Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  ...And Justice for All 1979

  Watched 25 May 2023

  Very blunt but impressively entertaining. A cynical appraisal of the American legal system that also contains a number of bizarre scenes that have practically nothing to do with the actual bones of the film. Like, for some reason one of the judges takes Pacino on a lengthy helicopter ride over a body of water and then joyously reveals they might not have enough fuel to get back - just a part of his eccentricities, like eating his lunch out on…

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  One Trick Pony 1980

  Watched 21 May 2023

  Interesting proto-Inside Llewyn Davis starring Paul Simon as Jonah Levin, a former 60s folk singer who got a lot of airplay for an anti-war protest song back in the day. But now it’s many years later and he’s scratching around with his band playing clubs, while working through a divorce and navigating his relationship with his young son.

  Simon has the sadsack, burned out demeanour down quite well, though I’m not sure he quite has the range for some of…

Popular reviews

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  The Piano Teacher 2001

  ★★★★½ Watched 27 Apr 2015 16

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

  The manifestation of sexual repression up close. Real close. This is probably my favourite Haneke film as of right now. Just a scary, brutal, unflinching look inside the mind when it's hunting for pleasure above all else.

  Piano teacher Erika, in her forties, still lives with her overbearing mother who we see tear up any of Erika's clothes that she considers too revealing or "gaudy" as she puts it. Erika is constantly focused on her teaching, pushing her students to…

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  Melancholia 2011

  ★★★★ Watched 20 Apr 2015 13

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

  Von Trier apparently got the idea for this film while battling depression and he definitely nails that feeling with the character of Justine. During the first half of the film, the wedding, her own wedding, the happiest day of their lives for most people, she forces out toothy grins and fakes happiness ("I smile, and I smile, and I smile") but in the end can't fake it any longer. She leaves her wedding to put her nephew to bed, to…