Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - 2021 Edition

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Only seen three of the latest seven. Enjoyed aspects of Under The Skin, certainly a film that gets under the skin imo with some quite striking imagery and a disturbingly hypnotic soundscape, and have to say the film has certainly stayed with me. Ida is beautifully shot with nice performances. West Side Story is a musical I can still enjoy despite the shortcomings, first saw it as a child which probably helps.

Of those I've not seen Gun Crazy sounds like the one I'd be most interest in watching.



Haven't seen WSS yet, but did you ever hear that anecdote (which I first heard here) about Moreno complaining to her makeup artist about having to wear the brownface to look like just another fake Puerto Rican, to which her artist responded by asking her if she was "racist"? Because holy ****, talk about your Hall Of Fame-worthy tone-deaf responses, huh?
Yeah, it's just part of the stupid stereotypes about race and ethnicity.
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CHARLIE WILSON'S WAR
(2007, Nichols)
The last film from any deceased director I like



"These things happened. They were glorious and they changed the world... and then we f-ucked up the endgame."

There is an anecdote shared on this film by Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), an abrasive but dependable CIA operative, about a Zen master and a little boy in a village and how every action has short and long term effects that we can't always see right away. "We'll see", says the anecdote in the end. He shares it as some sort of reserved warning not to celebrate the victories of today too much, because we never know what will happen later.

Charlie Wilson's War follows the titular Congressman (Tom Hanks) and his efforts to support the Afghan mujahideen during the Soviet-Afghan War in the 1980s. He does so with the assistance of Avrakotos and Joanne Herring (Julia Roberts), a wealthy, right-wing socialite.

This is Mike Nichols' last film. He started his career as a comedian and then a stage director, before hitting it big on film with his first two films: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and The Graduate (he was nominated for Best Director for both, and won for the latter). As someone who just saw both films (and Carnal Knowledge) within the last year, you can see his talent in handling personal relationships and exchanges between characters.

Charlie Wilson's War is different because the scope is bigger and the stakes are higher, perhaps? But he still puts the focus on the characters' personal relationships; particularly Wilson with Avrakotos and Herring. In that aspect, we can say the film is successful, also thanks to the sharp dialogue from screenwriter Aaron Sorkin.

The script doesn't necessarily portray Wilson as a hero, but he does maintain a light tone that plays his flaws in a more comedic tone. I wasn't particularly bothered by that, but for a film with such baggage, I can't help but think what an edgier and more serious script could've achieved.

But once again, the film is held together by great performances and chemistry from all three leads and a pretty solid script that doesn't try to shove its underlying message down our throats, but also doesn't absolve the US government from f-ucking up the endgame.

Grade:



SCANNERS
(1981, Cronenberg)
A film from the Criterion Collection whose number includes the #12



"It's the voices in my head. They're driving me crazy. How do you stop them?"

That's the plea that Cameron Vale (Stephen Lack), a "scanner" with telepathic abilities, asks a fellow "scanner" he just met. Even though he's been tasked with finding an "evil scanner", his state of mind is in such disarray that he must first ask how can he stop this "thing" inside him, before he finally loses his sanity in this weirdly bizarre mish-mash of scifi and horror.

Scanners follows the titular subjects who've been found to have special mental abilities. When one of them called Daryl Revok (Michael Ironside) starts to wreak havoc, a security and weapons company puts its trust in Vale to find him and stop him, before he takes over the world.

For better or worse, this film will always be known primarily for an iconic scene in which Revok uses his powers to blow up the head of a fellow scanner. This scene, which has been "memefied" endlessly, occurs in the opening 15 minutes and hardly anything tops it in terms of special effects, gore, tension, and just sheer "WTF-uckery", but it's still a fun ride.

Probably one of the weakest points of the film is Lack, who is barely serviceable as the lead. Even though his performance is not bad, it's just too bland to get us all pumped up. Ironside, on the other hand, is all the opposite. His performance is energetic and in-your-face, and Ironside chews it all up pretty well.

The cast is rounded out by Jennifer O'Neill and Patrick McGoohan as the leader of a group that's trying to find Revok, and the doctor that's in charge of the scanner program of ConSec, a mysterious security company that might have ulterior motives. O'Neill is ok, but McGoohan is pretty good as he sells the doctor's nature and motivations. He's a complex character that I wish would've been explored more.

