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Barry: Chapter Three: Make the Unsafe Choice (2018)
Good Art as Usual
I might stop reviewing individual episodes of this show, as they all have about the same strengths; strong facial acting, strong vocal acting, strong dialogue.
The cinematography of this episode, though not bad, isn't the best of the series. To make up for that lack, however, the editing ranges from average to great.
Barry: Chapter Two: Use It (2018)
Similar Strengths
As with the pilot, the acting and dialogue completely sell the story, which includes quite a few cliffhangers.
The editing of this episode stands out more than that of the first; where S1E1 had neither editing that stuck out because it was good nor editing that stuck out because it because it was bad, this episode has some of both.
Barry: Chapter One: Make Your Mark (2018)
I Need More Context to Make Up My Mind
In a directorial way, this pilot is quite a success. The framing is good, the acting is great, the sometimes contrasting lighting adds weight to the story and the score blends with the plot and fits the tone.
As for that plot, I must see further episodes to fully develop my thoughts on this one. Nevertheless, the plot of this episode is well-delivered; the decision to dump the viewer into the story with no context whatsoever creates an intrigue, and the decision to have the protagonist explain the context of his life current with a monologue occurs naturally.
Hopefully, this show delivers on its potential.
Flatland (2007)
Basically a Film Version of The Allegory of the Cave by Plato
After watching Harlan County U. S. A., I wanted to watch something tonally lighter, so I viewed this film, expecting something of typical early YouTube. What I saw instead was something much more profound.
The first 40 minutes are a slog, with simplistic graphics that do indeed look like something from 2007-era YouTube, text that is used as a narrative crutch, at least one unnecessary conflict and some admittedly important exposition. After those first 40 minutes, however, this film greatly improves, displaying the difficulty if not impossibility if introducing someone to something he or she has never experienced; imagine trying to explain any color to a blind person or a any noise to a deaf person.
Despite dragging for much of its runtime, the insight Flatland provides makes it worth watching. A 9/10 for that insight and a 7/10 for entertainment value, which greatly increases during the film's last hour.
Harlan County U.S.A. (1976)
An Unfiltered Look at the Worst Coal Mining Conditions
The 1970s were a time of great tumult in the United States. Between the Vietnam War of the early decade to Watergate of the mid-decade to the struggling economy of the late decade, the feet of the U. S. were constantly on shaky ground.
Even by 70s standards, however, the conditions of the coal miners of Harlan County, Kentucky were bleak. Not only were the mines dark and desolate; they were dangerous. Between black lung, a mining explosion that sealed in dozens of workers and low pay for such a dangerous, isolated job something needed to change, which is why miners' families and miners themselves went on strike.
With grainy, hand-held cinematography that captures the muted colors of the titular location, Harlan County U. S. A. Captures the anger of those who suffered, directly or indirectly, from mining; there's a man who started working at age ten, a reminder that mining strips men from their families, the dark reality that as long as the higher-ups are greedy, "there will always be tragedies."
To add insult to injury, this film does not hesitate to delve into the problems of anti-union oppression; the film travels with to jail along with protestors, to a hospital in order to visit a wounded protestor and even to that protestor's funeral to show its audience how far an authority without empathy will go to stop a strike.
Despite its strengths, Harlan County isn't quite perfect; the film's soundtrack, consisting of diegetic and non-diegetic folk songs, sometimes overstays its welcome. These songs would be more tolerable if there were fewer of them or if they were more spaced out, but as many of them are piled into the second third of the documentary, Harlan County feels a bit repetitive around the middle.
Overall, Harlan County U. S. A. Is not only a worthwhile watch but a film that makes me thankful that I don't have to work in a cramped, dark, enclosed environment.
Benedetta (2021)
A Definite Shift from Verhoeven's Cyberpunk Works
I wrote a review of this film on Letterboxd, but that site is down at the moment and I'm not able to access the entirety my original review for this film, so I'm reviewing it from memory.
Benedetta is about the titular character, who sees visions of Jesus and gets promoted for reporting those visions but gets in trouble, along with her partner, and nearly killed when she is found out to be in a homosexual relationship.
This film has decent cinematography and pretty good performances, but if you're familiar with Paul Verhoeven through films like Robocop (1987) and Total Recall (1990), this film isn't necessarily for you.