Avoids exploiting its subjects, offering instead a humanising portrait of people living on society's fringes who get their thrills from bombing down hills on shopping carts. And it somehow manages to do this while exploring nearly philosophical questions along the way. Good stuff.
I thoroughly enjoyed the ride, but I have absolutely no idea what the destination was. There are so many overlapping threads and references that the whole thing feels as overwhelming and dreamlike as the pandemic did, and maybe that's the point?
As other reviews have mentioned, there is zero subtext here. It's as subtle as a punch to the face. But what a glorious and bonkers punch it is. A critique of American exceptionalism and imperialism that's, sadly, as relevant now as it was in 1968.
Paul Newman is in fine form in this classic anti-establishment role. The religious allegory seemed a little unsubtle to me, but was outweighed by the marvellous acting and cinematography.
A fascinating documentary about forgery that takes an unexpected dark turn about half-way through. Addresses capitalism, colonisation, abuse and so many themes along the way. Well worth a viewing.
I'd never heard of Casa Bonita before watching this. It's definitely a place that could only exist in the USA. It's a fun, nostalgia-inducing watch. More rich people should be like the South Park guys and put their money into ventures like this rather than wrecking the world and building bunkers.
Louis Malle is obviously having great fun here, criticising the contradictions of modern post-war France through the eyes of a child. It's frenetic, cartoon-like and completely bonkers and I want to watch it again. The Eiffel Tower scenes are fantastic and it was also great to see a Cityrama bus in its full glory.
Completely ridiculous and jingoistic, but I enjoyed it. Gene Hackman elevates anything he's in. Owen Wilson was surprisingly competent as an action hero.
Blier is poetic and somewhat provocative here, but also flirts with misogyny, making me feel quite icky. I'm usually the perfect audience for his type of surrealism, but he feels aimless and meandering here, topping it off with a very weak ending. There are some memorable scenes and sharp dialogue, but not enough to make this great.
This felt very disjointed at first, until I realised there were basically three acts seen through different eyes: the father, the mother and then the son. The very last sequence linking back to the prologue. Beyond that, the cinematography, acting, and general atmosphere were fantastic and I'm looking forward to the next one.
A not-so-effective collaboration between Hammer and Shaw Brothers that's more interesting as a curio than as good action flick. Still, it's got a certain charm that's mostly due to the great shots of old Hong-Kong rather than the stilted action and lukewarm acting.
Solid French vigilante film. Death Wish, but with a heart. Girardot's compassionate acting as a woman overwhelmed and trapped by her own pain is outstanding.
Not an easy watch. Disturbing not only because of the true story that inspired it, but also for its struggle to balance its moral message with its stylish portrayal of events.
A more straightforward story than usual for Anderson. Somehow, despite that, it was still too random for me to actually care about any of the characters. The trademarks are still there though: immaculate photography, detailed production design and deadpan wit. Entertaining but, in the end, more of the same…
This is how you make a documentary. An in depth look into the history, influence and politics of disco. So many interesting stories in here and so much emotion. I learned a lot and it made me wish I could have experienced those early days.
High on action, low on plot. And, what plot there is, is heavy on the over-exposition. Reeves shows up to act even more wooden than usual, but Ana De Armas is exceptional and makes it worth the watch.
Mountainhead has many horribly accurate things to say about Silicon Valley billionaires, but does it in a boring and lifeless way. I struggled to reach the end.
Hollywood's obsession with that harsh yellow colour grading whenever they're showing Asia or South America is getting ridiculous. Anyway, this is pretty much what you expect: derivative but fun.
Trashy eighties comedy that was not as bad as I expected. Badly acted and convoluted, but not without its charm. The biggest surprise was the score by Hans Zimmer.
Doesn't take itself too seriously and Adkins and Zaror go all out on the action. The writing is really bad, even for a VOD action flick. But, that's not what you watch this kind of film for. Perfect cinema junk food.
The threads don't all come together, but that's a detail compared to the masterful fusion of genres that absolutely shines on every level. That one "the roof is on fire" music scene alone is a tour de force. Remarkable.
A slow-burner with more loose ends than usual for Cronenberg. Still, it's transfixing from beginning to end, and surprisingly human. Its ideas build in your head long after viewing.
A documentary that made me feel very conflicted. It's difficult not to feel empathy for these women who were manipulated as teenagers. I was susceptible at that age and rarely considered consequences. On the other hand, I get why no one wants them back after what they were involved in. Nonetheless, terrific documentary and highly recommended.
I felt like i was tripping half-way through this. Amazing Wake in Fright/Ozploitation homage where the overbearing heat just leaks from the screen and makes you question everything. Cage is the cherry on top.
Fun little throwback anthology with a VHS aesthetic. Not enough smokers for a realistic 80s atmosphere, the rest is very much on point though. Nice little nods here and there to the classics, including Repo Man.
Franck Dubosc on the poster usually makes me want to run away. Here, however, he pulls off a solid piece of Coen-like cinema. Dark humour, snowy landscapes, interesting characters and tragicomic spirals. It's a little uneven and loses its way a bit in the third act but, on the whole, it's comedy done right: funny, dark, and deeply human.
