Movies

Santi XcX said:
saw Poor Things last night. wasn’t aware of yorgos lanthimos’s game of making fucked up movies and the only thing i knew about this film beforehand was that emma stone’s character had been sort of frankenstein’ed. soo, i was pretty… perplexed watching this. but i enjoyed it, it was great.

i get that it’s not for everyone. i can also sympathize that it is written/portrayed through the lens of a male perspective. but i still feel that the general theme of the movie is portrayed efficiently in the way it’s presented here. the whole movie we see that a woman’s body (both in the literal and figurative sense) is an object for man to tamper with. every single man that bella (stone’s character) interacts with tries in some way to manipulate her, even when the intentions aren’t as nefarious as others. like, for instance,
harry’s big moment in alexandria, even if he wanted to look out for bella’s naivety, is just another type of mental manipulation bella is a victim of.
it’s instead bella’s interactions with other female characters where bella is allowed to flourish and grow as a person. like,
swiney showing bella her grandson and teaching bella the maternal instinct she had stated to be lacking earlier in the film is such an underrated moment, but so good.
again, i get it, this movie has too much and nearly crosses the line in going too far. but as i interpret it, it’s man saying “yea, we humans, specially us guys, are very messed up”.

as far as (lack of) menstrual blood in sex, uhhh the movie is already bloody enough as it is with all the other mutilation scenes, i dont think it needed more than that imo.
but yeah, good movie. definitely leaves you with lots to think about.
Click to expand...

Definitely check out his other films since you liked it.

Dogtooth is a masterpiece. I'll never forget my first watch of it and just knowing it was the debut of a master.

I think upon a rewatch, I'll probably feel that way about Poor Things. The Lobster and the Favorite are also excellent. Meanwhile, Killing of a Scared Deer is the bleakest of his films (less humor) but still worth watching...

And if you check Letterbox nobody agrees with what I just said because everyone has a different favorite

Poor Things sits at a 4.2
The Favorite at a 4.0
And then the other 3 are all at a 3.8

Either way, his films are not for everyone. But when it comes to having an original vision, Yorgos, Sean Baker and Villenue are probably the cream of the crop of newer directors.

With a wider filmography I could see Greta Gerwig, the Sadfie Brothers, Emma Segilman, Alex Garland, Damien Chezelle and / or Sean Durkin getting added to that list.

But as of now, those would definitely be my 3.
 
Last edited:
DownIsTheNewUp said:
Definitely check out his other films since you liked it.

Dogtooth is a masterpiece. I'll never forget my first watch of it and just knowing it was the debut of a master.

I think upon a rewatch, I'll probably feel that way about Poor Things. The Lobster and the Favorite are also excellent. Meanwhile, Killing of a Scared Deer is the bleakest of his films (less humor) but still worth watching...

And if you check Letterbox nobody agrees with what I just said because everyone has a different favorite

Poor Things sits at a 4.2
The Favorite at a 4.0
And then the other 3 are all at a 3.8

Either way, his films are not for everyone. But when it comes to having an original vision, Yorgos, Sean Baker and Villenue are probably the cream of the crop of newer directors.

With a wider filmography I could see Greta Gerwig, the Sadfie Brothers, Emma Segilman, Alex Garland, Damien Chezelle and / or Sean Durkin getting added to that list.

But as of now, those would definitely be my 3.
Click to expand...
Hoping that Sean Baker eventually breaks out with widespread appeal like Yorgos has with The Favourite and Poor Things. His work is fantastic, such a great style and voice.
 
DownIsTheNewUp said:
Definitely check out his other films since you liked it.

Dogtooth is a masterpiece. I'll never forget my first watch of it and just knowing it was the debut of a master.

I think upon a rewatch, I'll probably feel that way about Poor Things. The Lobster and the Favorite are also excellent. Meanwhile, Killing of a Scared Deer is the bleakest of his films (less humor) but still worth watching...

And if you check Letterbox nobody agrees with what I just said because everyone has a different favorite

Poor Things sits at a 4.2
The Favorite at a 4.0
And then the other 3 are all at a 3.8

Either way, his films are not for everyone. But when it comes to having an original vision, Yorgos, Sean Baker and Villenue are probably the cream of the crop of newer directors.

With a wider filmography I could see Greta Gerwig, the Sadfie Brothers, Emma Segilman, Alex Garland, Damien Chezelle and / or Sean Durkin getting added to that list.

