Reviews

Amelie's color palettes strongly reminded me of a film by Wes Anderson. Perhaps the similarities don't end there; the fast, whipping page and sly humor that is sometimes stretched incredibly long (orgasms in the city) versus incredibly short (glances through the cafe) feel similar to something Anderson would have done as well. Still, Jean-Pierre Jeunet (and the other writers) manage to make each character feel alive and unique. It's a lighthearted journey that recognizes family, peers, and even the strangers around Amelie. I'd give Amelie an 8/10.

George Roy Hill knew that Newman and Redford were an impeccable combination from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and decided to go for it again. This movie inspired how I think about cinema in a few fundamental ways. The first is that the film never gives the audience all of the information (never "shows its hand", if you will). The swindles on the viewer feel fresh and so ridiculously different from contemporary heist movies that instead describe the plan so when it goes wrong you feels the pressure. The second is that each piece of the film feels like it contributes nicely to a solid resolution. With the exception that I felt Redford's character should have given his earnings to Luther's widow, the film was logical and worked to a point. I'd give The Sting a 9/10.

There are some very interesting characters here, and even some that are relatable. One such example would be Helen Hunt's character, a mother who has been drawn into constant supervision and propinquity. It's easy for a viewer to understand how challenging it can be to have things go wrong, but it's much more interesting to see how challenging it can be to see things go right. Jack Nicholson's character, however, was not intensely relatable. He's a bigot, he's rude, he doesn't have tact. The film was written in a time where having some neurodivergent condition was a "quirk" that could be used when necessary through the film and forgotten in other moments. As for the relationship itself, I find it highly suspect and unlikely to succeed (and that's not only because of the astonishing 26-year age gap between the Oscar-awarded leads). I give As Good As It Gets a 7/10.

Predator is a classic that works on multiple levels. My intention is not to rehash RedLetterMedia, but their take that Predator is a typical "dude-action-movie" that slowly and insidiously turns into a thriller is spot on. The testosterone fueled, bullet crazed scenes eventually give way to turning into razor sharp confrontations between the literal embodiment of human masculinity and something otherworldly. The movie gave way to a franchise that has had its ups and downs; the visual effects were clever, innovative, and impressive for the 80's. The initial ensemble cast of characters are distinct and fun to watch. I give Predator an 8/10.

It's a Spielberg classic. Michael Crichton has been well known for his sci-fi epics for decades before he wrote Jurassic Park, but it's hard to believe any of his work will be as well remembered as this dinosaur epic. Sure, some of the science is pretty dicey. Sure, it seems strange that the investors are the main trouble and that there isn't some sort of governmental overview (from Costa Rica or beyond). But the story is action-packed and engaging. The effects, both practical and CGi, are incredibly strong. There are iconic performances from many of the cast (even some strong Jeff Goldblum laughter). I give Jurassic Park an 8/10.

I asked a friend recently how she would describe Donnie Darko to someone who isn't used to a non-conventional movie. It's a tough nut to crack. The film holds strong even after nearly 10 viewings. Jake Gyllenhaal's character, Donnie Darko, is a strange hero tasked in saving his world from a strange fate. Even ignoring the Philosophy of Time Travel and the websites explaining the primary and tangent universes in great detail, there is the making of a wonderful film. This is one of the most famous "Gyllenhaal-freakily-stares-at-the-camera" movies he's done. Mary McDonnell, in my opinion, gives a better performance than her Oscar-nominated one in Dances with Wolves. Patrick Swayze delivers a performance that feels mostly right but hints there must be something wrong with his character. Drew Barrymore, for whatever reason, gives the worst performance of her life? If watching the Theatrical Cut, the soundtrack is amazing and perfectly frames the film. The script uses the characters to discuss god, fate, and destiny in its own unique way. I'll watch this movie every Halloween for years to come. Donnie Darko has recently been bumped up to a 10/10 for me.

It's a film where identity is determined by brands, haircuts, and dinner reservations. There's a darkly sardonic feeling for the audience watching a world where even trying to get a table at Dorsia would result in gales of maniac laughter. Every character is self-absorbed and fails to read all of the others, from the kind Jean (played by Chloë Sevigny) who fails to realize Bale's Patrick Bateman is a literal serial killer to Dafoe's Donald Kimbell who seems to simultaneously understand and not know guilt. The film becomes a fever pitch nightmare where the ultimate actions of Bateman are unclear. I guess I don't mind personally adding my thought is that he did kill all of the people he said he did; I just think it makes a better story. Still, this confession means nothing. I give American Psycho a 9/10.

