Musician. Film nut. Faneditor. Beer snob.
Favorite films
Recent activity
AllPinned reviews
More-
Insomnia 1997
This is the original Norwegian film which Christopher Nolan would remake in 2002. Excluding the climax, events and characters more or less play out the same in both versions; stylistically, though, this is quite different (and mercifully free of Hilary Swank). Some camera play similarly conveys the sleeplessness of its protagonist; but where Nolan's approach could be quite jarring, here I found things more effective. One technique, in particular, reminded me of a scene in Coppola's The Conversation, where location…
-
Double Indemnity 1944
Overrated Wilder and overrated noir. I wasn't impressed when I first saw it years ago, but its reputation and my now-developed Wilder obsession demanded I give it another go. Sure, it's early noir, it ruffled and rolled around in the Hay(s code), and it's a prime example of the tropes that define the genre; but for me, it mainly amounts to a (nonetheless well-shot) drawn-out melodrama. People rave about Stanwyck, but I've never caught the bug and this definitely isn't…
Recent reviews
More-
Rush Hour 1998
I can't help but crack up every time Chris Tucker breaks into dance.
The gold standard for buddy cop movies, as far as I'm concerned; even if Carter is reckless and incompetent right through to the end (and entirely undeserving of any praise provoked by his inadvertent heroics).
I can tell this is the same writer as The Hidden: a sorely underrated buddy-cop/sci-fi drama/b-horror... thing.
-
Bullet Train 2022
Part "just ok" job-gone-wrong action flick, large-part drawn-out and obnoxious Edgar Wright copycat (with splatterings of Tarantino). A film like this needs to lean hard into good pacing, energy and chemistry. Aesthetics and editing style give the impression of energy here but numerous flashbacks spread a basic narrative thin and give the illusion of a more convoluted plot than what you're actually being fed. Chemistry is just.. not there. There are moments that hit, but far more often the jokes…
Popular reviews
More-
Parasite 2019
Watched with Tom!! 🚀.
I really liked Parasite, but it's not a great film; I completely understand the hype, but I feel that its popularity is based on a mixture of Bong having successfully built up a reputation over the years, breaking into the western scene most recently, having the right distributors attached and ultimately presenting people with a film that is original and surprising.
However, original + surprising does not necessarily a good film make.
I think I would…
-
Knives Out 2019
If Rian Johnson's The Last Jedi is an example of how not to "subvert" expectations, then Knives Out can be considered the antithesis.
A modern take on the traditional murder-mystery format, while maintaining the feel and atmosphere of a bygone era; Knives Out is much like a period piece, and when in the confines of the house (our main setting) is quite easy to forget as being set in modern day. While it pays homage to a number of well…
