The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown

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Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
I'm definitely making a point to see that one, thank you!
It's an absolute masterpiece. This is one of these rare occasions when I wholeheartedly agree with Miss Vicky, so she must be right with that one.
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Look, I'm not judging you - after all, I'm posting here myself, but maybe, just maybe, if you spent less time here and more time watching films, maybe, and I stress, maybe your taste would be of some value. Just a thought, ya know.





Venom (Ruben Fleischer, 2018)

I stayed home sick from work today and wanted to watch a movie. I wasn't feeling up to watching anything of substance, so I was looking for some stupid crap to distract me for a couple of hours. Venom looked like it would fit the bill and had the added bonus of featuring that sexy motherf***er Tom Hardy, so I gave it a shot.

Well, it's definitely stupid and Hardy's talent is wasted in this garbage, but he looked damn hot and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't entertained. I probably won't ever watch it again, but I was entertained.






Knives Out (Rian Johnson, 2019)

I don't know what exactly I was expecting with this, but given its reputation and popularity, it didn't meet whatever those expectations were. I think I gave a light chuckle like twice the whole movie, but mainly I was bored. Even with all its twists and turns, the movie dragged terribly for me and Daniel Craig's stupid fake drawl just irritated the shit out of me - and probably accounts for a large part of why I was so disengaged with it. I wasn't impressed with anybody else's performance either or anything else about the movie for that matter.

About the only positive I can say for it is that it's always nice to see Don Johnson in a popular movie. I've had a soft spot for him since his days on Nash Bridges. Otherwise this was just a very mediocre to borderline bad experience for me.

Yes this was so lame. I can't believe they made a sequel.





Inside Out (Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen, 2015)
(Rewatch)

This movie is a lock for my ballot and I really didn't need to watch it tonight, but I was looking for an easy rewatch for tonight and decided on this - the last Pixar movie to truly impress me.

While the basic premise has been done before, this movie gives a delightful spin on things and presents its ideas in a way that is both highly entertaining and, well, really emotional. I really loved the way that abstract thought, dreams, and the subconscious were represented as well as the literal "train" of thought. It's at once incredibly witty and really heartbreaking with some great messaging about allowing yourself to feel things and valuing the input of others.

But mostly it just makes me smile a whole lot and I really hope that someday the studio will recapture this kind of magic again.




My favorite animation of the last ten years or so. Won’t make my list but if I was forcing sn animated movie on, it would be my pick.
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Letterboxd





Shame (Steve McQueen, 2011)
(Recommended by @SpelingError)

This felt a lot like watching a Paul Thomas Anderson movie and, unfortunately, coming from me that is not a compliment.

I don't like movies about shitty people doing shitty things to each other. They just leave me cold and disengaged and that is exactly what happened here. Now don't get me wrong, Shame is beautifully shot, features strong performances, and puts forth a portrayal of sex addiction that feels authentic. By just about any metric, this is a good movie. It's just not my kind of movie and I won't be voting for it or watching it again.




Thursday Next's Avatar
I never could get the hang of Thursdays.
I didn't like Shame that much when I first watched it, but I found myself thinking about it a lot afterwards and watching it again and appreciating it a lot more. Oddly, I had a similar experience with 12 Years a Slave. I think both films are just a lot to take in the first time, and you are hit with this visceral sense of horribleness that can make them hard to warm to, although the technical brilliance is immediately obvious. (Not that I'm suggesting you rewatch it, that was just my experience).



I didn't like Shame that much when I first watched it, but I found myself thinking about it a lot afterwards and watching it again and appreciating it a lot more. Oddly, I had a similar experience with 12 Years a Slave. I think both films are just a lot to take in the first time, and you are hit with this visceral sense of horribleness that can make them hard to warm to, although the technical brilliance is immediately obvious. (Not that I'm suggesting you rewatch it, that was just my experience).
This was actually my third McQueen movie, behind 12 Years a Slave and Hunger. Both of those also featured a lot of horribleness, but I still liked them okay on first watch. Not sure what it was about this one that was such a big turnoff.





Poetry (Shi) (Lee Chang-dong, 2010)

I'm just going to come right out and say it: I didn't like this.

This is another film that is a good movie by just about any metric. The cinematography is good. The performances are strong. It's contemplative and it should really make you think... but it just bored the hell out of me. It's too long, it moves at a crawl, and it left me feeling far too restless to engage with the story or to feel anything for its characters. I can totally see why other people would regard it so highly. I have nothing but respect for what it was doing, but it's just not my kind of movie.






