Well-meaning, albeit superficial comedy that turns something that, deep down, is quite irresponsible into a safe, sentimental watch. It's cute, but it left me uncomfortable.
An atmosphere of suspicion and greed, confined to a single bar-tabac location, questioning our relationship with money and the truth. The film gets a bit convoluted, and misses its mark here and there, but it's highly entertaining. And quite meta: the characters become just as immersed in the story as the audience, with the tale they create branching out and shaped by the sets around them.
A dark and brutal satire of the dehumanisation in modern workplaces. It may not be as tight as some of Park Chan-wook's previous films, but it's still wonderfully inventive.
Based on a video game and feels like one. Considering the franchise's history of violence and fear, it also feels incredibly tame. It's competent but, ultimately, quite ordinary.
Magnificent 80s cheese that goes straight onto the "so bad it's good" shelf. It's got awful dialogue, bad acting, evil video game laughs, all kinds of ridiculous weapons, kid fights, granny fights, mafiosi, and plenty of nonsensical ninja action.
Dumb fun. One for the "watch and forget" pile (so forgettable, in fact, I had to watch the trailer before writing this to remind me what it was about).
Uses absurdity as a very effective tool to show the personal consequences of political radicalism. Some of the best pacing and acting I've seen in a while. Quite the masterpiece.
Clumsy, albeit well-intentioned, family drama with a made-for-tv aesthetic. Several arcs go nowhere and the dad character is quite problematic without any of it being addressed by the end. Still, it's watchable.
Nice packaging, little content. Doesn't seem to know if it wants to be a classic adventure or a comedy, and commits to neither. Luckily François Damiens is there to hold up the comedy side, probably improvising most of his lines when you compare them to the rest of the dialogue.
Mediocre French comedy that's a struggle to get through despite some big names in the credits. Set in the UK, but clearly filmed in France after the initial scenes in London. Based on a play, but the horrible slapstick feels like something out of a cheap comic book.
The formula's getting a bit old, but it's still enjoyable despite way too much exposition and characters with lack of depth. At least Daniel Craig toned down the foghorn leghorn in this one.
Cliché-ridden and extremely violent cop thriller that manages to stand out mostly because of the South African setting. I was surprised to discover I understand way more Afrikaans than I expected, which helped due to the lack of subtitles.
A deceptively simple (as always with Reichardt) heist film where the focus is not on the crime, but the aftermath. It's a mesmerising character study of one of these people who believe they're special, leaving a mess wherever they go as they chase that shortcut to success that never comes. Josh O'Connor is phenomenal as the laconic titular character, and the jazz score fits perfectly with the beautiful photography.
There's a lot to unpack in this film. So many, if not too many, themes are covered: social stigma, grief, coming-of-age, generational trauma… all tangled and re-tangled throughout the story. Most of it only coming together, for me at least, well after the credits rolled. I can see why it’s divisive, but I loved every angst-ridden, off-centre, minute of it.
Triggered more smiles than laughs. Short enough not to become a chore to get through though. Didn't expect it to turn into a tribute watch for Rob Reiner, learned of his passing just after.
Maybe I've seen too much of this franchise by now, but I can't take that repeated clunky exposition any more. Everything felt flat apart from the two, admittedly very impressive, stunt sequences.
A one-dimensional story offset by a fantastic soundtrack and impressive visuals. I enjoyed the spectacle, particularly that little retro moment, but it's no match for its predecessors.
Despite the cast's charm, fails to strike the proper balance between humour and the thoughtful handling of working-class oppression. Tone deaf, but ultimately harmless.
This cheesy 80s B-movie with two ass-kicking heroines never takes itself too seriously and it's just brimming with hokey charm. I can see why it's achieved cult status.
My least favourite Dupieux to date. He swaps out absurdity for pure misanthropy in what feels like a thinly veiled autobiography (his film career, his disdain for interviews, etc). That said, Adèle Exarchopoulos is phenomenal, and her exchanges with Sandrine Kiberlain alone are worth the price of admission.
Kathryn Bigelow is as precise as always with what, deep down, is a look at the inadequacy of processes and protocols when faced with actual humans and real-world chaos. It all seems from a bygone era, though, when politics wasn't just about shitposting and memes.
Interesting idea that ends up being more style than substance. I didn't care about either of the main characters, and just felt detached throughout. Fantastic soundtrack full of old Giallo tracks though.