Ridley Scott is one of the most grandiose, self-serving directors I've ever read about. I hate to support someone who thinks there's the pinnacle of cinema, but Blade Runner is a terrific film. The first time I watched it I was thoroughly unimpressed. It's slow pacing and dull atmosphere made me question why it was such a sci-fi classic. Multiple rewatches, though, have led me to understand that the world building is absolutely fantastic: a fully living, breathing world. The film asks what it means to be human and borrows some important themes from the original source material from Philip K. Dick. Harrison Ford plays a low energy blade runner but his interactions with the replicants are critical and human. I give Blade Runner a 9/10.

The Man with No Name unofficial trilogy is a true testament to Sergio Leone's passion for directing the prototypical spaghetti western. It's also spawned other hugely important universes for me, e.g. The Dark Tower and Roland Deschain. Clint Eastwood gives a squinted stare that could be traceable to a million of his movies, but it's still hugely fun and exciting. His character manages to swindle money out of the bad guys while simultaneously saving the small people who couldn't liberate themselves. I do wish that the Rojo brothers looked anything alike and that Esteban Rojo hadn't been an Austrian actor covered in shoe polish. I give A Fistful of Dollars a 7/10.

This felt like peak 2007 comedy, and you can tell it was because it was starred by two of the three Lonely Island boys and directed by the third. For example: imagine remixing a scene that basically only involves the words "cool beans". Throw a rage comic in there and you've got some real classic early internet. As for the plot, there wasn't a lot of it, but some parts of it were very fun for me. There's something very satisfying to me about trying to save your stepdad just to fight him; I had a great time watching Andy Samberg's character goad and lose to Ian McShane. I also liked the costume decision to give Samberg the world's smallest cape for all of his stuntwork. There are a surprising number of strong actors here: Bill Hader, Will Arnett, Chris Parnell. I give Hot Rod a 3/10.

Let me be the first to acknowledge my bias and say that Stephen King's works to me are hugely influential. I also should mention that John Carpenter has given me some of my favorite movies, so my expectation was that Christine would be a huge slam dunk... and it was! Sure, it's campy, but the gorgeous red Plymouth Fury won me over (and I'm not even a car guy!). Keith Gordon's portrayal of Arnie Cunningham was hugely nuanced and powerful, even if it often bordered on soap-opera levels of cruelty. Harry Dean Stanton has a small but strong role as Detective Rudolph Junkins, a man who seems to have a good handle of what's really going on. The visual effects for the car's self-repair were shockingly clean and strong. The length of the film is exactly what I'd want from it; not too close to two hours. I'd give Christine an 8/10.

I haven't been in Boston for decades, but people online tell me this is a literal 1:1 replica of the day to day there. Jokes aside, Ben Affleck's adaptation of Gone Baby Gone shows a seedy, dark side to crime hunters. Amy Ryan is a stunning example of a poor mother who realizes there are consequences in life - at least for a time. Ed Harris gives a wonderful performance as a man who has "seen it all" and decided he knows what's best. The ending of the film provides a moral decision that could split watching parties. I, for one, thought that Casey Affleck's character should have left at the end without calling the police, but hey, that's the movie for you! Also, I guess that would mean that some bad men would get away with roughly four murders, which seems bad. One smaller issue I had with the film was the somewhat mcguffin of the second kidnapped child that basically only served to illustrate that Matthew Maher's character Corwin Earle wasn't responsible for kidnapping Amanda McCready. I give Gone Baby Gone a 6/10.

For people who love Aaron Sorkin's court dramas, this one is going to be a slam dunk. I am not personally as fond of them, but it's hard to deny the strength of almost any performance by Jack Nicholson. Tom Cruise plays a hotshot lawyer, Lt. Daniel Kaffee, who I just find insufferable. Meanwhile, many of the characters try hard to present Demi Moore's character of Lt. Cdr. JoAnne Galloway as annoying but she seems to be the most principled lawyer of them all... just less practiced and somehow less capable. Kevin Pollack's character is essentially unnecessary to me and I don't see what he does other than complain about the defendants for most of the movie. This is probably a film that goes off better with a family who has military connections and mine certainly does not. I give A Few Good Men a 7/10.

