Log: week 46 / 2024
A fun dive into Russia's underground subcultures. If you're looking for moody cinematography and batshit crazy costumes, you're at the right address with Nirvana. The drama surrounding it isn't quite on the same level, but that's just window dressing for a little peak behind some unfamiliar curtains. The only thing that could've been better was the soundtrack. It felt weak, not genuine, but that could also be just me not being familiar with these underground scenes. Other than that, the pacing was fine, the performances decent and the setting was pretty wild. I'd love to see Russia make more films like this.Read all
A sweet and heartfelt drama in which a teen grappling with the loss of her parents is paired with an introverted, middle-aged woman. The result is a drama that slowly blossoms, as does the relationship between the two. It's not a film that tries to do things differently, rather it just does things very well. The performances are strong, the cinematography is polished and the score is pleasant and soothing. The setting is nice too, with some summery rural/seaside views to help create that comfy atmosphere. I've probably seen a few too many films like this and Worlds Apart couldn't quite differentiate itself enough, but it's still an easy recommend for fans of Japanese drama.Read all
Don't go in expecting an actual sci-fi. Yes, most of the film is set in space. Yes, there are fantastical elements (even space creatures), but this is mostly an introspective relationship drama. Think Sol(y)aris, but a bit goofier. It's an odd combo and doesn't quite work the way it should, but it's still pleasantly different. Sandler puts in a good performance, the Max Richter score is a clear asset and the finale is quite attractive. I'm not too sure about Dano's part (the creature design could've used some work) and the relationship drama didn't grip me as much as it should, but I still had a good time figuring out what the hell this film was trying to do. Not bad.Read all
A slow, dry, and deliberate film. It's not that I can't appreciate this type of cinema, but details are excruciatingly important and I think an even more stylized version had made a much bigger impact. In its current form, it felt like the worst of both worlds, though there are still remnants of an interesting film here. Delon isn't entirely convincing as the lead and the presentation is rather dim and uninviting. The central mystery is interesting enough and Klein's search for his doppelgänger kept me engaged throughout, it's just that it didn't take me anywhere of worth. Not the worst film, but not one that will stay with me.Read all
A pleasant revisit, though this time around it lacked that little spark that made it into a personal favorite. I guess it was the characters themselves, who felt a bit too stereotypical American and French. The culture clash between Europe and the US feels a bit easy and flimsy, but other than that the romance is very sweet indeed. Delpy and Hawke are both very good, the setting is romantic and the conversations between the two are amusing, though a little forced sometimes. There's not that much happening, still, the pacing is fine and the runtime is just perfect. As is the ending. It's a fine film, just not quite as special as I remembered it to be.Read all
The setup of No More Bets is interesting enough, but it quickly devolves into typical Chinese blockbuster drama antics. It doesn't help that it is based on a real case, which makes it even feel more sentimental. It would be nice if they'd be able to keep films like this a bit more genre, going a little easier on the drama. The performances aren't too bad though, and the story is pretty insane. But when it's just a couple of normal people fighting their oppressors, things become stale very quickly. The runtime is excessive and the second half isn't half as interesting, but at least the film has some decent moments.Read all
Hotels are the ideal locations for ensemble movies, as it's a natural melting pot, with diverse crowds staying in the same location. Grand Hotel was no doubt a template for later films, but the different setups just aren't interesting enough (or were vastly improved upon in said later films). The good thing is that films like these tend to be fastly paced and there's quite a bit of variation as you can follow different storylines. The downside to all of that is that they tend to be quite long. 110 minutes is a bit excessive for a film with very little to offer, but at least it never was slow and/or dreary.Read all
Not sure if the titular "last" means they're done with Venom (for the time being, though the mid-credits scene seems to suggest more is coming), but I think it would be good to wrap things up for the time being. This third one was the best of the bunch, but this series needs a better director to make it truly flourish. The banter between Venom and Eddie has potential, but the jokes just aren't funny enough and the rest of the comedy is worse. The soundtrack is irritating and the plot is utterly nonsensical, but at least the action is fun and the finale had some memorable bits. Not the worst blockbuster, but far from good cinema.Read all
Baoqiang Wang is one of the exponents of Chinese cinema, and while a decent enough actor (for some roles), he isn't talented enough to front an entire movie. This one was written and directed by Wang, while he also took on the lead role. The result is a bit messy, and too cheesy for its own good. The setup of the film is simple, a story about a man trying to do good for some kids. The dramatic twist is actually pretty interesting, but the way it was handled was overly sentimental. With a better director, this could've been an interesting take on the sports/boxing genre, but in its current form, it's little more than some cheesy blockbuster entertainment.Read all
A more romantic take on the Japanese escort business. They're portrayed more as friends-for-hire, good-looking men who can be rented for the night to act as a companion or friend, without the sexual component. I'm not entirely sure how realistic this portrayal is, though I am aware of similar professions in Japan that are purely focused on friendship. The performances are solid, the cinematography is very moody (colorful urban nightlife photography), and the three stories each add value to the overarching theme. There's nothing here that pushes the film to be remarkable, but if you're looking for a sweet, well-made Japanese romance, it shouldn't disappoint.Read all
