Log: week 5 / 2023
Shyamalan's latest feels familiar. A mysterious setup that slowly reveals its true nature. It's not quite as mysterious or surprising as some of his more recent efforts, but the quality is there. Within his oeuvre, it's not the most unique film, but nobody's making them like Shyamalan these days, and that definitely counts for something. Kudos to Shyamalan for the Kiki's Delivery Service shoutout, the premise is pretty cool (even though the finale is rather predictable) and the build-up is tense, as it should be. Knock at the Cabin is a small film that still feels relatively big, and had me in its grip from start to finish. Good fun.Read all
Disney's latest animation is a welcome attempt to make a classic adventure film, but the result is pretty disappointing. Bland characters, a rather unimaginative universe, and toothless comedy stand in the way of a riveting adventure. And considering the financial flop this turned out to be, I'm not the only one who felt that way. The characters are pretty boring, the art style feels very familiar (despite all the comic book references) and the plot doesn't hold many surprises. But the most damning thing is that Strange World's universe just isn't all that exciting to explore. This kind of creativity has never been Disney's strong suit, and it's clear they didn't manage to turn the tables.Read all
A stylish Japanese drama with some remarkable modern touches. Not too surprising since we're dealing with an Akihabara-based story that involves three young tangentially related people. The cinematography is a touch livelier, the soundtrack has some very interesting electronic influences, the characters are a bit more out there and it's clear that writer/director Yusaku Matsumoto had a close affinity with the universe of his film. The punchy ending is just the cherry on the cake. Watch this if you're craving slightly edgier and more contemporary dramas.
A pleasant, small Japanese drama. One of those films that don't have big or very important themes, but are still relevant to just about everyone watching it. It's not quite as accomplished or hard-hitting as some other films in the genre (and the competition is pretty stiff), but it's a good reminder that Japan does a lot of solid drama that barely makes it across the border. The presentation is pretty stylish (but on the poppier side), the performances are solid and the topics handled will feel familiar to most people watching this film. What it lacks is something that helps it to stand out from the crowd. A few scenes that really make an impact. Other than that, I got exactly what I wanted from Rolling Marbles.Read all
One of Forman's earlier films, that didn't really do it for me. Booked as part comedy, I didn't find much to laugh at here. The first half is plodding and focuses more on romance and drama, the finale is somewhat lighter in tone, but hardly to the extent that it passes as something inherently funny. The performances are pretty wooden, the first half is pretty dreary and feels overly stretched and the finale isn't all that funny. Forman was still in the process of defining himself, A Blonde in Love has a few interesting touches, but as a whole, it feels too uneven and unbalanced to leave a positive impact.Read all
A remake of The Craft for modern/young audiences. I'm not against the idea, but when you replace most of the witch fun with sobby bisexual coming-out stories and male empowerment warnings, whatever fun there is, quickly evaporates. As such, this was a pretty poor attempt to try and revive the old film. The girls have chemistry and the setup is somewhat promising, but when they finally are able to use their powers the film lacks bite. There's too much bad drama, Duchovny is a terrible miscast and the finale is a pretty big disappointment. This could've been decent fun, sadly, it wasn't.Read all
One Piece: Chopper's Kingdom in the Strange Animal Island
Film 3 in the One Piece franchise. Three films in, it's pretty clear what to expect from them. They are basically just expanded episodes, with Luffy and his friends taking on a slightly bigger mission. I'm not complaining mind, 60 minutes is more than enough for this type of material, stretching it to 90 would probably just make it more grating. One Piece is pretty loud, which is both a blessing and a curse. It makes things a bit more dynamic and helps to set it apart from other franchises, but it can also be a little annoying. But once you're familiar with this series, you know what to expect from it, which is pretty decent entertainment. It's hardly my favorite anime franchise out there, but I don't mind giving these films a whirl. Read all
After a quick (and somewhat less successful) trip to Canada, Isaac Ezban returns to his home turf to direct a core horror film. Evil Eye isn't quite as conceptual as his previous films, but it feels a bit more refined and it does pack a few neat surprises. Horror fans will find a lot to like here. Witchcraft is quite a common theme in horror films, but Ezban finds some interesting ways to dress up the story. The cinematography is pretty stylish too, the performances are solid, and the ending comes with a mean twist. Maybe not quite brutal or tense enough to be a horror classic, but people looking for an accomplished South-American genre film won't be disappointed.Read all
