but Frances's (Greta's) weird, square-pegged, clutz that longs for real companionship is inescapably relatable. Baumbach and she are geniuses of the human emotional note.
The Standoff at Sparrow Creek (2018)
7/10
Classic cinematic thriller tension interposed with a liberal narrative. It became predictable about midway through the story, and I didn't regain legitimate interest until the actual standoff itself. That said, small budget movies like this often need to rely on characters, and this is no different. The meticulous and patient reveal of the lead while simultaneously satiating the viewer using others was enough to maintain my investment. All actors contributed. Fine enough film.
Portrait de la jeune fille en feu (2019)
7/10
This movie is beautiful. It's visually refreshing, sounds perfect, and is pleasant in all senses of the word. And it is sad, also pleasantly so. Not because the love could not be but because of the reasons it could not be so. Stunning performances, deeply sensual.
Snowpiercer (2013)
8/10
What a weird, fun, captivating ride (literally). As the second Bong Joon Ho film I've seen, I once more relished in being entirely at the mercy of a vision. Never once did I feel in control, and I loved it. It's strange to see Evans without red, white, and blue tights, and he was fine, not the most desired lead. But adequate. The supporting performances were spectacular. Alongside Parasite, it is clear that Bong has a lot to say about class, and I love the irony this movie offers in its commentary on climate change. I'll watch anything this guy makes.
The Lighthouse (2019)
7/10
I don't think I enjoyed this. I certainly didn't understand it, and I don't think I'll be rewatching it anytime soon. I'll be searching for some answers online.
However, I love that this movie got made in 2019. The performances were jarring, and they were shocking. Pattinson is something else. This is perhaps the strangest movie I have ever seen. It is also in conversation for the strangest. I want more things like this in the world.
Mid90s (2018)
8/10
Its about a time and an era that I have only heard about. An impressive directorial debut for Jonah Hill. I hope this is him, and I hope it isn't. The younger platoon of actors in this film are so compelling and believable. I didn't care about anything except bring with these kids while watching this movie. It hit every beat. The musical cues were dope and as nineties as it gets. Lucas Hedges will get an Oscar one day. I cannot wait to see what Hill does next.
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
7/10
Oscar Isaac is the freaking man and don't you forget it. Not the best Coens by a long shot, but it was raw, funny, and sad. The music was great, and it all felt real. I enjoyed this trip.
Midsommar (2019)
7/10
I am disturbed and won't be watching this again. It was at times overwhelming, and I had to take breaks so as to tether myself back to what's real. But isn't that what it's meant for? It looked beautiful. It was ambitious in its cinematography, its sound, and it's ideas.
I don't understand a lot, but I'm fascinated by the notion of putting a struggling couple that we all could relate to at the center. What amazing avatars. Florence Pugh - Star. But a hard watch
Aladdin (2019)
6/10
It was fine. I try with all my might to watch these movies for what they are, but even still I found myself thinking, "Disney, you can do better than this" which I guess is a testament to the brand they've built for themselves. It was a one to one remake of the animated film, and I found myself wondering whether I wanted that or not. Will Smith was fine, but most of acting was not. This is low grade disney
Thunder Road (2018)
8/10
This movie was strangely familiar, rudely emotional, and imperatively engaging throughout its entirety. Jim Cummings is a master, and the worst part of it all is how, having written, directed, and starred in this movie that this has absolutely got to be, at some level, auto-fiction. Cummings delivers some of the best writing and acting that I've seen in some time. In short, I thought it was really a magnificent movie. Do more things, Jim.
Joker (2019)
6/10
Truthfully, 6/10 feels generous. Simply put, this movie is not really very good. I don't understand the point of it, which is something to be said of a "comic book" movie. I do understand the Joaquin Phoenix craze, and it truly was an impressive, however repulsive transformation. I don't understand what this movie wants to say, nor do I think the movie quite knows. Its a consistent tone that never rises or falls and sort of sits on your chest like an uncomfortable pressure for the whole film, and it does not work to the film's advantage. I just don't get it, in short.
Brian Tyree Henry is the best part of this movie.
Gisaengchung (2019)
8/10
I get it now. I understand the hype. This movie is tremendous. Its clever, intentional, and gripping throughout. Every line. Every set piece, every shot is on purpose. It works so deliberately toward its goal without being predictable. Its so absolutely tense, and crescendos in satisfactory fashion.
A deep study on class and its implications in society as a whole. It asks questions like what does class hierarchy do to those who suffer from it? The story centers on people who are on the margins of society and are (forced?) to make some unseemly decisions. Who do you root for? And why?
