Log: week 9 / 2024
An interesting premise and some memorable scenes. Pulse is a worthy horror from Kiyoshi Kurosawa, but it's a bit too long and there's too much filler in between the good parts. With 30 or so minutes cut, this could've been a real J-Horror classic, but fans should give this one a shot if they haven't already. There's some real thought behind the premise, and there are some creepy, haunting scenes. The grim cinematography and subdued performances help with the mood, but Kurosawa drags certain parts out too long. The pacing issues make it harder than necessary to get fully immersed, which is a shame for this type of film. Slightly better than I remembered it to be though.Read all
A24 does Asian-American romance. The result is exactly what I expected of it. It's not a terrible film, but the presentation is rather bland and the mixed identity theme has been done to death by now. What remains is a bit of subdued sentimentality, but even that has been handled a lot better by bona fide Asian dramas. The performances are decent and the premise is suited for the type of stilted Asian romance that can work well when executed with the proper flair. Song's direction feels rather flaccid though, relying on stale stereotypes and worn-down themes. It's an okay film, but it doesn't deserve all the accolades.Read all
Casanova returns with a film just as pink and just as fucked up as his first feature film. People thinking Skins was just some random fluke will have to admit that Casanova has a clear signature style, one that is hard to compare to anything else out there. You may wonder how long he can do films like this before it becomes tired and boring, but clearly, that number is higher than 2. This analogy between North Korea and a toxic relationship between a mother and son is an absolute experience. Sumptuous cinematography, bold performances, and a unique premise make this another instant classic.
Disney's latest animation sports a rather interesting premise, but in true Disney spirit, it does absolutely nothing with it. This could've been a smart take on how power and fear corrupt, instead, we get another good vs bad tale about a young do-gooder girl who stands up against an evil magician. It's nice that they tried something different with the art style, but it doesn't look all that great. The voice acting is poor, the musical elements are distracting and the plot is dull. I understand a film like this is aimed at a younger audience, but that doesn't mean you can't make a slight effort. Bleh.Read all
A Hungarian classic. This was my third Szabo, and like the ones I watched before, it failed to impress me. It's an epic undertaking though, a 2.5-hour biopic based on a play (and not so much facts, as the intro clearly stated), but the film is too traditional for my tastes, making the runtime a real bother. Attention was given to the cinematography, which I appreciate, but I found the colors, lighting, and mise en scene pretty ugly. The story was dull, the soundtrack somewhat annoying and 140 minutes was excessive. This just isn't the kind of cinema I like, and Colonel Redl couldn't convince me otherwise.Read all
An interesting take on consent, especially because the situation isn't as black and white as is often the case in similar films. Walker serves a pleasant drama that feels like there's a real connection with its main characters. It's probably because Walker herself is still quite young, making it a little easier to bring these characters to life. No is no, but what if there is no clear no? A little peer pressure, the uncertainty of a young girl, a setting that encourages drugs and booze intake, and a bunch of guys hoping to get laid. It's a poisonous mix, and Walker serves it with plenty of flair. Solid performances, a polished presentation, and a strong finale make this a worthy drama.Read all
League of Gods: Leizhenzi
Yet another League of Gods adaptation, but this is one of the cheaper ones. The Chinese streamers have gotten a lot better over the years, but this film seems to hark back to the early days. A very short runtime, terrifyingly ugly CG, and mediocre performances saved by a dose of high-energy fantasy. The plot is extremely basic, then again these films always play around with the same settings and lore. It's a bit more disappointing to see CG this bad in 2024, and though I love a starkly paced film, 60 minutes is a bit too short to do justice to the story. There's still some fun to be had, but it's a serious step back from similar films.Read all
If Kumakiri went back to his genre roots with #Manhole, Yoko no doubt was made to quell his arthouse thirst. It's a dark and sullen drama, the kind Kumakiri loves to make between his more entertaining projects. And it's a good one too, it's just not up to par with his very best work. Rinko Kikuchi is a good actress, but she didn't seem to be entirely comfortable with her character. The cinematography was nice, but a bit predictable, as was the road movie structure. It's a film without any real weaknesses, the only real problem is that I've seen this type of thing done better. Good, but not one of Kumakiri's best.Read all
Not what I expected, but that's because my knowledge of Irish history just isn't good enough. This isn't a movie about "Bloody Sunday", couldn't have been since it was released one year before these events. Instead, it's a drama about a menage a trois and homosexuality. Oh well. The performances are decent and the story is quite easygoing, especially for a film that is more than half a century old. The direction is pretty bland though and the drama isn't all that notable by modern standards. It didn't bore me, but I don't think I'll remember much of it in a week or so.Read all
An elusive Oshii film. But good things come to those who wait, and so The Delusional Giant finally showed up after years of praying. On the one hand, it's not hard to see why this film had trouble moving past Japanese borders, because it is a weird one. On the other hand, this is Mamoru Oshii we're talking about. The man deserves more slack. Part faux documentary, part sci-fi mystery, The Delusional Giant is a film that reminded me a bit of Talking Head, but less cinematic. The final 15 minutes are completely bonkers and there's a hilarious sequence with big-name directors making fun of Oshii and his fictional play. The first hour is a little bare-bones though. Fun, but a bit too much like a real documentary. Oshii fans will have a field day with this one(so many references), others may think twice before delving in.Read all
For what is one of the most well-regarded films of the year, I expected considerably more than the relatively basic courtroom drama I got. Yes, the film is meticulous (and long), but the underlying drama is rather pedestrian and Triet doesn't make the most adventurous choices along the way. The performances are solid and the film takes its time, with each new revelation getting enough attention, but that's about it. The direction felt underwhelming, the runtime was excessive, and the drama was textbook, as was the finale. It didn't really bore me, at the same time it could barely hold my attention. Not that great.Read all
Zeze is an interesting one. Dirty Maria is probably one of the better examples of why pinku movies are sometimes seen in a different light. It reminded me of Umbrella Flower, there's even a little Jeanne Dieleman in there, but those scenes are edges in between the typical pinku ones. The result is a little uneven (to say the least). The film is quite moody and slow, apart from the nudie scenes which needed to appear in between. Zeze shows he has a way with dark and relentless drama and builds up the story quite well, but it remains difficult to take this entirely seriously when you know the inner workings behind films like these. And it's not exactly Wakamatsu either. Not bad though, just very forced.Read all
I went in with relatively low expectations (found it on a noir list), but this turned out to be pretty amusing. It's a rather crude film, much of the dialogue would never cut it today, but Philippe Noiret's performance saves the film. He's a hilarious character and he's a joy to hang around with. It's a film that should probably sport some trigger warnings, but if you can see it in its time it's not hard to spot the (crude) comedy. Noiret is delightfully passive, the rest of the cast is on point too, and the presentation, while not too memorable, benefits from a nice digital cleanup. A bit long, but enjoyable.Read all
If one man is keeping old Hong Kong alive, it's no doubt Herman Yau. Death Notice is a film that could've been made 15 years ago, apart from some additional visual polish maybe. It's a Hong Kong police procedural with darker touches, sporting familiar faces and endless twists. There are minor Saw-like elements present, but Yau never ventures into true horror territory. Instead, he mixes thriller, crime, action, and mystery elements to create a true HK police flick. He even found several familiar faces (Simon Yam and Francis Ng are there) to pump up the nostalgia. Good fun.Read all