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This picture is insane. It is insanely complicated, not in of its plotting, rather on of its messiness. It grazes profound ideas regarding race, corruption, power, violence, hate, love, redemption, and the randomness that is life. Some of those ideas this story captures better than others. I think that this is probably the best outcome of a movie in the hands of a filmmaker who has some understanding of these issues, but their own ignorance shields him from the whole truth of these matters. Maybe believing in half-truths is what makes us human. 

This cast is insane. Front to back, not a bad performance, even in spite of the fact that these are not good people, on the whole. Michael Peña (a welcome exception to my previous statement; he is such a sweet man) and Larenz Tate have my two favorite performances. Ryan Phillipe is really good here, which makes his ham-fisted run in The Lincoln Lawyer (2011) all the more disappointing. 

I would run through a brick wall for Don Cheadle; the melancholy of his character and the loneliness of his arc is so painful. Brendan Fraser is an all-time optics oriented scumbag of a district attorney. Matt Dillion might be the greatest portrayer of psychopaths in cinema. The stuff he does here and his piss-poor rationale for the evil he inflicts on others is harrowing. Sandra Bullock would have been wasted in this flick, and then she delivers such a profound look into the psyche of the stay-at-home-suburban-caucasian-mother. She absolutely crushed it. 

Bahar Soomekth deserved a better career; she is fantastic here. Loretta Devine delivers an all-time heat-check performance in this one, she is a delight to watch––even with some less-than flattering character beats. I was so excited to see Keith David work; he does not disappoint as he delivers an all-time Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer performance. William Fitchner is unbelievable as Flannagan. Once again, we are presented with the idea, the potential for goodness only to be met by politicking and greed. Watching him cook is a delight.

At its best, this film sings a sweet symphony of a city on edge. At its worst it is confounding, convoluted, and posits a single good act as redemptive for profoundly upsetting sexual violence, which is pretty gross. 

The filmmaking is pretty great. The sleek photography juxtaposes with the grime in a way that would make Michael Mann proud. The writing is true-to-life to be certain, with the unvarnished prejudices flying freely as seen in any American city. 

That ending is fantastic as it is tragic, I cannot even lie. 

And in the third act, there is a moment that is so great, so moving, that the resolution it reaches is one I could not conceive of as possible. Such an inventive bit of plotting and filmmaking. I audibly yelled FUCK when the boot dropped. 

In conclusion: LARENZ TATE, WE FAILED YOU!

Everything Duane Martin is doing works. It is the classic, cocky “I think I am better than I am, but in reality I am painfully insecure.” It is hard to say if he took away the right lessons from his experiences, but I think deferring to Shep & letting him cook shows some sign of maturity. Then again once he makes it out of his neighborhood, the guy shoots a go-ahead field goal over a TRIPLE TEAM to win a game. I don’t know how much growth he has made in the end. Call me PG: that’s a bad shot! 

Tonya Pinkins is so great. I love how sure she is in her purpose in this life. Her confidence stands out like a sore thumb in this sea of insecure, overcompensating men. Wood Harris is an absolute menace here. Pretty wild that people doubt his pension for that action until it is too late. The pettiness he and Birdie share is funny, in a sad kind of way. Bernie Mac is hilarious and harrowing. Marlon Wayans is a much needed comic relief in the midst of all of this melancholy. 

David Bailey is a real one. His tough love feels fair & he is so clearly invested in the well-being of his players' futures, evidenced by his relationship with Shep. Mr. Tupac Shakur is one talented man. I cannot lie, his performance reads a little bit uneven in the first half. Yet, the moment his brother enters the picture and his grasp on absolute power slips, he becomes such a menacing figure. Leon is incredible in this picture; he is a revelation and his star should have shone so much brighter. 

The ending feels a bit too…neat, but I think this story deserves a happy ending, even if fairytale-ish.

I love this picture. Way less thrilling, far more horny (I MEAN THEY DID IT ON MONEY TO SADE FOR PETE SAKE), and so earnest & sweet than I could have imagined. 

This is shot really beautifully. I love the blown out helicopter shots, warm interiors, and gorgeous views from prime real estate LA. Shoutout to the king of capturing sticky romance, DP Howard Atherton.  

Robert Redford is stepping on Michael Douglas’ corner as our resident Ripe-Ol’ Scumbag HoFer. His smile is undressing and his charm is undeniable. One of my favorite scenes in the film is the sequence where he crashes the citizenship test class led by the Moore character. And his train ride monologue is incredible. He is one of our greats. Demi Moore does not get enough credit for being a supremely talented actor. She crushes it throughout and is the very best among our leads in her emotional sequences. I adore the chemistry she shares with Harrelson. Woody Harrelson is the best. There is a twinkle in his eye with every bit of aspiration that makes each choice feel like the right one––until it is far too late. He is so funny and I appreciate his commitment to physical performance in this one. 

So many great lines throughout. Well done, all. 

What is the use of money without one to share it with?

This picture is best as a family drama, not a war movie. The cast is fantastic. I want this agenda dismissing Tobey Maguire’s acting talents to end right here and now. It has gone on for far too long. Natalie Portman is a prodigy of acting akin to few greats of any era. The emotional heart of this picture rests on her shoulders. Jake Gylenhaal is one of our greatest talents working today. The sensitivity and details, the color he paints with in every choice is a delight to witness. Sam Shepard is wonderful as he always is; the chemistry he shares with Gyllenhaal and Macguire is awesome. Bailee Madison and Taylor Geare deliver outstanding child-actor performances as well. This pairing with Little Children (2006) on that front is superb. There is a moment late in the third act that floored me. However, the promise of that narrative tension sputters out into a trickle in the closing reshoot-interspersed sequence.  

Don’t love the war-crimey bits, nor the positioning of the other side as the big, powerful guys in this conflict, which is a gross oversimplification. Also, the first act features some of the worst computer generated images I have ever seen in a mainstream movie. 

Still, I lament the loss of these mid-budget adult dramas.

I love Todd Field. I love Kate Winslet and the beauty of her performance, as she has to convince herself what she is doing is right as much as the audience. I love how mid-2000’s mom she dresses. I love Patrick Wilson and his perfect everyman qualities. I adore the chemistry they share. And I love how this lush script from Tom Perrotta & Todd Field uses language to convey how close they have grown in their time together. I love Jennifer Connelly in general; she’s great in this too. I found the work from Jackie Earl Haley a tremendous swing, and perhaps the strongest performance in the picture. I dig Noah Emmerich and his obsessive hounding of another as if he lacked for his own sins. I love Phyllis Sommerville and how much she loves and cares for her son. She is such an unbelievable talent. I love how terrible of a husband and weird of a man Gregg Edelman is in this film. I love the child-actor performances from Ty Simpkins and Said Goldstein; they are both phenomenal. I love the all-time heat-checky performance from Helen Carey. I love the melancholy way this dream of something different fades away. I love second chances and acts of redemption. I love the photography from Antonio Calvache; interiors are as exciting as the tense, warm images of summer. I love the edit and those absolutely gorgeous transitions from Leo Trombetta. I love the sweeping score from Thomas Newman. I love the voiceover from Will Lyman. That big-game football sequence is downright hilarious, I love the book club, those sex scenes are perfect, the last scene is so unbelievably tense; I shouted at the television. Also, this film sports one of the most upsetting scenes of sexual violence I have ever scene, be warned.  

I love this portrait of quaint suburban life as being anything but quiet. What a strange, challenging picture this is. 

I’m freaking sweating.

This picture is a really good, tough, tough hang. The most troubling hang of them all is none other than Jack Nicholson. He plays a real shitheel in this one. The look in his eyes is so intense it feels as though he is still in character from his efforts with Kubrick. He is dangerous in a way that feels against type with much of Nicholson’s work with the exception of Franky Costello and the aforementioned Jacky T. 

Nicholson does aloof or in-over-his-head better than anyone, and there are shades of that here, but from the opening moments it is clear that this guy is an opportunist and a schemer, and quite frankly horrifically violent to the person he claims to love. One interesting beat towards the end of the picture comes when Lange’s character asserts that she knew who he was from the moment she saw him, and that he will never change. And then he does just that, making the final sequence all the more harrowing. 

There is power in the stillness of Jessica Lange’s performance. Then, something changes the moment she sees this stranger as a way out. She is only human, however, as she carries serious remorse in the face of what the Nicholson character sees as their only escape. Even when Lange goes big, she carries the same elegance and control, a testament to her command of the screen as an actor and her superpower in making the audience feel. This is the ultimate example of “she deserved better!!!” cinema. 

The ing players are really great. John Colicos does a whole lot in his limited time, oscillating from physical comedy to his very own version of scheming. Michael Lener is incredible. He takes the wheel in the third act as the fates of our protagonists are in doubt. He feels like a real person and I am such a fan of every choice he makes. Anjelika Houston is pulling-up-from-halfcourt-levels of going for it, but I like the very arched, mannered stuff she is doing. This short, secondary story is a welcome reprieve from the largely depressing subject matter of this picture. John P. Ryan and William Traylor are generational, all-time Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer talents. In this world of maneuvering and dishonesty they stand distinguished in their self-interest and unlikability. Really awesome seeing Chistopger Lloyd here though!!! Nice One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest (1975) reunion :)))

The filmmaking on display is great. Legendary DP Sven Nykvist does great work. Daytime photography is subtle as it highlights the gorgeous landscapes, car photography is fantastic giving this noir/period piece a level of craft that feels modern, and the nighttime images are so striking and so dark with objects in silhouette and amber hues of candlelight that would make Gordon Willis proud. Bob Rafelson is a darn good director of actors. It feels as though he has given the lot a whole lot of room to work with, evidenced by the fact that everyone is really going for it.

Silly movie. BUT! Half the cast is really hot, especially Daniel Craig, and the other is really funny, especially Judi Dench & Giancarlo Giannini. The writing is pretty stale and the story has none of the charm that its predecessor possesses. Nice seeing David Harbor here. Wild that Olga Kurylenko plays a Bolivian woman. Jeffery Wright crushes every beat of his limited screen time. Oona Chaplin is in one sequence and it is a troubling, unnecessarily violent one. She and the Gemma Arterton character deserved so much better.

I love the goodbyes between the Frasier character and his family. I love the sweeping introduction shots of the campus. I adore this score, especially in that moment; it is magical. I love this cast and I love this idealized version of a bygone time…high school sucks, man.

Bless me? God’s been a real sport to me. 

Stephen King has a gift for portraying distinctly human fears as genuine horrors. Here, the loss of time is petrifying, which is only complicated by the fright for what is to come. David Cronenberg has a great eye for the everyday horrors of life. He, along with DP Mark Irwin, capture those fears with excellent cut-ins. Hands touching, looks of confusion, are as terrifying as a clown or a haunted hotel. 

The score is haunting as it looms over the drama as it unfolds. King’s story and the screenplay from Jeffrey Boam throw the audience for a loop. What appears to be a linear detective story is not so simple. And my goodness is this story filled to the brim with compelling ideas. It touches on politics, justice, journalism, love, marriage, and the fallibility of those institutions. 

Christopher Walken, as Johnny, is magnetic. We feel the pain of the time he has lost and the burden of this gift he has been given. And still, he tries to help others. That is why he is a good man. Brooke Adams is delightful. There is warmth that she carries that lifts the material and Johnny out of the darkness.  

The doctor, played by Herbert Lom, is such a sweet man. It is easy to be cautious about these secondary characters in the work of King, but his to young Johnny never waivers. Martin Sheen crushes the most against-type performance of his career. To most audiences, he is a devoted father or a soldier in crisis. Here, he plays a generational Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer; he is a real prick. It is awesome watching him just cook in his select scenes. 

That final moment and ending line is one of the most heartbreaking things I have ever seen. 

I NEED to read this novel.

Someone walked out of our theater about 20 minutes in—it was awesome. 

Such a cool premise. The plotting in this picture is pretty unpredictable; it is a trip to be sure. Though the upside-down establishing shots of the island are far from subtle, they are such an effective tool to establish that all is not what it seems.

Alexander Skarsgård is not your prototypical every-man. He is tall, built like a brick house, and has model-good looks. This film solves this conundrum by making him aloof and arrogant. On this island, he is a stranger struck with the wonderment of every new experience, while his peers are clearly regulars. His most critical error does not lie in ignorance, but in pride. Despite his mountain of failures, James has such a lofty view of himself that it is inconceivable that he could be getting worked. This level of hubris works so well because it is tempered by the very human desire to be wanted, to belong. It is only arrogance to think he could outwit and outlast the people around him who have spent more precious time and have more connections than he has on this island. He fails to accept that he is not in control, even of himself, until it is too late. 

Mia Goth is one of our great talents. She is such a gifted actor and all of her tools are on display here. Like Tang Wei in last year’s Decision to Leave (2022), Goth’s performance is another entrant into the historied canon of the femme fatale. She is not a damsel in distress; she is the danger. Yet we, much like James (the Skarsgård character), are drawn to her still. And when that turn comes, it feels personal, as though the audience has been fooled as much as James. 

This film sports a ing cast that is very good. The motley crew of degenerates, deplorables and downright rejects is fun. They are all going for it, bordering on the point of parody at times. Most importantly they are equally convincing as guests on a remote island as they are first-class menaces. Of the group, Jalil Lespert is especially impressive as he devours the scenery in scene after scene as a vaguely Western European socialite. 

The performance of Em Foster (James’s wife), played by Celopatra Coleman, is a bit uneven. Granted, she does not have a lot to do but serve as a foil for the Goth character, and look perplexed as her husband is enraptured by all of the allure on the island. She could have used more time. One thing is for certain: she definitely deserved better. 

