PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 25, 2022 0:00:01 GMT -5
My belated review for The Lost Daughter:
The Lost Daughter tells the story of Leda, a middle-aged woman vacationing in Greece. When watching a young couple deal with their difficult young daughter, Leda's own painful recollections of her difficult motherhood are stirred, the film cutting from the present timeline as she starts a strange friendship with the young mother she was watching, and flashbacks to her own troubles as a mother several years prior. Most of the film's praise has been directed towards Oliva Coleman and Jesse Buckley, recently Oscar nominated for their performances Leda at different ages. Both are indeed great and the film provides a rather interesting psychological portrait of this women which is revealing but also a bit mysterious. I especially liked the climactic confrontation which has a slight air of unreality to it and is generally just really compelling drama. Not sure I bought the actual ending though.
Overall, I'm not sure I ever really loved The Lost Daughter as much as I admired it from a distance, but it's definitely worth a look. In general this is the kind of challenging adult movie I'd like to see more of.
B-
Will try to watch Revanche soon. Fell behind on 2021 catch-up. And now I'm a minute away from Elden Ring releasing. Finally. This lowly tarnished can play as a lord.
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donny
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Post by donny on Feb 25, 2022 9:53:15 GMT -5
Two down. Reviews this weekend. |
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Nilade
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Post by Nilade on Feb 25, 2022 14:59:42 GMT -5
My belated review for The Lost Daughter: The Lost Daughter tells the story of Leda, a middle-aged woman vacationing in Greece. When watching a young couple deal with their difficult young daughter, Leda's own painful recollections of her difficult motherhood are stirred, the film cutting from the present timeline as she starts a strange friendship with the young mother she was watching, and flashbacks to her own troubles as a mother several years prior. Most of the film's praise has been directed towards Oliva Coleman and Jesse Buckley, recently Oscar nominated for their performances Leda at different ages. Both are indeed great and the film provides a rather interesting psychological portrait of this women which is revealing but also a bit mysterious. I especially liked the climactic confrontation which has a slight air of unreality to it and is generally just really compelling drama. Not sure I bought the actual ending though. Overall, I'm not sure I ever really loved The Lost Daughter as much as I admired it from a distance, but it's definitely worth a look. In general this is the kind of challenging adult movie I'd like to see more of. B-Will try to watch Revanche soon. Fell behind on 2021 catch-up. And now I'm a minute away from Elden Ring releasing. Finally. This lowly tarnished can play as a lord. I can't wait to hear your review on Elden Ring. You should give first impressions of it your first few hours in. On the fence about getting it now, still feel like I need to play Dark Souls 2 and 3 first even though they're not really connected. That being said, will have my review of High & Low up this weekend, from last round. Watched it last week. |
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Post by PhantomKnight on Feb 26, 2022 20:42:31 GMT -5
Watched my review last night, so I'll get my review up soon.
