Log: week 11 / 2021

A pretty entertaining thriller. One of those "people get stuck in a dire situation" flicks where the main characters spend most of the film trying to recover from their predicament. It's rarely masterpiece material, but more often than it makes for prime filler and Horizon Line isn't the exception to the rule. The intro is a bit too long, but once disaster hits the tension doesn't let off. Performances are variable (Williams is solid, Dreymon is questionable) and you'll need a fair bit of suspension of disbelief, but the pacing is slick, it never gets boring and there are some pretty exciting moments. Good fun.Read all

A raw and relentless drama with deeply rooted thriller elements. It feels like a cross between Rage and The Light Shines Only There. If that's a bit hard to grasp, that's perfectly okay since Ohmori delivers a strange and uncomfortable film, with stellar performances and a completely bonkers soundtrack. A neat little masterpiece.
Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue

Jia pumps out another documentary. He's quite skilled at it too, but Swimming Out Till the Sea Turns Blue was a pretty big misfire for me. Unless you're really interested in the topic (a local literary festival in Shanxi) or you really (really) love to hear people talk, there's not that much here. The intermezzos of the city (Shanxi) are by far the most interesting. They show that Jia has a knack for documentaries, as long as he doesn't focus too much on people and their (benign) stories. But I'm sure there's an audience for this, so if you want to hear Chinese writers reminisce, this documentary should be well worth your time.Read all

Chinese pep talk. I think this is the second Chinese blockbuster anthology made with a single goal in mind: make China look good on the silver screen. It's no surprise these film have started to pop up over there now that their local market is booming, they're simply copying Hollywood's playbook. China's most familiar actors (Bo Huang, You Ge, Baoqiang Wang, ...) are all present, the cinematography is nice and colorful and there are some quirky stories, but there's not enough variation, there's no grit and all the film offer the same self-boasting fuzzy feelgood nonsense. I hope this will be the end of it, but since these films are doing pretty well at the box office I doubt it very much.Read all

Yukisada being Yukisada. The biggest difference is that he plays around with LGBTQ elements, I don't think I've ever seen him do that before. Not that it changes a lot, it's still a very typical romantic drama with the usual woes and worries, but it's nice to see the Japanese mainstream is getting a bit more accepting of these topics. It's nice to see something different from the usual coming out stories, sadly there's a bit too much back and forth between Kyoichi and various partners, which puts a little strain on the second half. The performances are decent but not exceptional, the cinematography and score are polished but expected. It's a very solid drama, but having seen so much of Yukisada already it's not a film that stands out from his other work.Read all

Melville's famed war drama. Though I've never actively liked one of Melville's films, I do respect his take on cinema. He clearly cares for atmosphere and even though the narrative always has a clear place in his films, it's never just about telling a story. I just wish I could appreciate his stylistic choices more. The nicest scenes are when Melville takes a little break from the plot. Sights of a city, set to moody music, characters staring. It's not unlike some of my favorite Oshii moments. Didn't care much for the cinematography though, the soundtrack was a bit too classic the performances weren't great either and the runtime is problematic. Not a great film, but Melville does show moments of greatness.Read all

One of Lubitsch' early sound films and one of his most lauded classics. While slightly better than the average screwball comedy, this type of work really isn't doing it for me. I simply fail to see the edgy writing, the witty dialogues and roaring romances. Instead, I see a film that's quite safe and predictable. Performances are decent and the tone is light, but the plot is pretty bland, the film is never really all that funny and even though it's quite short, Trouble in Paradise so predictable that the pacing still feels a little off. It's not a complete disaster, it's just not all the remarkable or even entertaining.Read all

Creepy and uncomfortable. Possum isn't the kind of horror film that is going to please gorehounds or scare hunters. It's a film that aims for atmosphere and dares to play all or nothing. And Holness nearly pulls off a masterpiece, but for a film like this everything has to be just right and that isn't the case here. Sean Harris is the star of the film and delivers a standout performance. The puppet design is another highlight, so is the soundtrack. Sadly the cinematography is just a little too plain, which kept the film from truly crawling underneath my skin. But it's clear that Holness has talent. If you like your horror weird and eerie, make sure to give Possum a chance.Read all

