Log: week 45 / 2023

Oppenheimer is the guy who led the project that created the atomic bomb, a weapon that gave Japan its biggest trauma of the century. Part of the film deals with the creation and the bomb, though most of the runtime is spent on the background of Oppenheimer and the political fallout of his creation.

The performances are decent, but other than that it's a pretty bland film. There's nothing too bad or out of line, but also nothing that stands out or makes this a memorable experience. Apart from the finale maybe, which peaks around the 120-minute mark. The final hour is just one big outro that made me think Nolan should watch some Shaw Brow movies before he starts a new film. I'd be disappointed, but I didn't expect too much from this film to begin with.

A young student is feeling the pressure of the exams she is about to take. She prefers to lose herself in a dream world, where she has fallen in love with a scholar. A pop singer is visiting that same dream world, as she is escaping from the pressure of delivering her next hit album.

The performances are solid enough, and the setup of the drama is interesting. The cinematography's a tad too pedestrian though and while the dream sequences look good, the potential was there to do even more. I was engaged throughout and the film has no real weak points, it's just not that distinctive.

Gwynplaine has to live with a permanent grin on his face. It's the result of his father's deceit, a crime Gwynplaine had to pay for. He travels with a circus, together with some other freaks, and despite his popularity, he lives an unfulfilling life. Things change when he falls in love with Dea, a blind girl.

Gwynplaine looks more goofy than he looks scary or tragic, which hurts his character and the tragedy that befalls him, but other than that the story was decent enough. It's a long film if you're not used to silent cinema, but the pacing is proper, the cinematography is moody and the romance is proper.

One day, the Martians leave their planet and pay us a visit. They don't come in peace though and they act like absolute brats when they arrive here. Various attempts to make peace falter, but humanity doesn't give up that easily. The Martians have a weakness, and the brave actions of a young kid might just save our planet.

There are some solid gags, the actors are visibly having fun with their parts and there's a goofiness spread throughout that makes it an endearing watch. The special effects are a bit disappointing though (even when they are meant to look cheap) and I'm used to much weirder and crazier films these days, so it's not quite as distinctive as it was the last time I watched this one. Good fun, just not a true favorite anymore.

When a man turns back from the war, his wife is delighted to see she didn't end up a widow. Her life changes drastically though, and life isn't quite as rosy with him around. The villagers don't take too kindly to them. When a dead body is found in the nearby river, things take a turn for the worse.

The cinematography is stylish, the story is condensed and to the point and the short runtime makes sure that you won't be too bothered by the fact that you've probably seen this exact thing before. It's typical genre fare, but Yip is the ideal director to drive a film like this home. Good fun.

Webb is a cynical officer who is called to Susan's house to investigate a stalker case. He falls in love with her on the spot, Susan seems to like Webb too, but she is quite loyal to her husband. Webb decides to fix that problem for her, though he makes sure to leave Susan out of the loop.

Like most noirs, there's a tiny bit of action and tons of stuffy dialogue to fill the gaps in between. The performances are pretty bad, the pacing is jumpy and the presentation is bland. It's not too demanding or too ambitious, which saves it from being a complete crapfest, but it's not a genre/era that brings me much joy.

Chen Jialuo takes over the position of chief of the Red Flower Society when their old leader dies of illness. He learns that the society is under attack and that their fourth leader has gone missing. Together with a local dancer and two more members of the society Jialuo goes on a journey to find out what happened to their fourth leader.

There's nothing here you haven't seen before (unless you're completely unaware of these films). There's a little political intrigue, a couple of good action scenes, cool settings and costumes, but iffy CG. The film is short and punchy, but there's nothing here that is too memorable. Very good genre fluff in other words.

Tim is a CIA agent tasked with weeding out pedophiles. When he manages to rescue a little boy from the hands of a big criminal organization, he learns that his sister is still held captive. As a CIA agent, he can't do much, but as a vigilante, he can still make a difference for the little girl.

Big, brawny American man takes on a South American trafficking ring. The presentation is slick and the first hour can get pretty tense, the second half is cheesier and more over-the-top. Performances aren't great, it's all a bit too sentimental and two hours is too long. Not a very remarkable film, but not a terrible one either.