Rate The Last Movie You Saw

By Shochiku - https://www.shochiku.co.jp/cinema/database/03387/, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=69839342

The Human Condition III : A Soldier's Prayer - (1961)

So completes one of the most stunning and epic dramas I've ever watched - it's certainly near-impossible to find a film as purposeful and meaningful, and it's about as far from preachy or overbearing as you can get. Kaji (Tatsuya Nakadai) has a kind of doomed idealism when it comes to humanity - so much so that he believes his Soviet enemies are sure to live in a Socialist paradise. He always did have a disconnect with what works on paper and what works in real life. At every turn he tries to turn his humanist passion into some kind of workable strategy despite facing situations that are hopeless from that kind of perspective. In the first film he worked for a labor camp, trying to improve the conditions for the Chinese slaves there. In the second he found himself conscripted into the army, furious at the mistreatment of his fellow recruits. Here, he's on the run, and eventually lands in a Soviet P.O.W. camp, where he is tested to his absolute limits when he finds out that, once again, the most cruel and corrupt are usually the ones who find themselves with power over others. The trilogy (which is really one film - three parts all necessary to each other) says as much about humanist ideals, and humanity, as any film can. To top all of that off it's visually brilliant, with performances, sound, editing and direction that's perfect. The themes it wrestles with are complex and they aren't handled with naivety - instead bending to reality. My rating below is for the 3 films combined - which taken together form an absolute masterpiece.

10/10

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Glad you loved the trilogy.

The Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)

I’ve always avoided this like the plague (not a huge fan of Japanese cinema), but you do make it sound awfully good. Maybe I’ll give it a shot.

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I’m here only on Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays. That’s why I’m here now.

Duel (1971) 8/10

Bullet Train -

Brad Pitt? A briefcase? Is this a Quentin Tarantino movie? No, but it tries to be one with its story involving rival hitmen, gang warfare, revenge, obscure pop culture references, unexpected use of food and drink, etc. The title refers to where all the action takes place, which is bound for Kyoto and from which the perpetually unlucky Ladybug (Brad Pitt) must retrieve that classic MacGuffin. Unfortunately, most of the passengers have an interest in the briefcase as well and are willing to kill to make it theirs, whether it's brother hitmen Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) or the school uniform-clad Prince (Joey King).

For the most part, I do not love action movies inspired by Quentin Tarantino's work. Besides lacking their secret sauce, the average one tends to be too clever and smug for my liking, not to mention unsatisfying on an emotional level. While this one didn't change my mind about them, it has enough going for it that it held my interest until the end. Overly cute monikers are an annoying cliché of this subgenre, mostly because they tend to be the most interesting thing about the characters who have them, but whenever any of them appears on screen, I genuinely cared about what would happen to them instead of reacting how I usually do, which is "oh it's that guy, and if I remember correctly, he wants to kill that other guy." The all-star cast helps, as does getting to see everyone at their best and worst, which combined with Leitch's knack for directing a good action scene give the movie the added benefit of not being easy to predict. It also pushes the cameo button, but each one is inspired and it thankfully doesn't push it too much. There are also some pretty amazing special effects, including one where I was certain Ladybug's bad luck would finally get the better of him that took my breath away. Despite what I like about it, I still has qualities that make me remember why this isn't my favorite flavor of action. The movie does cameos right, but it does push the flashback button too many times for my liking, and the lengthy and staccato dialogue tends to be more long-winded than witty. Also, for being set in Tokyo, there is an annoying lack of Japanese people. Once again, this is a subgenre I side-eye, and even though I enjoyed it more than most, I'll continue to side eye it. If you're more tolerant of such movies than I am, though, that it's on Netflix (as of late 2022, anyway) is a gift.

Glad you loved it! It indeed is one of the greatest works of (any) art and definitely among the 20 best films ever made. The deep humanism of The Human Condition Trilogy is absolutely gut-wrenching, and it's 100% what I meant by "humane" when discussing "humane movies" with @Yoda the other day.

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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.

