Log: week 33 / 2024
A classic vampire movie ala Bava. That means poor special effects, Italian expressiveness, and cheesy sets. I assume the film is supposed to give off a gothic vibe, but all I can see are cardboard walls and tiny budgets. At least the runtime is short and the plot is zany enough to keep things moving along. The performances are overdone, the vampire lore is basic and apart from the fun setup, the plot isn't all that interesting. It's a film where I had to struggle to find any appeal, but that seems to be par for the course with Bava's work. So far his fandom escapes me, though I can't say I'm too surprised.Read all
It was a smart move to cast Andy Lau playing an aging actor wanting to go out with a bang. There are some fun cameos at the start of The Movie Emperor (hello Jing Wong and Tony Leung), giving the film even more meta appeal, but that's all just a prelude. The real film starts when Lau moves to the countryside. Hao Ning delivers a decent comedy, but one that starts to drag a little around the halfway point. Two hours is a bit too long, even though the performances are pleasant and the presentation is fine. The setup is stretched thin and the second half is too repetitive. Still, some nice ideas with a couple of smirks along the way.Read all
Tales of the Undeparted
A classic Japanese horror anthology. These films are usually pretty fun, if not the most inspired anthologies. Beware though, this is an AKB48 vehicle, a cheap promotional film to give some girl of the popular project a chance to act. Sadly, none of them seem ready for an acting career. The presence of Masafumi Yamada gave me some hope, but the film is just incredibly cheap and lazy. The horror elements are poorly realized and while there are several shorts, they all look and feel very similar. Even horror fans will find little to like here, safe a handful of scenes. Maybe hardcore AKB48 fans will have a better time with this one.Read all
This is hailed as an important film for the African continent, bearing elements of the Nouvelle Vague (so it's a bit arthouse and experimental). Which is nice and all, but looking at the actual film, the result is paltry. The direction is amateurish and though some attempts are being made to create a magical atmosphere, nothing works. The cinematography is bland and nothing like its French role models. The score is poor too, the performances aren't great and the dreamier scenes never felt successful. It's a good thing the film is pretty short, but there are few scenes that made any kind of impact, and in the end, I was just glad to see the end credits. Disappointing.Read all
A pleasant island drama that makes good use of Gunkenjima, a by-now popular tourist spot on the coast of Japan. The abandoned island provides a nice backdrop to a coming-of-age drama that mixes in mild brawler elements. This gives the film a bit of an edge, though it's not as nihilistic as some other of its notable predecessors. The performances are strong, Saito makes excellent use of the setting and the cinematography is on point (giving off that summery island vibe). The drama is good too, though things become a bit melodramatic at the end. A slightly more subdued take would've been better, but there's lots to enjoy here.Read all
Gao's latest is a pleasant crime flick, but the film isn't quite up there with his best work. It reminded me a little of Yimou's latest, an intricate crime story and lots of minute police work, but without that one thing that could raise the film above its peers. And so this is simply a very capable genre film. The cast is good, the presentation is slick and the story is detailed. There's a lot of plot to wade through during the first half, so make sure you follow along. The broader plot isn't that difficult to follow though. Add some solid action scenes and a pointed finale, and you have another solid Gao. Read all
Absurd comedy. The store is a big player in Japan and forms the center of this collection of short stories, though some are only tangentially related. I assume the film is linked to the company, but this is by no means a blatant promotional video. The comedy is pretty bonkers, often at the expense of Parco. I appreciate this type of comedy. It's unpredictable, kooky and deadpan. Not every joke is a hit, but there are few misses, and the anthology setup keeps things fresh. The cast does a good job too, it's just a shame that the cinematography is a tad murky. With some extra visual polish, this could've been a personal favorite.Read all
Like most Kaufman films, this wasn't for me. The setup (a love triangle) is generic, the characters aren't all that interesting and the runtime is an insult. This is of course based on a novel, so there's a lot of ground to cover, but it would've been better if parts had been cut to bring the runtime down. The performances are decent, but nothing too memorable. Kaufman's direction is acceptable but doesn't stand out. So all that remains is a story about people entangled in a complex romantic web. The film might've been better if I'd been invested in the characters, but for that, I needed more.Read all
