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The Mauritanian (2021)


I think I'm giving this the same rating I gave The Report with Adam Driver, and the content is similar about interrogation tactics post 9/11. There are plot points that unfold rather slowly, but it conveys the message pretty admirably by the end. It does pang with Anti-American type sentiment here and there, which is kind of the point given that our judicial system hasn't been as legal and fair as many believe (despite it still being more legal and fair than most judicial systems).



Minari- 8.5/10

Not a bad film, I quite liked it.



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Scream


7/10


A deliciously stupid horror movie, not in any way realistic,



-but funny


-hot actresses


-kinda scary


-complex plot


Looking forward to the sequel!



The Quiet Earth, 1985 (B)

A film in which a scientist wakes up the day a mysterious experiment he was involved in took place, the man finding himself seemingly the last man on earth.

It's interesting, but now awfully philosophically profound. It's enjoyable to watch however. It doesn't go far enough in any direction to be a must-see.



The Quiet Earth, 1985 (B)

A film in which a scientist wakes up the day a mysterious experiment he was involved in took place, the man finding himself seemingly the last man on earth.

It's interesting, but now awfully philosophically profound. It's enjoyable to watch however. It doesn't go far enough in any direction to be a must-see.
This movie is very memorable for me because it was one of the first movies I ever watched that had a sort of
WARNING: spoilers below
unresolved ending



Army of the Dead

A mess with some cool stuff and some bad stuff. Oddly has the same premise as Peninsula along with its forced melodrama. The back half is fun enough as it pulls a Carnosaur 2 and hews close enough to Aliens to make you wonder if a law suit is in the works.*

The parachute scene in the opening montage was the best part.




Seven Brides for Seven Brothers (1954) -

...

Truly an outrageously good time. I love and find it incredibly funny how the brothers literally steal girls by putting blankets on their heads. They also sing how it's okay if they're crying a little bit now because in reality they actually really love it! Would've been even funnier with potato bags instead of blankets. I mean, this is pretty wrong but come on, it's not like you're gonna take away any wrong notions from this kind of film. JUST HAVE FUN. And apparently, the best way to have fun is kidnapping a woman. And then she will fall in love with you and sit at home peacefully knitting a sweater for you. Stockholm Syndrome style! Sounds good! The only thing this is missing is rapes and a harsh noise soundtrack but we have to wait another 40-something years for that. God Bless Japan.
I loved this film, and have seen it several times since it was released in 1954. Produced in the "goody two-shoes" 1950s, it was one of the many lavish MGM musicals.

It's a corny but good-natured story with absolutely astonishing dance numbers-- possibly some of the most athletic on film. If one likes "boy gets girl" stories, this one is times 7!



Sorry if I'm rude but I'm right
Yeah, one of the more kinetic musicals, for sure. The barn-raising sequence is incredible.
__________________
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.





Crossfire, 1947

In an apartment, a man (Sam Levene) is beaten to death by an unseen assailant. The lead detective on the case, Finlay (Robert Young) quickly discovers that the dead man crossed paths with a trio of soldiers the night before. Montgomery (Robert Ryan) is a bit of a blowhard, Floyd Bowers (Steve Brodie) tends to follow Montgomery around, Leroy (William Phipps) is a scrupulously honest young man from Tennessee, and Mitchell (George Cooper) is dealing with depression as he finds himself headed back for civilian life. The soldiers' sergeant, Keeley (Robert Mitchum) decides to investigate on his own as the police begin to close in on his men.

It's always interesting how many people seem to think that films about prejudice are a modern phenomenon. This film, much like the Oscar winner from the same year, Gentleman's Agreement, is a stark examination of prejudice and the kind of narratives that people with those biases build up in order to justify their hate.

What does feel a bit modern about the film is its use of flashbacks. While many films use flashbacks, the ones in Crossfire are highly subjective. Whether it's the way that the camera focuses on certain characters, the way that certain conversations are emphasized, or the way that the camera blurs and cuts when in the memories of a man who was drunk on the night in question, the flashbacks feel like they trend more toward the Rashomon side of things.

I also liked the different layers of loyalty, and the way that it conflicted, between the different characters. Keeley is loyal to his men, but there may be unfairness happening within the group of soldiers. The soldiers want to protect each other, but at what cost?

My only real criticism of the film has to do with the pacing of certain "reveals". In my opinion, and maybe this is because I was expecting more of a mystery, it would have been nice if there were a bit more ambiguity as to who committed the crime. This is more one of those films where you wait for everyone to figure out what you know from the first 10 minutes. I will say that the way that it is all resolved is relatively satisfying, but I was hoping for a bit more mystery stuff.

I did appreciate the way that the film contextualized prejudice, even if it does come in the form of a rather blunt speech from Finlay. It calls out bystanders, and I feel as if that is less common.
WARNING: spoilers below
This business of hating Jews comes in a lot of different sizes. There's the "you can't join our country club" kind and "you can't live around here" kind. Yes, and the "you can't work here" kind. And because we stand for all of these, we get Monty's kind. He's just one guy, we don't get him very often, but he grows out of all the rest.





Army of the Dead

A mess with some cool stuff and some bad stuff. Oddly has the same premise as Peninsula along with its forced melodrama. The back half is fun enough as it pulls a Carnosaur 2 and hews close enough to Aliens to make you wonder if a law suit is in the works.*

The parachute scene in the opening montage was the best part.

I liked it well enough, although it was half an hour too long and had too many characters (or, citing Aliens, not enough Bill Paxtons to punch them up). Tig Notaro was my favourite, surprisingly (given that she was put in after the fact - I'm sure people can point out wonky effects and whatnot, but I found her inserted naturally enough).


That being said, it was a good enough excuse to revisit Snyder's Dawn of the Dead remake, the only film of his I like without reservations.*Still slaps, as the kids say these days.*



I forgot the opening line.


A Street Cat Named Bob - (2016)

The Rotten Tomatoes' consensus of A Street Cat Named Bob says that it's an "unapologetically heartwarming movie that should move all but the most cynical of viewers." That's where I come in apparently. Bob tells the true-life story of a junkie who strikes up a friendship with a cat - one that saves him both literally and spiritually. That sounds like a really good movie I'd like to see - but when I watched this I just wanted it all to be over with as quickly as possible. I found Luke Treadaway's James Bowen whiny and irritating while Bob the cat looks like he's thinking of better days, before he was plucked and placed on Treadway's shoulders for a film production.

The real James Bowen felt Bob was interesting enough to write novel after novel about, and the adaptation for this film by Tim John and Maria Nation unfortunately required Luke Treadaway to do some busking, which in turn required me to lower the volume. Pitch perfect he is not. Something else I learned was that it's nigh-on impossible to edit a film with an independently-minded cat in it. Bob has since been run over by a car, but not before appearing in a sequel last year - A Christmas Gift from Bob. I love my cat, but all of this popularity and praise from critics is beyond me, although I'll admit I've been difficult to please lately. Great story but bad movie.

3/10



"Nomadland"7/10

A story that I can relate to, having relatives striving to seek out a living. Yes, this is an occurance in America. This film does a good job at presenting it, albeit a tad over the top, but delivers the gist of the topic matter.



Touchez Pas Au Grisbi (1954)

+


This is on both the Ebert and Noirs list under Honour Among Thieves, and it's also known as Hands off the Loot. It's a more classy than usual crime film and Jean Gabin is excellent. It reminded me of Goodfellas in little ways and I felt like I was watching something influential. Damn good.