An eerie and cold rendition of a horrific trial. The lead characters are pretty interesting, as their motives and actions are quite enigmatic, but the somewhat dry styling and slow pacing don't do the film any favors. It's as if Plante didn't know whether to go the arthouse or genre route and as a result, the film feels a bit conflicted. That's my main critique, as the individual parts are better than the overall result. The performances are strong, the presentation is clean, and the characters are interesting. But the film started to drag and the build-up to the finale felt a little out of place. Still worth a watch if you want something a little unusual.Read all
A solid mix of horror and mystery, though I wasn't in love with the grim 70s vibe that ran throughout the film. There's something about the colors and the styling that made this film a lot older than it was, which was pretty distracting. It also could've gone a bit harder on the horror elements, which ended up being quite tame. The setup of the mystery is interesting though and the setting certainly helped with the intrigue. The performances are a little flakey and the middle part did drag a little, but I ended up with a positive balance because of the relatively short runtime and fun finale. It's not a bad film, but maybe I was hoping for a bit more.Read all
Pasolini's take on Italian neorealism. It's not my favorite drama niche and certainly not when the Italians get busy with it. It's usually just a bunch of loud characters shouting a lot as they try to survive in rather dire circumstances. Anna Magnani was just insufferable, not in the least because of her terrifying laugh. The plot and characters weren't too interesting, the performances were poor and visually there's not a lot to get excited about. This film is really all about the characters and if they don't do it for you (or actively annoy you, as was the case for me) then you need to scramble to find anything positive here.Read all
A documentary with some interesting points to make, especially the one about parents not taking a proper interest in what their kids are doing. Despite it being a rather heartwarming story (and it's surely presented as one), it's somewhat strange that a son anchored to a wheelchair in his room was able to lead an online life his parents were completely unaware of. I quite liked the first half of the doc, the animated part that recounts much of Mats' online life wasn't quite as interesting. There is some mundane drama and in a world where disability doesn't matter Mats becomes just another flawed human being. It's not a terrible conclusion, the film just needs way too much time to make it.Read all
A nice drama about two girls finding each other through their common passion. They have very different personalities, but they complement each other well. The latter half turns darker though, and the focus on their career path disappears, leaving a touching and heartfelt drama. The art style is interesting, taking on different levels of abstraction depending on the context. The film is short and doesn't overstay its welcome, to concept is pretty original and there are some sweet and memorable moments, especially during the second half. A fine little drama, especially for those who like there anime just a little different.Read all
A basic action vehicle build around Jennifer Lopez, who's trying to prove she's still a bad bitch. There's also an attempt at an emotional layer, but that part falls completely flat. Cutting it out would've also saved on the runtime, then again, with a title like The Mother it seems they were fully invested. The action scenes are decent, the icy setting is fun and Lopez isn't too bad. The kid is annoying though and the bad guys are crummy, which is quite fatal for a film like this. It's not the worst of its kind, but I wouldn't have minded a shorter and more edgy version, just to make it stand out more from similar films.Read all
A gripping drama about the conflicted bond between a young deaf boy and his father. While the father raises his son to the best of his abilities, his checkered past and lingering trauma don't necessarily make him an ideal parent. This ambiguity runs underneath the entire film and creates a strong emotional response. The cinematography is fitting, the score is quite present and the performances are strong. It's also nice that they found an actual deaf actor to take on the role of Milano. For someone growing up in a small village in Flanders, it's all very recognizable, even when the film adheres quite closely to popular arthouse mechanics. Pleasantly surprised.Read all
A smart concept for a whodunit. The intro is a little tedious, but once the machine gets out things get interesting very quickly. It's obviously one of those films where you just have to wait for everything to be revealed, the nice thing about this one is that it spends more time on mood and vibe, so it's not just a narrative slog. The characters are interesting enough and the mystery is fun (and confusing), but it's the colorful cinematography and smart editing that makes this one stand out from the rest. The last third became a bit too twisty (again, you know explanations will follow), but other than that this turned out to be a cool surprise.Read all
It's interesting to see the setting change to Barcelona, you're basically getting a Spanish take on the concept introduced by the first film. The problem is that the Pastor brothers don't do enough with the premise. They try to expand the lore, but all they end up with is a needlessly long film. The presentation is stylish and the tension is solid, it's just that in between those scenes there's a bit too much talking and explaining. I also appreciated the international cast and the finale delivers. Still, I liked the first film better, as this one didn't have any real surprises, and it was just rehashing the same ideas from scratch.Read all
Looking back, it's almost amazing that they managed to fill close to two hours of film with such flimsy material. The story is bland and unexciting, this being a noir you can expect endless conversations and the exciting bits are still incredibly boring. Even with all that, it's a small miracle they stretched it to 110 minutes. The performances are crummy (Palance in particular is horrid), the twist halfway through is quite expected and the film has serious pacing issues. There's some quality in the filmmaking, but it never leads to anything interesting or notable. Just another random noir, only this one really outstays its welcome.Read all
A decent enough dramedy with some sweet and poignant moments, but also quite a few lulls and heaps of predictable drama. I guess it's kinda cute that the lead is gay and falls for a boy, it shows that we've come to normalize the LGBTQ stuff quite a bit, but it doesn't make the film any better. The performances are nice, Plaza is always a treat, and there are some genuine takes on the importance of family and the realities of aging. But the film does very little to stand out, the presentation is rather bland and if you've seen a few of these dramedies than My Old Ass has few surprises. Not bad though.Read all