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Watched on Sunday May 25, 2025.

Loved this. I'm an instant convert to the mystery film at the PCC.

Nothing to say that I haven't already screamed.

This review may contain spoilers.

Even though early reviews were bad, the whole publicity campaign had me hoping the was an outside chance this film was good. consider me brain washed.

I watched this at the imax and found it quite boring, the first hour in particular was a real slog and the deluge of flashbacks to better films in the franchise was a bold choice for such a boring film. I was happy to be reminded of how handsome he was, so there's that.

It's all AI meets the reinvigoration of the cold war, and often I found myself thinking 'i wish stanley kubrick was still alive.'

what else? i think the underwater set piece is supposed to wow me but i didn't understand what was happening, either in the story or as a feat of human endurance. i found the plane scenes verrrry stressful and they were good! i was glad to see the other actor had green screened himself in. I didn't like the way the parallel fight scenes on the submarine and arctic lodge were cut - felt like it really undermined the action in both. The running/wrestling another guy in his underwear is the kind of gay shit i want to see from these films. Did he ever get this naked before?

Bumped into Sam Sedgman after but was furious that it was MIDNIGHT (the film started at 9!) and I had work the next day so didn't stop to talk to him.

1. I watched this introduced by TC in person.
2. I've just returned from Paris to London and this was like a greatest hits for me.
3. This sounded so good in the IMAX.
4. I sat in front of a real gasper in this screening which only heightened the tension.
5. Felix kept saying afterwards 'I don't it being _this_ good.'

This review may contain spoilers.

How stressful.

A first watch for me. Over the past ten years people have jokingly (?) likened current events to this film with increasing frequency. I've been told repeatedly that the film is good but depressing and I figured I've had such a fun couple of days (karaoke! football! sunshine!) that I could finally handle it.

Aaaand... I thought it was great. I liked being thrown into this world that felt so real without any explanations about how we got here and why. The camera moved in unexpected and confident ways with the help of lots of skilful choreography. I liked the use of London locations at the beginning of the film and enjoyed the easy nature of Clive Owen's performance.

I found the scene where soldiers lowered their guns at the sight of the mother and baby surprisingly moving and I thought of all the photos I've seen of dead babies in Gaza over the past two years. I thought about how every baby carries hope with it. Hope we place upon them as adults.

The other thought I had watching this was the William Gibson quote about the uneven distribution of the future. I suppose I always assumed that was hopeful statement about flying cars or something but the future could be terrifying and violent and dirty. Millions of people are already there and our turn will come.

I watched this when it came out at the Rio and walked out hating it and over the years I told myself it was because the protagonist is such a loser.

I decided to revisit this because every other day I hear about some fucking chat GPT loser who is "in love with" his LLM "girlfriend". Today's story was about the Business Insider founder, Henry Blodget who's started a wholly AI newsroom only to then hit on one of his AI "staff".

I thought a lot about friction, or rather the continuous move towards creating frictionless lives watching this. I thought about Hannah Horvath quoting Fiona Apple ('I just want to feel everything'). I thought about how Covid accelerated peoples' retreat from the world outside to the world online. I thought about all these things and maybe the film was ahead of its time or maybe I'm grasping at straws.

Upon finishing the film, I kind of felt the same as my first viewing. It has so much promise, the world building is great, Brian Cox is in it (!) but ultimately I found it such a drag to spend two hours with this loser.

Watched on Wednesday April 23, 2025.

Watched on Sunday April 20, 2025.

Watched on Saturday April 19, 2025.

Watched on Friday April 18, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday April 16, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday April 9, 2025.

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Watched on Saturday March 22, 2025.

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Watched on Sunday February 16, 2025.

Watched on Saturday February 15, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday February 12, 2025.

Watched on Tuesday February 11, 2025.

“I like to things my own way. How I ed them, not necessarily the way they happened.” Lost Highway

Memories! Cinema! Dreams!

I liked this, I thought all the elements came together well and my favourite was the meta-ish strand of the recreation of the memories. Would make a great double bill with Makhmalbaf's Salam Cinema.

Watched on Sunday February 9, 2025.

As the opening credits rolled on my friend leaned over and whispered "you know I go to the same dentist as Bill Pullman?"

I loved this film, it just sort of hit a frequency and managed to keep riding that wave. Stray thoughts: Balthazar Getty was a weak note for me, I loved where Patricia Arquette took her role(s), loved the soundtrack, the mystery man and the Cache-style video tapes in particular.

Watched on Saturday February 8, 2025.

Just wonderful.

I can't believe this predates Pierre Etaix and Jacques Demy because this film seems so French to me. Maybe the influences are more like Top Cat and Yogi Bear?

The formality of the set and the visual gags against Jerry Lewis's performance is just perfect. You can see that he went on to influence so much, not just Wes Anderson but also Jim Carey, Steve Martin, Rick Moranis... so much of cinema's DNA is in this film. I loved it.

Watched on Wednesday February 5, 2025.

Watched on Monday February 3, 2025.

I know I go on about this all the time, but the scenes between Jude Law and Catherine Zeta Jones really highlight how much of a performance is lost through Botox and fillers.

Watched on Saturday January 25, 2025.

Watched on Saturday January 25, 2025.

This film is so fucking good ohmygod.

Watched on Tuesday January 21, 2025.

Great performances, terrible wigs, good to hear Sky Ferriera. I think this was entertaining enough but not enough sleaze or risk for my liking.

I think a similar film made 30 years ago would've been commentary on the family institution or capitalism or greed, unfortunately today we have therapy speak and female CEOs instead.

Two days later and I'm still thinking of this. Brimming with ideas, many well executed, some not so and plenty that went over my head I'm sure. The swerves in tone, and conceptual style make this film FIZZ.

As others have noted, like the best of Charlie Kaufman and The Simpsons Frank Grimes episode. Hope this gets a re release at the cinema, I'd love to see it on the big screen. I didn't watch it back in November because I thought it looked worthy, somewhat validating one (of the many) theses of the film.

Fifth viewing

Watched on Saturday January 4, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday January 1, 2025.

Watched on Tuesday December 31, 2024.

Watched on Monday December 30, 2024.

Watched on Monday December 30, 2024.

Watched on Sunday December 29, 2024.

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Watched on Wednesday December 25, 2024.

Watched on Wednesday December 25, 2024.

• The Player
• To Die For
• Blow Out
• The Big City
• Witness for the Prosecution
• The Night of the Hunter

• Babe: Pig in the City
• Pather Panchali
• The Master
• Fanny and Alexander
• Bait
• Shoplifters
• Nashville
• To Die For
• Sorcerer
• Beau Travail

...plus 1 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.