Another typical Studio 4°C anthology. Though I have to say this feels a bit like a collection of B-sides. The first and third short are up to 4°C's standard (though still a fair ways from their top tier output), the second and fourth one feel a bit unfinished. It's clearly not one of their tent pole projects, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a go. Cool art styles, slick editing and CG experimentation are the main ingredients here. The first short felt a bit like Dead Leaves light, the third one was definitely more inspired by Morimoto's work, while the fourth one stumbles in its attempts to go full CG. The tampered live action footage of the second film wasn't entirely successful either. Still, there are moments of genius here, just don't expect another Genius Party or Memories.Read all

A bland comedy. Not sure if it's just me getting older, but it's getting progressively harder for me to enjoy Hollywood's vision of the ideal kids, the ideal parents and their bullshit little hang-ups. It feels so overly sanitized that it sucks all the joy and fun out of these movies, which is problematic for a comedy. It could've been a good premise for a little naughty chaos, but we're getting ice cream breakfasts, water balloon fights and one of the most dire-looking festivals ever instead. The kids are annoying, the comedy is lame and the finale is disappointing. This could and should've been so much better.Read all

Kent Cheng channels Jing Wong. It's no surprise to see Wong receiving writing credits here, it's a film he could've directed himself. At least in spirit, as he had a hand in so many films back then that it would've been physically impossible to direct them all. But if you're craving some Jing Wong, this is a pretty safe bet. The cast is pretty stellar (Andy Lau, Anita Mui, Sammo Hung, Eric Tsang are all present), the comedy is silly but amusing and the pacing is perfect. Add a few solid martial arts scenes and some lovely randomness (the play at the end is comedy gold) and you have a pretty likeable comedy. A nice little surprise.Read all

Poignant doc. It's a little weird to look back at the start of the COVID-19 lockdown while we're still in the middle of the pandemic, even so it almost feels like a different era. We've come a long way in just a year's time, so this was an interesting flashback, a look back at what our world looked like just one year ago. The scope is rather small, which it creates a certain intimacy that you don't often find in documentaries. It offers a very different angle than the one you'd get from following the more traditional media, reducing this pandemic to what it actually is for most people: an unpleasant reality they've learned to deal with. Recommended.Read all

A rather unpleasant comedy. The script has clear potential though, but it's one of those films that's mostly carried by its cast and they aren't up to the task. There are quite a few moments where I got the feeling the film had finally found its footing, but every single time it stalled again, failing to cash in on its setups. DeVito and Midler are letting this film down. Rather than being funny, they're just loud and obnoxious. The rest isn't all that much better, but at least they're not actively irritating. With a better cast I'm certain this could've been a fun film, now it's just a decently paced comedy with a solid premise, suffering from poor execution.Read all

A pretty basic dramady. Back in the day Elling made quite an impact, though 20 years later it's hard to pinpoint why exactly that was. The film colors neatly inside the lines, serving two quirky characters who are let loose into the world and have to learn to live by themselves. Funny/dramatic situations ensue. The performances are decent but nothing special. Both characters are a bit too dependent on their little quirks, which gets tired real quick. The direction is also pretty bland, with less-than-stellar cinematography and a mediocre soundtrack. It's not a bad film, there are some funny moments, but overall it's not enough to set itself apart from its peers.Read all

Short drama that never really finds its footing. Tadaima Jacqueline certainly doesn't suffer from a case of too little, there's enough material here to fill at least two or three separate films, it's just that it never quite gels together. The result is a film that isn't unpleasant, just very uninvolved. Performances are decent, except the dub of the doll, which is pretty awkward. The cinematography is rather plain though and while the film has quite an original premise, it never feels like you're watching something remarkable. It didn't bore me, nor was it badly made, just a bit too inconspicuous.Read all

