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.
This shouldn't work. It's absurd, over the top, and historically dubious. Yet I enjoyed this weird blend very much, particularly Ed Harris' wild performance.
A great idea with a very uneven execution. The film can't quite figure out what it wants to be, and it could have been so much more with that (true) story. Still, it's enjoyable enough despite the ups and downs.
Tati's earliest take on modernity. Could have done with being shorter, but it's got oodles of charm and is quite the time capsule. Those accents though, you don't hear that much these days.
Enormously fun and silly reboot. Manages to hold on to that low-budget Troma vibe while working with today's production values. Would have been better seeing this with a crowd.
Fun slow-burn thriller with plenty of intrigue that feels like a nod to seventies paranoid thrillers. It would have been perfect if it had stuck the landing.
An ethereal and ambiguous walking nightmare through a deserted California beach town. The trippy visuals and atmosphere are entrancing and terrifying. You just know something awful is coming. Stunning.
Gets the rhythm of the originals right while still making it its own thing. The film loses a little steam in the final act, but there's enough silly humour packed into it to keep you laughing out loud throughout. The Police Squad universe is back!
Never pretends to be anything more than it is: preposterous fun, chaos and dismemberment. Bob Odenkirk is always great, but Sharon Stone chews the scenery.
Not sure how this one slipped through the cracks. It's a thoroughly entertaining grifter story with amazing performances and just enough sentimentality. A joy to watch.
There's a real comfort-food satisfaction to the watch, but despite the cast giving it their all, you're left with the impression it could have been so much more with a little added depth.
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.
