Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2022 Edition

Yeah, just noticed it! Thanks to @mark f for PMing me about it too.

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Yeah, this is an excellent scene and an excellent delivery from him.

Little trivia: Nicholson wrote many of his lines in this scene.

Ratas, Ratones, Rateros follows Angel (Carlos Valencia), a criminal and ex-convict that is on the run from a loan shark, and seeks refuge with his cousin, Salvador (Marco Bustos), a young petty thief himself that idolizes him. As they try to stay ahead of the hit men that are chasing Angel, Salvador finds himself more embroiled in his cousin's lifestyle.

This Ecuadorian film from 1999 follows a similar template to many American crime films of the era, with fast-paced direction and editing and morally ambiguous characters, but does it in a way that feels fresh enough and very much of its place. The direction by Sebastián Cordero is confident and the script, although sometimes on the messier side, still has enough interesting strands to hold the interest.

But to me, what puts the film above others is Valencia's performance. He has such a charismatic persona, exuding both threat but also the magnetism that makes Salvador idolize him so much. Bustos' performance doesn't reach the same levels, but he's playing the "straight man", so he's not supposed to be as captivating as Angel. Still, he plays his character's "descent" fairly well.

There are some spotty performances here and there, but in general, the acting is pretty good all over. There are some subplots that feel unnecessary, and the conclusion wasn't as satisfying as I would've expected, but this is still a pretty solid debut by Cordero, and a pretty good crime film on its own.

Grade:

Set in the early 1960s, Inside Llewyn Davis follows the titular character (Oscar Isaac), an aspiring folk singer struggling to get through as a solo act after the death of his partner. Davis survives by performing small gigs while cycling through the houses of various friends and acquaintances to sleep in.

There is definitely a cyclical aspect to this film, with some events repeating themselves with sometimes similar, sometimes very different results. But that sorta mimics Davis routine of being stuck in a rut while playing cheap gigs and trying to "survive" one day at a time, all the while expecting that "miraculous" moment of success to come and push him off the wheel.

Like every Coen film, their mastery of dialogue and tone is superb. Still, this is Isaac's film all the way. His performance walks a fine line between charisma, charm and bitterness, frustration. He doesn't play Davis to the audience, but actually as a real man full of talent, but also full of flaws, insecurities, and anger. For all his artistry, he just can't help but burn bridges all around him, leaving him effectively trapped with the same shit happening to him.

But Davis woes are not entirely his fault. As is usual with the Coens, fate plays a major role in how he can't escape and have success. There is a cynical aura around some of the things that happen to him, as if a mischievous trickster was playing with his "cards", allowing the same shit to keep happening to him. What happens when we want to go somewhere, anywhere, but we can't?

Grade:

Great film, and John Goodman as the pompous jazz musician is my favorite thing ever.

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Captain's Log
My Collection

It's a movie about a cat!

Goodman is always a treat to watch. Such a great, underrated actor.

*a* cat? or *various* cats?

Mostly this is a screenwriting joke, but the cat is an important part of the movie!

Oh definitely. Just joking that there are actually two cats, since the one he first brings to the Gorfeins ends up not being the right one

True, true! As the human of an orange tabby as well as the neighbor of one, they do look alike but you always know your own.

The "rooster crowing" is a slang term in Puerto Rico for a girl's first period, the entrance into womanhood and therefore, her sexual awakening. An entirely normal and expected phase, that can be problematic when the environment around the girl is not the best one. That is the case with Carmín (Miranda Purcell) in this wonderful Puerto Rican film.

Antes Que Cante el Gallo, translated as "Before the rooster crows", follows Carmín as she struggles with the above while living with her strict grandmother (Cordelia González). To complicate things, her mother is moving to the US looking for a better job, and her father Rubén (José Eugenio Hernández) has returned home after a prison sentence.

But "before the rooster crows" also has Biblical connotations, specifically to the story of Peter disowning Jesus three times. Carmín has to deal with her own kind of disowning, maybe from her mother who is abandoning her, but also of her father, who can't seem to stay out of trouble. This angle of disowning or betrayal might also extend to Gloria, as both grandmother and granddaughter have to deal with the "betrayal" of Rubén.

Technically speaking, the direction by Ari Manuel Cruz is pretty good and the cinematography by Santiago Marí Benet is impeccable. There are some really good shot compositions along the film, and the overall camera movement is solid. There is also great use of the mountain and country landscapes where the film is set. This, paired with a pretty good production design results in a film that feels real, as opposed to other local films that feel and look like a "fake" Puerto Rico.

But what keeps the film together are the main performances, especially Purcell and Hernández. For a girl so young and with little acting experience, Purcell does an excellent job conveying all the emotional storm inside of Carmín. She's angry, frustrated, sad, confused, wanting, sometimes all at the same time. Meanwhile, Hernández' performance walks a fine line between charm and threat.