The Broken Circle Breakdown (Felix van Groeningen, 2012)
(Rewatch)

I first watched this movie in 2017 and had no idea what to expect going in. I came away from it thoroughly impressed with its authenticity and emotional power, but I didn't fully love it. I did, however, have the feeling that if I gave it another watch - if I put myself through that experience again - my opinion would certainly improve.

After seeing it again tonight, that prediction could hardly have been truer. But this is not an easy watch by any means. As I type this, my face is red and raw from sobbing so much and so hard. Told in a non-linear way, The Broken Circle Breakdown shows us the sweet beginning and horrible end of a relationship as two people fall in love and are then torn apart as they endure unimaginable psychological pain and struggle to process their immense grief and their misdirected feelings of rage, blame, and guilt. Veerle Baetens and Johan Heldenbergh give devastating performances as Elise and Didier, and they make you believe every amazing high and terrible low of their lives, all while making gorgeous music that fits the film's themes perfectly.

I knew when I started the process of preparing for this countdown that this movie would end up on my ballot somewhere, but I think this is going to land much higher than I had initially expected. That said, it may be another five years before I can bring myself to watch it again. I will, however, be purchasing the soundtrack as soon as I finish posting this review.






Locke (Steven Knight, 2013)
(Rewatch)

Filmed in real time with nearly every minute of it taking place inside one car, Locke serves as a fine showcase for Tom Hardy's acting talent. Hardy is truly put through his paces as a man juggling several personal and professional crises as he's on the road trying to do the right thing and fix the one monumental f***-up he's made in life and save himself from becoming the man his father was. His emotions run the gamut - anger, frustration, guilt, defeat, desperation, hope, and perhaps a tiny bit of joy - and he is mesmerizing to watch.

If I were to rate the film on his performance alone, I'd give it a 5 out of 5, and it is absolutely solid filmmaking. But as good as it is and as much as I respect it, it's not something I will ever love. It's also not something that I would vote for, but I'll raise no objections if it makes onto the countdown.




I liked Locke but I'll probably never think of it on my own again.
Yeah, it's very good but if this countdown wasn't happening I don't think I'd ever have watched it again.





The Frozen Ground (Scott Walker, 2013)
(Rewatch)

In terms of story, cinematography, etc, this is pretty standard based-on-true-story serial killer fare. It's solid overall, but not outstanding. With perhaps one exception: John Cusack. Of course, my opinion isn't exactly unbiased but this is a really interesting and unusual performance from him. One of the reasons why I really enjoy watching Cusack is that he normally comes off as being a really likable guy. That is not true here. Although he's not given nearly as much screen time as he should have been, he makes the most of it and I find him both mesmerizing and completely unsettling. He easily makes what would otherwise probably be a rather forgettable movie one that sticks with me.






Toy Story 3 (Lee Unkrich, 2010)
(Rewatch)

Despite my deep appreciation of animation and being something of a Pixar fangirl, I've never loved the Toy Story series. Don't get me wrong, they're charming and funny but I've always just come away feeling like they were only pretty good. Except for this one. Most of it is pretty much on par with the other three films, but that incinerator scene and the scene when Andy meets Bonnie have just enough emotional punch to elevate it for me to an almost love-it level.

Probably more like a 3.75 than a 4, but I'll round up.






The Frozen Ground (Scott Walker, 2013)
(Rewatch)

In terms of story, cinematography, etc, this is pretty standard based-on-true-story serial killer fare. It's solid overall, but not outstanding. With perhaps one exception: John Cusack. Of course, my opinion isn't exactly unbiased but this is a really interesting and unusual performance from him. One of the reasons why I really enjoy watching Cusack is that he normally comes off as being a really likable guy. That is not true here. Although he's not given nearly as much screen time as he should have been, he makes the most of it and I find him both mesmerizing and completely unsettling. He easily makes what would otherwise probably be a rather forgettable movie one that sticks with me.

Yeah, I ended up watching this one again maybe a month or two after watching it a first time. You're right that Cusack elevates the film. I also think that it does a good job of showing all of the ways that something so horrific was able to keep happening.





Under the Skin (Jonathon Glazer, 2013)
(Recommended by @SpelingError)

Aside from some mildly interesting visuals, I didn’t like anything about this. It was infuriatingly repetitive, dragged terribly, and was a chore to get through.