Authority bias isn’t an American phenomenon
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I never said it was, but not protesting when being ordered to conduct a strip search, invasive vaginal exam, and fellatio for alleged theft just because the guy on the other end of the phone says he is a cop definitely is very American. I can assure you that would never happen elsewhere.
The Matrix trilogy recently got uploaded to Netflix and I binged it in one session.
I still remember seeing the final installment in theaters with my high school friends and had the most epic “WTF” moment when it ended.
I still only care for the first one and think it should’ve stopped there. The second and third one both have a few cool scenes (like the highway chase), but as a whole both the second and third films don’t hold up very well imo.
Didn’t like it, but it’s probably Robert Redford’s fault. One of the most overrated actors ever, with all the acting skills of a soggy cardboard box.
Street Dogs of South Central
Real view tough life documentary of city street dogs. Definitely too real and sensitive for some.
Bicycle Thieves (1948) - Considering how beloved this movie is I was not too impressed. It was ok, some of the editing was rough. The father and son dynamic was endearing enough, but I wasn’t moved. I guess I’m just a heartless bitch.
Un flic (1972) - The train scene was spectacular, as was the piano scene with Catherine Deneuve, but the rest of the film was not nearly as engaging as Melville’s other masterpieces. Alain Delon and Richard Crenna were hot af though.
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975) - Like Bicycle Thieves, I had really high hopes for this one as I really like Peter Weir and this was rated so highly by some cinephiles I know, but I was underwhelmed. Aesthetically it was gorgeous, but the cast collectively were wooden as a brick. The symbolism didn’t really strike a chord with me, either.
Wait Until Dark (1967) - Narratively it was convoluted, but the cast more than made up for it. Crenna was such a hot daddy, Arkin was a great villain, Zimbalist Jr. really milked his brief scenes, and Hepburn was simply sublime. In fact she’s quickly becoming one of my favourites from the golden era.
Short Cuts (1993) - Not as great as Nashville, but other than the abrupt ending, it was very strong across the board. It was more than 3 hours long but the seamless editing and interwoven short stories were interesting enough to keep me hooked, and it was actually really funny. MVP was definitely Jack Lemmon who blew the rest of the cast out of the water in his brief scenes.
In America (2002) - It was sappy and slight, but also grounded enough to not fall into hallmark territory. Sarah Bolger in particular totally blew me away. One of the best child performances in recent memory. I feel like all of her scenes would be perfect for a supporting actress montage. She is the observer and the narrator of the story, but the story ends up rotating around her. Djimon Hounsou’s character felt completely out of place, though.
A History of Violence (2005) - The action scenes were incredibly satisfying as the dead/beaten guys were such jerks, and the final exchange between Viggo Mortensen and Maria Bello’s characters aced, but the rest of the film was kind of … dare I say basic? I guess Cronenberg just isn’t my cup of tea.
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Back to the Future (1985) - Definitely very entertaining. I couldn’t help to be distracted by Michael J. Fox’s height though. The guy is built like a small boy.
The Last Picture Show (1971) - Loved everything about it.
Farewell My Concubine (1993) - 1993 is such an epic year in cinema. Perfection.
I, Daniel Blake (2016) - I urge all Brits to watch this if you haven’t seen it. You would have a lot of feelings.
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National treasure Frances McDormand strikes again with her mesmerizing turn as Fern in Nomadland:
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‘Leaving Las Vegas’ (1995) 7.5/10
It’s a good movie, but one I never want to watch again. Depressing, and Cage’s alcoholic character wasn’t very likeable. Cage does a good job playing an alcoholic, but sometimes I thought it was a bit over the top (eg: him drinking liquor while under water). I thought it could’ve been a tad more restrained while still getting the point across. Shue also does a great job as a damaged prostitute. I feel mixed about this one, but would still recommend it.
Yes like a cult classic or something.
Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me - I’ve never seen Twin Peaks the series so I guess that’s why I just didn’t get this at all. The club scene was great though. Questions in the World of Blue is a great song and the whole sequence is brilliant. Otherwise … meh. Didn’t care for it.
Jagten - Incredibly difficult to watch as it was just really cruel. Mads Mikkelsen was operating on top form and that little bitch girl (don’t remember her name) was great too.
Promising Young Woman - So I decided to watch up on 2020 movies and this was the first one I saw. Incredibly entertaining even though I saw one of the twists coming from a mile away. It was everything Gone Girl claimed to be and did it ten times better. Hope Mulligan and Fennell (who played Camilla in The Crown, btw, talk about double threat) do well at the Oscars.
Wolfwalkers - An absolute marvel in every sense. If you have children, watch this with them. If you don’t have children, still watch it. If you are Irish (@Brianjones) , DEFINITELY watch it. I’ve loved everything from Cartoon Saloon (the Irish Ghibli Studio) and this might just be their best to date. The animation was mindblowing, the voice work was sensational, and the songs/score were pitch perfect. It’s just so, so, so good. It’s on Appletv+ btw.
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I saw Wolfwalkers with my kids , yes we all thought it was great.
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okay, on my list
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I want to get in the cage with Cage. Potentially a stupid riot.
Edit: Watched. Nicolas Cage fighting demon possessed animatronics in an amusement park. What’s not to like? Nearly everything… or who knows it could become a cult classic. Probably not.
Cage sure does some strange movies. Must be needing money. Did he say one word in the entire movie? You’ll have to sit through some stupid shi* to find out. Seems to have been a product placement movie and one main product pulled out.
Willy’s Wonderland
Watched it this week, felt like a punch in the guts. The pictures were amazing both in beauty and in design creativity (as a guy who studied drawing I loved the choice of leaving hints of roughs in the finished picture), so many layers of narratives and references (old themes like good person does bad by mistake were taken to another level), and the voice acting grabbed you by the heart.
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This was better than expected, and history may be kinder than the meta score. It helps that I love sci-fi and Selma Hayek (reminds me of her role in Dogma, since it is quasi-philosophical-comedy). Available on Prime, I think it works well as fun but thoughtful; could have finished one or two scenes earlier.
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Carlito’s Way (1993) 9.5/10
One of my favorite films of all time. I’ve seen it about a dozen times since I was a kid, but hadn’t watched it in a while. It’s leaving Netflix in two weeks, so now would be the time if you want to check it out. This film sometimes doesn’t get the respect it deserves, because it’s the second crime epic directed by Brian DePalma starring Italian actor Al Pacino playing against type as a Spanish gangster… first as a Cuban in ‘Scarface’ and here as Puerto Rican (I’m not sure why DePalma picks him to play a different ethnicity, but it works both times). This isn’t fair, as CW is far superior to the overly sensational and ultimately ridiculous Scarface. Carlito has style as well, but also real emotional heft behind him… you like him and root for him to prevail (something I never did for Tony Montana in Scarface). Plus, there’s some wonderful performances in this film… Sean Penn disappears into his role as Carlito’s slimy lawyer. A great and foreboding soundtrack ties everything together. And the final climax in the train station is one of the best in any gangster films. Can’t recommend enough. See it before it’s gone from Netflix.
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Saw the film many years ago, but that ending really stays with you.
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