I think Apollo 13 is a snoozefest, just like most docudramas I've seen. There is tension from the very real story of what happened to the astronauts of Apollo 13, but it falls flat to me because of the absolutely horrible writing. The screenwriters apparently decided the best way to maintain accuracy was to write as much as they could in technical detail that would go over the audience's head. Then they decide to give continuous exposition dumps through the news in the most mind numbingly boring ways. It's lucky that Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, and Gary Sinise complement each other so well or else this whole film would be a total flop for me. I give Apollo 13 a 6/10.

I was really surprised with just how satisfying I found this film. As a disclaimer, I've never read the book. However, the movie felt like many adapted movies tend to: full of character, backstory, and set in a defined and important time. All of the Bennet sisters give a wonderful performance and feel very distinct from one another. I felt as if Donald Sutherland came in with the unexpected incredibly strong performance despite his rather minor role. The romances and the interactions between Kierra Knightly and Simon Woods and Matthew Macfadyen felt important and real. Elizabeth Bennet was a great example of a woman; she was strong and independent, clever and witty, but she wasn't perfect. She could be wrong and she wanted to be able to share a life with another. I give Pride and Prejudice a 7/10.

I didn't enjoy ThanksKilling with the rest of my friends when it first released in 2009, nor did I watch it when I first entered college a few years later. Aside knowing the titular (ha, ha) line first spoken by our Turkey antagonist, I went in totally blind. I expected a "bad movie" similar to that of The Room (2003): a film that is poor in quality but that doesn't know it. I was surprised to find that this movie knows exactly where it sits. Everything from Turkie's disguises to extra small, gravy flavored condoms pushed the boundary of absurdity in the film's comedy. On its more negative side, there is regrettable language and slurring from the screenwriting. I think ThanksKilling is a fun movie that I don't feel I need to see again for some time. I give ThanksKilling a 3/10 (which is a 7/10 on the bad movie scale).

I had only ever heard of the term "Harold and Maude" referring to a relationship between a very young and very old person before watching this film. While the reference is correct, it's shameful how that is the major takeaway and remembered detail. There is much more to this story: two eccentric characters who are vibrant in their own ways and share that vibrancy as time passes; exploring identity through vulnerability; and romance that defines other's inability to understand. The soundtrack is perfectly curated and lends itself to the set pieces, from the decommissioned railroad car to the huge home that Harold's mom owns. Even situations outside of the wonderful friendship (and romance) that blooms between Harold and Maude is fun to watch: Harold's uncle with his armless salute, Harold's 'suicide' that results in an actor's dramatization, and substantial alterations of a Jaguar to be a hearse. I give Harold and Maude an 8/10.

I don't know how many people nowadays watch 1973's Fantastic Planet because they appreciate the band Failure, but clearly it was the reverse when Failure was writing their 1996 album Fantastic Planet. I admit freely, early in this review, that a good portion of my enjoyment of the film stemmed from knowing these musicians took so much inspiration from the film. Still, there are merits of the film on its own. It's an artists picture not only because it was hand animated but because the form of the Draags are elegant, sexual and highlighted, without sweeping moments of sexuality. While a main theme of the film could be considered slavery, I was particularly taken with the idea of how a captive creature could learn. The world building is strong, from the Draag meditation to the beasts that terrorize the tiny Oms. The ending is unexpectedly peaceful, but maybe that goes to show that we sometimes need to be reminded that peace is a reasonable ending to a story. I give Fantastic Planet a 7/10.

I'm surprised I didn't like this film more. I've liked many of the movies that Viggo Mortensen has acted in, and I think that Lance Henriksen did an admirable job playing the bigoted, hateful Willis. Still, there were so many small problems I had with this film that nickel-and-dimed the rating to where it stands. First is my challenge with the timeline: jumping back and forth in and out of different stories broke the flow for me and didn't always make me feel that Willis had a consistent arc through his life. Second was my challenge with understanding the importance of Willis in the first place: is family really so important to justify that much anger and derision? I was simply surprised that so many characters allowed themselves to be tread on so squarely and consistently by Willis for such a long time that it almost seemed a caricature of "bad, bigoted father". It must happen with many families but it's outside of my realm of understanding. I felt slightly relieved after John was able to have his single outburst at the end of the film; the tension was kept so thick through the rest of the film I was too anxious to enjoy the small moments of levity and family. I give Falling a 5/10.

