Obviously a pandemic project in its constraints and staginess, but quite masterfully directed all things considered. Has very little to say, but executes it so well it gets away with most of it. Would be almost nothing without Abbott and Qualley though, both of whom completely commit to every beat of the aggressively watchable seesaw power dynamics. Ending is so fun that I’m super close to bumping it up another half star. We’ll see…
-
-
My Neighbors the Yamadas 1999
May seem too simplistic and easy to ignore within the Ghibli canon, but there’s such a magical charm to its more minimal animation, very much like reading your favorite childhood book. Besides, its fantastic imagination elevates this far beyond your average animated film. How can you be mad at a film this warm?
-
Bama Rush 2023
Truly baffled that my sister somehow convinced me to a) press play and b) watch the whole damn thing. The concept is honestly pretty intriguing (even more by the fact that I’m watching it right as I’m taking a college visiting trip), but rarely have I seen such messy execution. The whole autobiographical aspect was clearly jammed in somewhere in the middle of production, probably around the time the doc rumors began, yet this is just one of the many…
-
Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania 2023
Truly convinced Marvel’s doing some sort of Make-a-Wish program where they let preteens co-write these movies with them. How else would you justify the whole “I can ooze into your hole” bit?
Not quite as initially dreadful as I was convinced I’d find this, but I have zero reasons to give a shit about anything happening here. Just a copy-paste of the same stuff we’ve seen these past 10 years in the genre. Never has the use for green screen felt…
-
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 2023
Kinda shocked but kinda not? Gunn has always been one of the select few that actually does something worthwhile with spectacle money, but I’m shocked by how uninterested he is allowed to be by franchise-building. Only further proves that Marvel’s set-up dependence has been causing a great deal of their current quality issues. Probably on par with the second one because of some hiccups in the writing, but honestly both a) a blast and b) has some of the MCU’s…
-
Touch of Evil 1958
Considering I’ve spent my whole life cross-crossing the Mexican-American border, this was kind of made for me? Dated and leans into caricature for its non-American characters, yet the stellar directing almost makes you forget most of it. Welles is unmatched on so many fronts. Unfortunately lost me a little in the last third but a fascinating watch nonetheless. That opening tracking shot is an all-timer.
-
-
The Great Gatsby 2013
Third time around (first after reading the book) and I continue to be deeply torn by it. To Luhrmann’s credit, his vision of Fitzgerald’s novel is so exuberant that it completely feeds into the original text. You can’t watch this, then read the text and not hold on to a great majority of the film’s depictions. Yet I continue to feel that his nonstop flashiness/loudness and absolutely atrocious narrative decisions (what a useless framing device) make about two thirds of…
-
The Joy Luck Club 1993
Truly sweeping. Very clearly a literary adaptation in its decades-spanning ambitions, detailing, and inner characterization yet uncommonly masterful at translating it with every shot. While I’m not usually fond of narration-heavy filmmaking, I rarely found any issue with it here, mostly as a result of its depiction of generational storytelling and the value of perspective. Every scene is filled with such wisdom, observation, and beauty that, although specific to this culture, transcends regional barriers. Sentimental, sure, but completely earned and felt. Constantly found myself in awe.
-
Scream VI 2023
I swear it seems that these requel(s) — or whatever the hell you want to call them — must be thesis projects for screenwriting majors. And even in the tech department, this rarely offers more than your Netflix movie of the week. Y’all need to stop calling anything that has any trace of self-awareness (however superficial) “meta” and praising it for this, specially when it mostly consists of naming a handful of movies, subgenres, or filmmakers tossed around on Film…
-
Sick of Myself 2022
Pretty obvious and limited in its purpose but utterly engrossing in its execution. Just hilarious to witness the levels to which Signe goes for the slightest flash of attention. Norwegian millennials make for such wonderful leads, and I love to see more of these Nordic dramedies shot on film beyond those of Trier. Much, much gorier than anyone had me expecting? Not a complaint though…
-
BEEF 2023
Even its pretensions feel not just earned, but as part of what heightens its execution. Just constantly challenges your notions of every character, twisting their prejudices, tensions, insecurities, and secrets in exploring the messiness of culture, social climbing, and generational trauma. Definitely takes some swings in its last two episodes, but mostly sticks the landing by allowing emotion and gut to guide the journey, as it’s the very reason why this all began. Besides, it’s beautiful to see a show…