The 29th Hall of Fame

Pretty much 5 days to go. 6 days - if you include the due date. Then it's on to the 2nd Hall of Infamy.

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So I guess what you're saying is I better watch Das Boot super soon

Yep! And @ueno_station54 still has Stroszek and Tomboy to go, @Okay still has Tomboy and The Promise to go, and @Wyldesyde19 has a challenging 5 movies to go.

The Boot is over halfway done from me.

It’s actually 3. I have Tomboy already watched, I just need to write a review.
That leaves Anomalisa, Robot and Stroszek.*
Adams Apples is disqualified

Ahh yes, forgot about Adams Apples.

I’m hoping to finish this week, but likely I will have one film to go by the deadline in which case, I’ll need an extra day.

I’ll finally have my review for Tomboy tonight, followed by Stroszek tomorrow or so

I'll accept a voting list as soon as you've seen the last film, with that last review to come at your leisure.

It shouldn’t be no more then a day.

Tomboy

The story about a little girl who pretends to be a boy, this is a film full of little moments that add up to a great viewing experience. We get no explanations, and real exposition. It’s just a straightforward story about how she/he interacts with the children and how they act towards her/him before and after.

We never get a real sense of Laure/Mickaels thought process, but at that age, it doesn’t matter. It’s the little moments, quiet ones with little dialogue that linger. Especially the scenes between her/him and his/her little sister, who seems to accept the change with no issue. She just seems happy to be be able to spend time with her big “brother”.

It’s a brisk movie, as it avoids grandstanding or making big speeches about gender identity. If there is one issue, it does feel rather voyeuristic as it lingers on the girls body at certain angles that make me slightly uncomfortable at times. And the nude scene reveal at the beginning wasn’t really necessary. But those aren’t enough to detract from what is a really good film.

This is my second Scianma, and she’s definitely becoming a director I will be seeking out more often.

Good review. I agree with you about the film not grandstanding or making big speeches and I think that helped make it a better film. I can see why parts of it might seem voyeuristic, but it didn't bother me. I've seen 4 films by Scianma and they were all good to great. She is an excellent director for sure.

Das Boot



This was my second watch and I suppose not a whole lot changed. I loved the setting in the submarine and how we feel like we are right there and in on the action. I definitely felt the length of the film this go around. While there is plenty of suspense in the film, there is also a lot of lulls. The actors aren't anything extraordinary but I think it's a well directed film. I think it paid to not really have anyone stand out anyways and I feel that way maybe intentional. I think it's a well made film but I wouldn't necessarily call it a great one either.

+

What were people thinking was the front runner in this Hall? I think it's going to be a super close battle.

I'm thinking Goldfinger is likely the front runner, but Das Boot could end up winning.

Stroszek (Werner Herzog, 1977)

I liked this well enough but I can already feel it slipping from my memory even though I just finished watching it. I dig the grimy aesthetic a lot of it has (especially in the early parts of the film) and the colour palette is lovely. For the most part I like how scant it is on plot details but it does lead to the last act ramping up too suddenly and I wasn't really big on where it went from there, though there is some cool imagery towards the end. A selfish request on my part but I wish the music element carried further into the film (I love the accordion) though I guess the point is to take everything away from this dude. A pleasant enough experience but nothing that hits me all that strong despite having elements I like quite a bit.

Tomboy (Celine Sciamma, 2011)

Yeah, obviously the gender stuff is high-key relatable to me but the authentic depiction of self discovery presented here is likely relatable to more than just people who've questioned their gender at some point. As someone who has definitely felt the fear of being outed though and someone who just finds situations like that in films generally to be stressful, oh gosh this was a very stressful watch lmao. Probably more than it was intended to be but its not a negative at all. I think this is a pretty great film for what its going for but its still not really my thing stylistically. Like, of course the film wouldn't work at all if it wasn't as direct, straightforward and real as it is but it just doesn't really grab me much as far as the filmic elements are concerned, despite the high, high relatability factor. Y'all know the dumb shit I like and this is absolutely not that and it shouldn't be. Anyway, heteronormative expectations and gender norms are a prison trans rights baby!

I would have loved to have heard more of that as well. I thought it might be central to the film at first.

I wish I could share the way the voting has gone since ballots have started coming in...but I'll be able to pretty soon now...it's quite interesting.

I’ll have my review of Stroszek up soon. Hitting the road again and won’t be home until Sunday sometime. That still gives me a day to finish the last 2 movies.

Watch the movies while you drive...Oh never mind bad idea

Goldfinger and Das Boot are probably the favorites, but I think The Promise could pull an upset.