what2watch2night - Tumblr blog

what2watch2night · 1 year

Text

Watch To Watch Tonight: 2022 Movie Year Recap

Another movie year ended, all the awards possible big and small have now been bestowed, most have now been made available to all democratically and most have been watched! Even though there is still soooooo much from 2022 to catch up on or sadly unreleased or not made avail to the masses (like that underwater movie we won't mention...) But we all know a lifetime will never be enough to go through years' past watchlists, and we must accept it and move on to the next one as sadly we cannot live in a EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE multiverse where one would be able to do it all at once. So in that spirit let's take one last look at what made us want to live to see it, and that we won't forget because, as the Best Movie Quote of Movie Year 2022 (from THE FABELMAN) says: 'Movies are dreams that you never forget...'

And we sure won't forget these from another interesting 12 months that brought us a truly varied array of films, and although we might not have many “perfect” ones reaching perfect notes (well, nothing reached 9/10 or ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ for us this year,) it was satisfying, entertaining, and there was something for all the feels and emotions.

GREAT STORIES & GREAT FILMS

T’was a good time for wildly imaginative, to just wild and crazy stories from EEAAO to RRR to NOPE, APOLLO 10/2 or EO to even the quieter but less “bonkerz “ BANSHEES (what was it this year with fingers and donkey - definitely the “goat” of this year animal on film!) and the bold BABYLON or BARDO Then we also have our favorite with the “Eat the rich “ and “Let’s Revolt” varieties that NEVER.DISAPPOINT (We live for that sh!t!) with of course TRIANGLE OF SADNESS (that gave us great pleasure with the “I am the captain now” twist), the hit THE MENU, intense ATHENA, weirdos like FLUX GOURMET, MARCEL THE SHELL, WHITE NOISE… Anyway here are the movies that made our days/nights in 2022:

OuR Top Fave:

EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE 8.5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐✨ *Bonus Most Every Everywhere All At Once Scenes! (And fight scenes no doubts) TRIANGLE OF SADNESS 8.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐✨ *Bonus Most Memorable Scene!

APOLLO 10 1⁄2 8.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ *Bonus Most Nostalgia Inducing!

BABYLON 8.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ *Bonus Best Party and Movie-within-a-Movie Scenes! ATHENA 8 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ *Bonus Best Crowd, moving, and Longtake Scene! BROKER 8 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

BARDO 8.25 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ *Bonus Best Dreams & Dreamy Scenes! BANSHEES OF INISHERIN 8⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ *Bonus Most Hilarious Dialogue! WHITE NOISE 7.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ *Bonus End Scene! NOPE 7.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

TAR 7.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

BOY FROM HEAVEN 7.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

ELVIS 7.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ *Bonus Music Scene! THE MENU 7.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

AFTER YANG 7.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ *Bonus Best Dance Scene! MEN 7.75 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ *Most WTF Haunting SceneS! ARMAGEDDON TIMES 7.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ EO 7.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ *Bonus non-human actor! DECISION TO LEAVE 7.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

RRR 7.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐ *Bonus Best Genre Switch, Crowd pleaser, & Suspension of disbelief!

We could provide a much much longer list of films from 2022 definitely worth a watch but because frankly no one has time for that with the amount of new films coming at us everywhere here is the next 20 to 100 IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. Enjoy!

MEMORABLE ENSEMBLES There is very little doubt again that this prize should go to either EEAAO or TRIANGLE OF SADNESS. But here are 20 spectacular ensembles from 2022 movie year!

ARGENTINA 1985 ATHENA BABYLON BANSHEES OF INESHERIN BARDO BOY FROM HEAVEN BROKER EEAAO EO KLONDIKE MARS ONE PLAN 75 THE MENU THE SWIMMERS THE WHALE THE WONDER TRIANGLE OF SADNESS WAKANDA FOREVER WOMAN KING WOMEN TALKING

**Bonus: Kid actors ensemble blowing your mind 13TH LIVES AFTER YANG ALCARRAS ARMAGEDDON TIMES BLAZE CLOSE PLAYGROUND PUSSY / SOFT SCARBOROUGH THE SILENT TWIN TILL TORI AND LOKITA

MEMORABLE INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCES Well, Yeoh was the GOAT, De Leon was MVP, but if there is one that shine brighter than most and got snubbed it was Mia Goth because; because after all she is a star (PLEASE she is a starrrr!)