The mechanics of the turn are used for great laughs and genuine disturbances later on in the picture. The causality on both occasions is shocking. That is the point though: at this level of affluence and access, avoiding the consequences of what would ordinarily be a death sentence would distort the very meaning of life. And as they prepare to leave the island, this sick farce ends as quickly as it began, with their appetite for bloodlust satiated until their next trip. 

This is a strong effort from one Brandon Cronenberg. I am sure his old man is real proud.

You remind me of yourself sometimes, y’know that??

This film made me cry, twice. 

Cosmo Jarvis is such a sweet actor and his performance here is captivating as Douglas Armstrong. For his “employers” he is nothing but a hired hand, but under that veneer of muscle lies a good man. Unlike so many violent, sad men before him, Arm—no—Douglas does the right thing. Barry Keoghan never ceases to amaze. He can play a shitheel for the rest of his career and we will be the better for it. The casual cruelty of his character contrasts dramatically with the tormented lamentation of Douglas’ existence. Ned Dennehy is terrifying. From his introduction it is apparent he is not one to be trifled with, and yet people still think to try their luck. Ryan Marland is fucking hilarious every time he shows up in this film. 

Anthony Welsh is great. There is a calm and ease to his performance which stands in stark contrast to every other example of masculinity here. He’s got next. Niamh Algar is a revelation in this picture. She is tough and has been made so by the world she finds herself in. She wants more than anything else to leave, but she just cannot afford it. She is nurturing to her son, Jack—played by the supremely talented Kiljan Moroney—and Douglas, the father of her son. The chemistry between Algar and Jarvis feels weighty and perfectly calibrated to this picture. There is love there, but it feels shattered into a million pieces. As she seeks to put her life back together, Douglas is the one piece that never quite fits. Their final conversation is one of the best pieces of dialogue I have heard. It is so sad. 

This film looks incredible. Piers McGrail did a wonderful job as DP. I was in from the very first, very explosively violent scene. I love how small the scale of this story is. The stakes feel far more real in a small-scale crime drama such as this than some unnecessarily convoluted pulp. The characters are great. The performances are incredible; there is not a false note among the entire cast. The action fits the constant tension of the film, as these sequences erupt as if hiding just below the surface. The makeup is excellent. The score from Benjamin John Power—aka Blanck Mass—is splendid. It feels of a kind with the best electronic compositions of modern-day pictures, yet the swells feel novel. Colin Barrett’s short story is lean, mean, and raw. Joseph Murtaugh’s script reflects the same. Nick Rowland’s debut film is a triumph; I just wish it ended about two minutes sooner. The pull-back on that tracking shot is too perfect.

This is a neo-noir in the pastiche of a courtroom drama. When that realization came to me I enjoyed this picture more. Looks pretty good. Very fun, except when it is really not. Brad Furman is a solid hand in that director's chair. John Romano’s script from Michael Connelly’s book of the same name has humor and horror in spades, although it is 2% corny. Lots of big performances, most of them good. Matthew McConaughey and Marisa Tomei and William H. Macy are excellent. Michael Peña crushes his handful of scenes. Needs more Bryan Cranston though. Michael Paré is a Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer, Shea Whigham puts on a clinical heat-check performance and Laurence Mason is such a sweet, loyal man. The one performance that sticks out like a sore thumb is that of Ryan Phillippe. He’s not bad, but the unevenness of his character within the first hour keys the audience in on the turn in a more overt way than it should have. His performance is much stronger within the second half, but still, my guy is a little Schofield Kid-ish. Wait…s Fisher is in this, and is great...And considering William H. Macy’s fate…Wait a second…consider these crimes NOT-forgiven.

Powerful debut film by Ryan Coogler; I felt frozen for the final thirty minutes of the picture. The cast is phenomenal and the photography by Rachel Morrison captures Oakland in all of its beauty, in union with the lush score of Ludwig Göransson. This is a moving portrait of a young person’s life, one who is really trying to do good…22 is far too young. 

May Oscar Grant Rest In Peace.

*insert line about rats in barrel*
Shoutout to Dame Judi Drench’s sass, Ralph Finnes’ smug pout, Helen McCrory’s posh accent; may she Rest In Peace, Roger Deakin’s gorgeous photography, and the sexual tension between Javier Bardem & Daniel Craig. 

I definitely feel as though the first third and the last third worked far better for me than the middle bit. Those two bookends are still so dynamite that this picture is endlessly rewatchable. The interior photography is good, but Deakin’s eye really shines in those low-light and natural light backdrops. I love how self-referential and witty this script is; so much of it seems to be in conversation with itself. It definitely caught my ear hearing characters pick up on conversations scenes and scenes apart in this film…And then there’s the little things: a scene opens on Bond’s bartender shaking & pouring his martini, a clever edit around this most famous drink order. Very fun! Daniel Craig is so dapper & this should have been his final outing as Bond. That ending is just so good. Sam Mendes directed the heck outta this thang.

This film has no business looking this good. It almost feels so 2004. And then, it shifts into something far more. It is shot so well. Many of the final images feel like a painting from the mind of Mark Maggiori. And the stuff in silhouette is incredible. Major shoutout to cinematographer Shelly Johnson. Also, the VFX is pretty great. None of it is distracting, and frankly it enhances the scenes and the action. The action is fantastic, especially in this era of choppy cuts and crossing the line. The visuals are spatially coherent while remaining satisfyingly good fun. There is just enough old-western cowboy speak to satiate any fan of the genre, and enough man/horse love to warm a heart of stone. Its look at culture as one intermingles with another is fascinating. And it is commendable that the most compelling platonic relationship remains as such, vying for some semblance of accuracy over the Hollywood ending. The bar is in hell. And the ending itself is so sweet, it nearly brought a tear to my eye. Joe Johnston directed the heck out of this and John Fusco wrote a script that is as moving as it is fun and exciting, serving spectacle and some tremendous performances. 

Viggo Mortsen is all bits of a gruff, man of few words hero we deserve as Frank Hopkins. His conviction to his morals is very irable and I find his costuming among the strongest of the entire cast. The guilt he feels is harrowing as the weight of his mistakes feel almost unforgivable. Above all else, it is rad that this is not a straight and away white savior movie. In fact, it reads to me as more of the opposite. Frank is met with doubt in spite of his skill. He must prove himself time and time again. He suffers under the sun and would have lost his life too many times to count without the help of the people he meets along his journey. Most crucially, however, he reads as rather modest in the face of any ridicule and takes it all squarely on his chiseled chin…unless it is directed at his horse, Hidalgo. The horses that play Hidalgo are tremendous. This is a very spirited animal performance. The huffs and neighs seem as filled with personality as the very best non-verbal companions in the annals of cinema history.

Zuleikha Robinson is incredible. Such a warm, complex performance as the daughter of a very powerful man in these times. She is as talented a rider as any of these men, yet because of her gender, she is barred from participating in a journey sacred in her country and in her family. Her comion is super neat and her costuming is far and away the most visually impressive in the entire picture. Omar Sharif is that dude! You can feel the might of his stature as a leader, yet humor has not been lost in his regality. May he Rest in Peace. 

Floyd Red Crow Westerman has an gentle kindness to his performance…I love that there is a connection and deep respect between him and the Mortsen character, but it is not artificially lovey-dovey. May he Rest in Peace. Adoni Maropis is such a sweet guy! Really hard to read at first, as any competition with men involves a rather unhealthy amount of piss-contesting, but in the end…the man is a real one. Peter Mensah: I love him as a performer. Physically imposing, stern & straight-faced, but most of all loyal. The last of which is a quality no amount of coin can buy. Harsh Nayyar is great as Yousef. He is witty and sometimes a bit sour on Frank, but he is a great, animated guide on this most perilous journey that our hero is on. 

Louise Lombard is a piece of work. Her charm draws you in…and then you realize she is one superb Ripe Ol’ Prick HoFer. Adam Alexi-Malle is one messy dude. His proximity to Sir Sharif is reassuring, but as his comically sinister plotting comes into focus, his true nature can no longer be denied. Saïd Taghmaoui is a good rider, but is uhhhh not a great dude. Silas Carson is a darn good heavy. The man is relentless, no matter what set-backs he faces. He is fearless in pursuit of his desires, which is perhaps most frightening. A Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer if I have ever seen one. Joshua Wolf Coleman is absolutely crushing it here with these faces he’s pulling. Also, seeing J.K. Simmons as Buffalo Bill is such a great surprise. I love that man. And Malcolm McDowell! Always lovely seeing him without his cane and top hat…. 

This is one of those movies I chased for a long time. I seeing the promotional material for it on tv as a kid and there has been an idealized image of this film, of this world ever since. And it really delivered which is such a delight.

This is one of the prettiest things I have ever seen. The use of yellow in the location scouting and production design––shoutout to Kim Davis & Dennis Gassner, respectively––is as spellbinding as a siren. It looks so good, it feels surreal…almost dreamlike. This is among the best of Sir Roger Deakins’ career. Shots like the underwater sequences are images an audience would assume impossible before seeing them. 

On the whole, this is the most fun picture in the canon of Joel and Ethan Cohen. I have not touched Homer’s The Odyssey since high school, so many of the ideas and pilot points and narrative devices employed from that piece totally went over my head. After having a few pointed out, the genius in these 1930s American South approximations are astounding. This picture is awesome, and then the singing began and it became incredible. I love that folky, twangy sound.

George Clooney is as great as he always is, as Ulysses. He is as slick as his pommade and witty and fun, yet a lovable, romantic fool. I am rather confident it is not him actually singing, but his miming is great! I do not know if John Tuturro has ever been better; he is incredible here. He is so dopey and funny and quietly talented, yet there is a quiet melancholy to him that is so sad. Tim Blake Nelson is awesome. Out of the trio, he is easily the funniest, as some of the most absurd lines in the film are his. These three have such splendid chemistry. Their best scene as a throuple is the three of them, sat ‘round a fire, talking about the plans they have with their share of the money. The light of the fire flickers off their faces, the camera pushes in, they paint their dreams onto the cosmos, and magic happens. 

Chris Thomas King is so freaking great. He is a gifted multi-instrumentalist and one helluva singer too. I love Holly Hunter in this as always. Her crabbiness and justifiable exhaustion with the Clooney character is great to watch. Major heat-check performance from m’lady. Michael Badalucco is really dialing it up. It is all worth it in the end, as his last scene is great. Wayne Duvall is a proper Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer, as his true character is one of the most absurdly hilarious reveals I have seen as of late. His comeuppance is just as wonderful. 

John Goodman is solid as he always is; he really had me there! That is a marker of a talented performer, and our long history with Goodman as a reliably good dude. Also, his character design is so great; shoutout to costume designer Mary Zophres and the entire makeup team, lead by one Jean Ann Black. Charles Dunning is pretty great. He is entertainingly aloof. His dumb luck and opportunism as a politician is both frustrating––he should face some consequences for being out-of-touch, no???––and near-perfect. Daniel Von Bargen is real good. He so easily slips your mind, and then when you least expect it, boom: there he is. Stephen Root is darn good too. This performance definitely puts some of his later work into perspective for me. Perhaps I should just get out while I am ahead.

HE’S JUST LIKE ME: THE MOTION PICTURE.

I love the look of this picture so much. The use of artificial light and the way it reflects on skin is just so cool. Easily my favorite looking film in the Scorsese canon. Enormous shoutout to DP Robert Richardson. He has such an incredible eye; it truly shines here. Thelma Schoonmaker is such a splendid editor. I enjoy the long, eerie takes just as much of the spastic, propulsive beats she captures here. The soundtrack is great; it spans the arc of popular music. Those needle-drops in the first half are particularly stellar. 

Martin Scorsese and Paul Schrader have a wonderful dynamic in showcasing tortured men toiling and suffering in hopes of salvation from this flesh prison. I think of them all, Frank (N. Cage) is the most relatable. All he needs, in the most universal of , is a break from all the noise. Just one. It is so very sad. Joe Connelly wrote one helluva book. The text is a rich portrait of the nightlife of NYC. This is a painting of the city as it truly is: messy, complicated, beautifully human. And this picture is so very funny. Mr. Scorsese, I love you and all of your contributions to this most wonderful artform.

Nicolas Cage delivers a near-career-best turn as a paramedic nearing his wits end. He undersells throughout the majority of this picture, and only cranks the dial up after a particularly dramatic experience––and one of the coolest stunts in any Scorsese picture. He looks so tired, he could sleep for a year. He means well, and cares more about his work––valuing the people over all else––than his peers. And yet that very same work is eating him up inside. The melancholy he carries hangs around him like a dark cloud. Aaand he has a pretty cool subtle workout-routine-money-shot sequence. What would ordinarily be sexy, is sad, as our hero is robbed of his precious sleep. Patricia Arquette is really good here. She plays into this strange relationship so well, as the nature of their time together remains as unclear to the audience as it is to them. In a strange way, it feels as though they were destined to meet, as no one else could ever understand the pain & regret they carry. 

John Goodman is doing a lot here, but all of it is good. Really tough dude to ride along with, but as much as he is a royal ass, he is equally a funny guy. His general indifference to his partner, Frank, who is actively going insane seems pretty standard. He is more concerned with what he is going to eat and what he ate the night before than with his partner, who holds both of their lives in his hands at the wheel. His personality seems overwhelming but it is meek compared to the ride-alongs to come. Tom Sizemore once again threads the needle between Ripe Ol’ Prick HoFer & dynamite performance. He is so physical and external, the contrast is stark when juxtaposed with the internal brood of Cage. 

Mary Beth Hurt is hilarious as no-nonsense Nurse Constance. And as always, it is fantastic watching Michael K. Williams work. He was such a great talent. Even in his finite time, his performance is tremendously affecting. May he Rest In Peace. Cliff Curtis cosplaying as a Black man…is definitely a choice. His final scene is really good, but still I could not ignore that wrinkle in his performance. Marc Anthony dials it up to a fifty on a scale of one to ten, but brother, it is freaking cool to watch. He so quickly travels from being deeply sympathetic, to super annoying, and all the way over to pitiful. The man is good. The dreads are an odd touch, but hey, can’t win 'em all. Marty's voice cameo is AWESOME. And Queen Latifa? This picture has it all. Ving Rhames is outta sight…”I’ll preach Heaven and beat the Hell out of you, now…” is such a perfect sublimation of his character. So funny, so witty, so Spiritual. He’s the best. 

