Rate The Last Movie You Saw

Sideways, 2004

Miles (Paul Giamatti) goes on a road trip with old college friend Jack (Thomas Haden Church) a week before Jack is set to get married. Grappling with disappointment over his own unsuccessful marriage and inability to get his book published, Miles is finally convinced by Jack to take a chance on a woman he's admired from afar, a wine-savvy waitress named Maya (Virginia Madsen). But Jack has plans of his own for the trip, and the friendship between Miles and Jack begins to fray a bit.

I can see why this film is so popular. The performances are all terrifically entertaining and the chemistry between the actors is great. While I found the character of Jack not nearly as charming as I think he's meant to be---and honestly kind of tiresome at points--Church keeps him just engaging enough and the script pokes just enough fun at him to keep things on the right side.

I really appreciated the film's take on the complications of romantic relationships. In a more simplistic film, Miles would have to learn all about cutting loose. But the reality is that Jack's hedonistic, selfish approach to life is hurtful to others. Likewise, the withdrawn and pessimistic approach that Miles takes isn't getting him anywhere. For most of the film Miles is on a see-saw between his angry introvert ways and following Jack's more brash, self-serving methods. It's about Miles finding a way to move past his resentments and being open to new possibilities.

The setting in wine country is a fun one. Yes, of course it gives us plenty of opportunities to watch Miles pretentiously instruct Jack on the art of wine tasting. But the way that Miles approaches wine---already armed with a degree of irritation--speaks to the way that he is approaching everything in his life. He is not able to appreciate simple joys because he is so bound up in himself.

Madsen is nicely understated as love interest Maya. She has enough dimension to her so that she doesn't just feel like a plot device. Sandra Oh makes a great impression as the free-spirited Stephanie, a woman Jack woos while conveniently omitting the details of his upcoming nuptials.

I didn't have any specific negatives for this film. I get the impression that Jack was meant to be taken as more of a lovable rogue, especially in the beginning, but I thought that his schtick got a bit old at times. I totally understand that his bravado is his own response to the anxiety he feels about the upcoming wedding, but there were a lot of times that the way a scene was shot/scored seemed to imply that what was happening was fun and quirky. It might be an accurate-ish portrait of a version of a mid-life crisis . . . but there's a reason I don't spend time around middle aged men having a mid-life crisis.

Again, I can totally understand why this film got so much praise when it came out. It's held up well, and it's an easy, breezy way to spend 100 minutes.

I really just want you all angry and confused the whole time.

I mostly agree, I would just say that I've never taken Jack as a lovable rogue, I think that is how Jack likes to see himself but it's clear to the audience that he's much more of a selfish dumbass than that, and I think that's important to the film, particularly the collateral damage he causes and how he, ultimately, is a terrible example for Miles.

By Source by Russian Public Library., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6375505

The Ascent - (1977)

The Ascent slowly turns the screws, starting off as a typical World War II survival tale, but developing and morphing into something much, much more. By the time the film ends you'll see it really has a Come and See kind of tone, and this was directed by Larisa Shepitko, wife of Elem Klimov. It's devastatingly effective, incredibly well made and served as her last film before dying in a car accident. I was drawn to it by a comment online where somebody said, "If you like Come and See, you have to watch The Ascent" and that's a very true statement. It follows the tale of two Soviet partisans and various Russian villagers in the midst of German occupation, and takes place during a harsh winter - and the film was actually shot in those harsh, desperate conditions. It really delves deep by getting us into the mind of it's two protagonists, the two having differing levels of courage and tolerance for psychological and physical torture. The Germans, and Russian collaborators prey on this distinction - along with their sense of morality and empathy. A great, and very powerful, film.

9/10

By Source by Russian Public Library., Fair use, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?curid=6375505

The Ascent - (1977)

I was drawn to it by a comment online where somebody said, "If you like Come and See, you have to watch The Ascent" and that's a very true statement.

While I am drawn to this film for the same reason and do really want to watch it, this comparison is also what makes me kind of scared to watch it!

The movie knows he's a jerk, but it felt like we were meant to find him funnier than I did.

The Visitor, 1979

A long-ago, intergalactic/interdimensional conflict results in a vast conspiracy to embody an evil creature in the form of children born to certain women on Earth. Jerzy (John Huston) is sent to Earth by the head of his order to do damage control around a little girl named Katy (Paige Conner) who is displaying both telekinetic powers and a tendency for cruelty/destruction. Katy's mother, Barbara (Joanne Nail) is put through the ringer as both her husband (Lance Henriksen) and Katy try to persuade her to have another child.

This movie is a bit of a mess, but it's an absolutely lovely one. I can genuinely say that I was never bored, and the mix of outlandish visuals, bizarre dialogue, and plain ol' WTF moments is exactly what I love in a late night movie.

I'm not usually a fan of "evil kid" movies. I don't find them to be engaging, and the child performances are often bad in the wrong kind of way. But I thought that Conner was pretty good in her role as the diabolical Katy. Huston's performance is pretty understated, but I actually thought that his zen vibe gave the character a nice, borderline eerie otherworldly quality. Nail is also good as a woman who loves her daughter but also realizes that something is very wrong. Her character could have felt really shrill or overly "damsel in distress", but she brings a nice degree of depth and sympathy to the role. I also really liked the part where .

The whole movie is littered with bizarre sequences, and while they don't all necessarily cohere, there are multiple memorable moments. A strange event at Katy's birthday party where a gift turns deadly; Katy and Jerzy showing their true selves during a game of Pong; a creepy part where the evil cabal decides that if Barbara won't agree to get pregnant, they will offer "intervention".

There are some technical elements that aren't the strongest, and I'm sure someone who disliked this film could write a multi-paragraph essay listing its faults. I'm aware of them, but only sort of peripherally. I mainly tend to care about faults when they ding my enjoyment of a film, and that just wasn't the case here.

A pleasant surprise, surely bolstered by low expectations and intergalactic Christ.