The complex relationship between father and daughter, which isn't even fully explored, is one of the most interesting angles of the film. There are certainly some plot points that are left hanging, but in the end, what remains is a story about women learning to move past the abandonment of their loved ones, and growing up to find their own.

Grade:

That is a direct quote from Lewis Carroll's iconic novel Alice's Adventure in Wonderland. Alice goes down the rabbit hole, ends up in a hall with a small door, drinks the potion and shrinks so he can fit through the door. But this is not Carroll's "wonderland", but rather something... stranger.

Malice in Wonderland is a short film directed by Vince Collins *loosely* inspired on Carroll's novel. It takes ideas from its narrative and presents them through a series of bizarre, trippy, and sexually charged visuals and sounds that include fluids, appendages, vulvas, screams, and laser sounds.

The animation style is extremely aggressive and in-your-face with a non-stop flow. Even though it borders "closely" to sensory overload, there is still a hypnotizing quality to it all. It is also nice to recognize how Collins and graphic designer Miwako interpret the different elements from Carroll's story, like the Cheshire Cat, the Queen, the Rabbit, etc. in their own way.

There's really not much to say about it. If you're into a visually arresting, dizzying, yet mesmerizing experience, then taste it, and if you find it very nice, maybe you'll finish it off.

Grade:

Forgot to post my final tally for MAY 2022:

A film with the number 5 (Five, Fifth, etc.) in its title: Five Easy Pieces
A film with a title that starts with the letters I or J: Inside Llewyn Davis
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #5 (i.e. 15, 365, 958): Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior (#506)
A film from the 1950s: Winchester '73
A fantasy film: Man of Steel, Malice in Wonderland
A film about mothers: Where You Are, The Mother (short films)
A film with a bird in its title (Bird Day, May 4): Antes Que Cante el Gallo
A film mostly set on a train (Nat'l Train Day, May 8): Runaway Train
A film with Frank Capra (born May 18): It Happened One Night
A film from Ecuador (Battle of Pichincha Day, May 24): Ratas, Ratones, Rateros



A good bunch of pretty good films in there. If I were to pick a favorite, I'm torn between Five Easy Pieces, Inside Llewyn Davis, Mad Max 2, Antes Que Cante el Gallo, and It Happened One Night. In the end, I think it's between the first two. The short Where You Are also hit me personally.

As for least favorite, Man of Steel and the short The Mother.

Here is my challenge for JUNE 2022, which is already underway...

A film with the number 6 (Six, Sixth, etc.) in its title:
A film that starts with the letters K or L:
A film from the TSPDT 1,000 Greatest Films list whose ranking includes the #6 (i.e. 16, 621, 906):
A film from the 1960s: The House Is Black
A horror film: Near Dark
A film with the word "Summer" in its title:
A film about LGBTQ+ lifestyles (Pride Month):
A film about fathers:
A film from Iceland (Independence Day, June 17):
A film from Sidney Lumet (born June 25):

As usual, recommendations are more than welcome!

• A film with the number 6 (Six, Sixth, etc.) in its title:
  Would 2046 count?
• A film that starts with the letters K or L:
  Maybe Kwaidan or Kuroneko if you've not already seen
• A film with the word "Summer" in its title:
  How about Summer With Monika?
• A film about LGBTQ+ lifestyles (Pride Month):
  Would The Adventures Of Priscilla, Queen Of The Desert count?
• A film from Iceland (Independence Day, June 17):
  How about The Oath or A White, White Day?
• A film from Sidney Lumet (born June 25):
  How about The Anderson Tapes?

More recommendations:

A film that starts with the letters K or L:
I second the Kwaidan recommendation.

A film with the word "Summer" in its title:
I second the Summer with Monika recommendation.

A film about LGBTQ+ lifestyles (Pride Month):
The Boys in the Band (I've only seen the 2020 Netflix remake, which I recommend)

A film about fathers:
Smoke Signals or Karakter

A film from Iceland (Independence Day, June 17):
Rams or Jar City

A film from Sidney Lumet (born June 25):
Prince of the City, especially since you're a fan of The Shield.

A film about LGBTQ+ lifestyles (Pride Month)
Fire Island, which is a really fun romantic comedy

EDIT: I also want to give a shout out to the film Boy Meets Girl, about a young man who falls in love with a young woman who is transgender. It's on Prime, Tubi, and Kanopy.

My A-type self would prefer to go with single "Six" or "Sixth" but I'll keep 2046 in my backpocket (that the Wong Kar-wai one, right?)

I'll take the others into consideration. Priscilla is one that many people have recommended to me through the years, and I just haven't gotten around to it. Thanks!

Both you and Chyp mentioned it, and I already had Kwaidan in my mind for this category, so I guess it's fate.

I think I might have Jar City on my Letterboxd watchlist, so I'll see if I can check that one out.

Two people mentioned Prince of the City on Twitter; I don't think I had even heard of it but now that I saw what it's about, I'm definitely intrigued.

Thanks!