Last Movie You Saw, Name & Review Movie • Page 168

Poor Things - 8.5/10

really loved this one.

 

Honestly, that's the movie's one major weakness for me. I get why, intellectually and message-wise, the whole bit with the brothel in the middle is necessary, but it does drag the pacing down quite a bit.

 

I didn’t find it to be that at all tbh but I get it

 

Dream Scenario - 8.5/10 - This one hit close to home for me. The scenes at the "social" agency made me want to curl up and die. I've been in that exact meeting so many times with people who have stumbled into becoming the internet's main character. The brands start coming out of the woodwork to pick the bones clean before the world moves on after a few hours. Being famous, or even recognizable, seems absolutely miserable, and this film does an incredible job illustrating why in such a bizarre, surreal way. I love Nicholas Cage when he plays more grounded characters (like in Gore Verbinski's The Weatherman), and he shines in this one.

 

I hated the final act of that movie.

 

I felt like it took a very unique premise and just used it as a vehicle for a not-particularly-new thesis. Kind of a bummer. Did have one of the most excruciatingly awkward funny scenes of the year though.

 

the sex scene?

 

Excited to see Dream Scenario soon.

 

On the Count of Three - 8/10
Occasionally on the nose with some moments that ultimately hold it back from being "great," but it's very, very close. A uniquely dark dramedy with some big laughs and perfect casting. A great directorial debut from Jerrod Carmichael and I can't wait to see what he does next.

 

Poor Things - 9/10 felt like I saw somewhat of a mixed reception to this from critics I most respect but this was pretty much a total homerun for me, but that's not much of a surprise since I counted Lanthimos in my top 5 working directors. Absurdly pretty movie too, though sometimes in a way that felt like it wasn't so sincere? Though I guess that would go with some of the themes of the movie.

Anatomy of a Fall - 8/10 Holy hell the courtroom scenes and pre-arraignment stuff is incredible, some of the best courtroom/lawyer movie shit you'll ever see. At it's best it reminded me a lot of JFK and Gone Girl, I don't know if the script fully works for me outside of those, great, great scenes but the performances are all incredible, so it's an easy one to recommend and a total crowd pleaser.

 

it won’t and I know that but I would love for Poor Things to get a Criterion release

 

Yep. I think I audibly guffawed and then cut it off with an “Oh no”

 

Beau is Afraid - 10/10
There's a lot more I could say (and have said) about this film, but for now, I'll just call it Aster's unapologetic, unwieldy opus created for himself and himself alone. If you happen to identify with, laugh at, or enjoy it as much as I do, you can consider yourself lucky for simply being along for the ride.

The Strange Thing About the Johnson's - 7/10
There is a general sense of "Get it!?" looming over this short, but once you get past the novelty of a shocking premise (something Aster has since traded in for shocking moments in fleshed-out stories), it is in fact disturbing and effective, if a little anticlimactic.

 

Feast of the Seven Fishes - Bad, but not unwatchable. It's got some fun moments and the heart really comes from the older members of the family and their report with one another. But in the end it just made me want to watch that episode of The Bear instead.

Love at First Sight - Perfectly fine romcom propped up by the chemistry between the two leads. Has plenty of cute moments. Unfortunately, the meet-cute is rushed and a little forced and it you fumble that it's tough to ever reach great heights in the genre.

Ikarie XB 1 - Last week's movie club watch. Loved it. Masterfully crafts tension and it's easy to see how it influenced many sci-fi classics to come.

They Cloned Tyrone - Hilarious and a good satire of consumerism and white desires to assimilate other cultures. The only rough spot for me was Keifer Sutherland's performance, but Jamie Foxx's performance more than makes up for it.

Ferrari - Saw it a couple of days ago and it's grown a ton on me. It's got your typical Mann themes but with a little more focus on how powerful men try to control their legacy too. If it weren't for some rough performances this would probably be a top 5 of the year for me.

 

True Detective (Season One Rewatch) - 9/10
Not a movie, don't care, watch it. Incredibly dark, but with a purpose. One of the greatest seasons of television of all -time with a near-perfect final scene.

 

Isn't that show really sexist?

 

I wouldn’t call the show sexist necessarily but I remember critiques about I think Michelle Monoghan’s character. I haven’t watched it since it aired, there’s definitely some dumb stuff but despite Nic Pizzallato’s flaws I still like it overall.

 

Fukunaga has allegations as well, which slightly sours my remembrance of it. I liked his Jane Eyre, too.

 

I understand the interpretation that the show is sexist (at least that season, the only one I've seen), but I do feel that is a slight misread as it is presenting a worldview through the eyes of two hyper-masculine corrupt police officers, and though they are protagonists, it does not portray them in a flattering light. I would describe it as a largely pessimistic show more than anything, at least up to a certain point.

Fukunaga sucks, the show looks undeniably good but I think the show's uniqueness very much comes from Pizzalatto's writing, which, to be fair, is not for everyone.

 

It's definitely one of the more memorable viewing experiences I can remember, even if it does have a few issues

 

True Detective Season 3 is must watch, just saying

 

The Curse (Miniseries) - 7.5/10
As a huge Fielder and Safdie fan, I can't confidently say that this totally came together in a way that makes it truly great. But I can say that it is unique and, in some ways, unforgettable. I enjoyed the hell out of it.

Mothra vs. Godzilla - 7.5/10
Another Showa-era Godzilla flick that is flawed in all the right ways. Watched with friends on vacation, so of course I had a good time with it.

 

Probably my favorite Godzilla movie

 

Poor Things - 10

The Curse - 9.5

Emma Stone supremacy.

 

Something that I have found incredibly rewarding in the past year is going through some of the most revered works in a director's filmography in chronological order. It helps to fill in blind spots and also allows for a re-watch of some classics. Starting off the year with someone whose work I've always meant to check out but never got around to: Luis Buñuel.

Un Chien Andalou - 7/10 Purposefully incoherent, and yet full of meaning. The sort of free association, dream logic narrative that can only come from a film co-written by Salvador Dalí. A short, silent celebration of the subconscious.

Los Olvidados - 7/10 The world this film depicts is cruel and unjust. Children try to forge a life for themselves while being deprived of both money and love but ultimately fall into destitution's habitual traps. As barbaric and unrelenting in its misery as penury often is. "If we could lock poverty up instead of children," indeed.

The Exterminating Angel - 8/10 A social faux pas during a dinner party leads its group of affluent guests to complete debasement. Stripped of their etiquette and gilded veneers, the group becomes debilitated, greedy, and insolent. They are confined only by their own discourtesy and end up like sheep, following the herd off a cliff. I'm starting to get the feeling that Buñuel was not a massive fan of the wealthy.

Belle de Jour - 9/10 Catherine Deneuve embarks on a journey of self-discovery, while the film deals with the internal struggle of a sexually repressed woman for whom love and pleasure are separate things. Buñuel refuses to pass judgment on the protagonist's choices. There is no moralistic stance, no condemnation; instead, the film presents her experiences without explanation, allowing viewers to interpret and contemplate the consequences of her actions.