Summer 1993, 2017

Young Frida (Laia Artigas) has just lost her mother to illness, having already lost her father. She is taken in by her uncle Esteve (David Verdaguer) and aunt Marga (Bruna Cusí), who also have a younger child named Anna (Paula Robles). Over the course of the summer, Frida must adapt to her new life and new family situation.

This was a very good, realistic look at a short period of time in which a child is going through an intense emotional experience. It captures the point of view of its child protagonist pretty incredibly, and slowly builds to a low-key but devastating conclusion.

So much of the success of this film rests on the performance of Artigas as Frida, and she is really excellent. I cannot say enough nice things about her performance, and especially the chemistry that she has with all of the other actors, particularly the very young Robles. The two young actors capture the kind rivalry that defines so many sibling relationships, and especially in this case where they are going from cousins to sisters.

The film walks just the right line in its portrayal of the family dynamic as they all adjust. Esteve and Marga are welcoming to Frida, but at times they do show some frustration with her. Of course, every word of criticism hits Frida extra hard in her fragile state, such as when Esteve scolds her for allowing Anna to walk into a river where she falls under the water for a frightening moment. Further, even the setting of the home is a new world for Frida. Coming back to her point of view, as she watches the farm animals being slaughtered, she tries to reconcile these images with her limited understanding of her mother's death.

The movie builds to a moment that is quietly devastating. It all begins with a bathtime routine, and the girls being put into their nightgowns. Suddenly, .

This was a really beautiful movie, anchored by an incredible central performance. The emotional tumult of the last 10 minutes really snuck up on me, only to hit me like a train. It's a film that doesn't need to drum up drama any more than the real experience of someone adjusting to life after a traumatic upheaval. Based on the real experience of the writer/director Carla Simon, it lives in little details like the short argument between the girls over who gets to hold a bar of soap at bath time.

Felt let down by Smile (2022). I heard it got fairly strong reviews but to me it just seemed like a slapdash version of The Ring with jump-scares instead of atmospheric horror. Lead actress was solid, I appreciate the extended metaphor on trauma, but it just fizzled as a movie imo.

This bugged me as well, I mean, not specifically the lack of Japanese people so much as the lack of any cool/exotic local flavor. Being in the first-class section of a Japanese bullet train seems like it ought to be a baller experience but we barely get to see any of that in the movie.

I just finished watching the new film Till (2022). Till is the true story of Mamie Till Mobley’s pursuit of justice for her 14 year old son, Emmett Till, who was brutally murdered in 1955. Till is a powerful film with an excellent performance by Danielle Deadwyler, definitely one of the top 5 best performances by a lead actress this year. Although it wouldn't make my personal top 10 of the year, I do think it is a better film than potential best picture nominees like Avatar: The Way of the Water, The Banshees of Inisherin, Elvis,and Top Gun: Maverick. My rating is .

By http://www.impawards.com/2012/avengers_ver14.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=32483419

The Avengers - (2012)

Finally saw this after catching up with 2 Iron Man films, one Hulk film, one Thor film and a Captain America film - it was the one everyone was talking about around 10 years ago, and I thought it was bordering on great for what it is. Much better than most of the films preceding it, with Joss Whedon seemingly free to let loose after the studio had to hold back during the universe-building stage of this massive project. It was nice to come into this without holding my breath, and instead just seeing it as an average everyday movie with fewer expectations. Although I'm no fan of CGI effects, some of the visuals here are stunning, awe-inspiring and a lot of fun. I don't think they took a single wrong step with this first Avengers film, and it benefited by having a bunch of characters who had entire movies behind them to build their characters (what other film has that?) I didn't go see this when it came out because I'd reached my breaking point with superhero movies and had stopped going to see them - but today it feels like I can satisfy my curiosity at my leisure with so many Marvel Cinematic Universe films out there now. I know I'll grow tired of the formula, but while I'm having fun I'll keep on going.

