Log: week 47 / 2023

When a jazz pianist witnesses a murder, he wants to find the killer. He teams up with a news reporter, and together they start their little investigation. The closer they get to the real identity of the killer, the more people around end up dead. But they're so far in that turning back simply isn't an option.

The cinematography is somewhat interesting, but it's not very consistent. The actors are terrible, Goblin's soundtrack is ill-fitting and I didn't really care for the giallo elements. I just wasn't invested enough in the investigation, add to that the disappointing stylistic choices, and what's left is an overly long film with too much unrealized potential.

Rakel is a young girl who is ready to begin her adult life. Until she finds out she's already 6 months pregnant, well beyond the accepted period to get an abortion. Suddenly she can't escape the fact that she is going to become a mom, something that was on the very bottom of her list.

The lead actress is strong, the animation is quirky (but not very pretty or technically accomplished) and the frankness of the characters is refreshing. Other than that, the film did feel kind of empty, there wasn't too much urgency and there wasn't much that stuck into my brain. Good, entertaining filler though.

A daughter and her father reconnect after being 15 years apart. He left them when her mother cheated on him, but he never forgot about the family he left behind. It takes some time before they get used to each other, but once they can accept their differences, they finally get their relationship back on the rails.

The image quality is paltry and the drama is rather basic, but Obayashi has some fun tricks up his sleeve. He never takes things too seriously and injects some narrative tricks to keep things interesting. It's far from his best work, but it's easy filler that fits in well with the rest of his oeuvre.

Mike has custody of his niece, but he's not really fit to be a father figure, as he's battling his own demons. Still, he wants to be there for her, so he takes the only job that's available for him. He becomes a night guard at an old pizza place that used to be famous for having very lifelike animatronics.

The story about Mike, his niece, and his traumatic past is a real bust and takes up way too much time. I wish they'd spent a bit more effort on making the puppets creepier, but that's Blumhouse for you. It's not a terrible film, it's just hard not to compare it to a much better one that was released just two years ago.

Bill and Alice are a happily married couple, but then Alice confesses to Bill there was a time she thought about being unfaithful and Bill caves. He visits an old friend and sneaks into an exclusive party, one where everyone is masked and sex is omnipresent. When he is found out, things start to go south.

The film could've been at least 45 minutes shorter, without losing much. The cinematography is nice but nothing overwhelming, the soundtrack a little grating and while the performances are strong, Cruise isn't at the top of his game. It's a quality film, with some memorable scenes, but not one of the all-time greats.

Shunichi is a young kid who falls in love with the daughter of a fisherman. He wants to marry her and learn the trade, as he loves the ocean, but her father is against the idea. He knows how dangerous the sea can be and he's afraid Shunichi won't be able to give his daughter the life she deserves. But Shunichi won't give up that easily.

The pacing is deliberate, the setting quite grim and Somai's choice to register rather than narrate is a solid one. The performances are good too, but the drama is pretty basic and predictable, and the runtime is pretty hefty for a film that holds few surprises. It's a good drama, but it lacks that little extra to distinguish itself.

Lin is looking for the killer of his father when he arrives in a small town and enters a shooting competition. At stake is a formidable gun. Lin wins the competition, but his closest competitor steals his prize and runs off with it in the desert. Lin doesn't want to give up so easily, and he begins his pursuit.

Stewart is a wooden actor, completely unfit to play a tough cowboy. The plot is pretty boring, the setting is dreary and I really didn't care much for Lyn's quest. The cinematography and soundtrack are worthless too. I think must rank as one of the worst Westerns I've seen so far.

Zé is a simple farmer. When his donkey falls ill, he prays to St Barbara to save his animal. In return, he carries a cross all the way to the big city. Once he arrives at his destination, the people there aren't too impressed with Zé's story and despite his good intentions, the priest of the local church paints him as the bad guy.

The church and its many steps make for an interesting, the stark black-and-white cinematography is above-average and the Capoeira adds a fun touch to the film. The struggles of the poor farmer were a lot less interesting and the more films like this I see, the more this somewhat simplistic rendition of poor vs wealthy starts to bother me. Not great, but it's certainly not all bad.