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Post by donny on Feb 27, 2022 12:44:27 GMT -5
Aguirre, the Wrath of GodThe first of 5 collaborations between director Werner Herzog and star Klaus Kinski, Aguirre, the Wrath of God tells the story of Spanish conquistadors in search of the famous city of gold, El Dorado. Traveling by way of the Andes mountains, Aguirre is drenched in lush landscapes, as the characters embark on a treacherous journey through the dense Amazonian jungle all in the hopes to fill their pockets with untold amounts of treasures. Set in 1560, Aguirre follows the conquistadors, freshly after conquering the Inca Empire as they journey through the mountains shortly after Christmas. By New Year's Eve, with rations running low, the lead command of Gonzalo Pizarro makes a decision to split up the group, sending 40 of the soldiers, down the river to see what they can find. If they don't report back within a week, they will be considered lost. Pizzaro puts Pedro de Ursúa in command, with Kinski's Aguirre, the titular character in second command. Accompanying them, among others, are Aguirre's young daughter and Pizzaro's mistress. From this point on, the conflict begins to pick-up with a mutiny of sorts along the way. Herzog really makes use of his location, and creates quite a hypnotic, dream like experience as we watch these characters traverse the difficult landscapes they encounter. With a memorable score from progressive group Popol Vuh, the music helps set the mood, and has to be one of the biggest takeaways from watching. Using a minimalist approach, Herzog relies less on dialogue and more on the musical and visual cues to evocative effect. I think at times this approach can make the final outcome somewhat slow or methodical to get through, which I would say is the biggest drawback. Though it does have a relatively brisk runtime of 94 minutes, it can take a little bit of time to connect with this. While the visuals and music help immerse you almost immediately, I found myself taking a little bit of time to warm up to the characters and the journey. Aside from Herzog's gripping direction, Kinski is the main draw. With his distinct facial features, notably those buggish eyes, he's one to make your skin crawl, if nothing else, just off his appearance. He has sinister intentions from miles away, and as the characters around him slowly begin to realize, is someone you cannot trust. There is quite a bit of lore to the making of this film, which one can imagine after watching, but one of those stories is rumored to involved Herzog making Kinski act at gunpoint. Fucking wild. There is a wonderfully directed sequence towards the end involving some newly found salt and a very metal decapitation that I did not see coming. The time jumps in Aguirre are quite seamless, and it really helps add to the disorienting expedition these characters are on. It is said that Aguirre influenced later films like Apocalypse Now, which I can see. It also sort of reminded me of a more recent film, 2016's The Lost City of Z.7.5/10 Two for the Road1967's Two for the Road stars Audrey Hepburn and Albert Finney as a married couple, Mark and and Jo Wallace. The film charts their 10-12 year relationship in a non-linear fashion, through all it's trials and tribulations. Directed by Stanley Donen, he of Singin' in the Rain fame, it's a well told romantic comedy/drama, highlighted by it's lead performances, notably from Hepburn. Somewhat similar to the review above, Two for the Road manages to jump throughout it's timeline in a pretty crisp fashion. There are some great edits in between the scenes, and before you know it you're either 5 years in ahead or behind from where the story just was. Donen smartly throws out some visual cues, such as the type of car being driven, or the style of Hepburn's hair, that help re-inforce where we are in the story. Along with a great score from Henry Mancini, the locales throughout really help make this story pop visually. Also, as a side note, any movie that includes George Feeny from Boy Meets World is good in my book. It's why I also love The Graduate. The film is also sharply written, as you get some great one liners from Finney and Hepburn, respectively. It's quite refreshing to watch something like that too, when in 2022, dialogue in a lot of films feels all to stale, or flat. It's also fun watching this explore what must have been some taboo themes in the 1960's, such as the affairs the two had. Some of the story beats do feel a bit repetitive as the film progresses, and for as much as I love Hepburn in this, it did take me some time to warm up to the relationship with her and Finney. I don't think I initially bought into the pairing of the two characters, which I guess is sort of the point, since they are on the brink of divorce from nearly the first frame. Finney should be on his hands and knees for Hepburn. 7/10 In for next round. Also Doomsday, if need be, can double down again.
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Nilade
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Post by Nilade on Feb 28, 2022 2:37:34 GMT -5
High and Low
Kingo Gondo is one of a group of executives that are all key decision makers for a major shoe company. When his partners try to coerce him to pool his shares in with them to wrestle majority of the company from the owner in order to make cheaper shoes with higher profit margins, he declines to take part in their scheme out of respect to the craft and the customers. He begins to execute a plan of his own that he had been working on which would put him as majority stake holder, but his plan is suddenly halted when his loyal chauffeur’s son is mistakenly kidnapped, instead of Gondo’s son, with an outrageous ransom being demanded for his return. While the police begin the hunt for the boy and his kidnapper, Gondo must make a decision that will affect the future of his profession and his family.
Akira Kurosawa takes a simple premise of a kidnapping plot and churns out another masterpiece that explores crime, police procedure, betrayal, corporate strategy, and class division. Each scene plays out like an act of a well-crafted play, with the bulk of the story taking place in Gondo’s living room, although one of my favorite scenes takes place in a cool jazz club involving a clever inconspicuous drug deal. The investigation was also a joy to watch.
