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adamgeraghty-51989
Reviews
The Hours (2002)
A touching tale of the three sad heroines
The Hours, I find it's especially well written. It's a bit moody. It's rather touching to where it really brings you into the world(s) of these characters. The time period and settings work nicely as it adds layers to the story that really helps with these themes, which are threaded throughout each of these women's lives, which makes each one strong given the company of the others.
I was enthralled but the one and only sort of major problem I have is the movie could aptely be described as a series of extremely depressive women engaging in a series of lesbian relationship and suicidal thoughts where they find some meaning in there seemingly very sad lives. It's done well, well written, well acted, well directed. It definitely stuck with me in a way that hit on an emotional level. It's just for as depressing and suffocating it is. It's hardly a life affirming. It doesn't need to be happy-go-lucky, infact these sad low points are kind of the moments where the film works it's magic the best. It's just when I think about the sum of it, where it was leading to and what it meant for them, it leaves you kind of empty or disappointed and I can't exactly say it leaves you anywhere happy.
It is very tasteful and it does grab you with these character who are wonderfully played by three incredible lead actresses who all distinguish themselves in their own unique but similar stories. I find the fact that they can pull you in with three separate characters simultaneously is astonishing. This is a film that I actually would like to see again and I do think a movie like this. Even if it's not a film to appeal to everyone, I think it's worth seeing.
The Autopsy of Jane Doe (2016)
Care more for the drama than the horror.
It's pretty scary with a solid execution and a short enough runtime. I had little preconceived notions coming into this and I found myself pretty enthralled.
I'll say I didn't see this in optimal condition in the cinema with a full sound system. I saw this in my living room while eating my dinner (a decision I soarly regret). This still got me as the atmosphere is baked into the very premise of the movie. At the begin I didn't think the location of the morgue seemed scary enough, it was just too well lit and furnished but oh boy does the change over the course of the movie and you really feel the confinement with the artificial lighting. Also, did I mention this whole film is just a long drawn out autopsy because wow, it is gory. Everything sterile and surgical, but you see every detail of what they're doing.
I will mention if I have criticisms of the movie whatsoever it would have to be on a scare factor, there are things that detract. I find some of this story almost predictable as there are only so many things that can be on the other end of a keyhole and most of these plot points are set up early on. Also it has an arbitrary jumpscare early which is something that didn't need to be added as it wasn't scary and seemed to only be there to tell you that you're watching a horror movie which you could probably tell from the tone of the movie. I also find the score does too much in some on the moments of fear. Not to say it that it doesn't evoke emotion at other points and I can think of one moment that it genuinely did. Then again, I think of another moment where I was meant to care, but I was too confused with how such an event even happened. None of these things overly detract from my experience.
Brain Cox does a pretty solid job as he seems to be genuinely enthusiastic about his role in film. Emile Hirsch plays his next of kin, who is assisting in the autopsy of this woman. There wouldn't be a film without these two as there are two mabye three scenes without either them in it. If you replaced them with lesser actors, this movie wouldn't be nearly as good. They are the backbone of the whole movie and I genuinely really wanted to see them finish up this autopsy.
As far as horror movies go this would be a recommend from me as I was interested even without the horror elements as it was the dramatic elements that pulled me in. It's all around a 7 out of 10. Mabye a star more if it surprised me more.
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
The Turbulent Tale of a Horror Pregnancy with the Devils Child
Wow, it's completely mental what Roman Polanski and Mia Farrow did with this film. I find Rosemary's baby an inspired piece that provides such an experience that I'd argue that I enjoyed my second watch more than my first. As one of Roman Polanski's best films, it's known as a classic, It also has significant monopoly on the pregnancy horror genre and it is quite influential.
I find the horror of this experience is unique as it is not in the scares but in the terror of it all. The horror isn't not knowing, but knowing deep down this is wrong and it's terrifying. You may not know what they're saying is true or if they lying there may no means of knowing how deep their web of lies goes. Rosemary's whole experience experience screams "This is wrong, I'm not okay, get me out of here" and she does eventually reach that breaking point. I'd say that Roman (despite his own transgressions) captures this experience and truly put you on the side of the woman who's going through this. Even if pregnancy and a woman say over such is a very feminist angle.
The acting and directing is superb getting excellent critical recognition and even was nominated for a few oscars, even if it was ultimately shafted in that area. Mia Farrow performance can not be undersated as she does so much in this. She is so docile at the beginning, but we truly see her deteriorate. Also, it's just a very rewarding film if you pay attention to the performances and what's going on. So many little things from early can come back later into play. Aside from tough topics like sexaul assault and excessive gasslighting, this film would be an easy recommendation to anyone who can give it the like of day.
