Log: week 15 / 2023

Karl Kopfrkingl manages a big crematorium in Prague during the Second World War. He loves to talk about his job and often loses himself in monologues, which isn't entirely healthy. The more he thinks about it, the more he believes that cremation sets the souls of the dead free.

Hrušínský is pretty great in the lead role, the rest of the cast is also decent, but not half as memorable. The black-and-white cinematography is nice, and the premise of the film is promising, but then the film itself is a tad slow and the finale isn't half as impressive as I'd hoped it would be. Intriguing, but ultimately a tad disappointing.

Humankind is trying to escape the dying sun, its best bet is moving the Earth out of our galaxy. Not everyone agrees as a huge part of the world has more faith in a digital continuation of our species' existence. The construction of 10.000 engines !s essential for humankind's survival, but the project becomes the target of the rebels.

The first hour is pretty spectacular, and so is the final one. If this had been a 2-hour film it would've been perfect blockbuster material. Sadly, there's a middle part that is mostly bad drama and sentiment. It's nice to see Andy Lau make an appearance, but he really wasn't needed here. Sci-fi and special effects are what this series is all about, and only 2/3th of the film delivers that.

Fleeing Dakar, hoping for a better future, Souleiman and a few others take the boat to Spain. The bodies of his companions wash ashore some time later, but Souleiman's corpse isn't among them. Ada, his lover, keeps faith that her man is still alive, even though she is arranged to marry an older gentleman.

The soundtrack and the ghostly apparitions that creep up in the second half of the film add an otherworldly feel, which I hadn't really seen before in an African film. The drama isn't all that interesting though and the mystery is never quite as enveloping as it could've been. It's a decent enough attempt, but the execution needed to be better for it to be fully successful.

Two young lovers are invited on a luxury cruise, a little influencer gift. They don't really blend in with the other people on board, but soon they'll have bigger trouble to worry about. A storm is coming, aligning with the customary captain's dinner. The cruise won't be the same after that night.

If you like 150 minutes of looking at rich people being jerks, then this is a real blast. I got bored of it after a while though. The characters felt a little flat, the decadence doesn't translate to the styling of the film and 150 minutes is simply too long. It's not a bad film, but far from good enough to truly win me over.

Alex and David are teens who first encounter each other during a little boating accident. They quickly become (more than) friends. The somewhat timid and green Alex is swept away by the charm of David, but he isn't ready for a steady relationship just yet. Their romance is short-lived, then disaster strikes.

The performances are solid but nothing special, the drama is a little predictable, and the styling isn't very memorable. It's an okay drama, that passes the time quite easily, but there's not much here that made a real or lasting impression on me. That said, I should probably catch up with Ozon's remaining films.

A serial killer is targeting young women in New York, the son of a media mogul who just took over his father's empire sees it as an opportunity to grow his business. He pressures his three senior executives into getting him scoops, promising them a high-ranking function when they succeed.

The static camera work and the basic black-and-white cinematography make it look like a film from the 40s. The plot is rather generic, the characters are one-dimensional and dreary, and the runtime is too long. I'm sure genre fans will find proper filler here, for me, there's just not enough appeal in these films.

Two guys hit it big when they become local weed Gods. Their business runs smoothly, but the threat of legalization looms around the corner, so when a Mexican gang wants to buy up their business, it sounds like a pretty good deal. They mess up their chance and find themselves in over their heads.

Some flashy styling choices and a certain self-awareness help to give the film a bit of flair, but the excessive runtime and a basic crime plot keep the film from soaring. Stone is a peculiar director who combines highs and lows, Savages, on the other hand, is a bit more middle-of-the-road. Pretty fun, but unremarkable.

Two demons are sealed into a magical world hidden behind a mural. The phoenix is taking on the sparrow, a demon with malicious intent. The phoenix sacrifices herself, the key to freeing her lies with a young painter, who has a big crush on the phoenix without actively remembering her. When he visits the mural, he is sucked into the world of the two demons.

The film is a typical mix of fantasy and action, with a romantic back story and some comedy to try and please just about everyone. The colorful cinematography and costumes are amazing, the CG still isn't quite there yet, but it's a clear improvement over most of its peers. Lovely, concise entertainment, if only these films could find a way to be a bit more distinctive they'd be perfect core genre cinema.

Miss China is the owner of a small tavern, she also rents out one of her rooms to an old inventor. The inventor is often late with the rent and his inventions are so outrageous that he can't get proper funding for them. Miss China has a crunch on his apprentice though, and she decides to give the inventors a chance to prove their worth.

