Rate The Last Movie You Saw

She looks like Gollum's girlfriend.

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It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
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จั๊กกะแหล๋น (2011)
aka Jukkalan, This Girl Is Bad-Ass!!

After rewatching Chocolate (which is great, by the way), I decided to check some other JeeJa Yanin films. This one is more like a crazy romantic mob comedy with some fight scenes. It has good jokes and mental characters, but the writing just isn't good enough. The action is also considerably weaker than in Chocolate, but still not bad. It's definitely not PC either. Pretty entertaining silliness still.

omg yes lol

紅衣小女孩 (2015)
aka The Tag-Along

A Taiwanese horror recycling familiar elements mixed with poor CGI and some anti-abortion opinions (I didn't find them too in-your-face, but apparently some have). It's just bland and has nothing to make it stand out. The leading lady is really pretty, though.

It has dark comedic elements, but there is a good portion of drama/romance/thriller thrown in.

Lo and Behold opens with the birth of the Internet in 1969, but then branches out to demonstrate the various reaches and effects of a "connected world" in our lives, our society, and our future. From its humble beginnings in a UCLA hallway to the possibilities of connecting with astronauts in Mars; from its advantages in the cure of an illness through a seemingly inoffensive game to its damaging impact in addicted people that have decided to leave gaming and the Internet completely.

Herzog does a good job dividing the film in ten chapters, all of which are relatively self-contained while dealing with the same theme of "connectedness" and the positive/negative impacts it has or could have. There is a certain meandering aspect to it in since there is little connective tissue between each chapter, but it still has the vibes of "daydreaming" that I suppose Herzog wanted. His choice of interviewees also, many of which are quite eccentric, support that "dreamy" vibe.

Grade:


Full review on my Movie Loot

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Kirikou and the Sorceress

Kirikou is small but he is bold. Pretty good. Was looking for something with a short runtime when I came across this on Criterion. A little boy (and I mean LITTLE) takes on an evil Sorceress. Liked the animation and I loved this little kid. Reminded me of being a tot and going to my elementary schools tv room to watch a little something with a message.

The White Tiger (2021)

The picture is an insight into India’s two caste system, and a story of one ambitious man who ultimately forces through the barrier to become an entrepreneur. Based upon the novel of the same name by Arvind Adiga, and starring Adarsh Gourav in a breakthrough role, The White Tiger unflinchingly displays India’s servant/underclass and its stark poverty.

Told almost entirely in flash back, narrator and protagonist Balram Halwai composes a letter to the Chinese Premiere relating his life story comparing India’s underclass as roosters in a coop awaiting their fate, with no means or desire to better themselves. Balram has left his village to find employment by a wealthy Delhi family as a driver for the Americanized son and his wife. We see Balram’s seemingly unquestioning service to the family as his master, along with the indignities he suffers, before he makes a shocking decision to break out of his caste and to take control of his own destiny. His infectious smile and personality later change to a laser focused determination to achieve success. A “white tiger” is a metaphor for a rare once-in-a-generation talent.

The picture quickly grabs one’s interest, and stays engaging for its entire 125 minute run time. Gourav’s acting is flawless, and is supported by a first rate cast headed by Rajkummar Rao and Priyanka Chopra. Gourav has been nominated for Best Male lead in the Film Independent Spirit Award, and was placed on the BAFTA long list for Best Actor.

The filming takes place entirely in India, chiefly in Delhi. The dialogue is mostly in English, with occasional subtitled Hindi. The story and cinematography are so well done that it occasionally feels like a documentary. DP Paolo Carnera perfectly captures the sight and feel of contemporary India. The score by Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans effectively ranges from traditional Hindi music to contemporary hip-hop-- which provides a contrast of the upper class on one hand, to the starkness of the villagers on the other.
I have not read the novel, however after reading it’s synopsis the film appears to follow it pretty closely. In fact the screenplay is nominated for an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay at the 93rd Academy Awards. It’s hard to imagine that an adapted screenplay could be better done than The White Tiger.

Doc’s rating: 9/10

I haven't written up my review of it yet (I don't think . . . ) but I would also recommend the sequel, Kirikou and the Men and Women. If my avatar doesn't make it very obvious, I am a fan of this film.

Afro Samurai Resurrection, 2009

Afro Samurai (Samuel L Jackson) is forced back into battle when a woman from his past, Sio (Lucy Liu) steals his dead father's body in order to resurrect it. Accompanied by the colorful Ninja Ninja (also Jackson), Afro must go in search of a powerful headband so that he can defeat Sio.