Trying to find something to critique the film on, but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
10/10
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 28, 2022 8:58:12 GMT -5
High and LowKingo Gondo is one of a group of executives that are all key decision makers for a major shoe company. When his partners try to coerce him to pool his shares in with them to wrestle majority of the company from the owner, in order to make cheaper shoes with higher profit margins, he declines to take part in their scheme out of respect to the craft and the customers. He begins to execute a plan of his own that he had been working on which would put him as majority stake holder, but his plan is suddenly halted when his loyal chauffeur’s son is mistakenly kidnapped, instead of Gondo’s son, with an outrageous ransom being demanded for his return. While the police begin the hunt for the boy and his kidnapper, Gondo must make a decision that will affect the future of his profession and his family. Akira Kurosawa takes a simple premise of a kidnapping plot and churns out another masterpiece that explores crime, police procedure, betrayal, corporate strategy, and class division. Each scene plays out like an act of a well-crafted play, with the bulk of the story taking place in Gondo’s living room, although one of my favorite scenes takes place in a cool jazz club involving a clever inconspicuous drug deal. The investigation was also a joy to watch. Trying to find something to critique the film on, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. 10/10 Awesome. Glad to hear. It's one of my favourites too. |
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thebtskink
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Post by thebtskink on Feb 28, 2022 10:38:16 GMT -5
Been on my to-watch list for a while
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Doomsday
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Post by Doomsday on Feb 28, 2022 11:24:02 GMT -5
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Dracula
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Post by Dracula on Feb 28, 2022 11:25:59 GMT -5
Watched my movie, it's in line for review
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Feb 28, 2022 11:42:13 GMT -5
I'll try to catch up soon. It's tricky as I'm currently emboldened by the flame of ambition. |
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Nilade
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Post by Nilade on Feb 28, 2022 16:48:04 GMT -5
Fyi, I'll jump back in next round.
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1godzillafan
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Post by 1godzillafan on Feb 28, 2022 18:41:29 GMT -5
Not happening this week. Too much on my plate and my net bitched out on me again.
I'll try to get to it this weekend, but with the MST premiere it looks unlikely.
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Mar 4, 2022 11:56:22 GMT -5
Managed to pry myself away fron Elden Ring for two hours last night to watch Paterson. Really good movie. Maybe the best Jarmusch I've seen (which to be fair isn't many). Modest and good natured in a way that sneaks up on you.
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Nilade
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Post by Nilade on Mar 4, 2022 12:59:04 GMT -5
Managed to pry myself away fron Elden Ring for two hours last night to watch Paterson. Really good movie. Maybe the best Jarmusch I've seen (which to be fair isn't many). Modest and good natured in a way that sneaks up on you. Still looking forward to your first thoughts on Elden Ring. Planning on starting Dark Souls 2 this weekend. |
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Dracula
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Post by Dracula on Mar 5, 2022 19:53:47 GMT -5
In the Cut (2003)
After seeing The Power of the Dog it occurred to me that I’m actually pretty behind on Jane Campion’s work. I’d seen most of her early New Zealand stuff that Criterion’s put out but I hadn’t really seen much of her post-The Piano work at all, so now seemed like a good time to check out her divisive 2003 film In the Cut. Aside from the fact that it was a love it/hate it piece of work I knew almost nothing about this movie at all aside from the fact that Meg Ryan got naked in it. I had long assumed that the title of the film was a reference to cutting cocaine and that it was an addiction drama, but that’s apparently not true at all. The cutting actually refers to literal cuts made by a serial killer’s knife, but that’s sort of going on in the background while the Meg Ryan character has an affair with the detective on the case even though he kind of seems like a complete asshole… or something. I don’t know I tried to give this thing a chance but, sorry, I side with the people who disliked this movie back in the day. I would also say that time has only hurt the film; its visual style absolutely screams “2003” and not in a good way, I’m not quite sure what the right description for the film’s look is but it has kind of the aesthetic I associate with early DVDs and just some of the worst visual trends in Hollywood around that time. And the story, man, it’s just a weird mishmash of hokey Donald Kaufman-isms and attempts at psychological depth that fall flat. I’ve heard it speculated that this is sort of a “movie about movies” and that it seeks to subvert the “erotic thriller” genre somehow, which I can maybe see if I tilt my head and look at it sideways but if that was the intention the movie arrived a good eight years too late as that sub-genre had already been well on its way out by 2003. I don’t get it, not a fan.