The Third Man details a Vienna I've only read about... a Vienna occupied by four separate members of the Allies. Orson Welles was highly billed in the film and unfortunately I knew it, leading me to immediately recognize his absence and guess to his eventual presence. Instead, we spend a majority of our time with Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton), who is apparently a semi-famous author. One of my challenges with the film was interpreting what I was supposed to know: is Joseph Cotton a good author? Do the police actually care what he's saying? Does Anna care about Lime? Was the third man Lime himself or was it the murdered orderly? Still, I was quite satisfied with most of the acting and writing (old man) and was happily surprised to find that unequivocally Lime was a bad man. The black and white filming lends itself to beautiful, well-recognized cinematography. I give The Third Man a 7/10.

Many consider Blue Velvet to be the most important piece of work that Lynch ever did. I had only seen a few of Lynch's other films before (Eraserhead, The Elephant Man, Mulholland Drive, and Wild at Heart). My basic understanding was this: if David Lynch wrote it, it would be incredibly cerebral and take a long time to digest. My experience with Blue Velvet was much more gentle than I expected it to be. While it touched on typical motifs I expect of Lynch (heavily sexualized content, grandiose characters, long and deeply discomforting moments) the takeaway messages were much more subdued and simple. I believe it to a story that discusses outward actions and inward desires. Many young men are told to find a Sandy Williams but inwardly are fascinated by a Dorothy Vallens. Many people have morbid curiosity that could go as far as to put themselves in danger. The double-faced-"but with the right intentions?" actions of Jeffrey Beaumont as personally relevant and important to certain people, but probably not everyone. I give Blue Velvet a 7/10.

I had never seen a James Bond film before so I figured I had better start where it all began. Sean Connery is the definition of the cocky, almost sleazy agent with a license to kill. Set entirely in Jamaica, it feels like the point of the film is to highlight how many women Bond can sleep with in record time. Consent is an issue of the future, or at least no issue to the screenwriter, because every woman immediately falls for his wiles. The action is slow by 2020's standards, but at least there's a dragon! I give Dr. No a 5/10.

Dropped in media res into a tumultuous relationship of Ted and Joanna Kramer, Kramer v Kramer gives us a moment to appreciate the family unit. There are aspects of each parent that drives the audience to feel convinced or uncertain about what the final fate of Billy Kramer should be. Ted is given a generous character arc that brings him from caring but work-engrossed father to exemplary dad. Joanna leaves in what seems to be poor taste but does seem to return in a much healthier light. The film is a reminder that marriages don't always last but the tenderness of the family unit can stay strong with a child. Performances are strong all around; I'd even be willing to offer my hot take is that Jane Alexander should have beaten out Meryl Streep. I give Kramer v Kramer an 8/10.

Fences was one of the first movies that I watched where I was immediately ticked off that the film was adapted from a play. Each piece of dialogue was uncomfortably long and I often felt it was gratuitous. Still, there was a clear benefit: the audience felt very familiar and understood each character and their motivations. Without the familiarity of the cast of players, Troy's reveal would have been much less impactful. We get an in-depth look at how families grow to be like or different from their parents and how families don't need to be blood-related, even in the most challenging of situations. Viola Davis gives a phenomenal performance that displays her being distraught as well as her resolve. I give Fences an 8/10.

This was my first Ingmar Bergman film. I am not familiar with contemporary Swedish cinema or even most foreign language film, but The Seventh Seal was an easy film to enjoy. Each character occupies their own niche: Antonius with his need to know if god exists; Jons with his cynical and dark thoughts and actions that encourage other members of the band; Jof and Mia, each living life in a carefree and wholesome routine; and Death, unapologetic but unrelenting. Chess is a precise game that was designed to represent war and battle and Antonius knows that sometimes there is a tactical advantage to losing. I give The Seventh Seal a 7/10.