23rd MoFo Hall of Fame

I'd appreciate the links. I checked the YT version and while it's watchable, the better would be, obviously, better

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Jojo Rabbit (Taika Waititi, 2019)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/02/2020
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: 23rd MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by CosmicRunaway
Rewatch: yes

I first watched this movie back in June, after having my curiosity aroused by clips I'd seen of the film and by the attention it had gotten during awards season. My initial impression - and how I described it in my previous review - was that Jojo Rabbit was what would happen "if Wes Anderson actually knew how to write people and made a film about something that actually matters" and called it "a Nazi Germany version of Moonrise Kingdom." While I stand by that comparison as it relates to the look and in some ways the feel of the film, with its vibrant colors and quirky characters - Jojo Rabbit is something quite different. It's something special.

Make no mistake: This is a Holocaust movie. This is a movie about people struggling to survive. It's a movie about ordinary people risking everything to do what's right. The horrifying tragedy at its core is coated in a sweet shell of silliness and satire that makes it go down easy. But it is a Holocaust movie and I think a brilliant one at that.

I've seen criticisms of its use of comedy in telling such a story, but it always makes Nazis and their ridiculous ideals and hypocrisies the butt of the joke, while also showing how the fervor of Nazism came to be and just how crazy it was - especially with the very apt comparison of it to Beatlemania. (And to that end, the soundtrack - which included German versions of familiar songs by the Beatles, David Bowie, and Roy Orbison - was excellent).

I've also seen criticisms of the humanizing of certain characters, particularly Klezendorf. But I actually appreciated this aspect of the film. I think it's important to never forget that the real monsters of this world are indeed human, that things are often not black and white, and that the lines between heroes and villains are rarely as clear as we like to think they are.

And as Jojo Rabbit examines all of this, it is carried on the shoulders of an impressive cast who turn in wonderfully charming and endearing performances and a director who skillfully strikes just the right balance of humor and heart. I didn't love this movie the first time I saw it, but I think I just might love it now.

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It might not work, but I'll PM you.

Yeah, doesn't work. Says the video is taken down due to copyright infringement. Guess I'll live with the YT version then (unless I find it somewhere else). Thanks anyway.

I'm glad you enjoyed Jojo Rabbit even more this time around MV!

I definitely agree. Films that depict Germans circa WW2 as nothing but evil monsters also fail to recognize that ordinary people who may or may not have had any strong feelings towards the Jewish people contributed to rise of Nazism just as much as the Party itself.

I don't know if there's an English word for the term, but there is a type of person referred to as a "Mitläufer" - someone who just goes along with the prevalent ideologies and politics of the time. They go with the flow as long as it doesn't personally affect them. These are the people who allowed the Nazis to take power in the first place, which I think is something we need to be reminded of more often.

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Attachments

 

August 8th:

Today:

A Nazi Youth starts to question his beliefs nearing the end of World War 2.


Making fun of Nazis has been a type of comedy since even before World War 2, so I was suspicious when Taika acted like ‘an anti-hate satire’ was SO clever in the marketing for the film. I have to say I was wrong to be suspicious, this film is actually very funny, with incredibly good timing. I know that the quirky romance being at the heart of the story might be a turn off for some people due to how much it's been done, but I found it wholesome.
One element that I was pleasantly surprised with was that this is not a straight comedy, it starts to take a more serious turn towards the end in spite of its bright, saturated colours. It’s a great way of showing how aware our main character is becoming of how dark the world around him is.
All the acting in this film is solid: Roman Griffin Davis isn’t just a great child actor, he’s a great actor. Archie Yates might be the funniest comedic relief character I’ve seen in awhile. Scarjo as the rebellious mother was also a great character.

Very good film @CosmicRunaway

The Mummy is next for me. Possibly tomorrow

A coming of age story about 4 friends who are similar in what they enjoy, but from different walks of life. They learn about themselves and each other and look forward to what life has to offer, as they are coming into adulthood while on the search for a dead boy.

I have seen this film several times and it's always a good watch. I never thought I was a fan of Stephen King, who wrote the short story this film is based on, The Body. Well after realizing how many films I have seen, I guess I am a true fan.

The actors in this film are ones I grew up watching, Will Wheaton, River Phoenix, Keifer Sutherland, Corey Feldman, Jerry O'Connell and John Cusack. It was a nice rewatch and sing along as well. A lot of great songs from the 1950s and 1960s.

Not much else I can say but I truly enjoyed it.

A Beatles filled animated movie about the Beatles saving Pepperland from the Blue Meanies who hate music. It's a movie that is full of Beatles songs with animated Beatles with the wacky style of the 1960s.