What a picture. What a life. Thank you, again, Marty.

…Like a man told me once: ‘you step out your door in the morning, you already in trouble…just a matter of if you’re mixed up at the top of that trouble or not’. That’s all…

Denzel, in a noir film set in the 50s…SIGN ME UP. 

One of my favorite films of Denzel Washington’s career. Such an immersive viewing experience, as the set design; courtesy of one Gary Frukoff, costume design; by Sharen Davis, and the cars do wonders to make this world feel real. Tak Fujimoto is a supremely gifted photographer of light. Even in the low light, with Black actors, he is successful in making each scene a tapestry of life. That last shot of Mr. Washington is gorgeous. Mr. Fujimoto has a great eye. Carl Franklin should be so very proud of this picture. This story feels of a kind with the great noir cinema of the 40s and 50s…a tale that appears simple, that quickly unravels into something far more complicated. The twists and turns are genuine revelations, and calling the big twist put me in a moment of sheer bliss. His direction highlights the complexities & hypocrisies of post-War America, and showcases some spectacular performances. 

Mr. Denzel Washington is ten toes deep into his bag like he never left. It is so cool watching him transition from being unsure-footed, to using his knowledge of his hometown to become a gifted private eye. The juice and physicality and bravado he has when his confidence blossoms is spellbinding. And man, when he has that suit going, no one has ever looked more dapper. Tom Sizemore is right at home ripping off meme-quotables and being a complete a-hole. He is a Ripe Ol’ Prick HoFer, and in style––that’s one cool tie. Jennifer Beals is a really awesome femme fatale. She does not have much to do beyond standing there and looking pretty. And yet in her short time the audience really feels for her, especially as the stakes grow higher, all the way to the top. Also, her chemistry with Mr. Washington is incredible. Their first scene together prompted an audible response from me, so that tells you everything you need to know. Mel Winkler is great, even in his handful of scenes. So much of the action revolves around his little bar above a convenience store, but his smoooth groove and slick personality is a great tell that he knows far more than he lets on. Lisa Nicole Carson is real good. I wish she had more to do, but again, her fate pushes the narrative forward. It is her magnetic charm, though, that makes her performance memorable. 

Jernard Burks really goes for it in his select scenes, even though he es out as his scene-exit both times. The true testament to his talent is bringing back a moment that could have so easily been played for laughs and making it so very tragic. Barry Shabaka Henley has one of this film's best bits as the neighbor who keeps trying to cut down everyone’s trees. Such a little, seemingly insignificant beat that leads to some of the coolest scene transitions in the picture. DON CHEADLE. I did not know the man had this in his bag. What an effortlessly cool, enrapturing, completely unpredictable performance. And through it all, he is FUNNY in an unmistakably human way. No boardroom comedy here. One of the funniest things about his performance is how quickly he comes in and out of the story. Another hilarious beat are his thoughts on restraining a man he and Mr. Washington have in their custody; it’s just so good. The two have such an easy chemistry; they are the buddy-cop/detective pairing I never knew I needed until now. A transcendent heat-check performance.

To anyone who doubted him, Stephen Spielberg STILL has his fastball. He has nothing left to prove, not to a single soul on this earth. It kinda reminds me of LeBron James in the 2020 NBA finals… And with that freedom, he tells his most personal tale yet. A sweeping story of a young person’s obsession with the movies, and all the life that seems to inevitably get in the way. It is a captivating feature from the start. The eye that Janusz Kamiński has is special. Some of those touches, like catching the light through the blinds in the middle of an emotionally potent scene in the last act, is the type of magic that only happens in the movies. The most impressive thing on display here is Mr. Spielberg's prowess as a storyteller. He is simultaneously showing audiences a surprisingly intimate look at his family, all while subtly flexing his craft in the present, and retroactively as a younger artist. The kid has it!!!

Michelle Williams is magnetic as the matriarch of this family. She is so very encouraging and ive to her son. And her desires and needs only make her more human. Paul Dano is his “smartest person in the room, with no pretension" bag. He is so committed to the idea of his job and charting out the future for their family, it seems as though he has no time for himself or his family. In fascinating , this film does not shy away from the many martial difficulties the two had. This exploration reaches a painful, honest note: one can love someone dearly and no longer want to remain bound by the confines of marriage. He may appear quiet and restrained throughout, but Mr. Dano really brings it during the most emotionally potent sections of this picture. It is heavy stuff, but Williams & Dano are so great that the heartbreaking decisions they must make feel like the right ones. Seth Rogan plays one of his most fascinating characters since his time as Steve Wozniak in 2015’s Steve Jobs. However, in this turn, far more than the fate of an American corporation is in peril: the future of a family is at stake. He is a chipper contrast to Dano’s largely reserved, internal performance. 

I am a Gabriel LeBelle Stan. You feel for him, you cheer for him, you want him to succeed, and in spite of the semi-autobiographical nature of this film, you fear for his future. A great deal of those emotions stem from LeBelle’s wonderfully charming, earnestly goofy, & film-nerdy turn as a young Stephe—err—Sammy. Throughout the course of the film he grapples with the alienating nature of the life of an artist. He contends with the power of art as a source of healing. And finally he embraces film as a tool to express what you feel. He has this awesome physicality to his performance and a twinkle in his eye. The young man is a tremendous talent. As does Mateo Zoryon Francis-DeFord as young-er Sammy. Julia Butters is great. I didn’t find their relationship to be caustic in any way. It truly felt akin to any normal, balanced sibling relationship. It is cool watching her check her brother in a moment when Sammy is acting rather boyish. 

Judd Hirsch is remarkable in this picture. The man is in about 2 scenes, and yet he fundamentally changes the chemistry of the entire narrative. He plays it big and pronounced, but it feels just right for a weathered, old man who has been spurned by life. He shares a ionate love for art with Sammy and ends each sentence with a cautionary tale. Jeannie Berlin is great! She is the ultimate disapproving mother. And her foil, Robin Barlett, is such a sweet old lady. Their performances are brilliantly efficient & effective storytelling choices, as they work to explain why their children are as we find them; the former being a bit of a sourpuss and the latter being unabashedly ive. 

Sam Rechner and Oakes Fegley are generational Ripe Ol’ Prick HoFer talents. They are both such little jerks, it is terrifying and almost inspiring that young Stephe—NOT AGAIN—Sammy succeeded in spite of their constant harassment. Chloe East and Isabelle Kusman are excellent, almost for the exact opposite reason. They are mostly kind, mostly sweet, and definitely too smart for their own good. Very funny watching them catch Sir Sammy in a lie, and one of the most hilarious bits in the entire film is thanks to Miss East. These young people have wonderful futures ahead of them. 

And David Lynch has one of the all-time, thing-you-tell-your-grandkids about heat-check performance in this picture. I could sit and watch him light a cigar all day. Crystal the Monkey is great in her limited time. I wonder if she knows What Jack Did?…

As great of advice as Mr. Ford offers young Sammy, I find that ending ⅓ cheesy and ⅔ charming…still a lovely love-letter to art and the movies and all the life in between.

From its opening scene this picture is far from what I expected it to be. It is so big and indulgent and decadent and debaucherous I could not believe my eyes. What an unbelievably big swing from one Damien Chazelle. It is also so sweet—this picture made me cry. It is hard to conceive that Chazelle, with all of his goodwill and capital in LA, would decide to do this. That is why Babylon is such a bold choice: it riffs on our relationship with the films earlier in Chazelle’s career. Those themes of trying to “make it” and the obsessive minds of artists feel universal in his hands. It shows what these people have to do to chase their dreams and the loneliness of such a journey. Oftentimes it requires sacrificing parts of themselves, their agency, their self respect. All for the sake of something with no guarantee of success. This film rejects notions of decorum and elegance attributed to the Golden Era in Hollywood. Instead, what we get is this kaleidoscope of subterranean grime, the leeching and animalistic underbelly of Tinsel Town. This film is not 
 subverting expectations, it is punching the audience in the throat with its own absurdity; it’s awesome. 

DP Linus Sandgren did such great work with the photography here. I have never seen Los Angeles shot like this. It feels other-worldly. And man, he did NOT waste that golden hour sunlight!!! Tom Cross absolutely crushed the edit. It is superb, cutting action to give scenes proper momentum before they turn, showing the audience the nuts and bolts of the process, and using cuts for comedy that put bit-humor in movies of today to shame. Straight up, shout out to Chazelle and casting directors Francine Maisler & Boluwatife Samson for all of the dude-nudity. For far too long it has been a strictly one-way street, so it is rad seeing a high-profile picture such as this––please forgive me for this one––flip the script. Babylon has no business being this funny. There are several moments that had me in stitches. The bits are fantastic and the performers really bring it, fully committed and all. 

And this cast is unbelievable. Brad Pitt delivers his best performance, maybe, ever. I am a huge sucker for these metacommentary performances where a part mirrors the life of an actor in an exact moment. The character he plays is a washed-up, drunk with his best years long behind him. And yet there is this tenderness and realness behind those eyes. He relates to his fellow actors seeking to break through. In the midst of all the glamor and irreverence, there is a deep melancholy that hangs around him. Also, Pitt has the funniest moment in the entire picture. Gosh, what a talent. Margot Robbie is in her bag, yet again. She is asked to do so much: physical comedy, long takes, and a metacommentary of a young woman trying to break through &, as my homie Jose put it, overcome her highly-sexualized beginnings. Also, she is freaking jacked—good for her. 

Diego Calva is a revelation in this picture. He is so great. The man commands the silver screen and you feel for him every step of the way. He has such easy chemistry with the rest of the players involved as he makes his way up the very steep, often dangerous Hollywood ladder. This is yet another star-making performance of the year, along with: Jovan Adepo, who is so wonderful here. He is an effortless musician. It is hard to tell if he actually has the chops or is a master-mimer. That’s talent. I also love his conviction of character. In a world where most have to change and lose themselves in the process, he holds fast & stays true, and that is awesome. We see yet another absolute star in the making with Li Jun Li. Her presence in the opening sequence establishes that this is no song-and-dance tale of a kind with Chazelle’s 2016 efforts. Li Jun Li is effortlessly elegant, and mesmerizing with so little as a glance. 

Jean Smart is freaking incredible. She is in the movie enough for you to her presence in it, but does not steal the spotlight, as her character would be quick to tell you. Her position as a journalist makes her an effortless scene partner with the entire cast. And she has the best monologue in the film about the ever-lasting nature of film. Just great stuff from her.  

The ing players are just as strong. This film boasts the most incredible collection of players spanning filmmakers, comedians, and rock legends. SPIKE JONES IS OUT OF HIS MIND. That accent is so ridiculous; it is perfect. Bossman Damian must be a Twitter , because casting Samantha Weaving opposite Margot Robbie is a stroke of genius. Weaving is great in her own right, as the cutthroat nature of the industry is shown to be as old as time. Katherine Waterston nailed the debonair, posh feel of a pretentious stage performer so well. I love her in this. Rory Scovel is one of the funniest performers here, and that is saying a lot! Olivia Hamilton is really good in this. A real no-nonsense filmmaker she is, but I love how collaborative her process grows as she becomes more familiar and comfortable with her actors. P.J. Byrne is on a new level. The dude is such a prick, and yet there is an intensity coming from the process that feels fitting for a first AD to do on behalf of their director…and then he goes too far…it’s wild. 

Lukas Hass is so kind and sweet. The sadness he carries is painfully relatable. Flea is freakin’ awesome. As a Peppers-head myself, his performance as a more-than-slightly unhinged bit of muscle is a great use of the spastic energy he carries on stage. Jeff Garlin is great. His physical presence is most certainly felt, yet his comedic chops are hardly used––talk about subversive. Kaia Gerber did a great job of being flustered in the middle of the illustrious Jun Li’s most salacious number (I see you too, Lewis Tan…). Eric Roberts is the quintessential embarrassing father in this film. It is an all-time performance of narcissism and riding the wave of another’s success. His commitment to the part, and the strength of the page really shines here, even with his limited screen time. Super cool seeing Ethan Suplee in this. The man is very imposing, and a foreboding presence before the film takes its darkest turn. Leading to our resident Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer: Tobey Maguire. The man is so darn giddily crooked, he is difficult to watch. Once again, this film riffs on our relationship with Maguire as a one-note hero, and completely inverts it. As we follow him deeper into the depths of carnal pleasure and genuine horrors, part of us feels it will have a happy turn…and then it gets worse…and worse…and worse. 

There are only a few things holding this one back from being totally transcendent. The use of language here is one barrier. I am not sure how people talked in the early Twenties, but the diction here reads entirely too modern to my ears. Initially I thought it was the use of explicit language (like partying, it would be naive to believe that people began using words not in the Bible in the 1980s), but I think it is a matter of rhythm. Take out the sets and the costumes and the props, and I am not sure this picture would read as a period piece. Again, I may just be splitting hairs, as in the moment my suspension of disbelief was near fully intact. There are a couple of jokes that did not land for me on of being perhaps too absurd. Within the final breathtaking, sweeping montage, there is a sequence from a movie that is presently in the popular conscience that feels a choice a bit too…on the nose. Also, there is that one sequence that will spark discourse about race. Honestly, it is more shocking that there are not more and more extreme examples of blatant racism here. As we know, Hollywood has never been as progressive as we may have been led to believe. Then again, we are presented with posturing and performance from the Old Money in Hollywood and not their private thoughts & feelings. So, largely omitting the issue of race is another layer to the fantasia-feel of the entire picture. 

