Heavy handed in places but understandable to get the point across to a wider audience. Tension builds well, which you can tell but how quickly the run time flies by. There’s little to no fat, with brief flashbacks added in at the right moments that don’t kill the momentum. All the sentiments of the film are spot on, of course. But you have to wonder if everyone involved in making this (and the author, of course) will forever be on some sort of government watch list.
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The Artifice Girl 2022
Damn. It happens very rarely but I was drawn in by a trailer that completely oversells this. Might work better as a play or book, but essentially it’s a very verbose, needlessly complex, lecture about AI that forgets for the most part that it is actually a film. And the ending really, truly sucks.
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Birth 2004
Kidman looks just wow in this film - absolutely iconic with her short hair. And the orchestral scene is one she will look on proudly when she retires. Glazer’s casting of Cameron Bright is just inspired - not sure I’ve seen a kid of that age act like that before. His presence is otherworldly at times.
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The Spanish Prisoner 1997
Never seen Steve Martin in a dramatic role before and for the first 10 minutes I kept expecting a joke or two to be slipped in. But, like a lot of comedic actors with a good understanding of timing, he fits right into Mamet’s world. This is good fun, leaving you guessing deep into the film, with Rebecca Pigeon being a particular standout (also nice to see Isiah Whitlock Jr, pop up in an early role).
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Before Sunset 2004
Absolutely timeless film, and I think one of the best things about the trilogy is that they work just as well as standalone stories. Although, this was mostly watched so we could revisit and reminisce about Paris. What a wonderful city.
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The Beta Test 2021
The social commentary and satirical parts aren’t exactly subtle, and it wanders off on some weird tangents but Jim Cummings’ performance keeps it all together. Feels like a film that has come straight out of the early 00s. Cummings is one of the best comedic actors around and really brings the best out of men on the edge trying to keep it together as their world falls apart. Like a weird mashup of American Psycho, Eternal Sunshine and Under The…
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L.A. Story 1991
The fun thing about going back to these type of films is spotting everyone that pops up. Aside from Sarah Jessica and Richard E. Grant, there’s Patrick Stewart, Iman, MC Shan (?), Paula Abdul, Chevy Chase, Terry Jones (doing his Monty Python woman voice on the phone I think), Martin Lawrence, Rick Moranis (doing a London accent for some reason) and Woody Harrleson. The film? It’s at the height of Martin’s popularity when he could get almost anything green lit.…
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The Stepfather 1987
Solid 80s thriller held together by O’Quinn who was genuinely unnerving. But, wtf is up with that nude scene of the daughter in the shower in the last act - who we were told very clearly was 16?!
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Prince: Sign O' the Times 1987
Technically we know that Prince could match anyone’s chops. But who else could hold the entire audience in the palm of their hands with such charisma and presence whilst rocking a guitar? Stevie managed it with a harmonica, which is a whole other level (Lizzo needs to lean into her flute playing for this reason alone) but it’s the funk and guitar sessions when you see the real Prince break out in any of his concert films.