I like the Beatles and enjoy their music. I knew most of the songs in the film. The animation was definitely aged as its the psychedelic style of the 1960s. I really didn't care much for the story.

I saw this film when I was in my teens (early 1980s) but don't remember much of the film from then. It's not a favorite but not the least favorite. Really only enjoyed the music.

Schindler's List (Steven Spielberg, 1993)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/04/2020
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 23rd MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by Citizen Rules
Rewatch: Yes

I've long counted Schindler's List among my favorite films, but the reality is that I have very, very mixed emotions about it. I don't think I respect any film more than I respect this one. I think it's masterful and important and is absolutely essential viewing. But I hate watching it. I hate watching it so much.

The cinematography, the sparse use of color, the score, the performances - all are top notch - and work wonders to tell this ultimate story of redemption. The story of a Nazi war profiteer who used his influence and money to save the lives of thousands of Jews. The film does well to utilize an enormous cast of extras and on-location shooting to recreate with stunning authenticity the lives and sufferings of the victims of Germany's extermination efforts, while contrasting it sharply with the experiences of those who perpetrated it and profited from it. It is a truly great film, but every time I force myself to endure this marathon of human suffering, I come away feeling like I've been kicked in the gut. It's not at all a pleasurable experience.

As an aside, I don't understand the complaints about the ending scene at Schindler's grave being "manipulative." Of course it's manipulative. It should be manipulative. The whole damn film was over three hours worth of emotional manipulation. If it didn't manipulate your emotions and make you feel something what the hell would even be the point of film at all?

I'm glad that you give the film props even if an uncomfortable watch. I feel the same even though I've seen it 3 times.

La piel que habito (The Skin I Live In) (Pedro Almodóvar, 2011)
Imdb

Date Watched: 09/05/2020
Cinema or Home: Home
Reason For Watching: The 23rd MoFo Hall of Fame, nominated by me
Rewatch: Yes.

For this Hall of Fame, I decided to take a small gamble and choose a film I'd only seen one time - something I've never done before. I was blown away by it when I watched it last year, but would I still love it now? I was nervous to find out.

I won't deny that it does lose some of its wow factor when watching while already knowing the reality of what is going on between Vera and Robert, but there is still no shortage of things to admire and appreciate on rewatch. It's an incredibly beautiful film to look at. Its rich colors and the way the shots are lit and framed are mesmerizing. The soundtrack does well to enhance the mood of each scene and the film blazes on at such a quick pace that 2 hours seems like nothing. But the thing that really carries the film are the two central performances. The intensity and menace that Antonio Banderas brings to his role as Dr. Robert Ledgard is both unnerving and incredibly sexy and Elena Anaya's turn as the volatile Vera is absolutely captivating.

But I think the thing that really draws me in is the lack of any sort of moral law and the many shades of gray in both the tale it tells and the characters that inhabit it. It's a horror movie that doesn't go for gore or cheap jump scares. Instead it presents an idea that is far more disturbing to me than any of that. And as witness to this twisted story of revenge, my sympathies lay with both Vera and with Robert and yet also with neither. The Skin I Live In is confusing. It's unsettling. It's repulsive and yet intriguing. But mostly it's provocative and unforgettable.

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And I'm done. Now to figure out how the hell to rank these.

Edit: Okay, I've voted. I don't feel entirely sure about the order I put them in, especially not #1, but I'm not letting myself change it.

Yeah, I'm not looking forward to trying to rank these films haha.

I still have to watch the rest of Gangs of New York first, and I'm not sure how long that's going to take. I watched a little two days ago, then watched a bit more yesterday. I don't typically like breaking films up like that, but treating it like short episodes of a tv series is at least preventing me from getting frustrated watching it.

Back from holiday now.

Will get back on it

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"I don't want to be a product of my environment, I want my environment to be a product of me" (Frank Costello)

I watched Al-Mummia this morning. Should be able to get a review later today.

Al-Mummia



I can't pretend to say that there wasn't any difficulty in watching this. Being my first Egyptian film it was really hard for me to get a grasp on it, I often had to rewatch scenes that I had just seen and look up what was happening. And then, still sometimes I wouldn't understand.

Things like this as a film viewer can frustrate me, and ultimately they do affect how I feel about a film overall.

I liked the way the camera moved. There were a lot of great shots, particularly that one that was overhead. And the production sets were really cool and you could tell a lot of time was taken into the making of the film. Overall Egyptian culture has been something that has fascinated me so it's a shame I couldn't find that connection to the film.

I'll chalk this one up to me just not getting it as to why I don't like it overall. Kind of reminds me of how I felt when I saw Wadjda years ago. Maybe I'll feel different down the road. Sorry for such a bad and vague review, but it's really all I got.