Anaconda (1997)
A thoroughly enjoyable film to watch.
This would be what you'd call a 'B-movie'. It is a low budget with little artistic merit. It's not ambitious with any of its themes or concepts. Maybe because my bar was set low where I was expecting the to be a miserable watch but I genuinely enjoyed it.
Anaconda is a cheesy and often comically absurd movie that knows when to wink at the camera (sometimes literally). Though I have to note it was the cast that convinced me to watch this with Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez in the leading role. Everyone gives a solid performance with little odd line deliveries. Though none bring as much screen presence as Jon Voight. He's the closest thing to any sort of human antagonist and talks exclusively in weird line deliveries. I can't make out what on earth his accent was supposed to be. From what I can find, he's doing a Paraguay accent. He also, as the squinty eyed grinning expression that no words can describe but in a single image, can tell you almost everything you'll need to know about this character.
For the most part this movie has pretty impressive location and set design as it appears we're actually on a boat in the middle of the jungle in the Brazilian rainforest. The location is contained to this rainforest but between the location of the boat, other pit stops and a short 89 minute runtime you never really get tired of the location and you could almost say that it's a character.
Unfortunately, I can't say that about the effects on the Anconda are exceptional terrible. I tell, not once does this thing look in any way does this thing look alive and you'll be seeing it the entire movie. I'll give the film this for a film called Anaconda you see the anaconda in action. This isn't jaws where we built up the anticipation to see this creature because I assure you this film cannot do that, but it can at least show you the damned snake.
Now the story is relatively simple as our cast of characters meet a very sizable snake in the middle of the jungle and it picks them off. Again with 90 minutes is a good time for something like this as the story is always moving. It hardly ground breaking but you'll learn to enjoy the company of these characters.
It's hardly ambitious but as far as it goes they did at least carry through with the concept and I enjoyed it and that's really all that count.
Late Night with the Devil (2023)
If you crave a 70s aesthetics I'd recommend it.
Late Night with the devil, a wonderfully twisted take on a talk show gone wrong with demonic possession and witch-craft.
I find this film an all-around home run. On an acting, story and technical sense, it all works. It delivers its concept well as it really commits to the time period with a 70s talk show. It's a comfortable film as you really feel as though you're in along for the ride as you, the viewer would be watch everything unfold. You may jump in your seats, but I will say this is a jumpscare lite horror film as if they are there any they aren't the main source of the horror. This film is built on atmosphere as it's one of the benefits of keeping it to this confined studio setting.
The main man, who's the face of the show and the movie, is that of David Dastmalchain, who really does carry this movie on his shoulders. I find Dastmalchain as clever cast, though you might not recognise him by name he's had a colourful career from The Dark Night to Dune. There's a pretty decent chance that you'd recognise him even if he wasn't in the leading role. All of this adds to his character as Jack Delroy, a TV presenter who's like a close friend you know who's been through thick and thin. Dastmalchain has plenty of charm and charisma as he works off his co-stars naturally. He also is someone who can do so masterfully a nervous smile as he tells it all to you with just his face.
This is something that can be said about every member of the cast as every character feels like they're a real person giving their genuine reaction to the event that are unfolding before them. Though there is something very artificial about the setting with the lights, cameras and the live studio audience. There's very little that very little that's phoney about it. Everyone is a distinct and different person.
I find very few things that don't work for me but to list a few. The opening is a bit jarring as the main purpose is just to make sure that you know what's going on. It's something that kind of needs to be there as there's not much of a workaround for something like that, but once it's out of the way, you'll settle into everything nicely. There are few digital effects that are just downright awful. Even with that low quality 70s grain that doesn't hide the cheapness of the effect. Now, this also is hard to list as so many effects are so visceral and real, while the bad ones are only in passing. Also, this movie was shot for penies and when there is a very cheap budget, they work with what they are given.
This is a film which gives you what you'd want out of the concept but also sticks the landing. It's something that I'd recommend if you crave a 70s aesthetic.
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
The Somber Melody of a Solitary Island
What a film. I can't say it will sing to you like it did to me, but it's a rich story that does have something to say but knows mostly knows how to keep it simple but not thoughtless. It's got great performances and plenty of scenery that I can't help but enjoy.
Out of all the films I've watched over the year, this one might have the simplest story. In the most basic bare bones way of putting it; Colm (Brendan Gleeson) doesn't want to talk to Pádraic (Colin Farrel) anymore, but Pádraic wants to talk to Colm and that annoys Colm. That's pretty much the first half of the film and most of the second. The location is pretty desolate as it takes place on an island somewhere in rural Ireland. It also takes place somewhere in the early 20th century and there is a civil war going on, but because of the location being in the middle of nowhere that has little to no effect on the plot whatsoever and could just as easily be written out in a heart beat.