Fun little flick from Tsutsumi that predates 2LDK by a year or two. It would've been a perfect entry in the Duel project and it resembles Kitamura's effort quite a bit. It's a single-location film with just two actors and a limited runtime, where Tsutsumi tries to draw the most from a simple, singular setup. He's quite successful at it too. The premise is extremely basic, but Tsutsumi has a lot of fun with the characters and the mystery behind the hit. The performances are solid, the styling is efficient and the film never gets boring, even when not much is effectively happening. It proved to be a perfect exercise for 2LDK, which serves a better build-up and a more satisfying ending. Chinese Dinner is a very entertaining flick in its own right though.Read all
A classic war film, that reminded me a bit of Le Trou (especially those final 30 minutes). I didn't really care for Wajda's direction though. The first hour, in particular, was pretty dry and dreary. It picks up when they finally enter the titular sewer system, but by then the film had already lost me and the finale isn't that strong that it could rectify the rest of the film. The performances are pretty wooden and the start of the film is very slow. I imagine the first hour is there to build a relationship with the characters, but that part failed for me. The trip through the sewers is more thrilling, but it just wasn't enough to save the film for me. Not the worst, but not very memorable either.Read all
A romcom setup that turns into an action/comedy. The idea is fun enough, but the execution isn't quite as fun or funny as it was conceived to be. Lopez's poor comedic performance has a big part in the film's failure, but the lack of goofy secondary characters isn't helping either. There are quite a lot of obvious jokes that might have worked with a stronger lead duo, but now they fall flat as Lopez constantly fails to deliver a good punchline. The action looks pretty fake too and the film lacks any truly zany characters, but the setting is pleasant and the mood is light, so it's not all bad.Read all
Another take on the Journey to the West saga, this time by streamer king Dai Yilin. With a longer runtime and (presumably) larger budget, Yilin has a lot more trouble getting this film on the rails. The result is a gaudy CG fest that never impresses the way it's supposed to. It just goes to show that some directors benefit from imposed limitations. Like most other Monkey King films from the '10s, the CG is a real eyesore and kills most of the film's fantastical appeal. The background story The Pig King provides isn't all that interesting either unless you're really invested in these characters. Not the film I was hoping for, Yilin has made much better ones under more stringent circumstances.Read all
A cute little creature horror. Carnifex is a very simple film, a less-is-more affair that keeps its monster hidden until the very end and builds up the tension with familiar tricks. If you don't like core horror films then there's nothing to see here, but Lahiff does a pretty decent job with the little material he has. The setting is nice and the actors do a solid job, which really helps the first hour of the film. The tension slowly builds, but it's hardly the first film to pull this feat and Carnifex has little to set itself apart from similar films. The finale delivers, but again, fails to make a real impact. Solid horror filler.Read all
One Piece: Clockwork Island Adventure
The second One Piece film is a slight step up from the first one. Not that a whole lot has changed, it's just that the adventure and the setting are slightly more out there. Not having seen the TV series makes it a little harder to keep track of the characters, but other than that these standalone films should be easy enough to follow for everyone. The animation and art style are pretty basic. Instead, One Piece tries to score points with its energy levels. And it does a pretty decent job at that. It's hardly the greatest anime franchise ever, but the series has a Lupin-like charm to it. Not too surprising since we're dealing with a pirate thief who goes on wacky adventures. Fun.Read all
Hong Kong loves a good horror anthology, but they often struggle to put out straightforward horror flicks. Tales from the Occult is a decent enough attempt, but none of the shorts are truly scary and the slight decline in quality throughout made me question the order of the shorts. The first short builds up the tension quite well but has some iffy effects that take away from the experience. The second short has an interesting premise but struggles to connect it with the fun finale, and the third short tries to mix in some lighter elements, which work against the horror vibe. Not bad, but also not the best of its kind.Read all