Migo has written 12 reviews for films during 2020.
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Fallen Angels 1995
since “in the mood for love” is one of my favorite films, i decided to start a double feature of wong kar-wai films starting with this. this movie is a pure example of cinema as an art form. i can’t even describe it: the wide angle shots, the close ups, the shots of hong kong, the music; it honestly felt hypnotic. it had themes of love, family and time and how we should always treasure it, it also featured one of the more satisfying endings i’ve witnessed. this film is so caleidoscopic with it’s trippy color palettes and it sure felt like a drug.
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Kalel, 15 2019
so what was the point? i guess they tried to spread HIV awareness but was immensely overshadowed by poverty porn and the typical problems that a teenager faces. i don’t like the message it shows that once you get diagnosed with HIV, your life is over so therefore i did not like the ending. i get how they showed his troubled household as to why kalel acts how he does and how this attributed to his infection of HIV, but…
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The Handmaiden 2016
my second park chan-wook film is another 5 stars! it was a hard feat but i slightly liked this more than “oldboy”. it really compares to “parasite” with the themes of con artistry and power. i may be exaggerating but i think this film is almost on the same level. it had brilliant storytelling, cinematography and acting. i held out watching this for so long cause i thought it would just be a full blown “erotica”, it proved to be so much more.
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Sound of Metal 2019
i love music. i can even make a case that i love music more than i love movies. in this case, this movie really affected me as i was imagining if i was in the shoes of the character. music was his life and now he has to get accustomed to a world in silence. personally, if i were to keep one thing from my body it would be my ears just so i could listen to music. riz ahmed…
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Carol 2015
a gorgeous movie. i loved the whole 50s vibe with the holiday theme, music and wardrobe. a simple story with flawless execution and sublime acting by the 2 leads. i loved the themes of unrequited love and homosexuality being tackled, especially in that era. i thought the whole foreshadowing in the start and end was done brilliantly, it made for a great ending.
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Portrait of a Lady on Fire 2019
visually stunning and an example of what cinema should be. it is a slowburn and i loved how they incorporated the notion that actions speak louder than words. the 2 leads were amazing and the minimum dialogue of the movie was actually okay since we could see how their love began to arise. whether it be the touch of their hands or a flicker in the hair, the movie did a good job in building the sexual tension which a…
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The Killing of a Sacred Deer 2017
a wild type of revenge movie and i love it! the movie gives a lesson on fate and choices, how one mistake can alter a future. it tells us that cosmic punishment is sometimes needed to “get even”. it’s a simple concept done phenomenally and is a must watch for the psychological thriller genre.
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The Lobster 2015
this is my 2nd yorgos film and it looks like i’ll watch more from the director. this was a very interesting concept that was done well, it looks like yorgos’ style uses dialogue with humor while also adding a score to match. it is a satire that seems to be commenting on the structure of relationships in society. it gives a lesson on what we truly perceive as “love”, people can sometimes commit into something just out of attention. i…
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Persona 1966
simply put, the greatest examination of human emotion that was ever put on screen. it’s a really heavy viewing experience but a very powerful one. it gives a message that the persona we assume is merely a mask to cover our fear and insecurities, both elizabeth and alma play a role in the psyche. both are needed regardless of how incompatible, this is shown in the ending. after watching it, it really affected me to a point that i had…
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Mank 2020
happy “mank” day! first thoughts: i’m VERY glad i took the time to watch citizen kane, you can still enjoy this movie even if you haven’t but you’ll be missing a lot of the key elements. i don’t even consider this as a standalone movie as fincher directed it in a way that completely resonates “citizen kane”. the lights, the sound, the credits at the start; it was all very similar. we see exactly how mank got inspiration for it…
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Citizen Kane 1941
i figured if there was ever a time that i’d sit back and watch “citizen kane”, it would be before “mank” was released. i’m not the biggest cinephile out there and perhaps the oldest movie i’ve seen before this was “12 angry men” which i loved. i watched this with a lot of discomfort because i’m not used to watching movies this old. the cinematography combined with the lights and sounds made you wonder how they were able to pull…
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Requiem for a Dream 2000
Devastating, disturbing, heavy, and amazing. a truly accurate portrayal of drug addiction and missed life opportunities. How one longs for drugs to escape reality but then leaves a hole in the present. Honestly, one of the most intense movies I’ve ever seen and I’m glad I got to watch it at an age where I understand the effects of drugs. I had goosebumps when the credits played, the music had something to do with that too.