Now, not to give you the idea that this is a bad film. None of this deters the film from being good and it is not a hindrance but actually aids the film. The location is visaully strong in its green fields and stony walls that connect everyone there in one way or another. Provide the perfect background for the type of story as the simple squabble is the only thing going on for miles around and even though their motivations are simple, the characters are not. Though Colin and Brendan are the core driving force of the film, there are plenty of actors who perform at the best of their ability. Barry Keoghan plays Dominic, an impaired man who is almost always looking for trouble but is a good companion of Colin. Then there is his sister who brings some common sense which in a film like this it's lacking. That's not even mention of the Garda, the bar tender and the ghoul. Each and every member of this cast has a part to play in this symphony.
I may not have made it clear due to the mopeiness of the film, but this film is a comedy, a dark comedy, but a comedy all the same. This can be lost on first viewing as all the information you're getting is delivered in a serious way and the film mostly isn't looking to get laughs as it's very much a dramatic film but once in a while it will put a smile on your face.
It may seem like the story is plain and clear and it isn't without a twist or turn but there's one or two, and this isn't from elements brought into the story like that civil war, but that story reaches that point natural like a snowball rolling down the hill getting bigger and bigger. It does shock you a little on first viewing as you may be under the impression this film has no stakes or causality. It's almost refreshing if a film can surprise you, especially with a seemingly stale story.
I'll cut my review short before I reveal too much as I imagine this is enough to prompt you to watch the film. My opinion is a but strong as I resonated with this film, but it's still good and definitely worth watching.
No Country for Old Men (2007)
Chaotic, grounded and just as impressive on all these years later.
No Counrty For Old Men
To say that this film is an achievement is cutting it short. This film set the standard for the modern Western whilst also taking 4 Oscars. This film truly thrills me. That's not something I say lightly it truly is a triumph of filmmaking.
The western is an iconic, yet mostly forgotten. The tropes and archetypes of a western, at the time, were incredibly identifable with young boys and men alike and still are. The idea of the loner, the last man standing, the exploitation of a resource, living where it's unlivable, native American conflict, a figure of authority, good and evil. This film has most of those tropes that make a western a western. Which it is.
The synopsis of the film is that a hunter called Llewelyn Moss, played by Josh Brolin, stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong. There, he finds a briefcase full of money. Almost the entirety of this film is him trying to get away with this money. His stoicism and perseverance to survive make him an endearing main character. All the while, he is being pursued by a hit man, Anton Chirguh, who is magnificently played by Javier Bardem, I'm never bored when he is on screen. Anton really is monstrous and I mean that in the best way possible. I find his character one that I keep coming back to. Then there is the final character, the sheriff, who is played by Tommy Lee Jones and is arguably more important than Llewelyn to the story on a thematic level. He pursues Anton and Llewelyn and there is always just out of his reach. He represents the theme of being out matched by the violence of the world. He is a crucial character to the story.
The Coen brothers are renowned in many fields screenwriting, directing, editing and with awards to boot. This film was, in fact, nominated for all of that. This skill is evident. The nature of the film is chaotic, but it's mostly quiet and is only loud when it needs to be. I will say this is not an easy film to sleep to or have in the background, only half listening. Film is a visual medium and this film truly takes that to heart.
The film is breathtaking with one of the best villains of cinema and a truly intriguing message underneath. I couldn't recommend this film enough to any and everyone under the sun.
Leave the World Behind (2023)
Puts together an impressive cast to a story with decent suspense.
This is a little film that appears on my Netflix account with some noteworthy stars, most notably Julia Roberts and Ethan Hawke. This is a rather enjoyable film which I couldn't help but chime in on.
Leave the World Behind is a psychological thriller with a strong element of mystery. It focuses on a family who are vacationing in a house on Long Island. Then they are interrupted when two strangers come with news of a black out. As this looming threat grows, both families must decide how best to survive as they come to terms with their own place in the world.
The best thing about the film is that it's beautiful to watch. The cinematographer is Todd Campbell, and you may know him from Stranger Things, but this film surpasses even that. The camera knows when to be head on and direct but also moves in such a way to where you don't know where you are or where you're going but you're just so amazed by what you watching. There's plenty of fades and cross cutting from beautiful locations to beautiful locations. The colours pop so you really feel hot and cold. The location feels alive. The house might as well be a character in the film.
