July 20, 2024
Unfortunately Longlegs did not live up to my expectation from what I was hoping was going to be an incredibly frightening Nicholas Cage movie. It began as a detective thriller, not too much unlike Silence of the Lambs. However, it quickly veered off into what my movie-going friend recounted as, ‘Story telling that felt like the screen writers and directors were stoned, saying “…and THEN” with each new scene’. Ultimately the plot began to thin, becoming predictable possibly a quarter of the way into the movie. Nicholas Cage was good, but he was still very much Nicholas Cage. Yet, even with that I don’t believe they used him enough. Anyways, you could skip this movie, not much to write about.
June 2, 2024
I returned again to The Wasteland for the second time in my life. I haven’t seen the earlier Mad Max movies, but I thoroughly enjoyed Mad Max: Fury Road and I will say the same for Furiosa. Chris Hemsworth perhaps delivered the best role of his career, and his final monologue was spectacular. The story was not particularly novel — however it does a good job at presenting a spectacle for it’s themes surrounding loss and war. The cinematography, special effects and editing however was spectacular. This and the production design is something I think I’ll come to expect from Mad Max films. For the Sound Design, this is why I think it makes such a huge difference to see it in theaters. The ripping cacophony of single stroke dirt bikes is the death whistle of the apocalypse, and it entirely changes how I felt about the war unfolding on screen. So, please go watch this before it leaves theaters.
February 22, 2024
Directed by Wim Wenders, another director I’ve never heard of before. This movie gave exactly what i was looking for from the get go. It’s not necessarily profound, but a beautiful reminder of the exquisiteness of life when you take it day by day. Kôji Yakusho who plays Hirayama in the movie, delivers quite possibly one of the most emotionally gripping performances I’ve ever watched in the films final scene. The dream sequences were a bit jarring I felt, but a good approach to having us transition from the day to day. The music choice was exceptional, and I’m sure the licensing costs for all of those songs must be a fortune. Wonderful movie.
February 18, 2024
Directed by Lorgos Lanthimos, whose films I should say I’ve never seen before, delivered an exceptional experience to a perplexed audience. The visual style of the backdrops reminded me of old Hollywood films. The music could have made the movie even better, but I felt that it fell short of its intention. The cast was exceptional; I thought that Mark Ruffalo had stole the show. Obvious themes on parenting were present, but Emma Stones character perhaps had a more latent themes held in her almost autistic detachment from society and its utter attraction to the men around her. You should definitely watch this movie.