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But if it t'were so obvious, then why have so many people failed to notice the significance?
Jinn's 100 Films of the 2010s
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While I have no strong feelings about the Weeknd's music or bucket-shaped head, I find him a significantly more tolerable representative of my city than Drake.
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While I have no strong feelings about the Weeknd's music or bucket-shaped head, I find him a significantly more tolerable representative of my city than Drake.
I reluctantly agree, but I suspect that both Weeknd (buy a vowel, Mabel) and Drake are actively involved in trafficking these American yuppie refugees obsessed with building condos on top of cultural landmarks. But at least Weeknd isn't selling scrote-musk candles. Yet.
Also, in his defense, Uncut Gems. And the time I looked up "Blinding Lights" on YouTube and 90% of the comments were some variation of "it's like Michael Jackson turned into the Joker!" Drake will never bring me such joy.
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Not to make this thread any more about Drake, especially since he'd love it, but he's the subject one of the better recent Onion articles:
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I cannot hold real estate trends against the Weeknd however.
Also, in his defense, Uncut Gems.
Soon this city will consist of nothing more than wildly overpriced condos. I cannot hold real estate trends against the Weeknd however.
Also, in his defense, Uncut Gems. And the time I looked up "Blinding Lights" on YouTube and 90% of the comments were some variation of "it's like Michael Jackson turned into the Joker!" Drake will never bring me such joy.
Also, in his defense, Uncut Gems. And the time I looked up "Blinding Lights" on YouTube and 90% of the comments were some variation of "it's like Michael Jackson turned into the Joker!" Drake will never bring me such joy.
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52. Certified Copy (2010, dir. Abbas Kiarostami)
Kiarostami's beautifully realized script is another balance (much like Kaufman after him) between artifice and authenticity, the selfish ideal vs. the compromise of relationships. William Shimell, in his first acting role, is fine, but Juliette Binoche is an unstoppable 18-wheeler of refined emotive potency in a career high for an already stellar resume.
Kiarostami's beautifully realized script is another balance (much like Kaufman after him) between artifice and authenticity, the selfish ideal vs. the compromise of relationships. William Shimell, in his first acting role, is fine, but Juliette Binoche is an unstoppable 18-wheeler of refined emotive potency in a career high for an already stellar resume.
51. The Favourite (2018, dir. Yorgos Lanthimos)
Ribald and nasty piece of business involving the mildly pathetic decadence of Queen Anne and two of her more enthusiastic sycophants. The film is darkly funny, lined with excellent performances, and enough sweet spite to season the poor English cuisine through to the Windsors. And ducks, restless thirsty fowl. It's all enough to tickle my vicarious vajuju.
Ribald and nasty piece of business involving the mildly pathetic decadence of Queen Anne and two of her more enthusiastic sycophants. The film is darkly funny, lined with excellent performances, and enough sweet spite to season the poor English cuisine through to the Windsors. And ducks, restless thirsty fowl. It's all enough to tickle my vicarious vajuju.
50. The Blackcoat's Daughter (2015, dir. Oz Perkins)
One of the most impressive horror films of the decade, this is also one of the few films that compelled me to do an immediate rewatch. It is like a brand new film emerges in light of its revelation, something that most "big twist" films aspire to but few accomplish. I appreciate how the film manages to preserve both a supernatural interpretation as well as a purely psychological interpretation,
and the finale's suggestion that
I was intrigued that a working title of the film was February, because the film is one of the more accurate representations of seasonal affective disorder that I've seen. The vacuum of this cold white abyss is trying on most eyes, but especially a teenage girl prodigy who's too young to partake in the older teen girl games (idealized as Rose). This dark greyness is profoundly portrayed in the cold tile interiors, the bottomless hallways, and most powerfully in the incessant purr of the heating system, constantly and quietly in the ambient soundtrack, a perfect refuge for unseen, ignored forces. "Chilling" is a critical cliche, but it's the only word that really captures the film.
One of the most impressive horror films of the decade, this is also one of the few films that compelled me to do an immediate rewatch. It is like a brand new film emerges in light of its revelation, something that most "big twist" films aspire to but few accomplish. I appreciate how the film manages to preserve both a supernatural interpretation as well as a purely psychological interpretation,
WARNING: spoilers below
although Kat's premonition of her parents' death can really only be seen as supernatural, as well as the film's other many idiosyncratic synchronicities
WARNING: spoilers below
Kat/Joan's idol demon has abandoned her is almost a more frightening ending to the more secular possibility that her hallucinations have failed her.
