Rate The Last Movie You Saw

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While at War - (2019)

I was looking forward to this because I have a fundamental gap in my knowledge as far as the Spanish Civil War goes, and this film seemed to have that detailed authenticity you can rely on to really take you back in time in a reconstructive kind of way. It's not a comprehensive look at the war as a whole however, and mainly focuses on two key figures during the very start of the conflict : General Franco (Santi Prego), and Spanish author Miguel de Unamuno (Karra Elejalde). Unamuno, an anti-leftist, initially supports the rebellion, despite the fact that seemingly innocent people are suddenly disappearing. When he discovers how ruthless the fascists are, he's forced to make a choice about speaking out - which he knows would very probably cost him his life. Meanwhile General Franco, with the support of the maniacal José Millán-Astray (Eduard Fernández) finds himself in a position to lead the rebellion, his authority worded in a way which (to the dismay of other Generals) would make him an undisputed dictator even after the war ends.

The action mostly takes place in Salamanca as the city's leftist Mayor is arrested and fascists take control - many other events the film kind of glosses over or assumes we already know, but regardless, Miguel de Unamuno is the main focus. Old and in poor health, he seems to stumble into a situation where he becomes a respectable and learned supporter of the fascists, all the while losing friends and colleagues who are quietly arrested and disposed of. He feels too old and frail to be wrestling with his conscience and taking sides in a bitter struggle - but his shame at not opposing the brutality and senseless actions (one friend is arrested and executed for being a Mason - and therefore being part of the global "Jewish conspiracy") eats away at him. What good would announcing his opposition to the fascists really do? He tries to negotiate the release of people whose wives have come to him begging for help - and is met with propagandistic stonewalling and nonsense. When forced to take part in a kind of Spanish 'Nuremberg Rally' he decides not to speak - until the last minute...

As far as Unamuno's inner struggle with colluding (and having a job and staying alive) or denouncing (which would lead to his execution and trouble for his family) this film was okay - but the politics and early course of the civil war are more difficult to follow, as we're not really told what's happening. When José Millán-Astray is screaming about an outrage that needs to be rectified, that's how a scene begins and we can tell we ought to already know what he's talking about. When the fascists have a victory, it's the same story - we're not told how big or what kind of victory it is - the film assumes we have a fair grasp of events. It doesn't effect our ability to follow the human drama in this however, and that part of While at War was the powerful part of the film that should have perhaps been it's entire focus. Karra Elejalde's Miguel de Unamuno is it's beating heart, although Eduard Fernández's José Millán-Astray adds the menace needed to serve as a balance to the thoughtful and kind-hearted Spanish philosopher and writer. Some of this film is really worth seeing - but as a whole it doesn't work so well on audiences who aren't Spanish.

6/10

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Cool, I'll have to think about that. By the way, would you be okay with it if I shared your review with those posters on the other forum?

White Boy Rick (2018)

Clever and light hearted Japanese film about a man who's TV shows images from the future, but only 2 minutes into the future. Shot on a phone and undoubtedly on a miniscule budget, this is a great example of what can be achieved with good writing and direction.

The director Junta Yamaguchi doesn't appear to have directed anything prior to this. No shorts, no adverts no nothing.

Sure.

Burning, 2018

Jong-Su (Yoo Ah-in) is an aspiring writer and a bit of an odd duck. Unemployed and trying his best to deal with his father's arrest for assaulting a public servant, Jong-Su runs into an old neighbor, Hae-Mi (Jeon Jong-seo). After a whirlwind hangout and bout of sex, Hae-Mi gets Jong-Su to agree to watch her cat while she goes on vacation. But when she returns from her vacation, she's attached to Ben (Steven Yeun), a slick young man who Jong-Su begins to suspect might hide some dark secrets.

Several of Lee Chang-dong's films have been on my radar for a while (especially Poetry and Secret Sunshine), but this is the first one that I've watched. I must say, I really enjoyed it.

The film lands in a really nice place between a thriller and a character study. Like many great films that lean into the psychological aspect, it's framed with just the right degree of ambiguity that we can never totally know if the conclusions reached by the main character are sound or not, lending multiple layers of dread to the events that play out. Is Ben really a sociopath? Or does Jong-Su see that because he wants to believe that Mae-Mi's boyfriend must be evil? And, by extension, do we the audience want him to be evil because a sociopath/serial killer is more sensational than just a faux-edgy pretty boy?

There are a lot of ways that this works out in the film, and none better than the use of Hae-Mi's cat. Despite caring for the cat for two weeks, Jong-Su never sees the kitty. When we're later asked to use the appearance of a cat to drive our understanding of a situation, we have to ask: is that her cat? What does it mean if it is? And what does it mean if it isn't?

Jong-Su himself walks that same line of ambiguity. As he reacts to what he believes to be true about Hae-Mi and Ben, we cannot fully know if his actions are "right" or not. Is he a vengeful protector, or is he the sociopath? The film refuses us answers, forcing the audience to constantly walk a line of sympathy and revulsion. So many thrillers use a character who is socially isolated or an outsider: sometimes they are the hero who can see what others can't, and sometimes they are monsters.

It's kind of interesting to have watched this film right after viewing Cairo Station, another film where an outsider develops an unhealthy obsession with a woman who is not romantically interested in him, and who sometimes turns his anger about that into violence. But whereas Cairo Station was very clear about the unhealthy nature of its lead character's fixation, Burning refuses to show us any kind of absolute truth.

A really solid psychological thriller with memorable imagery and a fantastic final act.