But as of now, those would definitely be my 3.
Click to expand...
i saw on wikipedia that yorgos’s films often incorporate elements of animal cruelty, so i’ll tread carefully tbh bc that stuff gets to me more easily than other things. i liked that in poor things that aspect is just sort of there in the background for the most part.
 
Indymisanthrope said:
There’s a new Monk?!

Also did the new Jeff Nichols joint with Tom Hardy doing yet another inexplicable Voice ever come out?

I’m fairly online but apparently my toddlercore media consumption habits have thrown me seriously out of the loop.
Click to expand...
It's on Peacock. Worth a watch
www.rottentomatoes.com

Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie | Rotten Tomatoes

Monk returns to solve one last, very personal case involving his beloved step-daughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding.
www.rottentomatoes.com www.rottentomatoes.com
 
I kept quiet about my Letterboxd stats these past couple weeks because I was trying in earnest to hit a significant milestone before the year was out. This may seem like overkill, but there's a lot that lead to this becoming a reality.

Tonight I will log my 1000th "watch" of the year.

Screen Shot 2023-12-31 at 3.07.56 PM.png

This is actually a tad short of reality as several of the more recent short films I watched as part of virtual film festivals aren't yet listed on the TMDB database. (Short films are a non-negligible factor in me reaching this threshold.)

Prior to lockdowns, much of my free time was dedicated to concertgoing. During full quarantine, I found a drive to catch up on a lot of popular cinema that I'd missed growing up. I've had a lot of fun coming into familiarity with classic franchises, and have largely moved into obscure films and new releases.

These days, my concertgoing is more selective, and where my work time habits used to be accompanied by a perpetual musical soundtrack I've enjoyed filling with low-stakes cinema in the background. The quality of my attention varies, but I've come to feel some is often enough with a lot of media. I give my all where it's earned.

I'm finally beginning to feel somewhat "caught up" with a lot of pop cinema culture having logged over 20% of the movies/shorts I've seen in my life this past year alone. I expect that pace to taper significantly next year.

Tonight we're closing out the year with what I hope will be a goody: Beau is Afraid. Figure Ari Aster deserves that 1000th spot to put a dark and twisted wrap on 2023.
 
Hemotep said:
It's on Peacock. Worth a watch
www.rottentomatoes.com

Mr. Monk's Last Case: A Monk Movie | Rotten Tomatoes

Monk returns to solve one last, very personal case involving his beloved step-daughter Molly, a journalist preparing for her wedding.
www.rottentomatoes.com www.rottentomatoes.com
Click to expand...
I’ve never been someone who’s watched Monk but I am happy they are doing Monk movies hopefully it ends up like Matlock, Perry Mason, Diagnosis Murder or Colombo where every once in a while They do a made for streaming movie.
 
Indymisanthrope said:
I’m gonna end the year with a post that might be better suited for Hot Takes: I just watched my first Miyazaki. It was Howl’s Moving Castle, and my reaction ran the gamut of “This is impenetrable” to “At least it looks great” to “This is childish, but not in the way that it’s capturing childlike wonder and more like it’s my three year old trying to make up a story on the fly.”

I know this thing is critically acclaimed, but apart from some of the visual creativity I was pretty much out on it.

I did really enjoy imagining Christian Bale standing in a room trying to deliver a performance grounded in…anything. Billy Crystal is in a completely different movie from everyone else.

Someone please tell me this is a weird entry point and one of the other Ghibli efforts would have impressed me more. Was my mistake in watching the dub first?
Click to expand...
I absolutely love this movie but it is a real mess narratively. It’s all vibes.

I’d maybe do Castle in the Sky for a straightforward action adventure that still has all Miyazaki’s hallmarks.
 
Indymisanthrope said:
I’m gonna end the year with a post that might be better suited for Hot Takes: I just watched my first Miyazaki. It was Howl’s Moving Castle, and my reaction ran the gamut of “This is impenetrable” to “At least it looks great” to “This is childish, but not in the way that it’s capturing childlike wonder and more like it’s my three year old trying to make up a story on the fly.”

I know this thing is critically acclaimed, but apart from some of the visual creativity I was pretty much out on it.

I did really enjoy imagining Christian Bale standing in a room trying to deliver a performance grounded in…anything. Billy Crystal is in a completely different movie from everyone else.