7.5/10


By http://www.impawards.com/2013/iron_man_three_ver7.html, Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=38658006

Iron Man 3 - (2013)

Okay, so I came back down to earth a little with this first installment of "Phase 2" - although it had it's moments here and there, not least of which was the scene where Tony Stark's private residence gets completely destroyed. I also kinda liked the fact that the filmmakers were acknowledging the psychological effects of battle - having Stark fight panic attacks after experiencing what he did in The Avengers. There was a lot of formulaic plotting in this though, and it happens to do something I don't like with franchises - it's "episodic". By that I mean that new characters are introduced at the beginning of the film, and they either die or go away by the films' conclusion, meaning the movie itself doesn't have any relevance to any of the others. Star Trek Beyond was a little like that, and it always feels like a series is treading water, not knowing what to do, when it becomes episodic like that. Anyway, Iron Man 3 squeaks by as average and forgettable - I knew about the Mandarin reveal, having heard about it at the time - I'm sorry for people who loved that character. This is lucky to get the score I give it, but it gets by on it's sure-footed screenplay and effects, even if it's quite underwhelming compared to the other films in this universe.

6/10

The Sugarland Express (1974): 9/10

Just never warmed up to this trailer, so I passed.

The Unforgiven (1960)

The last movie I saw was White Noise on Netflix. For me, it is 2/5. I actually enjoyed the first half of the movie. The cast was really good, I enjoyed the quick dialogue and while everything was bizarre, I enjoyed it and still was curious where it was going. The second part of the movie, the tone shifts as well as the stories (not the actual theme, which I know now, but I didn't know it during the initial watch) and it just didn't work for me. While the cast remains great (I especially like Gerwig in one scene), by the end of the movie not even them could hold my interest.

Spring Breakers, 2012

A group of college students, Faith (Selena Gomez), Candy (Vanessa Hudgens), Brit (Ashley Benson), and Cotty (Rachel Korine), are desperate to go on a spring break to Florida. A few of the girls pull off an armed robbery to fund their trip, and they head down to the beach. But after a few days of partying, they are arrested, only to be bailed out by Alien (James Franco), a self-styled "gangster" who leads the girls down an even more dangerous path.

Does anyone else ever feel left out when you watch a movie that has repeatedly been described as "love it or hate it" and instead of feeling either of those strong emotions you just think it's, like, fine?

The best part of the film is the overall style and look of it. The heavily neon costuming and lighting nicely mirror the sensory overload of a wild spring break party. As the film moves into its final third, the deep saturation of neon pink begins to take on an eerie, demented quality. The characters have gone from taking a break from their normal lives to existing in a completely different, alien mindset.

There are also some good laughs to be mined from the self-serious way that the characters talk about themselves and spring break. Fed up with living in their small town, Faith sincerely opines that going on spring break is how the girls can "find themselves", as if drinking games and unhinged groping are a path to enlightenment as opposed to an exhilarating teenage indulgence. And their posturing is matched by that of Alien, who thinks that his DVD collection and Calvin Klein body sprays somehow make him a triumphant figure. (I'm sorry, but is there anything sadder or more off-putting than a man dousing himself in TWO different body scents?).

And even though it's a bit cliche, I did enjoy some of the "who's actually the dangerous one here?" dynamic between Alien and the young women. Alien clearly believes that he's exploiting them, but he doesn't understand just how far they will go for a thrill.

Fundamentally, though, I thought that the film lacked some grounding. Several times I just didn't feel like the way that the movie was shot aligned well with a point of view, especially in the first half. I get why we have so many jiggle shots in the sequences on the beach. But why are we zooming in on crotches when the girls are just hanging out with each other in the dorm hallway? Several times the leering eye of the camera didn't make sense to me.

I was also unsure of what to make of the film's portrayal of Big Arch (Gucci Mane) and his entire organization. On one hand, the film is very comfortable satirizing the extent of Alien's shallow appropriation of Black culture (his cornrows, grill, rap career, use of racial slurs, Kool Aid, etc). But where does that position Archie and his colleagues? Are they the "real thing"? How are we meant to take, then, that they are .

There are some really great visual moments--and yes, the Britney Spears "Everytime" montage is really good--and it certainly held my interest from beginning to end. But it loses something when and it never manages to recapture the character dynamics of the beginning of the film.

Same here, but its high Letterboxd score and reviews from users I trust led me to believe it's a hidden gem. I should have learned from the Snakes on a Plane hype to never trust the Internet...

...except for all of you, of course. You're all cool.