Log: week 30 / 2024
A Canadian drama with a bit of an edge, but also a lot of name-dropping and plenty of classical drama flair. I liked the first half hour of the film, but once it settles there's not really that much there and it becomes quite repetitive. In the end, I could've done with at least 30 minutes less of it. The characters are somewhat interesting, which is why the first 30 minutes stand out. Once the dust settles down the film gets into more serious territory, it becomes a bit more tedious, as it doesn't have that much interesting to say (besides pointing out some tired clichés). Not bad, but a little basic.Read all
Westerns will never be my favorite genre, but at least the spaghetti ones are the right kind of cheesy. There's some sentimental drama here that feels wholly out of place, but the exaggerated performances and the over-the-top presentation keep it somewhat palatable. It's far from great, but a lot easier to get through than most of their American peers. The rest is a pretty classic tale of revenge, though featuring a bit more drama than usually the case. The cinematography is a little drab and the performances are terrible, but at least the film doesn't take itself too seriously and the runtime is short. It's not a film I'll remember, but it wasn't the worst Western I've seen.Read all
Early Japanese cyberpunk that isn't cyber at all, but it certainly is punk. This film feels a lot like early Tsukamoto, except that the plot is way more sillier. It's not all that coherent either, it's a collection of sketches and unrelated scenes centered around a guy with a cabbage for a head, running around Tokyo. The film quality is paltry, the editing is zany, and the plot (if you can call it that) is completely bonkers. This is definitely an experience and considering its age, a somewhat important milestone in the genre, but it's nowhere as refined or accomplished as the better films in the genre. A fun little oddity.Read all
After a short lull, the Planet of the Apes series returns with more serious nonsense. I have to say I quite appreciate the idea behind these films, but the makers always seem to take it way too seriously. These films aren't fit to be dark adventures, instead, they should be cheesy entertainment. But alas. The CG is pretty solid, but the film's aesthetic is rather plain and the universe of the film isn't the most appealing. The characters are dull, the plot is a relative bore and the runtime is excessive. Most of all, it lacks a little wink and some cheek, something that balances out the overload of drama that drives this film. Disappointing.Read all
A bland Hollywood drama that never finds its footing. It's directed by a woman and it handles some uncommon LGBTQ+ themes, but other than that there's not much here. The drama doesn't feel genuine, the performances are rather poor and the presentation felt like an afterthought. Moore and Bening aren't at their best, Ruffalo is a bad caricature, the meager attempts at comedy undermine the drama and the film royally overstays its welcome. This is just bad Hollywood drama, despite some more progressive themes and ideas., which makes it just as bad as all the others.Read all
I'm not sure City Hunter is fit for a live-action adaption, nor do I think many people were truly anticipating one. But here we are. The result is a rather basic Japanese blockbuster. Fun and a little kooky, but also a bit too generic and too long. I don't know why a film like this can't just be 90 minutes. The presentation is pretty slick, the mix of comedy, action, and (light) sci-fi is entertaining enough and the pacing is solid too. It's just that there's very little that stands out here. The anime is pretty particular and the translation to live-action never feels quite right, despite some funny ideas (like the introduction of Kaori's signature hammer). Fun, but forgettable.Read all
A film that starts with an actual documentary segment. Quite novel and interesting, though the execution feels iffy and sensationalist. It's also a little unnecessary, as the plot isn't all that out of the ordinary. This is a pretty straightforward gangster film, only even worse than most of its peers. The performances are terrible, the cinematography is bland and the film is quite sentimental for a noir. Yes, it's all based on actual events, but we're talking about a relatively simple murder case here, not some mind-boggling news story. One of the lesser noirs I've seen so far.Read all
Jujutsu Kaisen 0
I've heard of the series before, but like so many, never bothered to watch it. I figured a film prequel wouldn't be the worst place to start, especially because many of these animes work with similar tropes. I didn't have any trouble following what was happening, but apart from the fights, I wasn't that impressed with any of it. The demons are fun and the action scenes are dynamic and over the top. The characters are very generic though and the drama is overly sentimental, needlessly slowing down the film. It's a typical film spin-off of a basic TV anime, I'm sure the fans will dig it, personally I prefer something with a bit more character.Read all
Hellhole may be super basic and simple, but it's also a very capable and impressive genre film that left me wanting more once the credits started descending from the screen. The ending is fabulous, which (ironically) may be the main reason keeping me from giving this an even higher score. The setting is majestic, the presentation is moody and the score is fitting. The first 60 minutes or so are a bit slow though. The build-up is good, but looking at the finale it's clear there was the potential to do ever more with this film. The styling of the demon and the final scenes are exemplary, let's hope for a sequel.Read all
Even though Indonesian horror is quite popular, and Islam is the predominant religion there, the combination of the two is quite rare. Qorin tries to change that, but it ends up a slow burn that never really catches fire. There's potential here, it's just that the film never gets quite as tense or thrilling as it's supposed to be. The build-up is quite slow, but the bigger problem is that once the horror elements take root, the film never feels like a proper scare. The actors aren't too great, the effects are mediocre and there's nothing much original here. It's a pretty generic horror film, that only sets itself apart with its setting.Read all
A stylish horror/mystery carried by three outstanding actors and Wright's pointed direction. It's not the most special or unique film, but everything has a sense of purpose and the presentation is flawless. It's great genre cinema for a wide audience, a surprisingly rare combination. Taylor-Joy is the poster star of the film, but McKenzie and Smith are equally impressive. The flashback scenes are alluring, the editing is majestic and the build-up towards the finale is slick. The ending may not be the strongest part of the film, but it doesn't disappoint and left me satisfied.Read all
Hells looks like mad fun (and it certainly is), but it's also thematically quite heavy. There's enough madness here to put the film in the same category as Dead Leaves or Redline, but the story and characters play a big part and aren't as neglected. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing very much depends on your own preferences. The animation isn't top-tier, but the art style is cool and the camera angles are insane. The story is a bit mad at first but starts to ground itself halfway through, sporting plenty of biblical references. Two hours is maybe a tad too long and I could've done with shorter monologues, but this is still a mighty insane film.Read all
A cute little mindbender that slightly loses itself during the middle part. The characters and events just weren't as weird and/or kooky as Roy intended them to be, and even though the mystery elements are intriguing, not all that much is done with them. Then again, if you're looking for a headscratcher, this is a very good bet. Pirrie does a good job as the lead, the rest of the cast isn't quite on the same level. The horror elements are a tad disappointing, the mystery is fun but feels like a cut-and-paste job from other films (Kryptic has been described as Lynchian) and the conclusion wasn't that gratifying. There's quite a bit of fun to be had with this film, but the potential was there to do better.Read all