This movie WILL stand the test of time.
Uncut Gems (2019)
9/10
Wow. Addictive in all the right ways. This was the most anxious I've been in a movie in a long time, maybe ever.
Sandler was terrific. A phenomenal transformation, I can't believe I found Myself cheering for him all the way until the end. He is such a bad guy, I don't really know why I wanted him to win. I don't know if this movie will lend itself to rewatching, but it was a memorable enough first viewing that I found absolutely thrilling
Onward (2020)
6/10
Another entry in Pixar's series of kids movies that aren't really for kids, Onward is what you may call, "pretty good" It's simple and straightforward, and pretty fast moving in its world-building which made it hard for me to build a relationship with the characters. I can't say it was very new or inventive, but even knowing I was being manipulated wasnt enough to stop the tears. It's unapologetically emotional on several different layers and I cannot imagine watching this having lost a father
Roma (2018)
8/10
It is quite an accomplishment, in my opinion, for a movie to achieve beautiful artistic cinematography AND a narrative that captivates the viewer, and about a third of the way through, I thought it was going to be a film that only did the former. I'm happy to report that I was quite wrong. This is a beautifully, thoughtful movie that is visually challenging and captivating all at once. You care about the characters and are interested in their goings. It has a lot to say about the exploitation of women and class structure doesn't discriminate in that regard. It also speaks to the resilience of a mother, which resonated in a striking way with me who has an incredible mom. Beautiful movie.
Only God Forgives (2013)
6/10
I'll say this: I'm not confident that I understood this movie. So I am doing something different than what I normally do, and that's writing a preliminary review based on my own interpretation of the film, and then potentially responding to it again after I've had a chance to read some literature on it.
Here's my initial response:
I think this movie might be too weird for its own good. It feels like it can't decide if it wants to be a mainstream thriller or a quirky, no rules, indie flick. There were many elements that seemed to clash. It was strangely sexual for seemingly no reason. It was tonally unlike anything I've seen in a long time, and frankly its the first movie in some time that I've watched and truly had no idea what it wanted to say to me. There's a weird exploration of the relationship between a mother and son, an interesting take on judgement as is God's to bestow (and is the judgement of the "detective" a juxtaposition to the implied forgiveness in the title?).
I've given this much thought, and I don't think I feel much closer to the truth. I think I need to immerse myself into explanations.
The Farewell (2019)
7/10
A very sweet tale about family, morality, colliding cultures, and the question of success. I laughed and nearly cried. It was honest and curt at times, and the truth of the lie brought it closer to home. A good sample of humanity, but it wasn't quite visually appealing, the acting wasn't quite great enough, and the narrative tension wasn't high enough for it to move from good to great.
Hostiles (2017)
6/10
Disclaimer: I watched this with in like five different sittings...
There were a lot of things I thought were strong in this movie. I liked that it had ideas, and I appreciated that it tried things. I don't know that it all necessarily worked. It at times felts like it wasn't sure where it wanted to go or what story it wanted to tell. If it wanted to tell a story about barbaric mankind through the lens of native american oppression, then that is the most effective narrative. I was excited to see the likes of Jesse Plemons, Timothee Chalamet, Ben Foster, and Johnathan Majors, and when most of their characters were dead before I had the opportunity to build a relationship with them, the interpretation is either that they cared not about stewarding these amazing actors or they were trying to comment on the brevity of life and the suddenness in which death finds us - especially when we are late 19th century soldiers escorting "prisoners" across lands stolen from resentful natives.
This movie demands to be taken seriously as it kills off eighty percent of a young family within the first ten minutes, but it does so ineffectively as we're confused rather than dismayed at the deceased adolescents. It beckoned us to care about Rosamund Pike's character because of her anguish, but it felt mismanaged.
Another issue I had was the trouble I had understanding Christian Bale's muttering. I do understand that Bale's dialogue delivery had much to do with his character, but I draw the line when I need subtitles for English.
Ultimately, I didn't hate the movie. I was a little confused about what it was trying to do or say at times, but there were things they did well and things that I liked, and I think a continuous viewing experience would be far more rewarding.
Good Time (2017)
8/10
What a ride. Once this movie gets going, it doesn't slow down. It's so up close, so personal. I felt short of breath the entire time. The shots were literally in the actors' faces. And then without warning it's over. Would I call things resolved? This was an interesting exploration of human motive and the nuances it contains that people introduce. I was totally okay with and intrigued by the decision not to let us really meet anyone for real. I was dragged along with just enough information as the Safdie's wanted me to have. Pattinson and Benny are amazing. Very good movie.