Log: week 2 / 2023

Another Hollywood film glorifying Hollywood. Not my favorite topic, but it has to be said that Chazelle brings it with an excess of flair. The first hour in particular is a real hoot, paying proper homage to the roaring 20s. Once the film starts adding drama and puts a stronger focus on its characters, the quality goes downhill.

Surprisingly amusing. Not that I don't trust Russell to make a fun, entertaining film, I know he is capable enough, but his attempts don't always gel with me. Amsterdam was a pretty big flop and after watching it, I can see why. The film's a little too goofy and quirky for its own good, but that's what makes it so loveable.

One of Hitchcock's earliest films. It's the first silent film I see of him and it's no surprise that I liked it quite a bit better than his talkies. I'll gladly admit that the lovely restoration helped, but the much stronger focus on mood and presentation over narrative gives this film a clear edge over his other work.

Sadako is back. Again. The biggest curse of these franchises is that they can't seem to stop when they're ahead. The latest in the Ringu series is a mix of a reboot and spin-off, but its deluxe moniker seems wholly unearned and the film ended up looking more like a cheap knock-off from the original films.

Something just a little different. Don't expect anything too out of the ordinary though, this is a typical Chinese streamer in just about every way, except that the plot and genre balance wasn't quite as predictable as most of its peers. It offers a nice variation on the many tomb raider and fox spirit films that have been flooding this niche.

Dupieux seems unstoppable these days. He cranks out films at an impressive pace, and while they're all absurd comedies in some way or another, they never feel derivative or repetitive. Incredible But True forces two oddball storylines together, has a bit of fun testing the audience's patience, delivers a couple of perfect punchlines, and strides through the finale at a breakneck speed. A quirky soundtrack and some great performances seal the deal. Not one of his best films, but tons of fun regardless, and an easy recommendation for fans of Dupieux's other work.

Rumiko Takahashi was one of the more famous mangakas of the 80s, someone who helped popularize the harem comedies (think Urusei Yatsura and Ranma). She also did some horror work, which found its way to the screen in the form of short OAVs. Laughing Target is one of those films, and it's good fun as long as you don't expect too much from it.

Within the film noir genre, there seems to exist a smaller niche of boxing films, which are more or less all alike. Body and Soul is a pretty good example, though it's a bit longer than the films I've seen so far. The added length works against the film, as it has nothing really original to tell.

Genre cinema without too many genre elements. Night Raiders is a slow and lo-fi indie production that sets up a sci-fi premise, then does relatively little with it. The focus lies on the drama and the characters, but the somewhat silly narrative gets in the way and those hoping to get a good sci-fi thriller will find very little here.

Not so much a film as an Anthony Hopkins performance, which is both good and bad. Hopkins is a solid actor and he does a splendid job here, but it takes away from the impact of the film. The drama never really hit me, I was always just watching Hopkins do his thing, which kept me at a clear distance.

A fun and genuine indie comedy. It's the kind of film that doesn't pack too many surprises, ten minutes in and you should have a pretty good idea of how things are going to pan out. But the comedy is witty, the performances are good and the drama never feels forced or disruptive. The pointed execution is what makes the difference here.

A very basic documentary on Takeshi Kitano. It's primarily aimed at people who are still unfamiliar with the man, or who have only watched a few films of and/or with him. It's nice to see a handful of people close to him (in a professional sense) being interviewed, but that's about it really.

A film with potential. It's a shame it felt a bit too much like a 90s TV thriller. There are some elements that try to set it apart, like Hall's performance and the somewhat more graphic ending, but these bits aren't poignant enough to carry the film by themselves, and in between, there's just too little to keep things interesting.

A classic mix of horror and sci-fi. It's a film that could've been made a decade earlier and nobody would have noticed, but if you like this kind of thing that's not necessarily a negative. Kimera is simple genre filler that delivers where it matters but makes little effort to go beyond the expected. Sometimes, that's all you really need from a film.

Gaspar Noé's latest is every bit as intense as his previous films, only the presentation is wildly different. Vortex is a more traditional arthouse drama. It's not as wild or dynamic, instead, it takes on the pace of the two aging leads who are slowly losing grip on the world around them.