A fine arthouse drama. I'm aware of the relatively strong bond between Brazil and Japan, it's not as common to see an Argentine director import a Taiwanese lead to Brazil. It makes for a novel setup, though the film is a relatively basic arthouse drama, meaning the pacing is slow and the characters somewhat lethargic. That's not a negative, thanks to the solid performances and the pretty cinematography the slow pacing is easy to stomach. The drama felt a little underwhelming though, i never fully cared about the characters and their troubles, but at least I had a pleasant time spending time with them.Read all
I'm not entirely sure why they made this film about SARS instead of COVID, though the result is pretty much the same. This Taiwanese hospital thriller is pretty decent, better than its Chinese competitor, but it's not the most original film and there's a bit too much melodrama at the end. The performances are decent and the film looks above average, especially considering the setting. The setup is solid too, but things start to drag a little during the middle part, and the finale could've done with a bit less sentimentality. But the base quality is good, there's just not much here that stands out.Read all
Another summery fantasy anime. For years, Japanese animation companies have tried to replicate the success of Ghibli (originally) and Shinkai (once Ghibli dropped their output). With little success. Films like My Oni Girl are nice enough, but they're also quite generic and predictable, lacking the magic that makes their role models so popular. The animation is a bit limited, the plot is predictable and the film lacks edge. It's all very neat and proper, sporting familiar anime clichés and proven formulas. There are some nice moments and the film is likable enough, but I've seen a few too many of these films to be blown away by them still. Decent anime fantasy filler, but no standout.Read all
A perfectly decent space horror. Which is fine I guess, as I like this genre. But once again it doesn't do justice to the creature Giger created, and that's a big disappointment. Not that I expected to be blown away by Romulus, its marketing strategy was centered around oldskool effects and nods to the original, but Alvarez could have done a lot more. My main pet peeve is that the Xenomorph never wins. This time, he is challenged by his most devious enemy yet: a group of young kids. The Xenomorph is a secondary character in his own franchise, instead, we get human drama, corporate overlords, and evil androids. The sets look old-fashioned, the direction is tepid and the third act is misguided. I still enjoyed large bits of this, but compared to its infinite potential, Romulus is an inexcusable dud.Read all
A rather generic 70s action movie. Fonda steals some money, and a naive girl tags along. Cue a bunch of police chases as they try to escape. It's a simple setup and a movie like this doesn't need much more, the problem is that the action is rather slim and the film spends way too much time with the main characters, who are kind of annoying. The setting isn't too interesting, the performances are forgettable and the action scenes are disappointing. I'm not a big fan of the typical '70s vibe either, but that's a given when watching a film from 1974. Not a film I'll remember for long, there simply isn't enough here to set it apart from its peers.Read all
I'm not entirely sure why they made a sequel, but apparently, the time was right to make another tornado chaser flick. The original film was pretty decent, sadly this one loses track of the main focus more than once. There's too much drama and marginal nonsense to call this a fun blockbuster. Edgar-Jones is a poor lead, Powell is downright irritating, and this whole South-Central USA vibe got on my nerves after a while. But the tornado scenes are pretty amusing, even though there's not quite enough of them and they're spread too far apart. Great cinema this is not, but there were some amusing parts.Read all
Kidnapping, Caucasian Style
Yes, there is such a thing as a Russian comedy. You don't see them very often, especially not when focusing on internationally renowned Russian cinema, but when filtering out local favorites, they're not unheard of. There's a good reason why they never traveled far though, they're not very funny. The comedy is incredibly lowbrow, the characters are pretty dumb, the songs are terrible and the plot is negligible. But the film is short and the tone is light, and when comparing that with the usual Russian classics I watch, that accounts for something. Silly and pointless as it may be, I got to the end quite easily.Read all
The story sounds pretty animated, but don't be fooled. This is a slow and brooding arthouse film. While there are some notable scenes, violence, and sex aren't shunned here, this isn't a film for people looking to have a good bit of genre fun. It's exactly that combo of genre and arthouse that makes the film interesting though. The performances are good and the soundtrack is a real boon. The camerawork is fine, but not quite as polished as I remembered it to be. The plot is interesting and it kept me engaged despite the slow pacing. If only the visual presentation had been a bit more stylish this would've still been a personal favorite, now I felt there was something lacking. But it's still a unique film, worth watching if you like something different.Read all