In many ways Babylon reminds me of Eyes Wide Shut (1999). It features grand portraits of sexual acts, yet none of it is sexy. It is gross, subterranean, animalistic, and voyeuristic, not sleek, sexy, or cool.

This picture rocks so hard. The premise and all the action that follows is of its time: utterly ridiculous, yet so compelling. A few near misses could be dismissed, but in their totality, this picture shows the incompetence of law enforcement. And in spite of all of that, the audience cannot help but root for a man in the position of the Harrison Ford character. He is wronged by so many around him for doing what he thought was right and being failed by a system prescribed for “justice.” 

The filmmaking here is awesome. There is a great amount of practical effects on display. The most notable of such setpieces being an in-camera train crash, which is something that would surely be achieved in post today, a damn shame in my book. Here though, it helps to ground the story as the stakes are real and the balance between life & death is a thin, sharp one. The camera work throughout is pretty great. Long-lenses replicate surveillance, the chaotic movement captures the energy of a hospital perfectly, and tracking & mounted shots add propulsion to the visual storytelling.

The shot of Dr. Kimble walking into a cave is one of my favorite shots in the history of movies. It is so simple, but gosh the clash between the green of the trees, the brown of the dirt tracks, the pitch black cave mouth, and a dude in a stolen jean onesie left me in awe. And shoutout to Don Brochu, David Finfer, Dean Goodhill, Dov Hoenig, Richard Nord, and Dennis Virkler on the edit. The score from James Newton Howard pulls all the right notes. It adds suspense without feeling like a studio hack job. Andrew Davis is a darn good filmmaker. He has a great sense of spatial awareness, which makes the action coherent. He is also a mighty fine director of actors. And the twists and turns this story takes the audience on are freaking great. 

Harrison Ford is the man. He is asked to do a whole lot in this picture and he sticks the landing better than Peter Panin’ into a dam for much of it. He crushes his initial scenes that require emotion impossible to feign. Also, he is getting after it with the physicality of it all. Clearly he still has some Indy-running-away-from-fast-moving-objects moves still left in him. And he is quietly pretty jacked here too. This movie only works as well as it does because of how good Ford is, how strong of a relationship the audience has with the towering stature of his long-standing career as a “good guy”, and because of one other performer…Tommy Lee Jones is dyna-mite in this picture. The coolest thing about this performance is the calculated casualty of every action his character takes. Clearly he is invested in the outcome of this case, in spite of his most sincere protests asserting how little he cares. Every action, every word, every command is exact. Those were the facts on the ground to start, but as the search drags on and the area of interest expands, his methods and what he is willing to do change. Mr. Lee Jones is a crafty, clever son of a gun who accuses others of not knowing when to quit, when he is guilty of the same relentlessness. And all of the infrastructure around him helps to sell his commitment to the chase, but his care for them in the language he uses shows that he is more than a hound out for blood…

L. Scott Caldwell is a great performer; she is bringing it in her limited scenes and feels like an integral part of the team. Daniel Roebuck; a cop-ass looking cop if I ever saw one, down to the stache. I dig his can-do attitude about it all. Johnny Lee Davenport is very cool & very calm under pressure. It is evident that Tommy Lee Jones’ character trusts him a lot, as he is either directly by his side, or off completing a key part of this investigation. Also, his stache is very cool. Thomas Mills Wood is a great green young man, down to his “I am just thinking” sensibilities. Out of the team assembled, he probably goes through the most growth and it is neat watching him become an integral part of solving this case. JOEY FREAKIN PANTS!!! I love seeing him in any picture, and he is a joy to watch here. There is an ease to what he is doing that contrasts nicely with the loud performance from Tommy Lee Jones. Pantoliano can shift gears from a snarky joke, to hitting a suspect with a pressing question, and back again as smoothly as flipping a switch. And man, is Joe Pantoliano a funny guy! I love him so much. 

I could have sworn Andy Romano had a bigger career; shoutout to him regardless💯. May he Rest In Peace. Eddie Bo Smith! What a sweet performer and a great man. He is a real one in his effort to lay all the way out for Dr. Kimble. Cool Kristen Nelson appearance!!! I love her :) . And Jane Lynch is great in her limited scenes as well. I do wish Sela Ward had more screen time though, as she just suffers for the character development and motivation of a man. Major heat check performance from one Julianne Moore. She is not dialing it up at all, but is pitch perfect as a multi-tasking doctor in the middle of a night that appears busy to the audience, but must be another day at the office for her. 

Jerone Krabbé is a great talent. His poker face is incredible and the audience feels the dynamics of his performance, which makes his turn so good. I really love all he is doing here. He and Ford are really, really smart, and the audience can see it with every action they take…and all of those they do not. And now we have reached the part of our show that you have all been waiting for: The Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer Awards!!! Ron Dean & Joseph Kosala: two Ripe and Proper pricks, but their characters are too stupid and incompetent to make the Hall of Fame. Andreas Katsulas, though, is a Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer for cruel and unusually malicious behavior.  

“I dON’t CAAAreee!” is one of the very greatest line readings ever. Again, shoutout to Tommy Lee!

A wiseguy’s always right, even when he’s wrong

This is just what I wanted it to be. A simple, to the point gangster movie…and yet so much more. The subtext carries fascinating themes ranging from the exploitation of undercover officers to surrogate father-son dynamics. There is bureaucracy, red tape, and ego informing operation directives. I love how low-scale a lot of this is. It is not about controlling the world, just a single dive bar on the Miami Strip, or something as petty as a single diamond. That is what I think separates this picture from much of the cast gangster film canon: an emphasis on the mundane, even boring, day-to-day life of being a mobster. It is all really well done too. 

I love the car photography on display here. The use of a camera mount on the wheel of a Caddy is a striking choice––just great stuff from my guy DP Peter Sova. Mike Nelwell is a pretty neat filmmaker. He definitely knows how to get the best from his performers and get out of the way of all the action. And yet he still puts some sauce on that thang! There are some great detail shots from above that I am sure made Mr. Scorsese proud. The edit from Jon Gregory shows equal poise.

Al Pacino delivers one of his greatest late-career performances in this one. He is so funny, so animated, and yet his expressiveness seems perfect for this character in ways that some of his more shall-I-say mannered work reads as arched. He is magnetic, spellbinding, and delightful to watch as he absolutely crushes the scenery. His character keeps you guessing, as he goes from giving non-answers, to dropping deep philosophical gems. He feels so against type for Pacino: he is a down-on-his-luck, mid tier gangster who can barely rub two pennies together. His last scene in the picture is some of the best work I have ever seen from Sir Al. It is just so tender; all of the little details are perfect. He is wonderful. Look, I know she is supposed to be the ol’ ball-n-chain, but man, Anne Heche is great. Her performance is kinetic. There is this unbridled physicality to what she is doing, as she, effectively a single mother, is constantly in motion. Though when she meets her husband, what comes next is nearly as unpredictable as his time with the mob. He is trapped on both sides. She truly was a special talent, as she did so much with what is almost a nothing part. 

Michael Masden is one scary dude. Big and tall and mean. It is hard not to see him as anything other than Blonde, yet he commands the audience's attention from the first frame he graces. What seems to be a ing performance from those opening scenes grows in estimation as he climbs up the mob’s ladder. Also, Gretchen Mol! She’s great :) Bruno Kirby!!! My guy. He is awesome in this. And he is really dialing it up, but hey, every outfit needs the really loud guy. He completely nails it, down to the incredible lack of subtlety and discretion. I love that guy, I miss that guy. (Plus I was today years old when I found out he played Young Clemenza in The Godfather Part II [1974]!!!) James Russo has a major deja vu face. I could have sworn I knew him from somewhere, yet I can’t place my finger on it. Anyway, he is a delightful part of one of the best scenes of this picture, so if this is our introduction, we're off to a great start. 

Željko Ivanek is pretty annoying, but man, Gerry Becker is an all-time, generational talent Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer. The dude wants far too much control, and is so unaccommodating he might be the most painfully real-to-life antagonist I have seen in film as of late. Brian Tarantina is a rather relatable fail-son too. It is hilarious watching him operate as if he has a seat at the table, when he barely has a high chair. Look no further than where he is found in the end. Mans loves his TV; he’s just like me!!! Rocco Sisto means well and all, but gosh is the dude a clutz. Nowhere near as committed to the bit as his uhhh…associate, and that is frustrating. Paul Giamatti and Tim Blake Nelson have an all-time heat check conversation. How is it you say? Fuhgeddaboudit. 

I think it was just easier for me to…to want things for you…than…to go after them for myself…

❗️🚨JESSIE BUCKLEY STANS STAND UP🚨❗️

Miss Buckley is awesome in The Lost Daughter (2021), but I did not know she could do this. She does so many cool little touches––how she brushes the faces of her children, the way she moves through space––that add such a neat texture to this character. So much of her expressiveness comes from her hands; there is a rich text in every gesture. She carries this deep charisma and bravado, a true performer, yet the contrast between her on-stage persona and her personal life could not be more vast. The bone-headedness she has is the universal language of an artist praying for a breakthrough. And dude, she can SING. What a talent. I love that her character, for better or worse, wants to chase her dreams on her . That uncompromising spirit in her soul is inspirational. I have lifer tickets to the Jessie Buckley show. 

Sophie Okonedo is great here. Her care for Buckley and her future is evident, but her solutions are as only the wealthy can manage: half measures. The heart is there, but it is not on Rose’s (the Buckley character) , which is key. Nevertheless, genuine comion is hard to come by, and Okonedo plays that perfectly. Shoutout to my guy Jamie Sives, aka Ned Stark’s right hand man. He is great in his limited time, and plays the Ripe Ol’ Prick husband part so well it sings. Major snaps to young Daisy Littlefield and Adam Mitchell. They are fantastic young actors. So much of the stakes of this picture hinge on their performances and they are smashing great in this one. 

One name, three words: DAME JULIA WALTERS. If you need an example of what a late-career performance of absolutely crushing it looks like, look no further. Julia Walters devours scenery in singular fashion. There is as much bite as there is sweetness to her performance. She delivers a monologue—where that opening quote comes from—which takes this film from good to sensational. The relationship she has with her grandchildren is wonderful to see, but the relationship that defines the picture is that which she shares with her daughter. The push/pull, caustic yet loving dynamic she has with Jessie Buckley is incredible. It is an all-time parent-child relationship rendered on screen. Dame Julia Walters: I love her so. The [REDACTED, *insert song about being both Happy ‘n Sad simultaneously*] cameo is so great; I did a double take to make sure my eyes were not deceiving me. 

Themes of class, paternalism & agency, and one’s own voice are explored in both text and subtext. The portrayal of Rose’s choices and freedom is just as strong. It takes her time to figure out how to balance her ions with her life, but those two spheres can only co-exist if it is by her own hand. Nicole Taylor wrote a wonderful, snappy script. It feels like the words real people say, and not movie-y in the slightest. There are more than a few moments here where the story hit me with a gut punch or a surprise that had me at the verge of tears, which is a product of the writing and the pacing as much as anything else. 

Tom Harper’s direction is inspired, but is not too flashy when it does not need to be (like the rhythm section of a band!!!). Shoutout to DP George Steel too. The opening moments are arresting, but like a standard tune, there is a rhythm and meter this picture flows into. Yet, in the key moments it crescendos into captivating filmmaking like a grand ballad. As if by magic, staging, framing, song, and performance come together in perfect harmony. 

This picture’s final message about where you are supposed to be is so reassuring for a young artist. I adore that this is not a traditional happy-go-lucky, rags-to-riches tale. For most dreamers, that is far from their reality. I love that this story shows real people trying to get where they need to be, because if that is good enough for them, it is good enough for me. 

NEON HIIIVE.

I really wanted to not like this one. I was expecting just another run-of-the-mill international espionage action-thriller top-billed by a very handsome A-Lister...but this movie absolutely rocks. 

Here, George Clooney acts drastically against type. He is stoic, the classic man-of-few-words and guy-who-just-waltzed-into-a-town archetype. He is in bike-riding & hiking shape not on that CBR ( just chicken, rice, & broccoli of course!!!) diet. He is graying around the temples, slow & methodical, yet intentional & clever in a pinch. And he is doing his best Steve McQueen in Bullitt (1968) impression. What he is not is clear: he is not smooth or witty, like a celebrity con-man & he is not a womanizing secret spy. He resists the mere idea of forming any connection––until those connections find him. 

The opening sequence establishes who this character is for the audience: not a good guy. He is not a “hero” who will do the right thing at all costs. He uses people. Whether for pleasure, as he puts it, or for survival, everyone in his life is just a step along the way to his way out. Frankly, even after the conclusion of the film, it is not entirely clear who any of these people are working for, and to what ends. This small-scale, intimate recon story is refreshing in a sea of convoluted, ill-conceived stories about the same two or three major events in Western history of the last 75 years. Granted, I did call the ending of the film in the middle of the third act, so even this story is not above the allure of tropes. 

The ing cast is great. Violante Placido is a wonderful actor. This archetype is the sort of nothin-part that can read as rather cliché. She makes the most of it as her character opens a window into the plight of women in her line of work where it would be easy to overlook: in a small town. Thekla Reuten has an all-time poker face! She is really great. She actually has a decent amount to do, and the way her character is positioned and used within this narrative provides great payoff in its conclusion. Paolo Bonacelli! What a nice, gifted man. He is the heartbeat and the motor of the moral questions of this picture. I wish he had a bit more screen time, as he completely crushes every scene that he is in. Johan Leysen is a joy to watch absolutely devour all the scenery around him. The man is a serious talent. Irina Bjorklund deserved better!!! 