A run-of-the-mill horror flick. Chris Bell's first isn't all that special. Witchcraft, a curse passed down through various generations and hauntings combined with mental illness. You've seen it all before, if you like a bit of horror you can no doubt fill in the gaps yourself. But as filler goes, it isn't all bad. Performances aren't all that great, the plot is basic and the hauntings aren't that scary. But the soundtrack is pretty solid and once the film nears the finale it ramps up the pacing and it becomes a pretty decent horror flick, though probably not one you'll remember for long afterwards. Just solid, short filler.Read all

Documentary that sports some slight dramatizations along the way. The film follows the long trip of a postman (incidentally named Tom Kruse) in Australia as he travels the Birdsville Track. It's a bit like Jianqi Huo's Postman in the Mountains, only with more Outback and fewer mountains. The challenges mister Kruse faces are quite interesting though and it's difficult to imagine a job like this still existing today. I assume traveling the Outback became quite a bit easier since this was filmed. The documentary is a tad long maybe, especially since most of the trip is rather uneventful, but it was an interesting enough watch.Read all

Hirobumi Watanabe's latest film. Watanabe has been making a name for himself lately, though this is only the first film I've seen from him. His films aren't that easy to come by, not too surprising probably as this is hardcore film festival material. Casual film watchers be warned. The stark black and white cinematography is a definite plus though and the soundtrack combined with the repetitiveness of the imagery does make for an interesting watch. It's a bit long for my taste, also a little too documentary-like, but if you love yourself some experimental/off-kilter cinema then it's definitely worth a shot.Read all

Vikings vs Indians. This isn't what you call a historically correct film, instead Marcus Nispel created something more in line with 300. An action-filled adventure that's all about looking as bad-ass as possible. Approach it like that and Pathfinder isn't such a bad film, despite what you may read elsewhere. Nispel relies on mean-looking costumes and heavy post-production color grading to give the film some extra flair, and he's pretty successful at it too. The action relies a little too much on CG and the performances are mediocre, but the action scenes are cool and the pacing is perfect. Fun filler.Read all

A fine mix of fantasy, folklore and romance. It's not an uncommon setup in Chinese/Hong Kong cinema, just think of Hark Tsui's Green Snake. Fox in Fuso is the contemporary Chinese take on the genre. A core genre flick that doesn't have too much budget to spare, but delivers on the rapidly booming experience of Chinese genre directors. Lush sets and costumes are the main appeal of Fox in Fuso. While the film focuses on fantasy and romance, there's also a little action and comedy to make it a more rounded film. Some mediocre CG and unstable performances keep it from being truly great, but these films are definitely started to come through as prime filler options.Read all

The third entry in Stallone's Rocky series. A pretty basic sports/boxing flick, brought down by Stallone's bland direction and ridiculous performance. He does a pretty decent job when he's in the ring, but whenever he has to deliver his dialogue it becomes a complete fluke. Even a parody wouldn't be this silly. The drama is painful to watch, the training sessions aren't much fun either (mostly because Stallone is pretty down) and the pacing is a little off. The boxing matches are pretty decent, but that's just two scenes really. All the rest is padding of questionable repute. It's really hard to see why this series ever became so popular.Read all

A modern take on Infernal Affairs. The film went through a couple of other titles first, but it's not difficult to see why they ended up settling for this one. With two moles on competing sides, a good old-fashioned police/Triad cat and mouse game and quite a few action scenes Andrew Lau's trilogy was the obvious inspiration for this one. The camera work's a bit flashier, the cast is quite a bit younger and the soundtrack is a little thumpier. Just little things that give the film a more contemporary feel. It's clear that Hong Kong is struggling to find its groove though, The Infernal Walker is pretty entertaining, but it's hardly the future of Hong Kong cinema. For that it's too rooted in its own past.Read all