At first, I was a tad surprised to see a US director making a movie in France, but it didn't take long before I caught on. There's satire, and then there are films like Mr. Freedom. There's not an ounce of subtlety to be found here, the film is scathing and ridiculous, but also tons of fun. The performances aren't too great and the effects are silly, but this being a full-on comedy, Klein gets away with it. The satire is a little simple, but amusing nonetheless, and the way the film goes completely overboard in the final act is hilarious. A very nice find, these are the type of classics I don't mind watching.Read all
Few foreign directors do well on their travels to Japan, but the reverse isn't always that much better. Tsutsumi's Collage of Our Life is a pleasant exception, though the film isn't quite as impressive as I remembered it to be. The depiction of the US in particular is a bit bland and uninspired. The performances are solid, with Matsuda, Koike, and Hirosue as obvious standouts. The plot holds enough surprises, the drama and romance elements are properly realized and the pacing is fine. I just didn't care so much for the simplistic and cliché way New York is shown here. It's an outsider's view, which begs the question: why did Tsutsumi even bother? Other than that, this is a fine drama.Read all
While the plot sounds quite heavy, this is actually one of Fellini's lighter dramas. It's sometimes referenced as comedy, but that's taking things one step too far. It's a story about five guys who prefer to remain adolescents rather than become true adults, goofing around their old hometown. The drama never got to me, thanks to the rough performances and the chirpy dialogue. The presentation isn't the greatest either, the music in particular stood out negatively, but at least it's black-and-white, so there's none of Fellini's gaudy color work. It's also nice the film clocks in under two hours, but list most Fellini's, it left me cold.Read all
A pretty special Hiroki, if only because he isn't known for directing romantic comedies. Mind you, this isn't a typical romcom. Hiroki's taste for kinky and somewhat taboo subjects is woven into the story, with strong BDSM elements turning this into a very different, although still prim and proper, romantic comedy. The cast is strong (shoutout to Akira Emoto and Tomoro Taguchi), the presentation is stylish and the comedy is understated but funny. Beyond its premise, the film isn't too original and there aren't many surprises here, but it's an odd little diversion that showcases Hiroki's broader talents. Fun filler!Read all
As long as Herman Yau is around, Hong Kong cinema won't die. The man is truly unstoppable, with multiple films slated for 2024. Crisis Negotiators is one of them, and while not the most memorable Hong Kong police procedural, it's a decent enough film that references the heydays of Hong Kong crime cinema. With Ching Wan Lau, Francis Ng, Philip Keung, and an Andy Lau cameo there are plenty of oldskool Hong Kong greats present, most of them are just going through the motions though. The story is pretty basic too, but for a film that is two hours long the pacing is pretty solid and things never get too slow. Decent genre fun.Read all
Another Detective Dee film. He's a perfect character for the Chinese streamers, he's well-known and they can churn out multiple movies per year if needed. Just give the man a new case and build a simple movie around that. And that is exactly what they are doing. It's amusing, but also a little lazy. The presentation is nice, the performances are decent and the setup of the plot is interesting enough. But once Dee starts his usual detective work things slow down considerably and I rarely care for the explanation of his cases. It's easy filler and I had fun with it for sure, but it's not up there with the best Dee films.Read all
The Deadpool films are some of the better MCU productions, this third one keeps its reputation going. They're still not as mad/crazy/surprising as I'd like them to be, despite some well-intentioned attempts these are still very much Hollywood films, but they sure are a lot funnier than most of the other MCU films (the latter Thor films excluded). It also helps that Reynolds and Jackman have a real-world bromance going. The film is a bit long though, the fights aren't quite as brutal as they think they are and the soundtrack is absolute garbage. At least the comedy is decent throughout and the setting is pretty fun too. Proper entertainment, but there's plenty of potential to do better.Read all
Another strong outing from Michihito Fujii. Regardless of what genre he tackles, he seems capable of putting out quality films. Hard Days is a black comedy embedded within a crime story. It reminded me a little of U Turn, another one of those films where someone's day gets increasingly worse. Solid performances, clean cinematography, proper pacing, and several fun twists kept me engaged throughout. The occasional smirk was the icing on the cake.