Adèle Exarchopoulos ZERO FUCK GIVEN Ana de Armas BLONDE Angela Bassett WAKANDA FOREVER Aubrey Plaza EMILY AND THE CRIMINAL Austin Butler ELVIS Bill Nighy LIVING Cate Blanchett TAR Colin Farrell / Brendan Gleeson BANSHEES Danielle Deadwyler TILL Dolly De Leon TRIANGLE OF SADNESS Eddie Redmayne THE GOOD NURSE Hong Chau THE WHALE John Boyega / Michael K. Williams 892 Keke Palmer NOPE Mia Goth PEARL/X Michelle Yeoh / Ke Huy Quan EEAAO Ram Charan RRR Vicky Krieps CORSAGE Vincent Lindon ANOTHER WORLD *Soooo many more more should did fantastic works from all over the world but we wont name anymore name as this list would be way to long!

youtube

STUNNING VISUAL Whether these movies captured the light perfectly, offered us EXTRAVAGANZA with amazing sets and wowing costumes/Hair/Makeup, had us at the edge of our seats due to the immersive action or poetic sequences, or left us emotional staring at gorgeously filmed vistas or simple shots of every day life….

There is no need to explain why EEAAO rules here! Also about snub: ATHENA was the biggest quagmire of this season, snubbed left and right even in France of all places... Sure the story is surfing on LES MISERABLE but it was quite different and the intensity and visual defo hit different too. The techniques (highly recommend watching the BTS) is mind blowing as in Nolan-level of wow every other long takes!

3000 YEARS OF LONGING AFTER YANG ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT ATHENA BABYLON *Yes the party scene but also all other incredible to comprehend scene so left us dreaming like THIS

BARDO *Another maestro directing the hell out of another one, giving us possibly the most immersive oddities of the last season and surreal lyrical contemplations - one of our favorite thing in the whole wide world!

youtube

DECISION TO LEAVE DON’T WORRY DARLING EEAAO *They really gave us everything imaginable and we might never see a movie so imaginative visually... ELVIS EO GODLAND MEN *The beautiful imageries one will never forget! NEPTUNE FROST *We are also still here for that keyboard jacket NOPE RRR *The category is: Most Nonsensical Mindblowing Fights! THE NORTHMAN WAKANDA FOREVER *Will always win best costumes AND hair and Make up! WHITE NOISE *Props to the props and all those sets leading to that gran finale! WOMEN KING

**Here are other movies worthy for their look (but don’t be fooled, most of these have equally share, if not more, of substance… ) 13TH LIVES AMSTERDAM APOLLO 10 ½ BANSHEES OF INESHERIN BIG BUG BLAZE BLONDE ENTERGALACTIC INU-HO KADAISI VIVASAYI LEONOR WILL NEVER DIE MAD GOD MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON MATILDA THE MUSICAL NOTRE DAME BRULE PACIFICTION PEARL / X PINOCCHIO PREY SOMETHING IN THE DIRT TALE OF KING CRAB TED K THE BATMAN THE ETERNAL DAUGHTER THE HOUSE THE SILENT TWINS TOP GUN 2 TRIANGLE OF SADNESS TURNING RED UTAMA YOU WON'T BE ALONE

STIRRING SOUND It seems scores and OSTs were probably not as transcending as we would have liked in, but the Soundscape really outdid itself lately! Not sure if it is the advantage of watching almost everything at home with better sound in headsets that really let you drown in the sound. (and the non-annoyance of Cinema popcorn noise and often not optimal sound...) But no complaint on top of composers and supervisors giving us the right tunes at the right time conveying the right vibes, praises are seriously due to all that enhances things for our auditory pleasure from mixers to foley to engineer to musicians...

youtube

ALL QUIET ON THE WESTERN FRONT (*How fitting that the first movie alphabetically is the one with thhose dread-inducing 3 notes! Most Memorable Notes of Movie Year 2022) APOLLO 10 1⁄2 ATHENA BABYLON BANSHEES OF INESHERIN BARDO BLACK PANTHER: WAKANDA FOREVER BLONDE ELVIS EVERYTHING EVERYWHERE ALL AT ONCE INU-HO LIVING MEN PACIFICTION RRR TAR TED K THE STRANGER THE STRANGER WHITE NOISE

Bonus: Great Music Doc YOU'RE WATCHING VIDEO MUSIC BOX MOONAGE DAYDREAM

7 notes · View notes

what2watch2night · 1 year

Text

What To Watch Tonight - The 2022 Series Edition

What a year! Some might complain we had more choices (too much?!) than ever but if this means we have the opportunity to watch a wide range of projects representing a diversity of people and genres, who are we to whine about something that does no wrong? Well, I guess this was also the year of FOMO and goodbyes since so many shows ended or got canceled… So we might as well enjoy the abundance of choices of series, miniseries, and other “made-for-TV” while we can as the future might look a little less generous.

