Log: week 10 / 2022
The third and let's hope final entry in the Kingsman series. This time we're getting a prequel/origin story, but it's clear the franchise is running out of steam. While there are some decent moments that help to set the film apart from the average blockbuster, it's not enough to keep up with the earlier films. There are some decent action scenes and the cast of campy characters is fun enough, but this ended up being a pretty simple film with way too much padding that overstays its welcome. A shorter and punchier version would've been quite a bit better. Not a horrible film, but Vaughn can do so much better.Read all
With the Hong Kong movie industry in a pickle, it's nice to see the West take over the art heist/conman genre. Red Notice is a pretty typical blockbuster, with its signature cast and familiar set pieces, but that's pretty much the entire reason for watching this film. And in that sense, it's not too bad. Reynolds is Reynolds, The Rock is The Rock, Gadot is Gadot. They're not so much typecast as the roles were specifically written for them. The action looks decent, the comedy is passable, the varied locations give the film some extra flair. It's nothing too noteworthy, but it's pleasant enough filler.Read all
A film that tries very hard to be part of the Taiwanese New Wave. It is reminiscent of Tsai's early work, but because of that the film feels older than its year of release suggests. If you're looking for a slice of understated Taiwanese crime cinema the film won't disappoint, I hoped for more and didn't really get it. There are some decent shots, but they are few and far between. The performances aren't that great, the plot is very basic and the pacing is a little too slow. It's just not a very original or remarkable film, especially when compared to its contemporaries. Taiwan can do some much better.Read all
Pixar has gone through some changes in recent years. They've dropped their favored premise, they're trying out different styles, and they've gone from blockbuster kings to streaming bait. Turning Red is another good example of this shift, it's a shame the film itself is pretty flawed. The usual Asian-American themes (overbearing families, the friction between modern and traditional values) and the typical coming-of-age elements feel generic, what really got to me though was Meilin's extremely annoying presence. She is loud and obnoxious, made worse by hyperactive animation and her interest in some or other horrible boy band. Ugh.Read all
A cute, somewhat inconspicuous and forgotten Norwegian dark comedy that probably isn't quite as fun and/or impressive as on the day it was first released, but if you're looking for something funny with a darker/grittier edge, then you can't really go wrong with Junk Mail. The grim setting and unpleasant characters don't immediately scream comedy, but as Roy gets himself into more and more trouble it's obvious that we're supposed to have a laugh with his misfortunes. The performances are decent, the film is short and the plot spins nicely out of control. Good, but nothing too remarkable.Read all
Shrill Cries of Summer
I never watched the anime/read the manga this film was based on, which usually pans out pretty well. Going in with no expectation and seeing where the plot takes you is favorable for a film like Shrill Cries of Summer. The result is a pretty fun mystery with darker/horror-leaning details. The location is perfect and the actors do a decent enough job. The film starts off rather slow, but that's part of the setup. It does get progressively freakier and the finale has some pretty memorable imagery, but it never quite nails the contrast it set out to accomplish. Fun filler, but nothing more.Read all
Early Ken Loach film on which he built his career. I'm not too familiar with his work yet, but from the looks of it there isn't too much for me there. If you like kids growing up in rather dire circumstances than this might be for you, I grew tired pretty quickly of the uninteresting lead and the grim and noisy environment that surrounds him. Bradley does well enough in the lead, but his character simply isn't all that interesting. The drama is predictable, Loach's visual style isn't very attractive, the soundtrack is terrible and there's little room for anything else but drama. It's not difficult to see why this became popular, it just isn't for me.Read all
Like its faraway cousin Uncut Gems, Shiva Baby makes a real effort to be as nerve wrecking as possible. And just like Uncut Gems, it fails horribly. It leans way too hard on Jewish shatter, the somewhat aggravating soundtrack simply wasn't effective enough to pull all the weight. Shiva Baby tries to be tense and uncomfortable, but its attempts are just too weak. The comedy never crosses the line, the characters aren't quite as edgy as they are made out to be, the soundtrack is underwhelming, and the single setting is dull. It pales in comparison to films like Happiness or even American Beauty, pretty disappointing.Read all
A beautiful indie animation that wears the marks of its low budget roots, but managed to overcome most of its biggest hurdles. It's an interesting take on the Kaiju genre, with a more stylish and oldskool style to set it apart from other Kaiju films. The fact that we're talking full puppet animation certainly helped too. The animation and puppet work look solid enough, especially for a small indie project, but the illusion isn't always there. The soundtrack is the most defining element and is by far its strongest quality. The plot is fun enough, and the classic take on Kaiju material adds a little extra intrigue. Give these guys a bigger budget, and I'm certain a masterpiece is there for the taking.Read all
It is one thing to lack the money to make a decent film, but at least figure that out up front. I strongly suspect Buchanan only realized when he started shooting and had to improvise how to round the 80-minute runtime. The result is an incredible drag, made worse by the horrendous cast. The actors truly are terrible, the plot is trite and hardly supports a 30-minute short film and the aliens aren't menacing at all. The silly suits are worth a chuckle, but that's about 5 seconds of fun and a quick Google will give you a similar enough experience without all the extra cruft. Horrible.Read all
Incompetent film. The first half hour is so blatantly obvious that it would've been tough recovering from it regardless, but once the cat is out of the bag things only gets worse. With Fresh's premise it should've been easy enough to deliver a solid genre flick, but somehow Cave fails to nail even the simplest things. The characters are annoying, the actors do a poor job and the writing is way too on the nose. It takes a long time before the film finally gets moving, and though there are some solid ideas here, Cave's direction is insufficient. A drab soundtrack, visual incompetence and drab execution of genre elements make this a drawn-out drag to sit through. Disappointing.Read all