I love the score from Herbert Grönemeyer. I love the contrast between the impersonal steeles and blues of the color gradient as the Clooney character travels with the pastels & warm, worn colors of the town he ultimately finds himself in. And I love that so much of the production and stunt and on-set crew are made up of what appear to be local artisans. That’s cool.

WHAT. THE. FUCK.
Seriously, just when you think you have seen it all…A gifted artist will shock and surprise you in ways you could never conceive. Mr. Pedro Almodóvar got me reaaal good with this one. The look of this movie is awesome. Also, that house is gorgeous––major snaps for production designer Antxon Gómez. It gives the essence of a nondescript time in the future, even though the setting is punctuated with a date. José Luis Alcaine shot the heck outta this one. There is something sleek, yet artificial about the interior lighting that is perfect for these sequences of alienation. Pockets of warmer lighting give the audience a false sense of security. 

The success of this picture rests on its wonderful screenplay based on the novel Tarantula by Thierry Jonquet. Its twists and turns are shocking, it has brief reprieve, and some moments of real wit and bite. Almodóvar juxtaposes these heavy, complex, violent themes with someone international audiences have great familiarity with: Antonio Banderas. Mr. Banderas delivers the performance of a lifetime as we descend into the mind of a man who appears to be nothing more than a genius physician. Like all great screenplays & performances, what we see and hear builds upon those expectations, only to yank the rug from under that house of lies. Banderas has a truly gifted poker face, as his next moves are untraceable, and what he is capable of is unthinkable. Nothing is quite what it seems; all things are far more than skin deep.  

In kind, the cast rises to meet the material. Elena Anaya has quite the tall task here, and yet she plays this part with sensitivity & complexity. This performance is so layered that the audience does not get a single inkling into the true nature of the character, until the boot falls…and when it does, everything you think you know comes crashing down. Marisa Padres is a great person, one of the few present in this picture. Sadly, her good heart is her undoing. She 1000% deserved better! As does young Blanca Suárez. Much of the most difficult parts of this film to watch revolve around this character and her performance. Suárez is a wonderful talent. 

Jan Cornet & Roberto Álamo are two excellent Ripe Ol’ Prick HoFers. Both men are not good dudes. And yet this story complicates our ideas of good and bad. In the end, their fate brings the audience to pity these most dastardly men. It is an astonishing accomplishment. 

I just wish my guy Bossman Pedro let the end simmer for just a bit longer…

What is art? Is it art if we put it in a museum? These pursuits remain never-ending, the subject of debates as old as time itself and extensive philosophical theorizing beyond my understanding. The proclamation that we are all equal, with the same rights and responsibilities in “this square,” is a refrain that resonates beyond this picture. The latter consideration is more tactile than the first: you can so easily convince an audience that anything, no matter the object, is some grand statement if set in a museum or art exhibit. And as this film shows, art is more real, more accessible than considerations for others in spite of our shared humanity. 

Christian, played by the incredible Claes Bang, is the prototypical optics-activist who talks big game about wanting to change and better the world and strive for more inclusivity and this and that in curation and in the institution of art, but his actions tell a very different story. For the majority of the film he is selfish, self-interested, and even cruel. He does not give a single thought to the consequences of his actions, as he seeks to conquer the people and world around him. Bang is out-of-his-mind good here. He carries quiet moments of regret, and all of the dumpster diving that follows––SHOT OF THE MOVIE BY THE WAY. He stumbles through the very human friction of everyday conversation. He fails miserably in his effort to control the uncontrollable. Most telling, he lacks any respect for the art itself(!). He views art as a declaration of status for the museum and for his own personal upward mobility, not as some grand expression of the human condition. The man wears many hats and Bang nails them all. Christian is not a good man, at all (HE FORGETS TO PICK UP HIS OWN CHILDREN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD), though as one character remarks, he is “fascinat[ing].” It is this inspired performance from Clares Bang as a quiet egomaniac that makes the character such a delight to follow. Also, my word is that man dapper in a tailored suit. 

Elizabeth Moss delivers an excellent performance in her limited time. Her actions as Anne stand in stark contrast to Bang’s character. She attempts, in vain, to find some semblance of human connection in this hyper-individualistic, image-obsessed world. Dominic West is pretty good! I found his American accent a hair distracting, especially the way his mouth wrapped around vowel shapes. This picture could have used a Brit! In all seriousness, this part as an over-intellectualizing, pretentious-down-to-the-colored-lenses prick is perfectly suited for this world. 

Christopher Læssø is great too. I suppose there is a lesson to be learned here: as much as you both may enjoy jamming out to the sounds of Justice, that does not make you friends with your boss. Suffice to say, no, we are not equal with equal rights and responsibilities in this space, etc. etc. Major shoutout to young Elijandro Edouard. The kid can really act, and embodies the stubborn irrationality of youth in singular form. Terry Notary is that dude! It is not shocking to discover that he worked on the motion capture for the Planet of the Apes Trilogy. Conversely, his big scene is a surprising one. Even more unbelievable, is that the incident is based on a true exhibition. Art is weird. 

One thing I adore about Ruben Öslund’s filmmaking is how preoccupied he is with the quiet moments in life that many before and after him would leave on the cutting-room floor. Debates around a conference room table and fireside gluttony on an uninhabited island are shading that make these characters unmistakably human. Also, he possesses extreme deft in navigating the complications of life in the digital, on-demand economy of today. Sure, much of it Öslund satirizes and pokes fun at.

In these absurd situations, truths about the human experience come into focus: people are irrational beings when we feel slighted, we are always willing to ask for more help than we are willing to give, almost everything in the workplace is transactional & based on good behavior, and we are so very quick to judge as if our own state of affairs does not reek. I love that a lot of the questions this picture posits remain unanswered. This is yet another theme across the works of Öslund. Leaving matters unresolved is far more true to life than tying everything in neat little bows. 

The look of this film from DP Fredrick Wenzel is great. There is sleek modernism to the exterior and museum photography, contrasting with the warm hues of the intimate interiors, giving those moments a vintage, classical feel. That idea is furthered by the score which boasts compositions from the canon of great European orchestral works. 

All of these questions regarding art are secondary to the most compelling element of this film: the people. Our reactions to and the discourse around a certain piece can be more compelling than the exhibit itself.

During the setup, I must it I was befuddled as to where this was going, but man, that inciting incident defied my wildest expectations. And truthfully, the back hour of this is incredible. The picture takes off when Beatrice Straight shows up, and then hits its fever pitch when Zelda Rubinstein struts across the scene. The entire cast is mesmerizing, really. Incredibly strong work from the kids, most notably their daughter, young Heather O’Rourke, may she Rest In Peace. Oliver Robbins & Dominique Dunne are great too. Their dad is rock solid too, Mr. Bob Par––err––Craig T. Nelson. The real MVP of this picture, however, is their mother, JoBeth Williams. She goes through the ringer for her family, and fights tooth and nail for them. That is a wonderful testament to the love shared within a family.  

The filmmaking is awesome. You can definitely feel Speilberg’s influence with the wonderment of the unknown that is pervasive throughout the picture, as well as the storyboarding that feels so in concert with Bossman Stevie’s work. Then again, it kinda sucks that all credit falls into Stephen Speilberg’s lap, in spite of his producing and story credits. As a short internet search reveals, the germ of inspiration for the film is of Tobe Hooper’s mind. This film is really smart; as with many works of this era, it is impossible to ignore its influence on horror we see today. These ideas, as used here, are their definitive version, as so often is the case.

Matthew F. Leonetti’s photography is pitch-perfect and in sweet harmony with the edit from Michael Khan. The cut-ins bring detail into focus, the wide-shots ratchet up the tension and the longer the take, the more the fear seeps in. Excellent score by Jerry Goldsmith too. The special effects are great, not just for this era, as they hold up quite well. There was a body-horror moment that got an audible response out of me. Also, major credit to this script––and shoutout to co-screenwriters Michael Grais & Mark Victor…as well as Stephen Spielberg…because this screenplay is downright hilarious. It is not funny in a cheesy, dated kind of way, but in a crisp, snapshot of the times pairing references from the era with excellent physical comedy. Also, is that a joke about another family isolated in a hotel—err—house surrounded by evil spirits??? Or is all this work and no play making me a dull boy? 

Regardless of what is gleaned from this he-said, he-said debate as old as time—*cough* Rosebud *cough*—I absolutely adore this film.

THAT ENDING. SO. WELL..EARNED…SO SHOCKING…repressed homo-eroticism, horseback riding, decadent dress, and crescendos of extreme violence??? WHERE DO I SIGN UP?!?! 

Marlon Brando is fantastic, as always, in this one. He is so physically imposing, so wide, yet so sad. His monologue on what makes a soldier & later on what makes a leader are tragic. One cannot help but feel for the guy, but this is a cast of shitheels, and he is no different. Elizabeth Taylor is dialed up to the 9s, but I love her southern affectation here so very much. This life of extravagance and indifference and tragedy really suits the character. Brian Keith is stupendous. He has my favorite performance here as a despondent husband and middling colonel officer. His lamentation on his married life is completely out of sight. That beat is my favorite moment of the picture outside of the ending.

Julie Harris in this is yet ANOTHER character who deserves better!!! She just wants to be heard. It is tragic that her fate is the result of no one taking her seriously, with Zoro David, being the exception. My guy is mad dialed up in his own right, but his flamboyance carries a nice contrast to the self-expressed rigidity of the armed forces. Also, Robert Forrester looks freaking FANTASTIC here. Man, the guy is a stud in this one. He is such a fascinating dude, it’s not quite clear what he wants. There is separation between the audience and his perspective, as we largely follow the lives of those around him. The little dialogue we do get from him makes his intentions more and more obfuscated, which is so rad. 

John Houston is a gifted director of actors, as everyone here is really letting it rip. Yet, all of these performances work toward the greater whole. Corralling all those moving pieces ain’t easy to do. The camera work from DP Aldo Tonti is darn good, especially the use of long-lenses; to replicate snooping, steadicam interior photography, and some fantastic tracking shots outside and on horseback. Toshiro Mayuzumi wrote a wicked score. It feels ominous & looming, yet classical and even Patriotic in a way that is so fitting for this picture.

This film is wild. The first hour is the most sexually charged erotic thriller I have seen in ages, and the back half is a dread. ENOUGH WITH THE LONG-LENS PHOTOGRAPHY; I JUST WANT THIS FAMILY TO BE SAFE (seriously, never has a choice such as that been so eerie, so creepy). 

Michael Douglas is the man. He is the perfect sleazebag. I know he is in the wrong, and largely he is seeing the consequences of his actions, but man, I cannot help but feel for him in his stupidity and his bad decision making. If that man is in a suit or a trench coat, you are in for a treat. Glenn Close is one of our great exports as a country. She keeps the audience guessing from credits to credits. I did not know she had this in her bag, but I am sure glad I know now. This performance is so unhinged, Close makes Sharon Stone seem vanilla in Basic Instinct (1992). That Mikey Dougs guy really knows how to pick em, huh? I love the fact that both of these characters are not good people, yet at various points throughout the audience feels sympathy for one or the other. Anne Archer absolutely deserved better, she’s phenomenal with what she is working with. Archer is stressed and lost and in the dark for so much of the picture. I hope she can take a vacation or something. Same with young Ellen Hamilton Latzen––also, an all-time child actor performance. I hope that little one gets a new pet. 

Adrian Lyne directed the damn outta this picture; he is a wonderful director of actors. DP Howard Atherton did equally great work. I love the cut-ins & the shots from the perspectives of animals. Shoutout to Michael Khan and Peter E. Berger (R.I.P.) on the edit too. The score from Maurice Jarre is really sweet and very haunting. Its use and its absence add great texture & momentum & dread to this film.

Moral of the story is: hold on to what you got; it's much better than what you don’t.

Rian Johnson got me again! He’s a brilliant screenwriter…out of the commentaries I have seen of late about our current state of affairs, this one rings just a bit on the nose, but is still quite clever.

Some misc. thoughts:
-Kate Hudson can play dumb better than anyone.
-Leslie Odom Jr. has an incredible poker face…my word I love that guy more and more with each performance.
-Jessica Henwick is great! Love that she is as self-interested as the rest of the assembled.
-Katheryn Hawn!!! My queen. She knocked it outta the park. She really, REALLY brings it here.
-Edward Norton can play a scumbag in his sleep. I love what he brings here, in tandem with Johnson’s reality-mirroring script. What a dumb rich guy he is in this one.
-Madelyn Cline is great! She doesn’t have that much to do, but she is involved with one of the sweetest conversations in this picture. She’s got a bright future on the horizon.
-Twitch-streamer Dave Bautista?! Sign me the heck up! He crushed it.
-Two words: Janelle Monáe. She is supremely talented. It can be easy to dismiss many singer-turned actors as just that, but Miss Monáe can ACT. She has a layered, complicated part to play in this picture, and she nails it. I love her deftness in that high-wire act and her chemistry with all of the players here. What a talent is she.
-Daniel Craig is utterly delightful in his second turn as the world's greatest (master) detective™…I am so happy that he gets to play around in parts like this full-time in his post-Bond career.

The needle drops are off-the-walls fantastic, the photography from Steve Yedlin is neat(!), and the twist is just…sublime. I love the way this screenplay withholds information from the audience and the viewer’s irony which takes form as it unravels. This Rian Johnson guy is pretty great! I think he should direct a story in a galaxy far, far away next!

This should be the 80s Scott/Cruise t we celebrate.

Tom Cruise can play a know-it-all a-hole for the rest of his career and I will be in every time. Just great “I know best and will barely learn from the consequences of my actions, if at all!!!” work from our guy. Nicole Kidman is freaking brilliant in this picture. It’s bordering on a nothing-part. Yet she 1) commands the screen and 2) freaking obliterates every line she gets. It is freaking awesome. The best monologue of the entire film belongs to her. John C. Riley is fantastic—he always makes the most of his time on screen, no matter how limited. Randy Quaid is a pretty sweet Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer. The man needs to keep that same energy in defeat—all I’m saying!