So let’s celebrate and reminisce about some of those we liked this past year that brought us unadulterated joy when we needed it, got us SO emotionally invested and EMOTIONAL, pleasantly occupied our time in the background while maybe-doing-some-light-activity;), they were perfect for when we were bored/sick/relaxing/avoiding “extreme weather events” inside, they were here for us when we needed some fun cheering or a change of perspective, taught us a thing a two, and definitely entertained us to the max - and pluses and beyond!

BEST OF THE BEST

*best of 2022 out of around 150 selected shows…

ANDOR

10/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Well, this is definitely one of those rare flawless shows.

Sure it helps that this was one of this year's STAR WARS series and prequel to *The best* film ROGUE ONE and manage to keep the same unsettling, exhilarating, grounded yet powerful same vibe, and that intensity hitting at the perfect moment.

And of course, it was visual marvel bringing multiple Best episodes of the year(the end of that first Adani blinding bringing us to the sky, the INTENSE final, to the escape from Alcatraz Narkina 5... )

This show excelled in every aspect from banging sound and score (they introduced house music, and a marching band with RE-INVENTED INSTRUMENTS so people could lose losing their minds on Twitter accordingly) We also had as expected incredible special and practical effects, grandiose scenes, and a production design that makes you want to go back to some scene to appreciate all the little details and easter-egg in the background. On top of that, the costumes were probably some of the best ever seen in the series, from the space-chic cocktail dresses to the fashionable impeccable authoritarian uniform, or the creative outfit with wild fabrics and edgy elements, the out-of-this-world yet looking realistic and practical enough that we can just picture ourselves casually wearing them... Enough to say that every single cast member, including extras, was making some serious fashion statement!

ANDOR got it all but obviously the storytelling and direction thanks to CREATOR Tony Gilroy back from ROGUE ONE and all other formidable collaborators and crews, but last but not least the pitch-perfect cast - including the secondary characters - delivered “Oscar-winning” monologues after monologues from the like of Stellan Skarsgård, Genevieve O'Reilly, Fiona Shaw, Andy Serkis... With so many quotable lines combo best deliveries… and timing... “Never more than 12”...

HOUSE OF DRAGONS

9.5/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Ah yes, the BIGGEST show of the year that hopefully, everyone watched religiously every year.

This GAME OF THRONE prequel might have outdone itself despite being focused on fewer (non-male) characters, stories, and locations. Yet the feeling of returning to something we all cherished was incomparable. Much virtual ink has been spilled on this one so we do not need to tell you how everyone in the cast deserves laurels for best performance, or how some DRAMATIC scenes (mostly involving swords and/or blood) stayed with us long after the episodes aired, or how the tales transported us to Westorosi lands and made us google way too many nonsenses about GOT “history” or fam-theories and so forth...

But part of its charm was also undoubtedly the post-watch parties on social media with all the reactions and memes - so many memes - for years to come!

ATLANTA

9.75/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

What a time to be alive indeed! This is what we told ourselves at the end of each episode (scenes!) of this last season of ATLANTA. The show we will definitely miss the most forever.

Sure last season was…A TRIP (to casually racist EUROPE lol!) but each entry of season 4 was wild wild rides unlike anything else out there and switched between styles, genres, and storylines...

But most importantly ATLANTA not only brought us the most incredible episode of the year but maybe the best ever with 'The Goof Who Sat by the Door'!

To talk about it would be to spoil the reason why it is so perfect but let's say every intrigued viewer was bewildered from the first second, jaws dropped to the floor, and we kept asking ourselves "WTF I am watching right now!"

(then probably followed by multiple “Oh Sh!!!!!iiittttt”!)

This was simply the most genuinely hilarious Brilliant and perfectly executed mockumentary or anything we had the pleasure to screen in 2022. So was ATLANTA as a whole.

It was a little touch of magic, fun, nostalgia, and philosophy every week, making us think and rethink various concepts and ourselves and we will now forever wonder if it was all real or a dream, and we are left with memories AND so many questions left unanswered ...

BETTER CALL SAUL

9/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Another show we had to bid a sad sad farewell to... and this one hurts really bad since it was so bittersweet and many of us “grew up”(at any stage of life!) with those characters for more than 10 years…

This show, although using formulas from its sequel/prequel BREAKING BAD reinvented the wheel and was groundbreaking in its own way, with perfect editing, musical cue, props and costumes, entertaining writing, menacing characters, relatable deeply flawed (murderous/criminal) individuals topped by shenanigans and mindblowing plotting with accompanied montages that will forever be seared in our brain.