Overall, Scanners never regains the shock and awe of its opening act, but still manages to hold your interest with a solid and intriguing story, some tense moments, and compelling performances from Ironside and McGoohan.

Grade:



I forgot the opening line.
Charlie Wilson's War I rated quite highly (perhaps slightly too highly) when I saw it for the first time just over a month ago. The way it ended with that "a wise man once said" tale and a haunting sense of "we know what happened next" left me with quite an impression. That and everything with a great Philip Seymour Hoffman performance in it gets raised a half-point or so in my estimation. I agree with what you said though - a more serious tone might have transformed it into a real classic. Man, I miss Philip Seymour Hoffman.

Ida I watched a few days ago principally because of reading your review. I was swept away by every aspect of it - but especially that bare, empty look - the silence - the jaw-dropping cinematography. Pawel Pawlikowski's previous films don't look nearly as good, but this and Cold War are two of the best foreign language films I've seen by a present-day director.
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Remember - everything has an ending except hope, and sausages - they have two.
We miss you Takoma

Latest Review : Le Circle Rouge (1970)



To close out 2021, I dropped Special Episode 9 of my podcast, where I do a brief breakdown and analysis of the prologue of The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring:

Thief's Monthly Movie Loot - Special Episode IX (LOTR: The Fellowship of the Ring)

Remember, you can also listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and most podcast platforms.



PHANTOM THREAD
(2017, Anderson)
Freebie



"Je m’appelle Alma
...
I live here"

That's the territorial claim from Alma (Vicky Krieps) to a client of his paramour, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis). We don't get a lot of background on what drives Alma, but this little exchange lets us know how much she craves this standing and this position, which is what drives this toxic relationship with Woodcock forward in Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece.

Phantom Thread follows the relationship between Woodcock and Alma since their "puppy love" meeting at a restaurant to their established, toxic relationship of love and hate. Woodcock, a meticulous and obsessive bachelor with deep-seated "mommy issues" is prone to pick up and discard lovers with ease, but Alma seems determined to stake her claim on his life.

I saw this film back in 2018 and I loved it. Rewatched it recently for a podcast guest appearance and I loved it even more. The way Anderson carefully weaves this relationship, with each of their little quirks, is brilliant, but he's obviously helped by masterful performances from Day-Lewis and Krieps. The cast is rounded out by Lesley Manville, as Woodcock's controlling sister, Cyril.

Aside from the performances, Anderson borrows Woodcock's meticulousness to his direction, with some excellent camera placement and cinematography. Finally, Jonny Greenwood's score is just a gorgeous bonnet to top this costume. If Anderson keeps cooking these delicious omelets, I'm gonna keep gobbling them up.

Grade:



RAFIKI
(2018, Kahiu)
A film from Kenya



"I wish we could go somewhere where we could be real."

Kenya is a highly conservative country, where LGBTQ+ people are subject to explicit or covert discrimination and restrictions. Homosexuality in general is considered taboo and unacceptable by a large majority of people. So what can gay people do? where to escape? That is the question that the main characters ask themselves in this romantic drama.

Rafiki follows Kena (Samantha Mugatsia), a young woman whose father runs a small convenience store, while also running for a political seat in a local election. When Kena befriends Ziki (Sheila Munyiva), tensions arise about their relationship. Not only that, but Ziki also happens to be the daughter of the rival of Kena's father.

This film was recommended by a great Internet friend and I thought it was a very pleasant surprise. Being a romantic drama, there's little need for directorial "flair", so to speak, so director Wanuri Kahiu relies on the solid performances from Mugatsia and Munyiva. Both actress have great chemistry and sell the relationship really well.

The film does a good job of showing the struggles of LGBTQ people in Kenya, but without losing the focus of this specific relationship. You can see how both girls are looked at, and they're both "mobbed" inside a church and *really* mobbed by a crowd outside, but the script always stays inside this box, and it works.

There are a couple of shaky performances, clunky dialogue here and there, and some of the subplots feel a bit half-baked, but overall, the film succeeds in presenting a relationship and a situation that feels real, even if some people in Kenya don't want it to be.

Grade:



Love, love, love Phantom Thread. My favorite P.T. Anderson by far.

Thanks for a fun year, Thief. I'll hopefully put up my last films from 2021 by tomorrow.



