Log: week 28 / 2019

A direct sequel to McKee's The Woman, directed by Pollyanna McIntosh herself. Sadly it's not quite up there with McKee's work, the focus on the plot is a little too overbearing and some twists come off being rather silly. Overall though it's a pretty decent follow-up that shows that sequels don't always have to be more of the same.

Small horror film built around the golem, a well-known but not so much popular horror creature. While this is a decently made film with enough intruiging elements, the horror itself is rather sparse and the drama in between is slow and ineffective. This film should've had a bit more bite, should've been a bit darker, but alas.

I'm not the biggest Lupin fan around, but when Koike is involved I'm game. This film is a bit more serious and focused on action. It gets pretty gruesome and dark at some points, so people hoping to see the jolly Lupin stuff should probably think twice before seeing this one. Neatly animated, nicely paced and with a touch of Koike magic. Not bad at all.

Altman doing ensemble drama. Some affinity with the time period and music scene are definitely a plus, because this is about as American as it gets. I didn't really appeal to me, but at least there's a wide range of characters so it never got too boring or predictable. But 160 minutes is long when you hate the music and can't find anything interesting to latch on to.

A rushed cry for freedom of press, as a reaction to the behaviour of president Trump. The film lacks relevance though and the execution is so dusty and uninspired that you have to wonder who Spielberg thought was his target audience. There's some core quality here, but both as a film as well as a political statement, this was a complete failure.

A Keaton film that focuses on comedy and romance. Without Keaton's stunts I'm not that interested in his films, short as they may be, though I have to admit that there are some rather cool shots spread throughout. Sadly these moments are quite rare and the comedy is pretty poor and extremely predictable. Definitely not his best work.

One of those early 00s films that did its part in modernizing Chinese cinema. Gone are the days of rural woes and poverty-stricken families, instead we get urban youngster hanging out, going to clubs and looking for romance. Well acted, light in tone and sporting Orbital's Halcyon. Not a masterpiece, but definitely worth watching.

It's not easy describing Sasanatieng's first, as it's an impossible combination of elements that shouldn't be allowed to go well together. Even so, he makes it work somehow. Expect a pink and blue coloured Thai Western with classic soapy romance elements and pretty gritty violence. It's equally bonkers as it is amazing and it hasn't aged a bit.

A rather lively film, especially considering the amount of scenes in court. Thanks to Harrelson's spirited performance and Forman's fast-paced direction its two hour running time isn't even an issue. The real Larry Flynt was of course an ideal subject for a biopic, even so Forman more than does justice to this peculiar man.

A very poor sequel to one of Disney's better film projects. Too many forced life lessons, not enough game-related material, poor jokes, annoying characters, too long, a boring art style and way too many free advertisement, not in the least for Disney itself. This is just corporate nonsense, you can hardly call it a film any more.

A typical early Kawase that leans a little too much on its somewhat simplistic clash of cultures. Japan meets Thailand with some added French bits, it's not quite enough to keep things interesting, even though the running time is economic. Kawase's more doc-like style is a fine match, but it's all just a little too flimsy to make a real impact.

Interesting doc on the creation and critical failure of triple A game For Honor. It's a stand-off between creative pariah Vandenberghe and corporate douche Cardin, perfectly illustrating how the mix of creativity and corporate interests can lead to toxic results. The doc diverges too much into personal affairs, but overall presents a telling story that transcends the gaming industry.

Surprisingly fun and apt comedy that smartly parodizes Beatles-mania, without being too snarky. The performances are great, there are some solid gags and the pacing never slows down. It's not a masterpiece, far from it, but it's definitely one of Zemeckis' better films and a remarkably upbeat 70s flick. Good fun, even if you don't particularly like the Beatles.

Shaw Bros, Yuen Chor style. That means classic martial arts action, but with pointed fantasy touches. Chor is definitely one of the better SB directors, not in the least because he also pays attention to more than just the action. His films look better than the average SB film, without taking anything away from the fighting. Good stuff.

Another doc that lacks focus. It's about our brain, memory and how it affects and influences our lives, but in the end it becomes about the interviewees, their stories and some stupid world championship in memory games. It's really mundane and not all that interesting, but this isn't the first doc to go down that path. Disappointing.

Starts off as a social drama, turns into a crime flick during the second half. The problem is that the actors have no dramatic impact and that Hui is not much of a crime director. Both genres do little to strengthen each other, though the crime elements do improve the pacing of the film. It's not terrible, but unless you're a Hui or Fat fan it's a hard recommend.

While I appreciate what Roeg tried to do here, I hated everything about the execution. This is a film that prefers atmosphere to plot, but the 70s cheese levels are so high that I just couldn't enjoy it. While it kept me engaged enough to wonder what was coming next, that always turned out to be a disappointment.

A very mediocre production that has styling and tone down, but fails to bring some decent action to the screen. The camera work and editing are way below par, which really hurts a film like this. On top of that, the subpar CG doesn't help the fantastical elements. It's an amusing diversion, but this could and should've been a lot better, even for a TV production.

A simple but amusing drama with small echoes of Jeunet. The world in which these characters live in is just a little surreal, a little too polished and melancholic. It's what makes the drama bearable and gives the film its charm. It's not a hidden gem or big cinematic accomplishment, but it is a very sweet and easily digestible film and leaves you satisfied, even though the ending is completely by the book.