The plot is pretty simple and the comedy a little crass, then again this is a short 90s OAV, so what did you expect? I did like the detailed art style and the love that went into the animation, a clear step up from similar projects of the time. The slight sci-fi elements are a nice touch and there's a sweetness and lightness to the film that makes it a very easy watch. Fun.

A new kind of amusement park. Three areas (the Roman era, the Medieval era, and the Western era) offer the most immersive experience for its visitors. Apart from its human visitors, the place is teeming with Robots who are virtually indistinguishable from their fellow men. Things get hairy when the park loses control over its robot employees.

Robots running amok isn't the most exciting premise in 2023, the three eras didn't do it for me either (not in the least because the main focus lies on the Western era). The performances and effects were somewhat decent though, and the tension does build up properly during the final act. I get why this was once a respected film, but little of its initial appeal remains.

Chloe undergoes an experimental treatment, hoping she'll be able to hear again. She stays in the summer house of her dad for the time being. The experiment is a big success, but the remoteness of the area starts to get to Chloe and she hears voices that appear to belong to her lost mother.

The performances are decent, but the drama is light, the film isn't quite scary enough and the plot is spread too thin in order to reach the ridiculous runtime. If they'd managed to wrap it up in 90 minutes it would've been fairly pleasant genre filler. It's not a terrible film though, just a bit deluded.

Suzu has a tough time growing up as a gay boy on a small island. His family loves him, but the other people on the island don't really understand his feelings. Things change when he meets Mio, a young boy whose mother just died. Suzu fancies him and Mio seems to like him back, but before anything can happen, Mio is forced to move to the main island as he is still a minor.

The animation is decent and the island mood is translated very well. It's also nice seeing a gay-themed animated drama (that goes beyond the usual yaoi appeal), the extra drama added in the second half was completely unnecessary though, and muddles the film. It's not a bad film, but it lacks a defining quality to really set it apart, and it never felt quite confident enough in its core drama.

Sebastian is a nerdy workaholic who has lost the ability to have fun. He drums up some old friends for his bachelor party. Things don't quite as planned when they end up in the middle of an alien invasion. Sebastian and his old friends will have to band together if they want to come out alive.

The film is quite ambitious, doing a mix of sci-fi, comedy (and some light horror) isn't easy on a budget, certainly not for a Norwegian film. The result is pretty solid though. It's never quite as funny, with too many nerdy running gags I could've done without, but if you're looking for a bit of foreign genre fun, it's a pretty nice find.

Anna and Christian are separated, but not for long. Christian can't live without her and he vows to break with his old life. It will take time and some adjusting, but Anna is willing to give him a second chance. Things get tricky when demons of Christian's past return and complicate his relationship with Anna.

This is like watching a Takashi Ishii film for American housewives. It tries to be a kinky romance, but it's all very cheesy and dull, the leads in particular. Anna and Christian are truly dumb characters, and their relationship is laughable. That's now something a romantic film can survive. Not good.

Masaya returns home for the funeral of his grandma. He receives a letter from a former baker who is spending his time on death row, convicted for 8 murders of minors. Masaya used to frequent his bakery and is intrigued by the letter, what he learns from the man piques his interest even more.

The performances are great, Sadao Abe in particular is really creepy. The plot kept my interest, Shiraishi's style is very fitting and there's a tangible darkness that runs throughout the film. What Lesson in Murder lacks is something that makes it stand out from the crowd, it's a bit too familiar in places. Overall though, I had a pretty good time with it.

Indians take in a young boy, and he grows up learning about their ways and culture. Later, he returns to live with white folk, where he's taught a different way of living. He feels torn in a world where whites and Indians are at constant war with each other, especially when he has to join the fighting.

The film isn't quite as serious as it sounds, which is a good thing, since the sentiment weighs pretty heavy. I didn't really care for Hoffman's characters, nor the drama he is facing during the film, but compared to other Westerns I found this one a relatively easy watch. Far from great, but I'd expected worse.

Ripley is hired by the rich Mr. Greenleaf to call on his son Philippe in Italy and convince him to return home, in order to take over the family business. Philippe isn't very keen to return home, and Ripley falls in love with the lifestyle of his target. So much in fact that he devises a little plan to turn the tables.

The performances aren't great, the cinematography is rather plain, and two hours is way too long for a simple story like the one on display here. It's not that the film is utterly boring, just a bit too generic. It's not a film I'll fondly remember. If I remember it at all that is. Then again, there's not much that I found actively irritating, so there's at least that.