** out of Five
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Post by Doomsday on Mar 5, 2022 20:03:02 GMT -5
Nice. Here's where we're at, if we get one or two more reviews in I'll start getting a new round going (haven't you all watched your movies already?) Dracula - thebtskink PhantomKnight - DoomsdayPG Cooper - donny 1godzillafan - donny |
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PG Cooper
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Post by PG Cooper on Mar 6, 2022 0:16:26 GMT -5
Nice. Here's where we're at, if we get one or two more reviews in I'll start getting a new round going (haven't you all watched your movies already?) Dracula - thebtskink PhantomKnight - DoomsdayPG Cooper - donny 1godzillafan - donny I'll write a full review eventually bit O did watch my movie and liked it quite a bit. |
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Mar 11, 2022 21:37:27 GMT -5
My extremely belated review of Ain't Them Bodies Saints: Ain't Them Bodies Saints (2013)It's easy to label writer/director David Lowery as an arthouse director, based off what I've seen of his work so far, and Ain't Them Bodies Saints certainly reaffirms that viewpoint. In the case of this movie, though, it's not a bad thing. Its origins begin with Lowery apparently wanting to make an action movie, but associating him with that term seems a bit weird, even having seen his remake of Pete's Dragon and last year's The Green Knight. Ain't Them Bodies Saints has the bones of a dramatic thriller, and the film does a respectable job of tapping into and even elevating those roots for itself, but it very much has the almost Malickian quality to it as well that some people have compared Lowery too, and it's especially prevalent here. While staying fairly focused on its core story, this movie has directorial flourishes that feel cut from the same cloth as Terence Malick, but the key is that they're never overbearing or distracting. Lowery wisely knows to stay honed in on the human story at the core of this thing, which deal with the ramifications a couple (Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara) engaging in criminal activity and Affleck's character going to and subsequently escaping from jail. Meanwhile, Mara's character has since had their baby and started a new life, and the film chronicles Affleck's journey to get back to his family. For all its more arty touches, Ain't Them Bodies Saints very much remains driven by its human/emotional elements, and that's what keeps it so interesting. You really do buy into each of these main characters and the film overall maintains a quiet and understated, yet tense, quality that keeps things fairly engaging. There's a palpable sense of regret and longing to Affleck's performance, while Mara effectively communicates a simultaneous sense of sadness and legitimate desire to be a good mother and offer whatever goodness she can for her daughter. I'm not sure if I can say that the movie necessarily fully had me in its grip or that it was unpredictable, per say, but it still felt like a well-told rendition of this kind of story; one that eschews some of the flash and bang you might be in a big studio version for a more quiet and thoughtful approach.
***/**** |
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Post by Doomsday on Mar 12, 2022 0:10:35 GMT -5
Malickian, very nice.
I thought it fit in nicely and added a unique spin to the whole 'doomed lovers' genre even though Affleck and Rooney aren't even together except through flashback. I'm still on the fence with David Lowery but this one hit me, glad you enjoyed it.
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Post by Doomsday on Mar 12, 2022 0:11:00 GMT -5
Well since we have most of the reviews from last round in, who's game for another?
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Dracula
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Post by Dracula on Mar 12, 2022 0:20:09 GMT -5
Well since we have most of the reviews from last round in, who's game for another? in |
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PhantomKnight
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Post by PhantomKnight on Mar 12, 2022 0:34:52 GMT -5
I'm in, too.
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thebtskink
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Post by thebtskink on Mar 12, 2022 9:21:54 GMT -5
In
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donny
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Post by donny on Mar 12, 2022 9:30:55 GMT -5
In.
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