Log: week 21 / 2020

Decent drama, sporting a nice mix of comedy and romance elements. The cast does a good job, the different genres don't erode each other and Mills direction is interesting. The film is a little one-note though and while it has very few lows, it doesn't have too many highs either. Solid filler, but it lacked a spark.

Cheesy and silly, but solid horror fun. Maas' films aren't to be taken too seriously, Prey is no exception. Larger than life characters, a big old CG lion and a few nifty kills. It's not really scary or tense, but there are a few good laughs and the film is over before you know it. One of the best films he's made so far.

So very crude and over-the-top that it's difficult not to laugh. A couple of stellar performances, catchy one-liners and insane jokes make this one of Stiller's best comedies. The film should probably come with a trigger warning, but at least Stiller sticks to his guns and keeps it funny from start to finish. Very rewatchable too.

Fine comedy that has a pleasant, dark edge. There are some good jokes here and the chemistry between Nanjiani and Rae is perfect. Add some sly parodies and you have all the ingredients for 90 minutes of pure entertainment. Not the sharpest or most original film, but a lot of fun nonetheless.

The psychology behind Holmes' change in character is much more interesting than the lies and deceit, sadly the latter is what this doc seems to focus on. Too many overly dramatic and uninteresting people telling their story, but for those who have been following the Theranos story it's a pretty decent recap.

Pretty interesting comedy where Coogan and Brydon play themselves, going on a culinary trip through the north of England. The chemistry between the actors is nice, the imitations are pretty funny and the boundary between film and reality feels ever so thin, but it's a bit too long and the drama isn't that strong.

Spectacular mix of fantasy, drama and war. A unique blend of pop elements, poetic drama and urban fantasy that feels like a breath of fresh air. Asano and Hashimoto are spectacular, the drama is on point and stylistically this film is like no other. Liked it better the second time around, one of Japan's hidden gems.

Not a big Ti West fan, not a western fan at all, liked this film though. Not sure what exactly made the difference, but Hawke in the lead surely helped and the qualms between the two sides made for a simple but tense and entertaining battle. It's never going to be my favorite genre, but this was much better than I expected it to be.

Dennis Law does Herman Yau, but even more openly. The crime elements are solid, sadly the drama doesn't really work. Rather poor performances and a lack of clear focus really drag the first half of the film down. Things get a little better during the second half, but not so much as to save the film.

Doc about some women who prefer to give "natural" births. Kawase focuses on the characters and some occasional drama, but with a topic like this it's a bit odd to ignore the science. That's probably the point of this documentary, but what is shown hardly convinced me this was an overall better way of bringing babies into this world.

Not as serious as the first part. More 80s kitsch, more graphic horror. It makes for a better film, because Coscarelli doesn't really have it in him to make a tense and/or frightening film. There are still some continuity errors and the actors are quite poor, but apart from that this sequel was a lot of fun.

A slice of American propaganda that doesn't have much interesting to tell. It's a short but flaccid reconstruction of a military operation in Italy, with less than convincing footage of the battle (probably because it was re-enacted) and a point you could figure out for yourself, without wasting 30 minutes of your life.

Fun and perky anime adaptation. Nisekoi doesn't pretend to be much more than that and the film seems primarily aimed at people who want to relive the animation in live action, but apart from some questionable performances and a mediocre soundtrack, there was enough light-hearted silliness to keep me engaged.

Run-of-the-mill martial arts flick from Chang. The action is solid, but the film is at least 15 minutes too long, not in the least because it's mostly just added dialogue. The drama is very limited and breaks up the film once too often, apart from that it's a decent but ultimately forgettable Shaw Bros production.

The topic wasn't all that interesting, the Mason couple on the other hand steals the show. Inspiring people who aren't hardcore activists, just accepting and well-meaning people. The second half of the doc is a bit too much about the other members of the family, though the mom's struggle with her son's outing is nicely delivered.

A very solid documentary on the history, possibilities and pitfalls of the CRISPR technology. This film doesn't serve simplistic tech doom, but a more balanced vision on how this technology might shape our future. The balance isn't quite perfect, but still a breath of fresh air compared to so many other documentaries. Well recommended.

Simple race flick that is more than happy to stick to the genre clichés. Ma brought together some Pan-Asian talent, but no real A-listers. The plot is very basic, the drama doesn't really work and the CG is a little distracting. The pacing is nice though and the film does have its moments, but in the end this is little more than random filler.

Fun and quirky little crime comedy. The Suit Yourself films may be developed for TV, but the acting talent is top-notch and Kurosawa's direction is on point. While essentially little more than simple genre exercises, the tone is just right and the mix of comedy and gangster business is pretty entertaining. Solid.

A somewhat meager attempt to make a female-driven version of Superbad. The performances are mediocre, the film isn't all that funny and instead of serving more comedy, Wilde puts in more heart and drama. Ultimately, that just made things worse. There is some potential here, but this just wasn't very good.

A pretty bland reboot of the original series. The film lacks flair and attitude, not in the least because the actors don't feel at ease here. But the direction isn't all that either. There are some decent scenes though and because the film is very short it never gets dull, but it can't compare to it's Hong Kong ancestors.