I was intrigued that a working title of the film was February, because the film is one of the more accurate representations of seasonal affective disorder that I've seen. The vacuum of this cold white abyss is trying on most eyes, but especially a teenage girl prodigy who's too young to partake in the older teen girl games (idealized as Rose). This dark greyness is profoundly portrayed in the cold tile interiors, the bottomless hallways, and most powerfully in the incessant purr of the heating system, constantly and quietly in the ambient soundtrack, a perfect refuge for unseen, ignored forces. "Chilling" is a critical cliche, but it's the only word that really captures the film.
While I enjoy the majority of his latest album, After Hours, the 3 song stretch of Blinding Lights, In Your Eyes and Save Your Tears is as good as any stretch of pop music I've heard in a decade or so.
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While I will not doubt your opinion, you have to understand that I make no effort to keep up with current music. I could probably count on one hand the number of songs from the past five years I've listened to intentionally.
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Check em out if you get the chance. Especially his music video for Save Your Tears, which I posted. His video for Too Late from the same album is better than the song and worth giving a gander. Goodnight Mommy and Neon Demon vibes to it.
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Will do, but won't get my hopes up for a Sandler fist fight. The fact that I don't actively hate him right now is a good sign.
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I've barely seen any of these movies. I'm so out of touch.
And so the Weeknd is now some kind of mix of Future Islands and Twin Shadow. Can't fault retro visions though since both of those bands crib everything from the past and I encourage both to be appreciated. I really only know Weeknds first record though, which is fine but has never been a favorite
And so the Weeknd is now some kind of mix of Future Islands and Twin Shadow. Can't fault retro visions though since both of those bands crib everything from the past and I encourage both to be appreciated. I really only know Weeknds first record though, which is fine but has never been a favorite
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91. Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017, dir. Dan Gilroy)
Another one of the decade's films that I feel was undeservedly ignored on release, as well as critically, because it's a film that refused to abide by any specific genre expectations. It's not a crime drama, a courtroom drama, a dark comedy, a political statement. It has none of the sinister qualities that Gilroy was praised for in Nightcrawler. It has none of the race sermonizing of the films by Spike Lee or Boots Riley. Without a tangible criminal or legal plot, without a self-congratulatory message for the critics to applaud, the film seemed lost on most audiences.
The film is actually a deep character study, one which flirts with the genre conventions mentioned above but keeps its focus on its character, warmly realized by Denzel Washington (his best acting of the decade), an old school civil rights lawyer who is lost in an era that no longer appreciates his individualism or ideology, an adherent to "soul" and "unity" that his community increasingly considers antiquated and nostalgic values. It's the generational and political dialectic of the black community that made many critics and activists uncomfortable because the script avoids cliches and stereotypes. Israel is not some crusty Uncle Ruckus yelling about the kids today. Ultimately, the character's refusal to fit into an easy sociopolitical category is what makes him formidable, and also vulnerable to temptation as his disenchantment pervades.
HM: Sorry To Bother You (2018, dir. Boots Riley) - I've admired Boots since The Coup, but I've never subscribed to his Marxist critiques. Beyond that, however, this is such an unpredictablly bonkers and ambitious film that it has to be considered one of the most remarkable films of the decade.
Another one of the decade's films that I feel was undeservedly ignored on release, as well as critically, because it's a film that refused to abide by any specific genre expectations. It's not a crime drama, a courtroom drama, a dark comedy, a political statement. It has none of the sinister qualities that Gilroy was praised for in Nightcrawler. It has none of the race sermonizing of the films by Spike Lee or Boots Riley. Without a tangible criminal or legal plot, without a self-congratulatory message for the critics to applaud, the film seemed lost on most audiences.
