Log: week 50 / 2018
Jingle Ma slowed down considerably, but like most Hong Kong directors late comeback are par for the course. Europe Raiders is the third film in the franchise and those who have seen the previous films will know what to expect. Slick, silly and expensive entertainment that is a blast to watch, but has poor longevity.
A pretty standard drama that is elevated by Gyllenhaal's performance. He brings his character to life in a very peculiar way, sadly the drama surrounding him isn't all that interesting and the film never really finds a way to do him justice. It's a decent watch and okay filler, but it had the potential to be more than that.
When girl power clashes with internet activism. Sadly it doesn't have enough women (just two) and both fail to properly explain what draws them to the hunts. And even though Rawles touches upon the cheap and anonymous online harassment, he only goes skin deep. Interesting topic, but the doc doesn't do it justice.
Part of the popular Halo game franchise. Never played the games myself, but apart from missing some (no doubt) obvious references the story works well enough on its own. A bit too stereotypical though, with decent backgrounds yet shitty character models. Watch the anime anthology instead if you haven't yet.
Interesting Indian horror. The music and lore make this into something special, but when it has to deliver as a horror film it comes up a little short. Too much CG and some questionable creature design stand in the way of a better film. Still worth your time though, just a shame it doesn't quite make it as a whole.
Like most time loop films, the first half hour is intriguing. After that it becomes too repetitive, much like the entire niche itself (if that isn't meta I don't know what is). It's not a bad film, there are some moody set pieces and decent performances and some scenes do hit the right not, but it just isn't enough to set itself apart.
Slightly disappointing rewatch. I really liked this one the first time around, but it turns out the film hasn't aged all that well. The effects are pretty cheap and even though Yamazaki tries to be cool, he can't quite pull it off. There are some interesting bits (including a kick-ass villain), but the film lacks core quality.
Post-silent era slapstick. I don't think I'm going to become a big Tati fan really. The characters are slightly annoying, the comedy is stale and even though I can appreciate the way Tati plays with sound, the effect is pretty grating. It's not a very unpleasant film, but it's quite repetitive and it feels longer than it truly is.
Sato worked himself up to become one of the better commercial directors of Japan. His films are rarely masterpiece material, but if you're looking for some fun, well-made blockbuster nonsense he's your man. Inuyashiki is pretty rad, entertaining and properly executed, everything a good blockbuster should be.
What starts as an effective screen-centred mystery thriller becomes an overly convoluted mess. The first hour or so is solid though somewhat generic fun, what follows next after feels forced and unnecessary. It's not a terrible film and it does make a few astute observations, but it could've used a better ending.
A true master of color, Yimou Zhang surprises with this near black and white martial arts drama. It's amazing what he accomplishes with almost no colors to work with, Shadow is a true feast for the eyes. The story is amusing, the action spectacular, but this is above all a visual marvel like only Zhang can make them.
Poor Christmas vehicle. The idea is simple but decent enough, sadly the film is ruined by an atrocious performance of Ben Affleck and annoying situation comedy. Rather than pleasantly hectic and confusing the film is just irritating and obnoxious. Not really the embodiment of Christmas spirit this one.
Somewhat tepid but decent British romance. Zellweger is fine, so are Grant and Firth but it's all just a little too posh and predictable. The film does try to be a bit edgier but that part never really works. It's not hard to see why this one made such a splash or course, it's just not really the kind of film I thoroughly enjoy.
Lush and extravagant winter fairy tale. For some reason this Disney adaptation of the Nutcracker flunked, but it's one of the nicer things I've seen them do the past couple of years. Imaginative and beautifully realised fantasy elements make this one worth the gamble. Better than I expected.