Michael Rooker is as pitch perfect with every line-reading, which is par for the course for the man. Watching him work is a pleasure. If any character displays the capacity to grow and change, it is clearly him and not Cruise. Cary Elwes is on one here. Rarely can someone generate this kind of vitriol and disdain in such limited screen-time, but Elwes nails it. A generational, all-time Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer performance from our guy. What an incredible bugger he is here, down to his giant ego, rivaling that of Cruise. There is one player who stands above the rest here: ROBERT “THIS COURT OWES MY CLIENT AN APOLOGY” DUVALL. Mans has a blistering-quick fastball here, down to the twang of his southern accent. All the affectations, all the manned choices work for me. I love every second he is in this picture. We are lucky to have decades of his talent on film…

This film looks wonderful, especially in the flared-to-the-nines dialogue sequences. Tony Scott & DP Ward Russell are putting so much NOS on every frame, I love it. Mr. Scott’s style is indelible. I love him for it. May his work live forever & may he Rest In Peace.

Some of this picture most certainly aged the worst, like an unbelievably bad date-r*pe joke…And many and more jokes that were “funny” in 1999. But damn, Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant are awesome in this. Miss Roberts is doing great work as her character shifts from putting on a performance to being a real person. She’s outta sight in this movie. Hugh Grant is yet another all-time every-man. He is damn goofy and unintentionally funny. He questions the smart, sometimes smooth things he says. He cannot help but get in his own way, even when things are going so oh-so-well. And their chemistry is great, especially the awkward beats and the responses they have to their unusual circumstances. Even how quickly they realize and act on their feelings is pretty entertaining. That note in particular felt convenient to the point of making me remark “huh” in my head. On the whole, however, there are far more moments in the realm of adorable, “wow, that’s actually funny” or “I cannot believe what I am watching” than anything worthy of derision. Also, this ing cast is great. Shoutout to Rhys Ifans, Hugh Bonneville, Gina McKee, Emma Chambers, Tim McInnery, James Dreyfus, Emily Mortimer, and a major heat-check performance from our guy, Clarke Peters.

A pretty solid, definitely dated romantic comedy from Roger Michell.

One great litmus test for how much I enjoy a film is how warm I feel throughout—I was burning like a house on fire during this one.

This is the best performance of Roy Scheider’s career. He is a freaking tour-de-force here; dancing like I never thought he could, singing unlike anything I’ve ever seen from him, commanding the room like the underrated star that he is, and doing it all with his signature effortless naturalism. I love the way he encapsulates the essence of the Extraordinary Everyman (a term I just thought of). He is the master of his craft, but the heart of tension & conflict in this picture stem from his personal life. Leland Palmer is so, so great. She has a good amount to do, and her relationship with Scheider's character is fascinating as they push one another to new creative heights. And Miss Palmer can DANCE. Erzsébet Földi is a wonderful actor. She delivers a fantastic performance for a young thespian, remaining just as committed as any of the adults in this picture. Her ode to her father is delightful. Ann Reinking has far less to do, but I do love that she highlights the contradiction in her relationship with the Scheider character. He is a man of the for me, not for thee philosophy. Reinking is a delightful performer and I find her voice rather unique.

John Lithgow is a complete scumbag in this one—I love it! He is the perfect pretentious “I think I am better than I really am” character and he crushes it. I like Cliff Gorman and his pessimistic, fatalistic worldview. It dovetails nicely with the internal dialogue of the Roy Scheider character and is in direct conflict with Scheider’s projected disposition, yet another act in his life. Jessica Lange is awesome in this. She captures the air of mystique perfectly. She is so great in her limited time that the audience is too distracted to make sense of her role…until it is too late. Not gonna lie, if I was Roy Scheider and Miss Lange held out her hand to me, I would not be long for this earth. Ben Vereen is so out-of-his-mind good in his scorching-hot heat check performance that the audience cannot be faulted for wanting a film based on his character…

Shoutout to Bob Fosse. The man directed the heck outta this, co-wrote the dang thing––along with the illustrious Robert Alan Aurthur, AND did the choreography! Absolutely nuts. There is a joke set in a hospital that is the funniest thing I have seen in a movie this year—with the exception of the cart joke from The Banshees of Inisherin (2022).

This picture is shot so well; shouts to DP Giuseppe Rotunno. It is edited to perfection (notably the repeated sequences, like the daily routine, and the sequences of surrealism); big ups to Alan Heim. And the humor is superb; a true testament to the strength of Bob Fosse & Robert Alan Aurthur’s rich script. The funniest sequence I’ve seen in a movie all month is as simple as a cough. Just excellent stuff.

And the ending is just so, so, so great.

I don’t think there will ever be helicopter photography as good as this. The score is perfect—the timpani is stellar. The sound design is perfect. The photography is perfect. I love this cast; the performances of Scatman Cruthers and Shelley Duvall stood out as exceptionally strong on this viewing. The same can be said of young Danny Lloyd, who is incredible. Jack Nicholson is dialed up to 11––eleven-hundred—but it really works. His smile is pitch-perfect for the character and he delivers some of the best face acting I have ever seen on screen, notably during his first encounter in room 217—err 237.

Having read Stephen King’s novel in the intervening year since my last rewatch, I do wish this film had more of the backstory the book had, as it explains the family dynamics and how The Overlook Hotel™️ came to be. That would, however, make this movie four-and-a-half hours. I think a fair amount of those ideas from the novel carry over in the subtext of this film, as key lines stand out on rewatch. Kubrick did his damn thing; I can accept that these are effectively two separate works of fiction.

I am so happy that this film exists.

The yearly tradition goes on!!!

Best Bond Movie ever???

This film is really great; the action is sharp & holds up wonderfully, the dialogue is witty & crisp, and at the center of it all is a tremendous performance by Cary Grant. Though, the moment Eva Marie Saint enters the frame this picture truly begins to sing. Eva Marie Saint—to use a favorite saying of one G-Money—is electric. The energy she brings to every beat, her stellar poker face which keeps the audience guessing until the credits roll, and the real tension & chemistry she has with Grant are all so real. This is one of the singular femme fatale performances I have seen in cinema, and gee look: it all stems from the fact she actually has things to do!!!

Great photography, awesome set pieces & design, and some inspired matte paintings add color to this gripping espionage tale. The styling is phenomenal, especially the costuming of Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant, of course. THAT iconic scene still hits pretty hard, as does the delicious score accompaniment throughout. Also, it is so compelling following a guy as he gets screwed over by powers out of his control. Watching it unfold is beyond frustrating, making this plot device such a neat trick. It draws the audience in and gives us cause to root for the Grant character. These twists and turns are as tense today as those same images would have been in 1959. A timeless achievement to be sure. The initial meeting between our two leads on the train is one of my favorite sequences of dialogue in the history of the medium (Richard Linklater definitely took notes!!!). This Hitchcock guy is pretty good!! I thoroughly enjoyed his cameo.

Some of the performances feel a little uneven, even the Grant performance has its issues. He seems to inextricably abandon his upper-class New York accent about halfway through the picture. Also, the ending itself is pretty awesome; that jump-cut is wicked. But!…some of the character resolutions are puzzling, as alliances appear where there is no previous indication of the sort. I know, as with many of my acting & plotting nit-picks, these qualms will fade into the canvas of this tale with successive rewatches.

This film has everything I could ever want: a boat, Marxism, two very beautiful & talented actors at the center of the drama, condemnations of imperialism and capitalism and hyper-consumption. It is so funny, so smart, and there are sequences so gripping that my hands were glued to my head. The writing is beyond strong; the ideas build on themselves, until what you expect is turned on its head. That is what I think makes Ruben Östlund one of today’s great artisans. He is able to pair satire & humor with heart & emotion. Many recent satires seem far too focused on the former than the later. Consequently, the artificial, manufactured representation of human interaction does not land anywhere near as well as this does...*cough* I am talking about Don’t Look Up (2021) again *cough*. So often in this story conflicts arise from petty grievances and senseless misunderstandings.

The ensemble cast on display here is all-time levels of good. Charlbi Dean is wonderful. She carries this keen honesty throughout her performance, whether that be as an influencer, a partner, or a young person, scared in a strange place. She is a great talent, and this feels like a star-making performance. May she Rest In Peace. Harris Dickinson is awesome. His performance and the character he plays feels like the quintessential regular dude & every slightly out of touch boyfriend on earth. He has some emotional intelligence, yet he does not actively listen to his partner. Many of his actions are guided by his own ambitions, even as he accuses his partner of the same. He seems to mean well, like many young men, yet fails to consider the consequences of his actions on those around him. Dean & Dickinson have tremendous chemistry, to the point I found myself convinced they were dating in real life. Dickinson has that it factor as well. Jean-Christophe Folly is so great as Nelson. From his introduction onward, his character is ridiculous. And still, he is central to some of the most beautiful, tender moments in the entire picture.

Woody Harrelson is in his BAGG. He absolutely crushes every moment he has in this film. Even behind a locked door, he is the perfect functional drunk, adamant Marxist, far-too-confessional-manifesto writing, cheeseburger-lovin’ captain that this picture needs. I love him so. Zlatko Burić is the man. He is sooooo funny and is oblivious to social conventions while being hyper-aware of class dynamics. It is not clear if that is because he is a boomer or because he is rich and accustomed to people attending to his every need. In reality, it is probably a bit of both. I love how loud and booming his voice is. I love his affinity for drink. I love that he grows more empathetic as he loses control of his destiny (but he still needs that ring!!––some things never change). His chemistry with Harrelson is some of the best acting I have witnessed all year. Henrik Dorsin is great! It is very funny watching him, a ridiculously wealthy and seemingly intelligent person, operate in the world. Which is all the more humorous as current events have shown that the very rich are no more intelligent or capable than the rest of us; they are just lucky. He is awkward, he is aloof, but he eventually finds his footing, which is neat.

Vicki Berlin is rock solid here. She nails the micromanaging-manager role perfectly, to the point where she grew more and more overbearing as the film progressed. Iris Berben is great. She may have one line, but she does a lot with it. Such a great bit, I cannot lie. Speaking of a lot, Sunnyi Melles does quite a lot throughout this picture. Much like her husband, played by Zlatko Burić, she seems completely uninterested in social norms. That is a clear demonstration of her sense of self and the insulation from reality she experiences as a result of her access to capital. She is lights out at the pivotal dinner sequence and all that follows, though.

Amanda Walker & Oliver Ford Davies are such a sweet, out of touch old couple in this. The rationalization they have for the need and utility of their family business is rich, and their character resolution in the end is almost too perfect. Dolly De Leon is the freaking MVP of this one. The inversion of this picture hinges on the success of this performance in particular, and De Leon commands the screen, effortlessly, the very instant the film turns. A striking and illuminating change of course occurs as the others beg her for help and direction. They plead with currency that has no value in their predicament and offer her promises that feel destined to be broken or worse yet, forgotten. I adore the bond the group forms in the last act, unencumbered from the class struggle and artificial hierarchy of the world we live in. That idea is the most beautiful thing this picture has to offer: that change is possible, but only if we make it so.

The craft is completely up to snuff with the performance. Fredrik Wenzel shot this film beautifully. It is glossy and crisp, with ample flourishes. The filmmaking does not distract from the drama, often taking the position of a documenting observer throughout. That last tracking shot is wonderful #RashomonVibezzz (please forgive me for that, Mr. Kurosawa). Mikel Cee Karlsson & Ruben Öslund nailed the edit too. Comedy is about rhythm and timing more than anything else. These two craftsmen succeed in landing the right beats on jokes and the perfect payoffs for the right setups. Two of the best being that glorious post-dinner blues montage and a manufacturer & his wife coming into with some of their own product, thousands of miles from home. It is all great, snappy stuff.

I love the opening dinner date scene and all that followed. I love the first few moments on the boat when Harris Dickinson’s character gets a crewmember into hot water. I love the class conflict, the generational differences; hearing gray-haired folk talk about influencer culture is awesome. I love the ridiculousness of the characters and how they came into their money. I love watching the back and forth between Zlatko Burić and Woody Harrelson on Capital as a Russian Capitalist & an American Marxist. Those two are an all-time pairing. I love that this film brushes over the climax of the action, as all that comes after is far more compelling. I love the last act; what a beautiful portrait of human nature and all that we are capable of being and doing. And what a brilliant ending…vagueness is bad…ambiguity is good.

Ruben Östlund is one of my favorite filmmakers working today.

I had so much fun, and the audience I was with was just as good. We laughed, we gasped, we loved, we lived. I love this movie and I love cinema.

This is my favorite picture from awards season so far.

Really love the ending. My guy James Gray has done it again.

I think the filmmaking, particularly the use of warm color light sources and the blend of earth tones & rich colors are excellent. Darius Khondji’s photography is sublime. There is a gentleness to the camera movements here that is befitting of a tale so personal. And yet there is enough sauce throughout that makes this picture a real treat for the eyes. The score from Christopher Spelman is pretty cool too. It feels fittingly 80s-y with some great bass lines and propulsive percussion. James Gray to me is so obviously one of our greatest directors of actors working today. His filmography is a testament to that.

Banks Repeta is a revelation. His performance definitely starts off a bit unsteady for me, but he finds his footing as the story progresses. In a way, it is perfect for the picture; Repeta being this young, unsure kid, being pestered at school and abused at home. Jaylin Webb is just as good. From the first frame he graces, he carries charisma & bravado & vulnerability & humor & range. It is so obvious that this young man has it. He is much more than a revelation; Webb looks like the future of acting, period. I will look at his career with great interest.

