The Resident Bitch Prepares for the MoFo 2010s Countdown

I haven't seen anything else from Korine. I definitely don't share your lack of desire to revisit this though. I actually own Spring Breakers on bluray.

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Whiplash (Damien Chazelle, 2014)
(Rewatch)

This is not a movie that I thought I'd ever watch again. I don't like jazz music, I don't give a crap about the drums, and I generally don't like movies about shitty people doing shitty things to each other. But I thought I'd give it another shot since I fully expect it to make the countdown.

As expected, my experience with it is much the same as it was last time and I come away with mixed feelings. On one hand, Andrew Neiman, the film's protagonist, is deeply unlikable. I don't know, maybe I'm meant to admire his drive and dedication, but mostly I just think he's a prick so it's hard to care when bad things happen to him and I find that rather off-putting. But on the other hand, what more than balances that out and totally makes the movie is J.K. Simmons as Fletcher - an even bigger prick who is so unlikable that he's almost likable. He is absolutely mesmerizing to watch and he completely chews up the screen. If I were to rate the movie on Simmons alone, it'd be a 5/5 but like some of the other performance showcases I've watched for this, the rest of the film just feels okay to me.

I believe you are meant to think he’s a prick…and admire his drive and determination

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Letterboxd

Prisoners (Denis Villeneuve, 2013)
(Recommended by @SpelingError, @cricket, @Tugg)

This was a taut thriller with some fine performances and some unexpected twists. Also I rather enjoyed watching Paul Dano get tortured. I was engaged throughout its considerable runtime, but ultimately this didn't stand out as being anything particularly special. Glad I watched it, but no chance of it getting my vote.

It would've made my ballot a few years ago, but it might get booted off my ballot this time. Still a solid thriller though.

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IMDb
Letterboxd

I think I'd have to watch it again to put it on my ballot. I'm just focused on watching the unseen right now.

Gifted (Marc Webb, 2017)
(Recommended by @Takoma11 and @Allaby)

I don't know why I'm such a sucker for movies like this. The only kids I like are my own nephew and niece and even then I can only take them in small doses and am glad they live like 800 miles away. But a sucker for this shit I am.

Of course it helps that the kid's got a really cute cat - which also makes it really easy to hate her grandmother. The performances are all really strong as well and it's well crafted to manipulate the emotions and make me cry a lot. I will say though that it took a bit of adjustment to get used to seeing Jenny Slate. Her, uh, unique voice works wonderfully when she's voicing Bellwether from Zootopia or Gidget from The Secret Life of Pets, but as a potential love interest it's a little jarring.

In any case it was only a mild annoyance and this is a really solid movie that unfortunately is unlikely to make my ballot.

Glad you liked it!

It's not a "big hitter" kind of movie, but I loved it top to bottom. I think it might have an outside chance at my ballot, if only because I enjoyed it so much and could easily see rewatching it.

I mean: math, cute kids, cute cats, more math, Jenny Slate, math. This movie caters to all of my interests.

I'm not familiar with Gifted

A Separation (Jodaeiye Nader az Simin) (Asghar Farhadi, 2011)
(Rewatch)

I first watched this in 2014 and was really impressed by just how human and real the story felt and watching it again tonight I am just as impressed. Everyone and everything falls into gray areas. Everyone here is a little bit to blame for the events that unfold and yet nobody is really at fault. Everyone is deceiving everyone else and yet their actions are completely understandable.

It's a really riveting and well crafted film that is worthy of all the praise it has received and I fully expect this to take a well-deserved place on the countdown. That said though, I'm not yet sure if I'll be one of its voters. As good as it is, it would be a stretch to call this a favorite and with only 25 slots to fill, it's going to be tough call.

I was really impressed by The Salesman from the same writer/director.

A Separation is on my shortlist to see before I submit my ballot.

I haven't seen anything else from Farhadi, but I may have to check that out.

I love A Separation. It should probably make my ballot.

The Eagle (Kevin Macdonald, 2011)
(Rewatch)

Just to get it out of the way: Obviously, this movie is not on par with Gladiator. It's not nearly as thrilling. The performances aren't jaw-dropping. It doesn't have that epic scale (it also had a fraction of the budget, so can't really be blamed for that).

It is, however, solid movie making. The battle scenes may not rival those of the 2000 epic, but they are pretty intense just the same. And, while much quieter, I thought the performances were very good and I was very much invested in the bond between Marcus and Esca. It was also kind of cool to get more of the perspective from those the Romans had conquered, even if they still ended up the "bad guys" of the story.

Not a favorite and won't get my vote, but this is a movie I've rewatched a few times now and I always enjoy it.

Yeah, The Eagle is a very entertaining film.

Who knew that a Jamie Bell/Channing Tatum bromance would end up being such a great character dynamic?

I love the sequence where they

Have you seen the 2017 film Pilgrimage with Tom Holland and Jon Bernthal? It his many of the same notes for me.

That's probably my favorite part of the movie as well.

I have not. I may have to check that out.

Marshland (La isla mínima) (Alberto Rodríguez, 2014)

From a more objective standpoint, this is a good movie. It looks great and has strong performances, but I just wasn't invested in it at all. I didn't care about the investigators. I didn't care about the victims, I didn't care about the case. I was completely detached from everything. Ultimately this is a movie that I respect but don't like.

I liked it a little bit more than you did, but I agree that there's a disconnect with both the victims and the investigators that keeps you from being drawn in past just the basic level of not wanting women to be murdered and/or wanting detectives to find the bad guys. I wish the movie had let us in a little more so that things had more impact.

Django Unchained (Quentin Tarantino, 2012)
(Rewatch)

I decided to treat myself to a big favorite that really didn't need a rewatch. I love almost everything about this movie. I love the violence and the blood. I love the dark humor - this movie seriously cracks me up every time. And I love the performances. Oh man, I love the performances.

And when I say that, I don't really mean Christoph Waltz's Oscar winning role. He was really good and so was Jamie Foxx, but it's the smaller supporting roles that really make this movie for me, especially when it comes to the movies baddies. Leonardo DiCaprio is stunningly good as Calvin Candie and brings a terrifying intensity to his mandingo-fighting slave master. And just as good is Samuel L. Jackson as perhaps the most detestable of all the characters: Candie's head slave Stephen, who is just pure evil. And then of course, there's Don Johnson as Big Daddy - who had me rolling with just about every line that came out of his Colonel Sanders looking mug.

The movie also sneaks in a few genuinely heartbreaking and infuriating scenes, but mostly it's just fun. It's just the pure satisfying fantasy of watching some really horrible people suffer in some pretty creative ways. This movie is an absolute lock for my ballot. It's just a question of how high I'll end up ranking it.

The Town (Ben Affleck, 2010)
(Rewatch)

This is not the kind of movie that I'm usually into. There isn't a whole lot to like about any of its characters and there certainly isn't anything particularly original in its premise. However, the performances here are pretty much universally strong and there's enough tension and uncertainty in the story to keep me fully engaged every time I've watched it.

I've probably watched this movie a half dozen times now and every time I come away feeling impressed, but I never quite love it. If it makes the countdown, I certainly won't raise any objections but it won't be getting my vote.