PHANTOM THREAD
(2017, Anderson)
Freebie





That's the territorial claim from Alma (Vicky Krieps) to a client of his paramour, renowned dressmaker Reynolds Woodcock (Daniel Day-Lewis). We don't get a lot of background on what drives Alma, but this little exchange lets us know how much she craves this standing and this position, which is what drives this toxic relationship with Woodcock forward in Paul Thomas Anderson's masterpiece.

Phantom Thread follows the relationship between Woodcock and Alma since their "puppy love" meeting at a restaurant to their established, toxic relationship of love and hate. Woodcock, a meticulous and obsessive bachelor with deep-seated "mommy issues" is prone to pick up and discard lovers with ease, but Alma seems determined to stake her claim on his life.

I saw this film back in 2018 and I loved it. Rewatched it recently for a podcast guest appearance and I loved it even more. The way Anderson carefully weaves this relationship, with each of their little quirks, is brilliant, but he's obviously helped by masterful performances from Day-Lewis and Krieps. The cast is rounded out by Lesley Manville, as Woodcock's controlling sister, Cyril.

Aside from the performances, Anderson borrows Woodcock's meticulousness to his direction, with some excellent camera placement and cinematography. Finally, Jonny Greenwood's score is just a gorgeous bonnet to top this costume. If Anderson keeps cooking these delicious omelets, I'm gonna keep gobbling them up.

Grade:
Eh, I thought Thread was pretty good, but that's it; as far as PTA goes, I'd definitely go with There Will Be Blood, which, while a bit too "bombastic" at times, still engaged me more. In fact, the overly low-key nature of PT felt like an over-correction from Blood, so much so that, even the most memorable moment of the former (the moment where Reynolds
WARNING: spoilers below
hallucinated his mother on his sickbed)
still kind of stuck out like a sore thumb, since the sudden turn into that sort of pseudo-supernatural imagery still clashed with the tone of the rest of the film. Still a pretty good movie on the whole, but that's about it for me.



Love, love, love Phantom Thread. My favorite P.T. Anderson by far.

Thanks for a fun year, Thief. I'll hopefully put up my last films from 2021 by tomorrow.
Thanks! I still need to catch up with a couple of reviews and a podcast recording, but I managed to wrap up 2021 in the nick of time



Eh, I thought Thread was pretty good, but that's it; as far as PTA goes, I'd definitely go with There Will Be Blood, which, while a bit too "bombastic" at times, still engaged me more. In fact, the overly low-key nature of PT felt like an over-correction from Blood, so much so that, even the most memorable moment of the former (the moment where Reynolds
WARNING: spoilers below
hallucinated his mother on his sickbed)
still kind of stuck out like a sore thumb, since the sudden turn into that sort of pseudo-supernatural imagery still clashed with the tone of the rest of the film. Still a pretty good movie on the whole, but that's about it for me.
As far as ranking PTA, There Will Be Blood is still at the top, but this one's very, very close.



SERGEANT RUTLEDGE
(1960, Ford)
A western film



"Lady, you don't know how hard I'm trying to stay alive."

Sergeant Rutledge follows the titular man (Woody Strode), a black sergeant in a regiment of the U.S. Cavalry who is being court-martialed for the rape and murder of a white girl. He is represented by Lt. Tom Cantrell (Jeffrey Hunter), who is also Rutledge's troop officer.

The film starts as the court martial begins and then goes through a series of flashbacks from witnesses and Rutledge himself to explain what happened. These witnesses accounts serve to expose the racism and prejudice that Rutledge was, and still is subject to, as we understand how hard he is trying to stay alive.

This film was recommended by my friend @ThatDarnMKS during a podcast recording last year where we talked about "hidden gems". MKS commented on how strange it was that this film hardly ever came up in conversations about westerns or culturally/socially relevant films, even with John Ford's name attached to it. After watching it myself, I have to wonder the same.

The Wild West that is shown here, in 1881, is a West that is still getting use to changes; whether it is the struggles of expansion or the "integration" of black people into society and regular life. There are countless times when characters, with malice or not, refer to Rutledge as "colored", or cower from him as he approaches. Is it because they think he's a murderer/rapist, or because he's black?

But through it all, Rutledge is trying hard to stay alive. The sergeant isn't flawless, but is portrayed as a man of integrity, loyalty, and honor, and Strode has both a gallant and commanding presence to convey that. Regardless of the insults, the discrimination and false accusations, he never breaks... except for one key climatic moment in the trial; an extremely emotionally charged confession from Rutledge himself. Therein lies the power of the film; in that character and his struggles.