Andrew Polk is a genuine, top tier, all-time Ripe Ol’ Prick HoFer. He’s a real piece of work. It is clear that some people should not teach children. Find some other line of work! Lauren Sharpe on the other hand represents one who is encouraging and comionate and understanding enough to work with young people in their most formative, delicate years. Every word, every utterance can reverberate across the fabric of a person’s entire existence as they grow up. Anthony Hopkins is a real one. Very cool grandfather. He has powerful stories to share, an awesome sense of humor, and most importantly, he is willing to be present with his grandson. That last bit is why he is able to reach out to [Paul] when no one else can. Moreover, he truly seems invested in his grandson’s future and his best interest. Which plays in stark contrast with many of the adults in young Paul’s life.

Anne Hathaway may be mother in many-a-sense of the word, but she is not the best one here. I think she means well, but she is too harsh, too direct, too manipulative, lacking constructive conflict resolution with her youngest, and even downright abusive with Paul. All while pressuring him into a life he is most assuredly opposed. Parenting is hard, but actually listening to your child is even harder. And guess what?! It gets worse :)…Jeremy Strong is the Ripe-Ol’ Prick HoFer’s Worst Dad of the Year!!! He is such an abusive, cruel, prideful man, it is no wonder he does not get his son. He does nothing to try and understand the lad. Many of his scenes are hard to watch, as he beats his son in unrelenting fashion that pushes young Paul to hide deeper and deeper within himself. Character aside, Strong is doing all kinds of super mannered shit to the point that it is distracting. Yet, in Strong’s key emotional scene, he nails it. Which I suppose is all you can ever ask for. Also, THAT cameo was pretty wicked.

This is a pretty good picture. And yet, I do not know if it is the heaviness of the themes and their visceral portrayal on film that makes this one quite hard to stomach. It is well written and is in conversation with social issues in a way that reads as being thoughtful and measured. Also, it does not hurt that this film looks fantastic and the performances are solid on the whole. Honestly, it may very well be too real of a coming of age tale for me, right now. I am sure my feelings will change as I revisit this one around the bend.

I’m glad the young Mr. Gray—err—Graph made it out of there.

Killing is like smoking cigarettes; it’s only the first one that’s hard.

I LOVE detective cinema. This film has everything. Compelling drama. Wonderfully witty comedy. Romance that feels earned. Heart-stopping, sit-up-in-your-chair action. There are multiple sequences of action that were shot in ways I had never thought possible and are so inventive I put my hands on my head in disbelief at the sight of them. And at the heart of it all is a gripping detective story. I thoroughly enjoyed the break in the film where there appears to be a clear resolution…and yet the case remained…stirring in the wings. I love the theme that love can make you do things you don’t want to, even things that defy reason…which is something that even the most decent of men can do little to thwart. And gosh, that ending is so heartbreaking…so beautiful.

This script from Park Chan-wook and Jeong Seo-kyeong is lean and mean. The dialogue is crisp and tactful, the ideas have reason, and the film is self-referential enough—but not too much—in a way that enhances story instead of leading to convulsive eye-rolling. Park Chan-wook’s direction is equally strong. No matter the setting, no matter how brutal, these performers are able to deliver fantastic work, which is a testament to a strong, clear vision. The photography from Kim Ji-yong is freaking incredible. The use of special effects and technology is some of, if not the best I have ever seen in a contemporary film. The VFX are so clever, I couldn’t help but laugh at the smoothness of the transitions…shout-out to Kim Sang-bum on the edit too. In kind, technology in this picture fits neatly—no—perfectly into the noir film superstructure. It reimagines the notepad, the interrogation room, the still camera in this modern context in ways that feel natural and unforced. And the score from Jo Yeong-wook is as beautiful and haunting as the picture itself.

Tang Wei is as perfect a femme-fatle as they come. Her greatest quality as a performer is that she has a sublime poker face. Her every line reading and facial expression keep you guessing…Park Hae-il is as great an every-man as I have ever seen. The dude is sad, in a major crisis of faith, and yet very determined. He is so easy to root for…It is a treat watching a performer as in tune with the physicality of their character as the emotional depth of the same part. Go Kyung-pyo is the best. I love the physicality, of a far more brutal flare, he displays with his big frame and deep voice. Jung Yi-Seo is a great performer! She’s a great part of some wonderful sequences, particularly a few comedic reprieves. I wish she had a bit more to do(!)…but I do like that in many ways the resolution of her character goes dramatically against type in one of these pictures. Kim Shin-Young is hilarious. Every moment she graces the screen is an awesome one. Park Yong-woo is a proper Ripe Ol’ Prick HoFer. Really not likable in any way…he’s pretty funny tho.

This is a clever, drama & action-packed picture that is such a joy to behold.

Had fun with this one! Not quite as strong as the first one, but it had impossible shoes to fill. I really think the first 3/4s of this picture sports some really great movie-making, but then it slips into the inevitable “yo this superhero movie needs a BIG moment, brother!!!!”…Suffice to say the special effects are great when good, and distracting when they aren’t. I do not understand why the MCU insists on staging their climatic battle sequences in broad daylight as if that is easy to do in post…Also, shoutout to Ryan Coogler for yet another great entry into his filmography…and perhaps his most personal one yet.

Here are some more thoughts, unabridged: 
-Costuming is as perfect as the first film. Shoutout to Ruth Carter and her team. I will say that the new Black Panther suit is a little bit over designed…but again, that nit-pick falls to the SFX team as much as it does costume design. 
-Coogler still has his fastball! I really enjoy the way the camera moves in space, the way the actors are blocked, and how strong the performances are across the board…that is in no small part a result of Coogler’s direction.
-Namor is an awesome villain. Tenoch Huerta is a phenomenal performer, and quite the revelation. 
-Love the world building on display.
-Angela Bassett's workout routine. Gosh she is fantastic in this. 
-Winston Duke really stole the show!
-Lupita Nyong'o is one of our greatest talents. 
-Shoutout to Michaela Coel! She’s wonderful in her limited screen time, and I am so so so glad to see her getting that DISNEY BAGGG💼💼💼
-Dominique Throne is fantastic! Her timing, both dramatic and comedic could not be better…yet another revelation in this picture…
-Martin Freeman is damn good. He really can do it all…for a COLONIZ—kidding!
-Julia Louis-Dreyfus is in this movie! I didn’t know she was in the MCU…that’s cool, I guess! The tension between her and Freemen is fun tho. 
-Really like the cameo. I wasn’t expecting it until it hit us in the face…also, some all caps, uhh, ACTING. 
-Chadwick Boseman can never be replaced…I think this entire situation was handled just about as delicately as this creative team & a multi-billion dollar corporation ever could.

My goodness this film is wicked. Such a brutal take on this world. Sure it has some stinker lines of dialogue, and of course I wish Matt Damon got his shot in the game sooner as The Schofield Kid, but so much of this picture works; I absolutely adore it. Clint Eastwood is quietly the most dangerous man in this movie by a couple prairies of distance…it’s very cool picking up on the seeds this picture plants and looks he shares with Morgan Freeman throughout hinting at their past exploits. Also, Eastwood is one helluva director, especially with the acting talent he is given…You can watch in real time as everyone steps their game up. 

Man, oh man is this film gorgeous too…I thoroughly enjoy the use of the camera, as it moves effortlessly from subject to subject and across arresting vista after arresting vista…DP Jack N. Green does singular work in this one. Morgan Freeman is incredible! I love how easy his chemistry is with Eastwood. It really feels like they’ve known each other for years…those knowing looks they exchange do wonders in establishing that dynamic. He’s prickly at times, especially with the kid, but there is a sweetness. A fascinating contrast arises as he shares more time with Eastwood’s character…Freeman has a heart, where Eastwood has none, hard as he may try. Freeman can give into his vices, toe the line, and then come back, where Eastwood reads as an absolutist. Freeman feels far more loose and free from his very first frame, where Eastwood has to control every impulse to be what he and his dear Claudia, rest her soul, believe to be a good man. The one thing they share, which almost goes unspoken, is the deep love and care they have for one another…old buddies masquerading as brothers bound by blood. 

Richard Harris puts up 25/13/11 off the bench in this one. The man is completely off his rocker. The name English Bob is hilarious to begin with. On top of that, he has this self-inflated sense of ego, embellishing his own legend, whereas the Eastwood character wants nothing to do with his past. Though these parallels are less than subtle, I find them tremendously effective. Jamiz Woolvett is pretty good! It would be no small task for any young, hungry actor to share several scenes with two performers as celebrated as Morgan Freeman and Clint Eastwood, but Woolvett does his best to keep up…and ya know what? It mostly works. It obviously feels like a part made for one of the top dogs of our day in their youth…but Woolvett’s comparative inexperience feels perfect for the part, as his ambition within the text and in front of the camera seems to work in perfect harmony with every squint and every derisive dig leveled at more well-versed men. 

There is a false sense of security being in Big Whiskey. That Little Bill’s “no guns” rule has somehow rid the town of debauchery and sin…and most of all bad men. Well, the reality is bad men are coming anyway. And what’s worse, bad men are already there. Gene Hackman is out of his mind here. I cannot believe how good he is scene after scene. That moment where he just STRIPS DOWN English Bob and steals his biographer(!!!) is so fantastic it’s unreal, and probably my favorite beat in the picture. He is a generational Ripe Ol’ Prick HoFer. The man is a terrible guy. I do not understand why people follow him for any reason other than the threat of violence…which is clear after you watch him interact with any living being in this moving picture…as he backs up his threats with fists…and lead. Which is fine and good…until he messes with the wrong cowboy. 

And how could I forget…SHOUT OUT TO SAL RUBINECK! The man isn’t even that hammed up here!!! Good for him :))))

🚨❗️❗️Martin McDougah said ACAB❗️❗️🚨

This film is hilarious. I found myself laughing harder than I have in quite some time…maybe as far back as The Worst Person in the World (2021) if we’re talking in-theater experiences. There’s a moment here with something as silly as pony shit that made me CACKLE. The humor is not gag or gotcha based; it’s tight and witty as is this script. Speaking of the script, it’s just so well done. There is great rhythm & momentum to the scenes, yet the players don’t feel movie-y in the slightest, which is a testament to McDonagh’s writing. Characters feel three-dimensional; with quirks, dreams & desires, and dumbfounding acts of stubbornness that are nothing but human. Also, my goodness this film is breathtakingly gorgeous. DP Ben Davis’ photography is exquisite; it blends subtlety in conversations with astonishing establishing shots of nature.

Back to the cast! Colin Farrell might be the most lovable idiot of all time. He projects the longing for love and loneliness that is at the heart of this film perfectly. There is tragedy too, which is so painfully human. We all seek the same understanding that Pádaraic yearns to find. Brendan Gleason delivers a performance just as strong. He is so damn stubborn, I can’t help but respect him for it. And yet, there is some extreme relatability in wanting to just be alone. The thing is, Colm simply takes it too far. It’s funny really, because oftentimes we cannot pinpoint when a relationship changes. Whether that happens gradually or it comes crashing down like a brick house on quicksand, one day things are just different. And that’s ok, but damn, is it sad to say goodbye.

Kerry Condon is a revelation. She is a wonderful actor. And unlike many parts written for women, she has a good deal to do and advocates for her own future & self-interest, independent of the men around her. Which is refreshing and cool…especially as the film doesn’t devolve into one of those “the world is big and scary for a lady; I am going back to the homestead” tropes. I find her part warm, yet dynamic, with her part getting some of the juiciest lines and digs. Barry Keoghan continues his arc of playing the weirdest dudes imaginable in movies. Dominic is such a strange little laddy and sometimes creepy, but I couldn’t help but see him as coded on the spectrum. He has some baffling moments of strangeness and social tension, and yet there are just as many moments of genuine brilliance out of his mouth. If there is anything that can be said about my boy Barry, it is that he has the RANGE!

Gary Lydon is an all-time Ripe-ol Prick HoFer. His character is among the worst dads and people I have seen put to the screen…and what would you know—he’s a cop too! Lydon really owns the task of playing a shitheel—good work. AND THE PRIEST!!! David Pearse puts up prime Dion Waiters numbers in this one. Absolutely crushes it in his limited time. He is so so so very funny that man is. All of these pieces fit together wonderfully, it is as much a credit to the cast as it is the writing, the filmmaking, the financing. These parts come together to make a picture that is far more melancholy than I had hoped at times…but then again, that’s life.

Dudes will engage in self-harm and commit violent crimes instead of saying “I love you, man” #comedy #joke

Edit: there is a joke for this one that I am still laughing to myself about...I love the movies, man.

Cate Blanchette is mother. She is so unbelievably incredible in this. I love every choice she makes, from the uncontrollable fits of rage to the OCD. Todd Field directed the shit out of this. I love the details in every shot, from the use of warm colors—hallway, even fridge lights are yellow when they should be painfully white. Allan Corduner’s pen clicking is such a hilarious detail, and just as I noticed it, Blanchette’s character snatches it from his desk with the same malice I felt in that moment. Speaking of the guy, Corduner is really really really great. He is the perfect I-know-they-mean-well-but-gosh-they’re-annoying performer. Excellent stuff from the man.

Noémie Merlant is great. There is a tension between her and Blanchette which is so palpable. Sophie Kauer is awesome. She is a wonderfully gifted musician, and there is just as much texture to her performance as her playing, for example how messily she eats which plays in stark contrast to Lydia TÁR’s mannered disposition. Julian Glover is that dude—he is freaking hilarious. One detail I picked up, based on a tweet by Jill Tew, is that the crux of the drama are the minor inconveniences each character puts in way of those around them, most of all our titular hero.

I love the performances and I love the cast & the messiness of it all. I love the compositions of every frame; it’s a real treat for the eyes. I love the musical compositions and the inertia this film carries as the narrative unfolds. Every swell in the score is a delight. The long takes are breathtaking…And my goodness THAT one shot is unlike anything I have ever seen before. Truly special.

