Movies
Amirpour's Cabinet of Curiosities entry is a delightful one. It's not a horror film in the traditional sense, but a smart mix of social critique, dark comedy, and some juicy nastiness. Very solid performances, colorful cinematography, and a healthy dose of kitsch all help to add extra appeal to the film. Stacey doesn't fit in at work. She isn't as flashy or modish as the other women, so she feels left out. Then she spots an advert on TV praising a new skin lotion. It gives her an incredible rash, but the TV presenter assures her that means the lotion is working. Stacey is adamant in her attempts to transform herself and fit in with the rest. Kate Micucci is a perfect match, Martin Starr deserves accolades too. The premise is quite original, the ending uncertain until the final minutes and the pacing is fitting. Amirpour could've pushed a little harder in places to make the comedy stand out just a tiny bit more, but that's just nitpicking. Good fun. Read all
Amirpour's latest is another fun genre blender. After a somewhat hesitant start, Amirpour is getting more confident with each new film she directs. Small things keep me from rating her work even higher, but the promise of getting something that isn't quite like other films out there is a powerful selling point. Mona Lisa is a young Korean girl locked up in a mental hospital. After years of lying dormant, she finally awakes and escapes with her newfound mind powers. She bumps into a prostitute, who helps her out and sees her potential. The cops are on their tail though, and Mona needs to be smart if she wants to keep her freedom. It's a fun concept, Amirpour commits to the fantastical elements, the performances are solid and the presentation is colorful (both the cinematography and the soundtrack are pretty interesting). The film did get a bit more conventional in the second half, which is what kept me from a higher rating, but that's just some minor nitpicking. Good film.Read all
An incredibly messy feature. I have to give it to Amirpour, she certainly created something unique. It's as if she feared she'd never make a film again and put every genre she ever wanted to work in, in a single film. There's really no baseline here, except that everything is shot in stark black and white. The story revolves around a vampire girl and a young boy who is forced to deal with his father's drug addiction. They both roam the streets of the fictitious Bad City, where they inevitably bump into each other. A strange romance ensues, which only becomes more complicated as the film progresses. From crime to western, from horror to comedy, from romance to drama, the film rolls from one genre into the next. The cinematography is pretty nice, the camera work and editing aren't on the same level though and the soundtrack is a big letdown for a film like this. Performances are good and it's certainly quite different from anything I've ever seen, but in the end it left me rather cold. An interesting failure.Read all