Like Rutledge, the film is not without flaws. I felt that the legal side of the film was a bit overwrought as it attempted to stretch the witnesses accounts to lead us one way. Also, there are some attempts at comedy that are hit and miss. Finally, despite Rutledge being the apparent focus of the film, the story can't help but resort to the "white savior" trope with the blue-eyed, square jawed Cantrell. Hunter's subpar performance only makes that shift feel worse.

It's interesting that as the court martial is resolved (a resolution that might seem to come a bit from left field), we don't even see Rutledge anymore. What we get is an ending to a half-baked romantic subplot with Cantrell and his white girlfriend kissing, as *other* black soldiers look and smile; a testament to what most *white* audiences would probably consider relevant. Where is Rutledge then? Trying hard to stay alive, I guess.

Grade:



ONE & ONE IS TWELVE
(2015, Ferlic)
A film with the number 12 (Twelve, Twelfth, etc.) in its title



"I love you more than my gun loves bullets"

One & One is Twelve is a 14 minute short from aspiring filmmaker Ryan Ferlic. It follows a young couple of bank robbers (Matt Rozsak and Hannah Sprigg) that are laying low in a motel. In the meantime, they reminisce about a weird conversation the guy had with a shoeshine earlier that day.

I've seen my share of amateur and independent short films, but few of them are as inept as this one. Ferlic seems to take doses of True Romance and Pulp Fiction, with sprinkles of the Coen Brothers, put them all in a blender, and film what comes out of it, however it comes out.

But well, this is the kind of thing you watch when you set up a goal and find yourself running against the clock. Ferlic's direction is frenetic and dizzying, most of the performances are cringe-inducing and just plain bad, the dialogue is horrendous, and the whole story makes no sense at all.

If anybody feels so inclined, you can look for it on Google or Vimeo. But be warned, it is rough.

Grade:



CHICAGO
(2002, Marshall)
The last Best Picture winner I haven't seen



"You're a phony celebrity and in two weeks no one's going to give a s-hit about you... that's Chicago."

Chicago follows Roxie Hart (Renée Zellweger), a housewife and aspiring entertainer that finds herself in jail for murder. While there, she hires Billy Flynn (Richard Gere), a brilliant but self-absorbed attorney that also happens to be representing Roxie's idol, Velma Kelly (Catherine Zeta-Jones). This puts both Roxie and Velma in a tug-o-war to hog the spotlight of their trials.

Musicals are a genre I rarely delve into when I was a teen. However, as I started getting more into films in the late 90s, I've been getting more and more into them. For some reason, Chicago went past me and I never got around to seeing it, not even as I've been watching all Best Picture winners. Until now.

One could say that Chicago works on two planes: first, the straightforward plot about Roxie's trial and her attempts to gain fame at all costs through it; and second, the musical numbers, which are usually shot on stage, independently of the first plane, and then weaved into the film through editing.

I might be a sole minority, but I found that aspect a bit disappointing, at least in many of the sequences. Part of me wishes there would've been a better integration between what's actually happening in the film and what's being sung and danced, instead of having a separate performance. However, it does lend itself to some interesting juxtapositions (the hanging of Helinszki, for example) and there are some times when actors do cross from one plane to the other.

Putting that aside, most of the songs are quite catchy and lively. I think "Mister Cellophane" and "We Both Reached for the Gun" were the most memorable for me, both in terms of music, performance, and what they mean regarding the story.

The performances are also quite good. The role of Roxie fits Zellweger perfectly, but I was more impressed by Zeta-Jones and Gere, both of which I found to be quite energetic and vibrant. I was very surprised by Gere, who is usually a very subdued actor, but he was very good. John C. Reilly and Queen Latifah round up a solid supporting cast.

In the end, the film ends up being a condemnation of the wants and spoils of fame and celebrity, and how fleeting it can be in the eyes of the press and the audience: "That's Chicago!", says Flynn at one point to show Roxie how the city operates. 20 years have passed and it seems that the "Chicago rule" doesn't apply to Chicago itself.

Grade:



MICKEY'S CHRISTMAS CAROL
(1983, Mattinson)
A Holiday/Christmas film



"Tonight, you will be visited by three spirits. Listen to 'em. Do what they say, or your chains will be heavier than mine. Farewell, Ebenezer."

