ALL QUIET paints broad strokes with pale colors. It implements tried and true "anti-"war film tropes without saying/doing anything unique or even using those formulas effectively. The underwritten screenplay isn't interested in a visceral depiction of war so much as it is an overtly pronounced one, while feigning emotional beats over characters that exist as simple archetypes. At the risk of submitting myself to the exact hypocrisy that Truffaut acutely pointed out, I don't even think this film goes far…
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Avatar 2009
Digital spectacle that feels like it was crafted with a real human touch. Cameron’s love for this fantastical world and his immaculate detail in bringing it to life, and his sense of intimate scale keeping his boundless scope grounded, still feels immersive and visceral. For all the doubtful rhetoric since, Avatar is proof that many continue to learn the wrong lessons from Cameron and specifically this film in shepherding the more bombastic 21st century CGI-laden blockbuster era, and that Cameron…
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Drive My Car 2021
The camera stares outside the windows from within the confines of Yusuke's and Oto's home, dimly lit, viewing the sunset just as Oto rises from bed into frame. Her face is in shadow as she tells Yusuke a story, during sex, of a girl who frequently broke into her crush's apartment, taking souvenirs and leaving mementos to vaguely indicate and communicate her presence without confronting the person she is in love with and communicating her desires explicitly.
This simple but…
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Puss in Boots: The Last Wish 2022
Thoughtfully considers hefty themes with its playful and bountiful spirit amidst a vibrant, creative landscape. But really, Florence Pugh and Olivia Colman!! No additional notes. It's fucking good!