This is an incredible cast where everyone does their part, and I like every character. I find Ethan Hawke as the laidback lovable Dad, particularly likeable. Julia Roberts plays a cynical and sceptical mother but never feels heartless. Both children are probably the least interesting characters, but they both do fine. The apperant owner of the house, Mahershalla Ali, plays G. H. Scott, who added a sense of trust and suspicion. You want to believe him. Then there's his daughter who, despite expressing annoyance and sharing some of the scepticism with Roberts' character, you still can't help but feel for her in this. It's surprising how well they manage to keep all these characters both likeable and human because if they weren't, well, it would be a miserable watch. This may or may not be a spoiler, but Kevin Bacon is in this film, and he is a welcome addition to this cast. There's always the possibility that someone know more than they are letting on. You never know more than the sum of the characters, which still isn't the full picture.
Since I have made a point of how much I appreciate this film, it's only fair to point out the main thing that may or may not ruin the film, the story. Now, I do appreciate the dialogue, and there are plenty of great scenes, but the nature of how this film is told is almost anticlimactic. Things are definitely happening. I have plenty of memorable visauls, but it's not really going anywhere. The characters could be seen as inactive or stagnant but the film is about the isolation that they feel and they don't really have any clear way to go, but for me the location of the house does help carry a lot of the burren. If you're to have an isolated cloatrophobic setting, it needs to be a good setting, which it is this. I also see on how much build up there is the film might not give you sufficient payoff. I'll be brief, but the ending can also be somewhat early due to how many little things weren't really explained, a big one being the deer in the poster. For me, something like that works, but it could just as easily be seen as lazy storytelling. I would also just like to point out for the sensitive reader this film isn't gory or violent, but there is one certain scene which, if you're in any way odontophobic, you might just think about skipping this film.
You find mystery and suspense to be linked in many ways, they both hidge on the lack of information such as "what is" or "what will be", they both purely depend on investment as if you don't really care what is the point and although these two are both build up they wouldn't really work without a good payoff, but I always find myself more impressed with suspense rather than mystery as mystery is mostly about asking which can be as simple as "what is going on?" I feel more from suspense, and that always impresses me if a fictional film can make me feel something for these fictional lives as if they were my own. It's not like this is a horror film. It's a psychological thriller, though it did impress me.
Yes, it's not perfect, but for me, it is a rather beautiful film with a good cast of characters and a good sense of suspense, and if you feel like watching it you just might feel the same way as I do about it.
Anatomie d'une chute (2023)
A loud yet chilling film I find endlessly intriguing.
The film that stood out to me this year was Anatomy of a fall, or "Anatomie d'une chute" in french as spoken throughout. This film is a clean two and a half hours that kept me thinking long after I left the cinema.
Anatomy of a fall is a legal drama about the investigation of a man's death and possible murder The story mainly focuses on the wife who is may have killed him and their blind son who is the only witness, but it's miles ahead of most courtroom dramas because it throws in a gripping family drama as well. The basis of this film is that it focuses on a single point in time and dissects it's characters motives until it reaches a conclusion. Throughout the course of the film you are given information via court scenes and character discussions. The director also knows what not to tell you as we don't see "The Fall" or any flashbacks, unless its precorded footage or audio. The film is committed to leaving it up to our imagination and it is up to us to discern fact from fiction. It's confined setting and characters keep it from being too complex but also saves it from being shallow and without any nuance.
The acting is incredible and it's among the best I've seen this year. I never seen Sandra Hüller in any other film before this and I'll be looking into her filmography as soon as possible. She tells us every bit of the struggle of her character to maintain her innocence and the grief over the loss of her husband, often without say so much as a word. Swann Arlaud plays Vincent, her lawyer and possibly her lover, he gives a lot of thought to how he plays him. I felt that Antoine Reinartz talked a bit too much with his hands. Milo Machado Graner has a lot of weight on his shoulder and carried threw, while also scaring me and reminding me of Danny from The Shining. However I have to say the real stand out is the family dog, very professional and never pays attention to the massive film crew following him.
The film uses it's language well. There is plenty of French, English and a little German, and they're often used interchangeably. For some keeping up with subtitles, especially in a feature film, can sound like work but for me it only keeps my eyes glued to the screen.
It was the sound design that stood out to me. The film knew how to craft it's quiet moments while also knowing when to be loud, this coats the room with suspense. I also felt like noting that there is an impressive runner with p.i.m.p by 50 Cent that I found particularly amusing. It gives the scene a real sense of juxtaposition given the crudness of the song.
Crucial to any film is a sense of direction Anatomy of a Fall certainly has a very purposeful drajectory. Every scene was so effective and the ending just left me wanting more. This is Justine Triet's first film on a level this international. I find Anatomy of a Fall as perfect as a film can be, five stars. I really would love to see what projects she works on after this.