The hypocrisies and ironies in all of these characters are fascinating, like TÁR viewing the personal life of a historically significant composer through the very same critical lens she condemns a student earlier in the film for employing. Also, I quite like how TÁR is not a good person…she may have a few redeeming qualities, like her love for her [daughter] and her cheekbones. Short of that, her ambition and obsession with performance and perfection and control drives the people around her away. TÁR must grapple with her standing in these spaces as a woman, a queer woman, just as much as her aspirations. Those are considerations her peers who happen to be men never have to face. Lydia TÁR stands on hallowed ground, occupied by the likes of Reynolds Woodcock, Mark Zuckerberg—the “fictional character” as he appears in The Social Network (2010), not the android we know in this flesh prison—and of course, Terence Fletcher…this film is VERY MUCH my tempo!!!

I had a great time. I cringed and moved in my seat, I laughed—even when I probably wasn’t supposed to, and most of all…I was spellbound. 

This film is a confluence of an incredible score, otherworldly sound design, the right choices in the editing chair (most notably following Foster’s character through her life, when in the hands of a sheepish editor, less of those quiet moments would have made the cut e.g. her walk to Scott Glenn’s office and her critical conversation with her friends namely Kasi Lemmons), great direction of actors, movements of the camera that serve story and style. Really fantastic stuff. I like that we get a whole lot of the mundane and the real preparation required to solve these cases…it is not superhuman acts of bravery that save the day, but the right preparation and training that makes all the difference (gosh I sound like my father…).

Also, this film is brutal…the practical effects hit incredibly hard…these production elements are just as affecting on the performers, which helps them convey the gravity of those moments to the audience…a classic case of show don’t tell…or at least a build to the big reveal. I also really love the role that dumb luck and happenstance (no, I will not label it convenience and convolution) play in the outcome of this case, as this specific element seems most true to life.

I will say, the “trans people bad”/“trans people confused” element of the film is such a jarring narrative choice to include from the book. It does not add to the story in such a meaningful way that the film would have been unsuccessful without its inclusion or modification. Vilifying an already misunderstood and threatened group of people doesn’t make sense and quite frankly feels tired within the context of 90s filmmaking. I just don’t get it…if only there was another film with the same antagonist by an auteur filmmaker…something about a Hunter of Men… 

Jodie Foster is tremendous. We spend so much time with her that by the end I found myself cheering for her progress and lamenting the minimization of her successes. That accent and her backstory really help to round out this damn tough young person trying to find their way…working for the Feds😳. Anyways, Anthony Hopkins might be the GOAT after this. Truly this film boasts two of the best performances I have ever seen committed to film. Hopkins is so unnerving I couldn’t help but squirm and flop in my chair like a fish. The details of it all really get me: a true masterclass of a performer in another dimension, great character design, and the right story. Man, that voice is so unnerving. I can’t stop thinking about that and…those eyes. Easily the most terrifying thing is the way he looks at Foster/Sterling. Quite literally waiting for the slaughter. Also, Bossman Scott Glenn is pretty great here too. I really like the disdain he has for the bureaucracy in this line of work. ing cast is great too…whether it is just for a single obscenity or a few pages…they really came to play. Well done, all.

Brutal. Just brutal. This is a tale of revenge without any of the satisfaction of the subgenre. There are three incredibly upsetting sequences of sexual violence. There is infanticide. There are disgusting moments of racism. Part of me feels that some of this isn’t necessary to convey the message of this picture in its depiction of colonialism…but then again there are films such as Schindler’s List (1994), Polytechnique (2009), and 12 Years a Slave (2013) which unflinchingly depict horrors beyond belief. If Jennifer Kent intended to establish the stakes in this world, and remove the separation between the audience and that violence, she succeeded. This film made me terribly uncomfortable, this film made me very upset & angry, this film made me laugh & genuinely happy in its brief moments of reprieve, and this film made me cry—at least twice. 

The filmmaking is really great. I liked that this film employed vocal performance largely in place of a traditional score throughout. Radek Ladczuk’s photography is pretty phenomenal, especially the images in the forest, which surely were influenced by a personal favorite of mine, Rashomon (1950). Also the edit is so goooood—Simon Njoo did great work. I really loved a series of cuts that shift from one character to another while walking through the trees…just great stuff. And behind it all, Jennifer Kent is a phenomenal director, spatially I understood where things are, as even when things began to muddle, I felt safe. Kent is also a rock-star director of actors. 

Aisling Franciosi is very very very very very very talented. There are no limitations to an actor of her caliber. This part is demanding emotionally and physically and she nails it. She is imposing and fierce yet she is not unceremoniously heroic as with many protagonists in this genre. In truth, I am not sure if she got what she initially sought, in the end. Perhaps that is the point; that revenge doesn’t reverse time…but dammit it can be a saltwater oasis in a desert of loss. Baykali Ganambarr is wonderful in every sense. He is a performer without fear; able to articulate rage and fill the quiet moments with hard truths. He is incredibly heroic, which seems to fly in the face of portrayals of Aboriginal persons in media. Also, Ganambarr & Franciosi share several things: both feel like genuine revelations in this picture, both share a strong chemistry with one another…and both share a unique connection as it pertains to the forces of colonialism. There is a survivalist need, turned begrudging respect, that grows into a familial understanding and love that feels earned in a way “enemies to lovers” or any similar trope ever could. 

Michael Sheasby does incredible work in the time he is given here. Very potent stuff. Also! Incredible baby acting here. I have never seen so much given to a child that young and the sweet babe absolutely crushes it. Magnolia Maymuru absolutely deserved better in this. I would say out of any of the “representation” here, I wish her part to play was more well-rounded than appearing and being treated with abhorrent violence. Charlie Jampijinpa Brown is so sweet here. He also deserved so much better than to be treated with the belittling of being called “boy” and more violence for saying what is plainly true. I am glad that, in his own way, he got his…

Charlie Shotwell is a brilliant young performer and delivers a moving smaller arc within this film. And now we have to acknowledge the elephant in the room: three generational pieces of shit appear in this feature. Harry Weaving plays a complicit bastard who dies as he lived: a screaming coward. Damon Herriman plays a disgusting individual more concerned with his station and devving out as much harm to others as possible. He died a man without a single redeeming quality. Sam Clafin plays their ringleader: a despicable, power-obsessed English bastard. His character is one of the most repugnant psychopaths ever committed to film. I, for one, did not know the dude from The Hunger Games movies could do this…I was not even sure the dude from Peaky Blinders was capable of such things. His smug, stupid face and do-war-crimes-and-carry-on attitude made his death a matter of momentary celebration. But as with every element of this picture, that brief comeuppance—or call it justice—is short lived. 

 From a simple Google search, this film had psychologists and mental health professionals on set to deal with the heaviness of it all…it isn’t hard to see why. 

And that final scene is probably the best final sequence in a movie I have seen all year…

Shoutout to the Irish & the Native peoples of Australia; fuck the crown for its violence against them and the world.

Don’t let them know your next move: The Movie

My ace Philip Seymour Hoffman is CARRYING this picture. He commands the screen and gives the audience an anchorpoint in this bizarre, often befuddling narrative. I really dig what Michelle Williams is doing…she’s almost playing a parody part in this picture that is riffing on these kinds of stories in film. Samantha Morton is so sweet…there is a genuine kindness and care behind her every action, yet she reads just as strongly as a person you desperately want to avoid at the office…She means well though, and that counts for a whole lot. Miss Morton deserved so much better in this one. Emily Watson is equally strong…there is no doubt she knows exactly what movie she is in and that is so cool to observe in a performer.

Tom Noonan is really good and really weird in this one!! I just cannot take him 100% seriously after seeing him in Manhunter (1986)...that performance is even weirder, even more of a commitment, and is etched into my brain as if it were stone. It’s strange saying this in a post-Get Out (2017) landscape, but I adore Catherine Keener’s performance in this. She is so warm and captivating and I really wish there was more of that movie…Truly…I just feel…This movie is great and all, but it, much like The Truman Show (1998), just did not do it all the way for me. The moments, especially the more grounded bits in the first hour and change I love, but their consequences, the entire point of the movie, left me less than satisfied. The premise is cool and all, but I feel as if there are limitations to my mileage with a meta commentary.

This approach to storytelling has been undercut significantly in its satirical and absurdist beats by real life in the last decade or so. I am also not sure why I did not respond as positively to its foretelling elements as I did with Starship Troopers (1997). The pacing is cool, the events are sequenced in a way where you cannot track the turns, as those moments hit before the mind can fully orient itself to what is happening…I also love how street-level this picture is…the locations rock and the grime gives this story just the kind of grit it needs. Frederick Elmes has a great eye too, capturing this world in all its beauty even as it changes. This picture from the mind of Charles Kaufman, as with the aforementioned Jim Carrey tour-de-force, will age well with repeat viewings, I’m sure of it.

Great ending line, doe.

Quite possibly the greatest action film…ever.

The cast, the set pieces, design in every category, score, direction, every conceivable detail is masterful.

I can’t believe this picture is real…I was on the verge of tears multiple times. That last act is the truth.

I’m so happy.

This is a moving story of youth…with an incredible score (Alexandre Desplat), arresting visuals; slow motion and frame within frame has never been done better (Chris Menges), great writing that encapsulates the diction of a child (Eric Roth), great direction of actors & sense of momentum & space (Stephen Daldry). All of that is coupled with an exceptional collection of performances by our three leads: Tom Hanks; who still has his fast ball, Sandra Bullock; who makes the most of her limited screen time, and newcomer Thomas Horn; who is superb. It also boasts an incredible ing cast, headlined by Viola Davis, Jeffery Wright & Max Von Sydow, all of whom are excellent in this one. And this picture has some of the hardest-hitting emotional notes I have seen as of late—I cried three times. The intimacy and the strength of this story cannot be overstated.

This movie looks great. I adore the use of shadow and key-lighting throughout. In kind, the sweeping vistas and glorious establishing shots are mesmerizing. Fantastic stuff from DP Nicholas Musuraca. Robert Wise directed a pretty good one. It may suffer a little bit from moments of “this is a movie; here is a movie line,” but short of that I found myself swept up in the stakes as the drama unfolded.

Robert Mitchum is a dude who really be in the field. Loved him in this. He blends sensitivity with an imposing screen presence…all while distracting you from the fact that he’s uhhhhh not a great dude in this picture. That is a credit to Mirchum’s talent as a performer. Tom Tully is a good dude; one liners galore from that one—even makes the most of the TOUGH final line of the movie. Phillis Thaxter is solid…her character motivations are kinda wild, but hey, love is love I guess?! Barbra Bel Geddes is pretty freaking fantastic in this. She actually has quite a bit to do, and in an inversion of most final acts in this genre she is involved in the final showdown of this picture. I love how stubborn she is too.

Charles McGraw’s fit is pretty outrageous…has to be a major influence on the fits in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford (2007). Also, the man is a lil Prick; he thinks he’s that guy, but he’s just a hired hand!!! And Robert Preston COULD have been a Ripe Ol’ Prick HoFer…but he’s just so fun to watch, I can’t help it. His larger-than-life portrayal of a schemer on the prairie is the perfect counterweight to Mitchum’s subdued performance. Also, the scene they share in that saloon is…KILLER!

Didn’t expect this to be a western, but I’m glad it was!!!

Wild that this story had me siding w capital owners😭

This is a dumb, fun movie. Like many of the early entrants into his career, this picture begins and ends with one Denzel Washington. Sure he is doing a whole lot of affectations with his accent, but man, does he have it. His eyes give this level of certainty exceeded only by the conviction of the character he is playing. Mr. Washington is unbelievably cool and so very handsome here…and as he descends into this web of lies, the audience is with him all the way. Sheryl Lee Ralph is exceptional here…she has great chemistry with Mr. Washington. She lifts some scenes that could be quite difficult in less capable hands and she looks great. It is confounding that she has not had more of a high-profile career; she has star quality by every metric.

Esther Rolle gives an all-time heat check performance in this picture. The deft she displays with the expository-heavy dialogue she is given is a credit to her talent. Mimi Rogers is pretty good here, I just wish she had more to work with. Carl Bradshaw is dialed the heck up, but I really dig it. Tyra Ferrell is pretty electric on screen in this one. Norman Beaton is a piece of work, as is James Fox…And my guy…my ACE M. Emmet Walsh is out of sight with his generational, show-stopping heat-check of a performance––what a Ripe Ol’ Prick HoFer, that guy! And this review would not be complete without celebrating the work of Robert Townsend…This dude gives his all here. He nails the very best lines this script has to offer: from the heartfelt to the downright hilarious. And his free-flowing, carefree attitude makes him a wonderful foil for the suit-and-tie rigidity and poise of the work Mr. Washington delivers. The look of the film is pretty solid––shoutout to DP Jacques Steyn, and I really like the soundtrack and the musical numbers. Nice!

Mr. Fox is a dude who really be in the field…

I don’t recall what I thought of this as a child when I watched it on Nickelodeon or other…but LOVED watching it now. The cast is exceptional; top to bottom composed of recognizable & distinct voices, the writing is top-notch; a blend of the heartwarming & emotionally resonant & the sobering & the far too relevant & the hopeful…all while being an incredibly funny adaptation of Rahl Dahl’s work. The look of this film is outrageous—s/o to DP Tristan Oliver and the entire production team in all its parts; the costuming, set design & character design are lovely…with one subterranean moment leaving me speechless. The score is the perfect accompaniment for this story; it is layered and suits the images on screen, yet it feels legible to an audience of children, and Wes Anderson’s direction is sublime; all of these pieces come together like magic and it is clear all parties involved understood what they were working towards, also it is reassuring knowing that Mr. Anderson will always find a way to put his own sauce on there—the soundtrack is delightful…Suffice to say, this picture is fantastic.

I’m all in on Wes Anderson, y’all.