Someone please tell me this is a weird entry point and one of the other Ghibli efforts would have impressed me more. Was my mistake in watching the dub first?
Click to expand...
This was my entry point, I watched it on tv when I was a kid and was completely enthralled. I still love it, but it's def a bit more scattered and flawed than his very best. Try Totoro and Spirited Away next. Otherwise he may just not be your thing.
 
Indymisanthrope said:
I’m gonna end the year with a post that might be better suited for Hot Takes: I just watched my first Miyazaki. It was Howl’s Moving Castle, and my reaction ran the gamut of “This is impenetrable” to “At least it looks great” to “This is childish, but not in the way that it’s capturing childlike wonder and more like it’s my three year old trying to make up a story on the fly.”

I know this thing is critically acclaimed, but apart from some of the visual creativity I was pretty much out on it.

I did really enjoy imagining Christian Bale standing in a room trying to deliver a performance grounded in…anything. Billy Crystal is in a completely different movie from everyone else.

Someone please tell me this is a weird entry point and one of the other Ghibli efforts would have impressed me more. Was my mistake in watching the dub first?
Click to expand...
I’m in the minority on this one, but it’s actually one of my least favorite Miyazaki films. I just didn’t gel with it much at all. I don’t find the story super compelling either. You should try Spirited Away (classic) or Princess Mononoke (more serious). I don’t get the love for Howl honestly.
 
Indymisanthrope said:
When the scarecrow mystery finally resolves and dude’s ONLY line is a breathless “I’M THE PRINCE WHO WAS MISSING ALL ALONG AND SOMEHOW I GOT TURNED INTO A SCARECROW AND IF NOT FOR LOVE’S TRUE KISS I WOULD HAVE STAYED THIS WAY FOREVER WAIT OH SHE LOVES SOMEONE ELSE OKAY TTFN” it was almost like a send-up. I haven’t heard my wife cackle like that in a while.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that gives you an idea of how much Miyazaki cared about the political machinations vs ‘young girl becomes elderly,’ and ‘himbo wizard is actually a vain manchild who traded his soul for power and put himself at the whims of a bellicose government.’

He also picked up this movie mid-production as it was abandoned by Mamoru Hosoda due to creative differences, so you can see the seams where he was trying to wrangle a project that wasn’t his and turn it into A Miyazaki Film with themes that personally interested him.

Nevertheless, I think it’s ravishingly beautiful, and the score is amazing, and I really groove with the Howl/Sophie dynamic and the way the movie addresses aging and the feeling of becoming invisible.
 
Indymisanthrope said:
I’m gonna end the year with a post that might be better suited for Hot Takes: I just watched my first Miyazaki. It was Howl’s Moving Castle, and my reaction ran the gamut of “This is impenetrable” to “At least it looks great” to “This is childish, but not in the way that it’s capturing childlike wonder and more like it’s my three year old trying to make up a story on the fly.”

I know this thing is critically acclaimed, but apart from some of the visual creativity I was pretty much out on it.

I did really enjoy imagining Christian Bale standing in a room trying to deliver a performance grounded in…anything. Billy Crystal is in a completely different movie from everyone else.

Someone please tell me this is a weird entry point and one of the other Ghibli efforts would have impressed me more. Was my mistake in watching the dub first?
Click to expand...
You honestly can't go wrong with wither dub or sub on most Ghibli movies, so I doubt the original voice cast would rectify your experience.

Howl's is often mentioned in people's top Ghibli movies, but it is a rather odd entry being an adaptation of a western novel. I much prefer Miyazaki's full originals Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke.
 
EvanBenner said:
Howl's is often mentioned in people's top Ghibli movies, but it is a rather odd entry being an adaptation of a western novel. I much prefer Miyazaki's full originals Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind and Princess Mononoke.
Click to expand...
To be fair, it’s often also considered his worst, and its flaws are glaringly apparent. The only real debate is how much they matter.
 
For those unfamiliar, Indiewire critic David Erhlich does a (fantastic) supercut for his favorite movies of the year, and for the last several, he's done a gofundme for various charities before he decides to make it. He's posted this year's if anybody is interested!

www.gofundme.com

Donate to Help support the Palestine Children's Relief Fund!, organized by David Ehrlich

Hi, my name is David, I'm a film critic, and every year I cut togethe… David Ehrlich needs your support for Help support the Palestine Children's Relief Fund!
www.gofundme.com www.gofundme.com
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top