I haven't watched the TV series from which this film comes, but there are a lot of people I like involved in its production (including the RZA, who did the score for the film) so I decided to check it out.

To begin with, the synthesis of the samurai aesthetic with a distinct element of Black culture integrated is done really well. This is true in both the visuals of the characters and in the voice performances from Jackson. The film is overlaid with the RZA's hip-hop soundtrack and in terms of look and mood it is very engaging. The action scenes are also pretty good, hearkening back to the samurai vibe of the 60s and 70s, where every slash of a sword removed a limb and/or resulted in an epic geyser of blood spray.

The downsides are those that I often associate with action type anime films. There isn't a lot of great character development. And, predictably, all of the women are drawn as jerk-off material (including a long and explicit sequence in a strip club). Interestingly, there is one female character, a Black woman, who is drawn (1) wearing clothing and (2) without absurd blow-up doll proportions. But all of the other women look like generic white porn fantasies, including the lead villain with her gravity defying outfit and biology. While it is meant to go along with the "adult" vibe of the film, it had the opposite effect on me, as it seemed eye-rollingly juvenile and reductive.

Jackson's voice acting and the score are the best things about it, but the exploitative portrayal of women and the lack of character development left me with little interest in revisiting this film or exploring the series on which it is based.

Too Late for Tears - This 1949 thriller could be considered noirish or noir adjacent. It opens with Jane (Lizabeth Scott) and Al Palmer (Arthur Kennedy) driving through one of L.A.'s canyons on their way to a party. Jane is insistent that they turn around because she feels that the affluent hostess of the party has never liked her and makes her feel inferior. This is a very strong hint as to the rest of the story and when she forces him to pull over, a lone driver apparently mistakes them for the person he's meeting. As they pass each other a satchel that turns out to be full of money is thrown into their backseat. Alan, being the law abiding one, wants to immediately turn it over to the authorities. Jane eventually talks hims out of it and the rest of the plot is a classic example of one of those "Oh what a tangled web we weave" cautionary tales. Dan Duryea shows up as Danny Fuller, the guy the satchel was meant for. But Jane is so hellbent on keeping what she feels is already hers and the life it could finally buy her that she literally stops at nothing to claim it.

It's unique, given the time period, to see such a strong and resolute portrayal by a woman. She calls the shots and isn't dependent on any man to provide either the opportunity or the impetus for her actions. And even though it's ultimately in service to some really sketchy behavior one can't help but feel a little sympathy for Jane. The cast also includes Don DeFore and Kristine Miller and keep an eye out for a really young Denver Pyle in a bit part as yet another guy that Jane uses and loses.

Lucky Number Slevin (2006)

Good picture, especially for we Lizabeth Scott fans. It's interesting that in the trailer, reference is made to noir. In 1949 the term must have just started getting usage in the vernacular. Noir was aware of itself by then..

The trailer is for the 2014 restoration of Too Late for Tears.

The Secret in Their Eyes (2009) -

This film is at its best when it explores the impact Liliana Colotto's murder has on the various characters. There are direct effects such as Ricardo waiting at a train station every day in hopes of catching the killer and indirect effects such as the long-term effects the case has on Esposito, which lasts for decades. And, of course, there's Isidoro Gomez's shocking fate which I can't talk about without spoiling it. Watching how the murder case effected the three characters was one of the film's main highlights for me. I found their stories thought-provoking and tragic, specifically Esposito's since his relationship with Irene was handled really well. In addition to their on-screen chemistry, I found their inability to express their attraction to each other quite tragic. Unlike other films I've seen with a romance sub-plot, this aspect didn't feel unnecessary or tacked on. I was also impressed with the camerawork and editing. While the soccer stadium sequence that unfortunately didn't involve a helicopter was the main setpiece for me, I appreciated other scenes as well like the dreamy opening or the way the film handled the flashback structure. Though the film jumped back and forth between 1999 and the mid-1970's a number of times, these cuts were edited into the film quite seamlessly, showing subtle visual cues that the setting changed such as the de-aging effects in Esposito's hair. Overall, not sure how often I would want to revisit this film, but I enjoyed quite a bit about it.

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Promised Land (2012)

Blinded by the Light (2019)

Better than I thought it would be and was really apprehensive going in, being a big fan of Springsteen's music....pleasantly surprised!