NYFF 2020: film #5
“if you know the answer, why ask the question?”
i really tried. this is wildly uninteresting, all philosophical filler with nothing tangible to grab onto. there’s a glimpse of possibility just after the mid point that held my attention, but was immediately discarded in place of more cold conversations that seem to run in circles. at least it looks nice!
NYFF 2020: film #3
“only the state has the right to be violent. when we respond to that violence, we go to jail. we risk losing our children, we risk our jobs, our lifestyle, even if our lifestyle isn’t great”
as timely as ever. real footage of police brutality paints a horrifying picture as interviews weave in and out, the speakers commenting the the clips and sometimes even arguing opposing sides with each other. i’m not that well versed with the specifics of french politics, but it’s chilling to see the similarities between france and what’s been going on in america, especially this year. anyways... ACAB
a star-studded cast that includes spider-man, batman and pennywise the dancing clown but the best performers were eliza “the tooth fairy” scanlen and riley “ten minutes of screen time” keough. i’m not surprised!
NYFF 2020: film #2
“some time you can tell me the ending”
with a brisk 70 minute run time and an interesting setup, i was enjoying this for quite a while. unfortunately when the narrative shifts i lost most of that investment i’d built up, but this is still a fun exercise in unique meta layering and acting techniques. the autumn sonata line reading was a definite highlight
NYFF 2020: film #1
“don’t you know i wanna be your friend?”
kicking off my virtual fest with this newly restored print, and it was not at all what i expected. successfully lulling me into believing i was watching the normal teen fare, the final act sent me into a total panic. not sure how comfortable i feel with some of the implications at play, but i can’t deny the effectiveness of the fear that creeps its way in. by the third act this morphs into a flat out horror film. and it’s no surprise that laura dern has always been that good
“we’re gay and pregnant!”
far from perfect but haley lu could sell me on anything (inserting a reminder here that i saw five feet apart in THEATERS) also this earns bonus points for a certain side plot that i had NO idea was in here... and with a maggie rogers song playing in the background? talk about knowing your audience
a lot of the smaller nuances in plot went over my head because of the specific politics at play here. by the third act i was finally getting invested but it felt a little too late in the game for the ending to really stick. still a solid warm up for when i eventually attempt dekalog... i'm petrified
popped into the theater during various scenes while at work tonight and realized i’m done having fun with this: what good is a complex plot if it’s too hard to hear or understand, and why hire an actor as good as elizabeth debicki just to be used as a human punching bag? i love plenty of nolan’s other films, but someone as monumental as him doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt anymore when it comes to something as simple…
this was exactly what i thought it would be, but made me feel much more. why does gemma always clown me like this