This is the film I closed my year and my challenge with, an adaptation of Dickens' famous story with Walt Disney characters. I'm sure I had seen this before, but the kids asked for it on New Year's Eve and I was running against the clock to fulfill my challenge

As you all know, Scrooge McDuck (Alan Young) is a selfish miser that doesn't even celebrate Christmas and punishes his loyal employee, Mickey Mouse (Wayne Allwine) with endless work. That is until he is visited by three spirits that show him why he is the way he is, how his actions are affecting those around him, and where his actions will lead to eventually.

There's really not much to say. The story is widely known, but the animation and voice work is really nice. I will say that there seems to be genuine thought and care put into the "casting" of characters against Dickens' story, and those choices work.

Overall, I had fun and so did the kids, even though they know the story. It was a nice way to say goodbye to the year and it's a nice way to end this challenge.

Grade:



Finally, my December watches:

A film with a title that starts with the letters W, X, Y or Z: Young and Innocent (1937) This terribly titled (it makes you think you're about to watch something extremely illegal) Hitchcock film is not among his best, though his skills make it mostly tolerable. Unfortunately, an inventive crane shot is marred by a gross (though time-apprpriate and plot significant) use of blackface. Watch The Lady Vanishes instead.

Whiplash (2014) Everything I know about jazz I learned from reading American Splendor comics, which is to say I know almost nothing (not Harvey Pekar's fault), and even I know this movie is bullsh!t. J.K. Simmons (who is in fact great) won an Oscar for this, which is pretty incredible given his character has nothing to him beyond insults and an embarrassing philosophy. (It was no surprise to learn that the story his character tells about Charlie Parker is also bullsh!t--the true story tells the opposite of what the movie wants it to.) I feel bad about being so mean about this, but good grief. On the bright side, Miles Teller was okay?

A film from the 2020s: I'm Thinking of Ending Things (2020) Charlie Kaufman, so my sense of it is that if you like Kaufman you'll probbaly like this, and if you don't, you won't. Fortunately, I like him (though this is lesser Kaufman, tbh).

A western film: The Power of the Dog (2021) Best film of the year for me so far. Powerful and tense story about loneliness, fear, and what it means to be a man.

A film from Rita Moreno (born December 11): Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go for It (2021) This is mostly hagiography, but it's fun hagiography. I can't begrudge Moreno telling her story the way she wants to. The story about her first date with her husband is delightful; it's a shame the marriage didn't live up to it.

A Holiday/Christmas film: It's a Wonderful Life (1946) Well, it's a classic.



Nice! I wanted to get to Whiplash, but I had a helluva busy month and ended up running against the clock the last week. I also considered The Power of the Dog, but prioritized Sergeant Rutledge based on MKS recommendation.

Re: Young and Innocent, I thought this was OK. I "binged" it during an online Hitchcock course I took, along with his other spy thrillers of the late 1930s (The 39 Steps, Sabotage, Secret Agent, and The Lady Vanishes) and it worked fairly well within that context. I would still agree, though, that it's not among his best.

Thanks for joining the loot!



Here is my final tally for DECEMBER 2021:

A film with the number 12 (Twelve, Twelfth, etc.) in its title: One & One is Twelve (short film)
A film with a title that starts with the letters W, X, Y or Z: West Side Story
A film from the Criterion Collection whose number includes the #12 (i.e. 12, 128, 612): Scanners (#712)
A film from the 2020s: Rita Moreno: Just a Girl Who Decided to Go For It
A western film: Sergeant Rutledge
The last Best Picture winner I haven't seen: Chicago
The last film from any deceased director I like: Charlie Wilson's War
A film from Rita Moreno (born December 11): Carnal Knowledge, West Side Story
A film from Kenya (Independence Day, December 12): Rafiki
A Holiday/Christmas film: Mickey's Christmas Carol

Freebie: Phantom Thread







It was a rough month in terms of time and scheduling. There were a bunch of films I wanted to get to, but couldn't, and the last week I was like a speed demon to complete the challenge. Anyway, I'm happy with what I saw.

Not counting rewatches, the best watch was probably Carnal Knowledge, with Charlie Wilson's War and Rafiki probably in second tier.

As for the worse, easily the short film One & One is Twelve.