The details are now fuzzy but I recall loving Palm Springs!
Calirath
joined 1 year ago
Begin Again (2013)
Liking Carney Once is natural, twice perhaps coincidental, but thrice in a row leads me to surmise I simply enjoy what he has to offer. This melodic tapestry of bruised souls finding harmony amidst the cacophony of life offers a genuine, uplifting story that quietly restores faith in humanity - and the commercialized music industry. This is the second Carney movie I've watched in recent months and I am sure now to fast-track the remainder.
The Wild Robot (2024)
The tender odyssey of true familial bonds; of found parenthood, adolescent growing pains, and self-acceptance amidst adversity. Radiating more authentic heart than modern Disney, its creators' passion are evident in each frame with animation warmth unseen since Into the Spider-Verse and the more recent Ne Zha 2. It is disarmingly pure and allows one to easily overlook its plot holes. This is a true family film.
The King and I (1956)
A spectacle firmly of its bygone era, boasting typical grand sets and dazzling costumes. However, its foundation feels increasingly antiquated and is lacking the enduring charm and compelling narrative found in the The Sound of Music. Technically splendid, emotionally anemic.
Companion (2025)
A present on the concept of self seemingly enveloped in a thriller veneer but ultimately we discover the wrapping to be more substantial than the gift. Its potential for deeper resonance is lost with gaping plot holes and narrative convenience that strains credulity. Yet still an enjoyable surface level experience.
Nobody (2021)
Essentially John Wick stripped of mythos and plunged into a more grounded, suburban reality. It delivers competently choreographed action but lacks a distinctive style or the relentlessness of its inspiration. A fun, visceral ride, yet ultimately feels like a less memorable, albeit decent, copy.
I'm saddened to see for Kbin was the first instance I signed up on.
The worst movie of this week's list if watched in many of the previous weeks would have been situated at the top; what a lineup!
My Dinner with Andre (1981)
My god. This enchanting, verisimilitudinous evening had me so spellbound, I desired to be a fly on the wall for every future conversation. Malle masterfully navigates the treacherous straits, avoiding both pretentiousness and the shallows of pseudo-intellectuals. It’s a film composited of the now rare authentic discourse without a hint of artifice or speciousness. There is no grand message being proselytized, just a stark tête-à-tête of two minds shown in this perfectly imperfect cinematic marvel.
Naked (1993)
A ravaging, unflinching descent into societal decay embodied by a loquacious nihilist known simply as Johnny who verbally eviscerates the perceived vacuities around him like a feral, intellectual schoolyard bully. This is a raw, ugly world, a X-ray exposing the festering wound of our collective spiritual homelessness. Johnny isn't just lost; he's the furious, articulate symptom of a world that discarded him, and which he, in turn, discards with vicious futility. The supporting cast is likewise absolutely brilliant. My singular gripe is the Machiavellian Jeremy subplot did not come to a head yet it barely dims this bleak, brilliant, essential mirror.
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
"We are infinite." Rarely does a tagline resonate with such aptness. This beautiful coming-of-age tale flirts with familiar clichés yet endearingly embraces and transforms into a poignant film of self-discovery and healing. While the climatic revelation stumbles slightly, it does not diminish the film's hopeful tone.
A Man Escaped (1956)
This film strips prison escape to its stark, exacting essence, unclad of superfluity, with every sound purposeful, shots only necessary, dialogue and voiceover laconic. The palpable tension stems not from visible villains, but from the solitary, agonizing precision of the attempt. The antithesis of Michael Bay, a symphony of restraint where silence screams louder than any explosion.
Harold and Maude (1971)
Young Harold, morbidly fixated on death finds unlikely kinship in ancient Maude's - possibly cinema's eldest manic pixie dream girl - vitalic whimsy. Eccentric, hopeful absurdism is its crux and its deliberate juxtaposition has a certain charm that earns its cult status. Understandably divisive, undeniably unique.
I unabashedly spent the most amount of time writing this week's reviews, hopefully doing justice to these marvellous films.
That's sad to hear. I most enjoyed the weekly movie thread where I could write review snippets and peruse (and find) new movies to add to the list.
That explains why I haven't seen your reviews in a while. I am sure you've heard countless platitudes during this time so I'll only add that I am truly sorry for yours and his family's loss.
Thanks for putting The Ugly Stepsister on my radar!
Blue Valentine (2010)
This beautifully raw film looks at a relationship in stages juxtapositional. It's euphoric, passionate, morose, and hopeful. It's the nature of love in real life and for most of us, will cut close to the heart. It's glorious.
That Thing You Do! (1996)
A classic tale of the 50-60s music industry done in the typical fun biopic style so much that I believed it was a real band. It is romanticist light fun and better than most biopics.
Terrified (2017)
An admirable attempt at the genre but falls to the classic pitfalls by the midpoint and logic goes out the window. The lingering scenes with the child was a clear high point of the film.
@[email protected] I finally watched it.
Vikram Vedha (2017)
I was recommended this as a film that tackles morality. It did not fulfill the promise as its characters and lessons are juvenile but it is an average action film with above par story for Kollywood (and Bollywood).
