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Manchester by the Sea (2016)
So perfect, there is nothing to say..
It may seem that the term "subtle" is what this movie is all about. It does not give you great plot-twists, or great revelations about how to deal with grief, or cliché slogans for "moving forward". It just gives you grief, as it is, no over-dramatization, no forced antagonism. On the other hand, it is so courageous, so bold in its execution and message that one can easily say it's provocative, especially in the face of ordinary Hollywood dramas.
The movie really shows you what Sartre meant when he wrote "hell is other people". Nobody truly understands what you're going through, nobody can really make it up to you after you've lost everything. The movie is extremely bold, since it gives you no catharsis at all.
What is also astonishing and daring is that the movie is respectful to the sorrow, certainly more than the characters on the screen. It keeps its distance to the main character, it understands, it doesn't interfere to give us a glimpse of hope or anything to make the us feel better about ourselves.
What really gets you is the brief conversation between Affleck and Williams. This is a scene that will instantly become a classic, so full of unsaid words, yearnings, promises, apologies..The amount of emotion that went into that scene is simply overwhelming, there hasn't been an equivalent to that scene, at least not recently. Just go and watch this film and I can only promise you that you will feel the pain.
The VVitch: A New-England Folktale (2015)
Don't believe the haters! This is brilliant film-making.
I don't always write reviews, but when I do, I either loved it or hated it so much that I just had to write something about it. I urge all of you who are reading this to just give this movie a chance; it will make you think about all sorts of things (religion, film-making, family, 17th century, corns?) while taking you on a roller-coaster ride of emotions and scares. This movie is so unique and hard-hitting with its haunting atmosphere, its creepy music and its approach to acting, it will just leave you mesmerized, terrified, confused and down right in awe. The fact that this is Robert Eggers' first full-length movie just blows my mind. What solid craftsmanship. What an amazing experience. The less you know about this movie, the better, so I'll keep this short. Just close all the lights, crank up the volume and let this movie drag you to the depths of hell =)
Interstellar (2014)
Calm down there, fan-boys.
Don't get me wrong, I'm a sucker for most of Nolan's (and his brothers') works, but this one just doesn't rise up to the standard of filmmaking that we're used to from these guys.
Where to start? The overtly obvious and cliché ending? If you've seen any movie involving space-time puzzles and paradoxes, you see it coming from miles away. One might say that's not the point of the movie, that we should rather see it as a story of love and affection and whatever. Well, sorry folks, the Nolans seem to talk the talk but they can't walk the walk. The "dramatic" content of this film is barely above that of a romantic comedy. It relies too heavily on time paradoxes but doesn't really give us the psychological background of the characters, as to why they do what they do.
Some cliché shots: explanation of the worm hole is exactly the same as in Event horizon. The girl running after the car of the departing father, only to be held by another loved one, queue dramatic music- wow, I haven't seen that before. The "beings" (or us in the future) simplifying their reality so it suits our cognitive capacities-come on Matthew, you've done that movie already! The robots look like Monoliths from 2001. Well, if you're gonna be inspired by Kubrick, be inspired by the sheer emotional and psychological subtlety and precision that makes 2001 a masterpiece.
"Human nature" is a very easy answer to explain both all the evil and all the goodness that is going on. Yeah we have survival instinct, also compassion for our loved ones, which may come into conflict with the overall goal of our survival as species. So where are all these forced-tear-jerker scenes coming from? What else is new since 2001 or Solaris? Is that all there is to it? A movie with this much ambition and hype was supposed to be a milestone in the genre, but instead it is a faint copy, easily forgettable. What we've seen previously from these guys in films like The Following, Memento and also in Dark Knight, hell, even Inception, is that they really know how to create memorable characters with unique insight into their psychological background. None of that complexity is to be found in this movie. The characters are made from cardboard and they feel like repetitions of other sci- fi movie stereotypes.
The dramatic substance of the movie, which is literally thrown to our faces every moment, does not live up to the quality of its' technical execution. Sure the visuals are great, but that's to be expected from a $169 million movie. Music is great too, though sometimes overused, but it's Hans Zimmer for crying out loud. What I enjoyed was the layout of the dystopic future, perhaps a little emphasis on how the world came to be that way would have made for a better and more plausible movie(don't even get me started on the absurd physics of this movie. good luck running from a black-hole).
Simply put, this film is by no means a 9, and it simply doesn't qualify for the top250 (though of course there are many titles there which don't qualify even for the top875384).
Nymphomaniac: Vol. I (2013)
Arousing, but not orgasmic
Trier's last ambitious attempt at uncovering the secrets of female sexuality certainly is well above anything that is put out there in terms of "cinema". That being said, when considered alongside his other works, especially the two previous ones in this "trilogy", this movie feels like a step back. (I shall review the two parts in one text, because, well, why bother.)
The first part really whets your appetite with a whole range of emotions and intriguing cinematics. The film certainly draws you in as each new chapter presents a new level of complexity to the characters and to the story. As always, the cinematography is top notch. Seligman's diversions seem weak and irrelevant at times, but Joe is very adamant in keeping to the story, and she drags the viewer with her. the bit with Bach and polygamy, and the chapter on delirium certainly shine as evidence of trier's genius.
Overall, the movie is a commentary on almost everything that is related to cinema, story-telling, sexuality, intellectual ambition, art, human nature, resentment, emptiness, depression, ethics, compassion, love and so on and so forth. This could have been the strength of the movie, but as it moves forward toward the middle of the second part, trier is loses his subtlety and turns pretty didactic. He tries to say something substantial about everything, but, as a result, some aspects remain superficial or unexplored. The other two movies remained true to their respective themes and they felt more coherent and powerful throughout.
Another downside of the movie is that some parts feel very repetitive, especially if you have seen Antichrist and Melancholia. trier unashamedly references his own movie in the scene with the child being left alone and almost falling down the balcony. At times, Gainsbourg's performance is exactly the same as it was in Antichrist.
one of the best performances, by the way, is delivered by Jamie Nell. the character and the story of K is probably one of the strongest sequences of the entire movie. one rarely sees a character so uncompromising and disturbing in cinema. if only that intensity could be kept throughout.
The weakest point,in my opinion, is the ending, where trier really forces Seligman, and with him all "intellectuals" who have criticized his work, to a kind of weakness that really feels out of place when taken in light of the whole movie and the ramblings of that character. this guy is someone who was not at all interested in or excited by any of the sexual activities depicted in the movie. there is just no reason for him to sneak up on Joe while she is sleeping, especially after she tells her story with all its' gruesome details. the ending feels forced and one suspects that it was intended purely to shock the audience. when taken in contrast with trier's previous movies, this ending surely is but a shadow in comparison.
a nice touch is that there are points in the movie where it is clear that trier has taken criticisms of misogyny pretty seriously, as there are many feminist undertones throughout. most of the movie, including the last scene is dedicated to empowering Joe and condemning patriarchy.
nevertheless, I believe it is appropriate to say that this weak ending leaves the viewer with a hard-on, or its' female equivalent.
A Zed & Two Noughts (1985)
Great Cinema...
Very very minor spoilers: If you like artistic, nihilistic, thought-provoking, intense cinema, this one will probably stay with you for a long time..Ingredients are: clever dialogues, inventive and breath-taking camera work, somehow disturbing sense of "exact" symmetry, great coordination of style and script, brilliant directing, and some amazing "rotting" scenes you won't be able to see in any other movie. Highly, highly recommended. Do I sound like an advertising agent?Oh well, this one was too happy a review for a pessimistic movie.Enjoy.