When someone like Jissoji takes on Rampo, there's a good chance something great will come of it. Murder on D Street isn't Rampo's most familiar work, but this dark tale of death and debauchery is clearly from his hand. Jissoji's direct and dynamic style is a perfect fit, making this a fine precursor to his entry in the Rampo Noir anthology. When it comes to adapting Rampo stories, it's really about bringing out that lurid, slumbering darkness that hides in people. Jissoji truly is the ideal man for the job. The cinematography looks stylish, the performances are restrained, and the score adds to the atmosphere. A remarkable film from a remarkable director.Read all
Early De Sica that already sports many of the typical Italian neorealism traits. It's certainly not my favored type of film, but the above-average cinematography does add a tiny bit of extra flair to Shoeshine. Not enough to make it a pleasant or easy watch, but I've struggled harder with certain other films in the genre. An excess of drama and highly evocative performances aren't the best premise for a touching film, at least not in my book. I prefer a more subtle approach to drama. The high-contrast black and white cinematography is a bonus and the short runtime a blessing, but it's not enough to turn me into a believer.Read all
Branagh's style is suited for a bit of retro charm with a wink and a nudge, but doing half a Schindler's List really isn't something he can pull off. Belfast is a hopelessly outdated film, with a fake arthouse look, a random score and a set of unlovable characters. Putting it like that, it's a perfect Oscar contender. The black and white cinematography appears to have been an afterthought, the city looks like a bad movie set, characters are bland and Buddy is a pretty annoying kid. It's just a very cheesy and sentimental drama where the drama never feels earned or sincere. Branagh should stick to Poirot.Read all
Early Villeneuve, that helped to establish his reputation. The mix of drama, arthouse and mild fantasy feels a little forced and construed, probably because the execution wasn't quite there. There are some interesting ideas, but they never really combine to make a good film, and the result is pretty forgettable. There's a talking fish to make the film a touch more distinct and the structure of the plot is quite messy, which at least brightens up a coincidence-ridden narrative. The performances are decent too, but the film looks pretty glum and the soundtrack is rather boring and expected. Like most of his films, Villeneuve comes off a little too uncertain about his own signature.Read all
A very odd and random music anime. This felt like an addendum to a TV series, or maybe even a season recap. It's a pretty short film and there's a lot of focus on the music (which isn't very good at all), which leaves very little time for plot or character development. I usually don't mind, but it just didn't work here. The art style is pretty interesting and the animation isn't bad, but it's not anything out of the ordinary either. The short runtime makes it very flimsy, the music is horrible, and the characters are dull. It's clear filler, but the worst kind. Easy to skip, unless you're a big fan of 80s J-Rock.Read all
A sequel to Yau's 77 Heartbreaks. Though a direct sequel plotwise, the vibe of this film was a bit different. A bit closer to your average romcom, with a slightly stronger focus on the comedy and more room for a happy ending. Though Yau still doesn't give the audience what they want from a film like this. Maybe that's for the inevitable third part. The comedy is pretty dreadful and the soundtrack is way too cheesy. Performances are decent (with Chau still being a stand-out) and the drama isn't that bad, the little twists at the end were appreciated too, but this did feel less distinct than the first film. Maybe he should give part 3 to someone who is a bit more skilled in doing a straight-forward romcom.Read all
It's probably a good thing Hiroki was able to make this film 20 years ago, it's difficult to imagine he'd get away with it nowadays. And that's a real shame, as his unabashed take on a tricky/taboo subject is what makes this film stand out. Great performances, an intriguing premise and a splendid blend of hard and soft turn this into a unique and accomplished drama. If you're easily triggered it's probably best to approach this film with caution, more mature audiences will find a drama where there's a lot to unpack.
A surprisingly fun and accomplished yokai/fantasy adventure. I hadn't expected that much from this film and the oldskool effects may find some detractors, but there's a lot of charm here and the film does manage to be quite impressive when needed. It's not quite up there with Miike's film, but notably better than some of its predecessors. The effects are mostly traditional, but sleek camerawork and impressive sets do make a big difference. The result isn't unlike Chow's A Chinese Odyssey films. The performances aren't great, and the plot is very minimal, but that doesn't really stand in the way of the amusement. I had a lot of fun with this one, surprised it's still relatively unknown. Read all
A basic but nicely shot drama about a Japanese brothel. It's a film that thanks its broader exposure to the fact the plot was written by Akira Kurosawa. It's not something that stands out for me, though it sure looks nice on a poster, and it clearly helped the film find an audience outside of Japan. The cinematography is above average, performances are decent, and the score is pleasant too, but it feels like I've seen this story many times before and the film does seem to drag out the drama unnecessarily. It's a solid enough film, just nothing that truly stands out. Decent filler in other words.Read all
Maybe I don't know enough about Lucille Ball and this particular period in her life, but Sorkin's choice to feature a single week on the set of her most successful show doesn't really pay off. The basic premise is utterly boring and the additional drama plus the narrative digressions feel forced. There's little chemistry between Kidman and Bardem, the cinematography is stuffy, and the life of Ball and Desi is simply not interesting enough, unless you care about fame and gossip. All the extra narrative padding brings the film to a 130-minute+ runtime, which is excessive. A pretty big bore.Read all
I've seen a bunch of Tsai's pre-cinema films now and though somewhat relevant to the filmmaker he would become, these TV dramas aren't all that great. You see flashes of Tsai's later self, but the poor production values and lacking cinematic appeal really hamper the enjoyment for me. The performances aren't great, the cinematography is mostly functional, the soundtrack feels tacked on, and the romance never truly grabbed me. It's nice to see traces of Tsai's lingering style, and it's a touch better than your average TV drama, but it doesn't begin to compare to his later films.Read all