The film is actually a deep character study, one which flirts with the genre conventions mentioned above but keeps its focus on its character, warmly realized by Denzel Washington (his best acting of the decade), an old school civil rights lawyer who is lost in an era that no longer appreciates his individualism or ideology, an adherent to "soul" and "unity" that his community increasingly considers antiquated and nostalgic values. It's the generational and political dialectic of the black community that made many critics and activists uncomfortable because the script avoids cliches and stereotypes. Israel is not some crusty Uncle Ruckus yelling about the kids today. Ultimately, the character's refusal to fit into an easy sociopolitical category is what makes him formidable, and also vulnerable to temptation as his disenchantment pervades.
HM: Sorry To Bother You (2018, dir. Boots Riley) - I've admired Boots since The Coup, but I've never subscribed to his Marxist critiques. Beyond that, however, this is such an unpredictablly bonkers and ambitious film that it has to be considered one of the most remarkable films of the decade.
Sorry to Bother You was an interesting little movie...here's a link to my review:
https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/...other-you.html
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56. Gravity (2013, dir. Alfonso Cuaron)
One of the few mega-FX IMAX experiences that managed to live up to the immersive hype. It helps that the 3D is focused on depth and scale rather than blurry popping pyrotechnics, immersion within the frame rather than without. More fundamentally it works as a moving character drama - maybe even the female analogue to something like Ad Astra - with Sandra Bullock (an actress that I haven't been typically impressed with) holding down a strong central performance admirably. A true triumph of will.
One of the few mega-FX IMAX experiences that managed to live up to the immersive hype. It helps that the 3D is focused on depth and scale rather than blurry popping pyrotechnics, immersion within the frame rather than without. More fundamentally it works as a moving character drama - maybe even the female analogue to something like Ad Astra - with Sandra Bullock (an actress that I haven't been typically impressed with) holding down a strong central performance admirably. A true triumph of will.
https://www.movieforums.com/reviews/...3-gravity.html
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55. Eighth Grade (2018, dir. Bo Burnham)
Most modern American films about "these kids" are full of ersatz self-flattering attempts at fleekness (?, I dunno, I've only heard the term used by desperately cool parents), full of sitcom-worthy sass and spunk and pitifully obsessed with the relevance of dank social memes. So it's completely refreshing to see a film that subverts such a need for relevance by framing all of that as precisely what it is: youth marketing gimmicks that most kids, thankfully, can see through as easily as all of the other toothless reassurances they didn't ask to hear. This is the only recent youth-oriented film that I can think of that treated the specific influence of social media in a mature and realistic way that isn't afraid of alienating an overly tech-defensive audience. Instead it treats social media as yet another, and more complex, set of challenges and social expectations. The film keeps its focus on what's real - the insecure Kayla (Elsie Fisher) - and her frustrating quest for confidence and validation.
Most modern American films about "these kids" are full of ersatz self-flattering attempts at fleekness (?, I dunno, I've only heard the term used by desperately cool parents), full of sitcom-worthy sass and spunk and pitifully obsessed with the relevance of dank social memes. So it's completely refreshing to see a film that subverts such a need for relevance by framing all of that as precisely what it is: youth marketing gimmicks that most kids, thankfully, can see through as easily as all of the other toothless reassurances they didn't ask to hear. This is the only recent youth-oriented film that I can think of that treated the specific influence of social media in a mature and realistic way that isn't afraid of alienating an overly tech-defensive audience. Instead it treats social media as yet another, and more complex, set of challenges and social expectations. The film keeps its focus on what's real - the insecure Kayla (Elsie Fisher) - and her frustrating quest for confidence and validation.
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58. Parasite (2019, dir. Bong Joon-ho)
Now known as the film that busted through the Asian Ceiling of Oscar acclaim, it may not be the very best of the recent renaissance of Korean cinema, but it is a perfect fit to be the one to kick down America's doors. Initially a spunky class comedy, it slips into darkness with a quickness by the halfway mark, and careens into chaotic terror. No one is spared from charges of hypocrisy here. After Carnage, this is one of three films that I can imagine would make Luis Bunuel proud. (The third will appear a bit higher.)
Now known as the film that busted through the Asian Ceiling of Oscar acclaim, it may not be the very best of the recent renaissance of Korean cinema, but it is a perfect fit to be the one to kick down America's doors. Initially a spunky class comedy, it slips into darkness with a quickness by the halfway mark, and careens into chaotic terror. No one is spared from charges of hypocrisy here. After Carnage, this is one of three films that I can imagine would make Luis Bunuel proud. (The third will appear a bit higher.)
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