I really dug that one. I think it effectively captured feelings of alienation, envy, and that it found the right balance to create such an ambiguously menacing atmosphere.

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Buddha's Palm (Taylor Wong, 1982)
wuxia films w/ magic powers the only films i want to watch from now on.

Have you seen Bastard Swordsman? I like that one a lot. Basically turns into kung fu Star Wars / Spider-Man during the climax.

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I remember enjoying this when I watched it two years ago. I need to see more Chahine. The only other one I've seen is Saladin, which I also enjoyed. Interesting to see a historical epic made in that part of the world, and it's more evenhanded in its portrayal of the crusades than you would expect from western examples of the genre. Will give that one a recommendation.

you lost me with Star Wars and immediately won me back with Spiderman. its on the watchlist now

Jabs and I both mentioned our love for Cairo Station previously, me more so. Netflix has 12 of his films available, and I binged them all last year (he was my director of choice for the 2021 Challenge). And I enjoyed most of his films.

I haven't settled on my director for this year's challenge yet, so that's good to know.

Slacker, 1990

On a hot day in Austin texas, a man in a taxi cab ruminates on what might have been if he'd stayed at the bus stop. From there, we find a woman who has been apparently mowed down in the street. A jogger stops to help---though she does not stop jogging--and is promptly joined by a man who is late for work and can't stop to help, but does have time to slip her his card. And so on and so on as the camera roams the city, one character leading into a short vignette of the next in a series of long, luxurious takes.

It is interesting to come to this film for the first time having already seen Linklater's Waking Life, which uses a very similar long-take, loosely connected personal stories structure. But whereas that film leaned toward discussions of philosophy, this one weaves the deeper monologues in with more mundane interactions.

A broad theme across the different stories seems to be the intersection of individuals and groups. For example, a man musing on why it's bad for everyone that his acquaintance has given a quarter and a soda to a homeless man begging on the street or the way that different characters rail against the powers that be (corporations, the police, the government).

As with any film of this nature, some sequences are more memorable than others. But whatever is happening in the movie, be it a man mourning (or maybe not) the death of his mother or a motor-mouthed woman trying to sell what she claims is a preserved pap smear of Madonna, Linklater allows the sequences to develop with a sense of both time and space that is very atypical of most movies. There are punchlines within the scenes, of course, but Linklater isn't afraid to let his camera linger on the silence or the down beat after the moment of impact.

The characters on display are very much that: characters. They are zany and highly opinionated, but in a way that is very recognizable. Every town has at least a few of these people, and a place like Austin of course has more than its fair share.

It's easy to see why this is considered a significant film in the context of the way that independent cinema has developed.

CODA (2021) Rewatch. I still love this film just as much as the first time. This is a beautiful, delightful, and truly enjoyable gem. CODA is sweet, funny and touching. I really loved the whole cast in this. Tomorrow is the Academy Awards and no matter what happens, CODA is a fantastic film. Still my favourite film of 2021.

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The Good Liar - (2019)

Sweet little old Betty (Helen Mirren) and kindly, softly-spoken old Roy (Ian McKellen) meet on the internet and start to get to know each other, both having recently lost their partners. Obviously, this is the kind of thriller where absolutely nothing is as it seems - and in one sense once we start following McKellen's Roy around, and learn all about his schemes, we automatically know that Betty's secrets are going to be revealed in the film's denouement. There's a small sense of predictability there, and there's a whole added layer underneath about secret identities and pasts that probably overburdens The Good Liar with the fantastic and unlikely - but aside from that I enjoyed the cat and mouse game these two characters played, and found McKellen a delightfully corrupt and nasty villain. Hustlers and con-men make interesting characters and usually set in motion interesting plots - even with it's predictability, The Good Liar was a breezy watch.

7/10


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Herself - (2020)

Very much grounded, this true to life film invites us to get to know Sandra (Clare Dunne) and her agonizing escape from a relationship where horrifying physical abuse has led to her having to escape despite having nowhere to go. These days, public housing lists in many countries take years to provide accommodation - so in the meantime Sandra and her two daughters are put up in a hotel. When she learns that it's possible to construct a small DIY house for £35,000, and is given a tiny amount of land as a token of affection from a family friend, she decides to build her own new home. Her ex-husband wastes no time in emotionally abusing her from a distance, wrangling in court over the two kids and finding any other means to hurt her. Phyllida Lloyd shows a passionate yet restrained hand in directing this moving film.

7/10

I absolutely adore this film. The ambiguity about the burning of the greenhouses, and the sinister implications of what this might really mean, added to that sense of unnerving possibility Jong-Su suspects, or at least probably wishes were true if he's to continue to see himself as a morally upstanding person who was always the right one. I also very much enjoy a film that leaves us with two equally possible truths as a source of mystery to ponder long after the final credits are over.

Set It Up (2018)

Felt like dipping my toes into some new movies this weekend. Ended up doing a Jodie Comer double dip. She has some chops.

Free Guy - 2021

The originality should be applauded. Refreshing to make a cool movie without an existing IP attached for once. Reynolds is charming as usual and carries the movie well. Comier is very good but plays a nerdy genius computer person along with another dude. You really have suspend disbelief that they are because they are too good looking but if you can good on you. It pretty entertaining flick, but takes some weird choices at spots. There are a couple lines in the movie that take me out of the movie but that's to be expected digesting Hollywood entertainment now. All and all it's worth a gander and I had a good time with it for the most part, even if it was a bit prosperous and dense at some parts. It was fun.

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I came here to do two things, drink some beer and kick some ass, looks like we are almost outta beer - Dazed and Confused

101 Favorite Movies (2019)