Cobpyth's Movie Log ~ 2019

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#39 - Us (2019) ~ July 17



Crazy good film from beginning to end. Somehow liked this a lot better than Get Out. Probably because it was less concerned with obvious social commentary (it's still here but way less on the nose) and more with offering a hugely original cinematic piece of entertainment. I felt thrilled throughout the whole running time. Exceptional piece of work!



#40 - Vox Lux (2018) ~ July 27



Interesting enough cinematic experience which tells the weird but sometimes also familiar story of a fictional pop star (portrayed by Natalie Portman). The shocking beginning creates a surprising basis for this tale of obnoxious fame.

The reason this doesn't seem to be that well liked by the public probably lies in the fact that it mostly consists of pessimistic and cynical drama that never really offers any satisfying closure. I did kind of like it, though, but I can see why many would think this is quite a wearisome film.



#41 - Climax (2018) ~ August



This was my first cinematic meeting with the renowned French filmmaker Gaspar Noé. I must say that I was extremely impressed. The camerawork is absolutely stunning and the whole film makes for a uniquely horrifying but also wickedly cool experience. Loved this!



#42 - Midsommar (2019) ~ August 4



Oh boy, I loved this. Fantastic slow burning and beautiful horror film that makes the viewer understand how people ultimately can easily be seduced by a morally unacceptable way of life (according to our western standards), for solace when they're in a mentally troublesome place or simply as some kind of dark curiosity. There's truly a lot going on in this film, but above all it's also just absolutely irresistable to look at, even during the more cruel stuff. It's great cinema!

I really love this new wave of great original horror films that has been going on for a few years already now. I truly need to see some more of the other great ones that people are always recommending. This must be one of the greatest and most ambitious to come out of that wave so far, though. Loved it!



#43 - Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood (2019) ~ August 15



LOVED this! Probably one of QT's very best films. I hope I'll be able to see it again in the near future (maybe in the theater again).

The soundtrack, the atmosphere, the mini-(anti-)climaxes that are spread throughout the film, the constant energy, the uncomfortable feeling of dread, the magnificent performances, the humour and of course... that unbelievably poignant ending. Tarantino did it again!

I really love the fact that he went for an almost pure hangout movie. There's very little plot, except for that one real life threatening moment which we all know the film is slowly evolving towards. The fact that most of the viewers are aware of it beforehand, makes for a very special experience, especially when the ending finally hits.

Let's hope Tarantino makes at least a couple more of these character- and atmosphere-based films in the future. It would be a real shame if he actually quit after 10 films. He's truly onto something fresh with this one.



#44 - Marathon Man (1976) ~ August 25



What an actor Laurence Olivier was. Man, is he great in this exciting thriller by John Schlesinger. Had a great time watching this one!



28 days...6 hours...42 minutes...12 seconds
Blue Valentine is one of the more depressingly real depictions of a relationship that I've seen put to film. Despite the fact that they both sort of 'gave up' at one point, I couldn't help but feel a lot more sympathy towards Gosling than Williams. He gave up a lot for her and it didn't work out in the end, even when he kept trying she shut the door. I used to work at a Blockbuster when this movie came out and a girl I worked with said to me "Oooh, a Ryan Gosling movie, I'll watch this tonight". The next day she came in and I asked her what she thought of the movie; "It sucked...he's so ugly in it." I miss working there, ha.


Into Spider-Verse my son loves Spider-Man. He's got the hats, shoes, pyjamas and he's watched this movie dozens of times. He's been on a good streak of wanting to rematch good movies over and over; Toy Story, Wall-E, Spider-Man. I thought that seeing the film so many damn times it would tarnish my love and appreciation of it. Nope. It still feels fresh and I catch new little things every viewing. This film rocks.


Having a second kid makes going to the movies a bit of a hassle, but this summer I've been able to go see TWO movies. Yah me, right? I chose Midsommar and Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Positive on both, but really love the latter. Glad to see more love thrown its way.
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"A laugh can be a very powerful thing. Why, sometimes in life, it's the only weapon we have."

Suspect's Reviews



#45 - Into the Wild (2007) ~ August



It's easy to see why this film became so popular with younger people who are fed up with "society". Lots of beautiful nature shots and an attractive, idealistic and pure lead character make this great marketing for a life of freedom and independence in the wild. Of course it all ends in tragedy, but director Sean Penn cleverly chose to keep the romantic idea alive and well.

Enjoyable film for sure!



#46 - Ran (1985) ~ September



Yet another absolute masterpiece by Kurosawa. I believe this is the first color film of his that I've seen (except for the red smoke in High and Low). Needless to say, he absolutely kills it. This was my ninth Kurosawa picture. I'm glad there's still a lot more work of his (22 films) that's left for me to explore!



Have you only seen 45 movies this year? If so then I don't feel too bad about my weak pace either.
59 films that I'd never seen before in total (I'm posting all of them soon). Also some rewatches, but I won't be able to include all of those as I haven't kept track of them. My pace has lowered significantly as I've been pretty busy with work during the past 9 months. I'm not at university anymore.



#48 - Hereditary (2018) ~ September



This is an impressive horror film with some really impactful moments, but towards the end, it becomes less and less my kind of thing as it gets into territory that I generally enjoy less. In that regard, Ari Aster's Midsommar is more my kind of film. I was fully engaged during most of this film's running time as well, though. I'm glad I watched this and I'm looking forward to Aster's next films!



#49 - Damage (1992) ~ September



This certainly isn't a top tier Louis Malle film, but as to be expected, it does have more than enough interesting and peculiar aspects that make it quite a memorable piece of passionate cinema.



#50 - Joker (2019) ~ October



Needless to say, this was way more interesting than your casual superhero flick.

In a way it kind of functions as a piece of anarchistic propaganda. It's remarkable that Joker pretty much exclusively kills people that have it coming to them, which - in a way - makes this a pretty disturbing film about an anarchistic superhero. I'm not sure if I liked that aspect of it, but it certainly made me think about the potential consequences art can have.



#51 - Tape (2001) ~ October



A really cool 'one room'-picture by Richard Linklater that touches upon certain themes that may be more relevant than ever. A must watch for fans of Linklater's more dialogue-heavy work!



#52 - Brexit: The Uncivil War (2019) ~ October



Relatively well made and sometimes informative film for people who are interested in a dramatic retelling of the lead up to the historic Brexit referendum.



#53 - Battle of the Sexes (2017) ~ October



Caught this on TV about a month ago on a random evening at home. It's an interesting look back in light of the many "viral" duels that are organised between modern day "influencers" these days for strictly commercial reasons, but the film tends to go for the more romantic and idealistic approach. It's certainly not a bad film, as it kept me watching, but it's nothing too memorable or superbly insightful.



#54 - The Sweet Hereafter (1997) ~ November



A truly special film. This film reveals the local game of politics that's being played after a fatal school bus accident kills a bunch of children from a small Canadian community. There's the lawyer who wants to represent the parents and victims while also struggling with his own troubles, and there are the people of the community, who want justice to prevail and their secrets to remain hidden in a time of deep sorrow and mourning. Beautiful picture!