Last Movie You Saw, Name & Review Movie • Page 223

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My 50 film project is almost over, and the most surprising one so far is Cinema Paradiso. How did this film become so beloved? Everyone has seen a version of this a hundred times. With rare exception, foreign films that cross over and actually get popular in America are usually overly sentimental and boring. Parasite is the big exception.

I knew Happy Together would be great, but even with the knowledge of the magic of a Wong Kar-wai film it still manages to move you in ways that make the whole of human experience so universal. Film, or any narrative art form, is at its best when it manages to create empathy. Ebert even called it an empathy machine. What do I have in common with a gay couple from Hong Kong moving to Argentina circa mid-Nineties? Nothing, it would seem, but also everything. No matter how tall our buildings get or how fast we can send a picture to someone, we still keep butting out heads against each other and our inability to negotiate with each other and commit to true empathy. In the Mood for Love is probably still his greatest film, but there is no shame in being not quite as good as In the Mood for Love.

 

The Substance - 10/10
WHAT THE FUCK

 

I love how Tetra posts a long insightful review and it's followed by that

 

Both are valid

 

Yeah, I have also seen The Substance, and I was also going "what the fuck" in the best way possible

 

My mother wanted me to take her to see The Substance but she got sick. The rare time I would wish illness upon a family member.

 

We agree on these two!

 

Cinema Paradiso is the most on-the-nose movie I have seen in a while. It stands in stark contrast to something like The Fabelmans, which showed how film can be limited in showing the truth and how it can be used for purposes of propaganda and negativity.

A lot of the foreign films that break through here seem to show foreigners as pure, unwashed simpletons, and a part of the appeal for an audience of people famously allergic to subtitles seems to be the ability to compare their life to the plight of the characters. Postwar Italy has been portrayed in many different films, but this one feels much more like a Disney movie than the despair of the Bicycle Thief or the air of violence in the Godfather or the decadence of Fellini films. It's a movie for moms who live Hidden Figures or Mamma Mia.

 

The Substance - 10/10
Always pleasantly surprised when the hype pays off. A lot of people are going to write about this from the angle of its commentary on impossible beauty standards and the entertainment industry, so let me come at it from a different angle and just say: this is the bloodiest movie I have seen in theaters since Evil Dead (2013), which literally rains blood during its third act. It is not only directed with style, but with purpose, and it somehow manages to balance its pitch-black humor with the kind of body horror that would make Brian Yuzna proud. It's so gross and goopy that it feels almost unbelievable to experience on the big screen, let alone with an audience, and all of those elements are magnified by the pitch-perfect cast you are watching put themselves through this. (Seriously, what a brave role for Moore to take.) It's the kind of film that has enough sheer ambition to carry through any moments when the writing may falter momentarily. I could list any number of Carpenter or Cronenberg or Kubrick films that it clearly takes inspiration from, but the truth is, I'm not sure I've ever seen something quite like this; it's a singular vision that needs to be experienced to be believed.

The Strangers: Chapter 1 - 5.5/10
As someone who lacks much reverence for the original, I feel like the hate for this is overblown despite being an obviously weak retread with CW-level actors. The movie is undeniably well-directed, and pretty much everything else about it is a crapshoot. It's briskly paced with a merciful runtime considering nothing much happens aside from more of the same haunted house scares from the first film. The idea of a four and a half hour film split into three distinct chapters filmed back to back is exciting, but why would you not come out swinging any harder than this? At least the car scene was pretty good.

Blink Twice - 7.5/10
I was initially concerned that the commentary here might be too surface-level, and while it doesn't say anything particularly groundbreaking, I'm pleased to report that this was pretty good! The second half goes deeper and darker than I was expecting. The opulence and look of the film can be a little much, and I'm not quite sure all the writing adds up, but the film's inspired casting and mostly satisfying third act make for a sleek and relatively unique modern R&R film.

The Big Chill - 7.5/10
This one has been in my periphery for a while; when I learned about it last year, I was shocked I hadn't heard of it considering the cast, the premise, and the opportunity for pitch-black humor. Well, it's not really that kind of movie; tonally, The Big Chill is a little strange, often feeling like little more than a slight midlife crisis hangout flick that happens to be set against the grim backdrop of suicide, which is never really delved into as deep as it could be. Still, it's a cozy time capsule of when it was made with an undeniable soundtrack and writing that allows its many characters to grow and eventually bloom in front of the audience. The gamut of emotions run through on screen and the sheer amount of love these characters have for each other, even in their grief, will absolutely make you miss your college friends. It might not be a great film, but it's a sweet one, good enough to warm your heart and invite you into the lives of some familiar faces from the 80s.

Sorcerer - 9/10
Not much to say about this one that hasn't been said before. The Safdie Brothers have resurrected this level of tension, and I love their films, but this 70s staple just has that level of masterful writing and filmmaking that feels harder to find today. Yes, the film is anxiety-inducing and designed to make you squirm, but what struck me the most is Jackie's nightmarish drive alone towards the end of the film. It's no secret that I am a horror fan, and while this isn't explicitly a horror film, its tone and direction absolutely make it adjacent. The kind of film that just gets better and better throughout its runtime until you're kind of in disbelief by the time the credits role. Once-in-a-lifetime filmmaking here.

Something in the Dirt - 8/10
Benson and Moorehead remain fascinating, never totally sticking the landing but always taking incredibly ambitious swings for independent filmmakers, often blending unique genres with a cosmic flair that other horror directors tend to steer clear of. Something in the Dirt feels distinct to their filmography despite retreading familiar ground; very little of the film might actually classify as horror, and comparisons to Under the Silver Lake are apt. For a film that sells itself on two strangers attempting to capitalize on paranormal phenomena happening in their apartment complex, it has way more to do how we connect with others as adults, how we judge each other, levels of maturity and compatibility in adult friendships, and perhaps most importantly, how futile it can be to seek the truth despite the innate curiosity that is hard-wired inside all of us. It's a tense, messy, and uniquely captivating ride.

 

Sorcerer is one of the best

 

Yeah I gotta fucking watch Sorcerer.

 

Oh, cool.

 

The Substance - what the fuck/10

 

Great movie

 

Civil War is unbelievably dumb. Can’t believe someone made something so stupid. Waste of a good Kirsten Dunst performance.

 

Counterpoint: It was shockingly good!

 

What lol I guess if you ever thought gee what would a us civil war be like but without politics but still following journalists

 

You don’t think it’s at all interesting to look at the crazy people that do that kind of work?

 

Like the war is not the point lol

 

What was the point exactly

 

Somewhat but when it’s in the most ridiculous exaggerated and nonsensical war you can imagine it’s a little distracting!

 

you couldn’t pay me to watch that

well, maybe you could if the price was right

 

point was to be a terrible shit movie I think

 

Just try to explain the war in civil war to someone and tell me it’s not stupid. Then explain who wins and how or why. Then explain the end sequence. It gets dumber and dumber and dumber