Elevation (2024)
Remove believable characters, modify the script, and you are now watching a (very) poor version of A Quiet Place. It fails on all fronts and is filled with tropes done poorly, which saddens me as I like Morena Baccarin.
Molly's Game (2017)
A film that takes a subject I'm uninterested in and creates a compelling watch will always be appreciated despite its revisionist romanticism.
Carry-On (2024)
I did not expect this to be a Christmas movie nor to have this much fun with it. This is Die Hard modernized.
A Goofy Movie (1995)
This kids movie surprisingly holds up as an adult. I caught a glimpse of why this is supposedly a core memory for Millennials.
A Man Called Otto (2022)
Tom Hanks is a curmudgeonly widower whose neighbours are blissfully unaware as they cheerfully put up with him and life daily. It's a decent redemption story but now I need to watch the original at a later date to see which I prefer.
To Catch a Thief (1955)
Little did I know I would be escaping into a romance novel with a sprinkle of mystery set in the idyllic Côte d'azur which most mesmerized me. If you're expecting typical Hitchcroft, forget it for it's a much lighter fare.
The Boy and the Heron (2023)
Not quite to the standard you expect from Studio Ghibli and it felt more like a last hurrah when I found myself noticing too many similarities between this and many of his previous works. It's messy, it's disjointed, it's surrealistic, and it's absurd; it's Miyazaki turned up to 11 and seems to be made for the Miyazaki acolytes.
Plane (2023)
Plane promises the viewer will see Gerard Butler as a pilot forced to save his passengers in hostile situations alongside unlikely companions and it delivers precisely that.
My Blueberry Nights (2007)
Legendary director Wong Kar-Wai's first foray into the western market and it is disappointing. Let me clarify, it's not bad, yet it is knowing that it's from WKW, like your straight-As student suddenly handing in a C. Everything seemingly felt contrived and I don't know if it's the language or the actors or both.
Jesus Christ Superstar (1973)
Superstars Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's style of composition is obvious in this operatic rock musical which is surprising given its shoestring budget as we are now accustomed to Buzzing blockbuster affairs in musicals like Wicked, Wonka, and even Joker 2. Despite it appearing as a college production at times, the Mystifying and energetic numbers and a dash of Hosanna ensures Everything's Alright.
The Graduate (1967)
Watch this for its surprising cinematography, if you're a fan of Simon & Garfunkel, and a specious glimpse of the 60s for its protagonist is anything but likable and its message is painfully dated.
Land of the Gods (Dev Bhoomi) (2016)
A simple story of the few days a man spends attempting to reconcile with his past set in the backdrops of the Himalayans and immersed in their Indic traditions.
Mayhem (2017)
Ignore the thin veneer of a premise and forget your logic and this movie succeeds in exactly being average on all fronts in this self-contained take of 28 Day's rage virus.
Movies at the top of the list does not necessarily signify the top movie is a masterpiece while the bottom being a calamity, it simply means I enjoyed it more (or less) than the other movies of the week. Using a previous week's review as a prime example, the gap between the best and worst movie of that week is <1 point on a 10 point scale.
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Manhattan (1979)
A gorgeously shot, romanticized, monochromatic love letter to its namesake. It captures not only iconic scenic landmarks of the city, but relational complexities of love through its earnest writing, dissecting the messiness of human connection filled with hidden insecurities with wit and honesty. This is surprisingly my first Woody Allen film but assuredly not my last.
"You don't know what love means. I don't know what it means. Nobody out there knows what the hell's going on."
Demolition (2016)
Davis suffers from emotional vacancy following his wife's death and attempts to feel something, manifests in nihilistic dismantling of life’s structures through antipathic antics, even when context arrives late he's long been anesthetized by numbness. The anodyne sweetness of the rushed third act fails to buttress lost goodwill. I applaud the tricky cinematic concept but Gyllenhaal's solidity can't fully salvage narrative demolition.
Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Visually sumptuous cinematography and CGI can't elevate this from Beneath its predecessors. It Rises only shortly past Dawn as a middling entry, regurgitating woefully familiar narrative themes while the aptly named Proximus Caesar bastardizes and wages War against the original's legacy. Its runtime fails to Escape lulls and drags towards a cheap cliffhanger. Not a reinvigorating Conquest for the franchise, but not a completely lost Battle.
The Rezort (2015)
Jurassic Park if stripped of thematic awe and dinosaurs are swapped for zombies. Once you overlook its flawed premise and facile social commentary, it shuffles into surprisingly competent, undemanding genre fare. Never transcending its derivative roots, but delivers a prosaic and crunchy diversion for the undead-starved.
Assassination Nation (2018)
Blatant derivative of The Purge meets formulaic parody of digital-age outrage but lacks the original's visceral punch. Chekhov's gun misfires repeatedly as plot points fizzle in the proverbial rain, nearly making its plot holes redundant. Only the well-shot kinetic home invasion sequence provides an isolated spark. Spiritless vim; ultimately as hollow as its characters' rage.