We will miss Saul and all the beautifully executed scams by some of the most oddly bonkerz characters and we will miss the underrated Rhea Seehorn and all the other actors with their tour-de-force performances...

EUPHORIA

8.5/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

Ha yes, it had to be here as not only was it a grandiose season but it was definitely one of the buzziest show/pop culture events of the year (with HOD) Returning for a second season even more unbelievable in every way than its predecessor. The show managed to be even CRAZIER and more bold, with incredible chases (mostly while high), tense dramatic scenes worthy of the most dramatic drama, uncomfortable yet powerful meltdowns, and crises, and important moments appropriate for teens, YA, and adults of all ages alike, hilarious youngster shenanigans (also while high), but also a full-on high-school Broadway production basically recapping the show…Very meta!

EUPHORIA aesthetic is surely here to stay representing a very distinct period of our era but its appeal is wider as it is equally style and substance. It is the sort of immersive show that makes you want to tune in every week! (Yes it would have been the most binged show if it was avail in full tho!)

Now, not sure how they can top all the coming-of-age/adulting foolish beguiling nonsense, and that rebellious teenage spirit attitude next!

RESERVATION DOGS

8.75/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

We talked about this show last year but this is another case of sophomore season topping it up while staying authentic and fresh.

RESERVATION DOGS is one of those rare shows managing to be a true dramedy, with scenes that will make you chuckle non-stop and others that will make you want to ball out... Sadly, it took so long for this sort of show to be on our screens but anyone can see that the uniqueness of the narratives offered has such a universal appeal.

Powerful scenes delivered by a cast that “live “ their characters, bleeding facts into great storytelling sublimed by the perfect wicked sense of humor and a heavy dose of surrealism, this is our kind of show!

*Although we had a few projects with a strong indigenous presence this year we can only hope this will become the norm.

PACHINKO

8.75/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

An epic tale about a Korean family fighting for its survival and success generation after generation. This series spanning decades set in Korea during the Japanese occupation, then in Japan, is a feat of cinematography and certainly a masterpiece.

Every episode looked like an Oscar-winning best picture, it was crafted with so much care and all actors elevated the already sweeping and potent material to new heights.

PACHINKO was a cinephile treat like no other...

THE BEAR

7.5/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Imagine the intensity of BOILING POINT in a series that you can binge in one go because you did not know any better!

THE BEAR made everyone who worked in the restaurant/hospitality industry justice, but also made some of us so glad we are not part of this special gratifying yet hellish work environment!

Despite being low-key and quite short it manages to bring the heat and make a mighty impact.

PEAKY BLINDERS

8/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Another show we wish we did not have to say goodbye to but hey at least we got a movie coming our way!

The aesthetic, the mood, the brooding, the FACKING AMAZING cast, the costume, the scenery, the sets, the darkness of it all... It haunted our screen masterfully

FIVE DAYS AT MEMORIAL

8.25/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A mini-series not for the faint-of-heart but of the utmost importance. Some might say it was too soon, but we can appreciate it even more now, particularly after these few years of pandemic and climate-change-related catastrophes. This show about helpers and all its heartbreaking complications is not one to overlook.

(Also not to overlook the incredible FX work and chaos of the set recreation of flooding)

THIS IS GOING TO HURT

7.75/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Would make for the most miserable double-watch if coupled with the previous, but this show is indeed one that'll hurt you if you care about the state of the healthcare system, may it be in the UK or elsewhere as it says a lot about societies and nowadays life at large.

FOR ALL MANKIND 7.4/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

We slept on this show for wayyy too long but for every space fan, history fan out there this will be the most fascinating show.

WESTWORLD 7.5/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I guess we also have to say goodbye to WESTWORLD. Despite the many changes and twists no other show will ever be able to replicate the viewing experience and effect, it had on so many...

Other must-watch and honorable series:

FLEISHMAN IS IN TROUBLE

ONLY MURDER IN THE BUILDING

UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN

LITTLE AMERICA

INDUSTRY

OBI-WAN KENOBI

IRMA VEP

THE CROWN

RAMY

THE ENGLISH

SEVERANCE

HANDMAID'S TALE

RINGS OF POWER

MOON KNIGHT

THE WHITE LOTUS

WE OWN THIS CITY

SHINING GIRLS

BLACK BIRD

DARK WIND

DHAMER

WEDNESDAY

RUSSIAN DOLL

ARCHIVE 81

SHANTARAM

(with special mentions to the entertaining and must-watch show about the villainous “visionaries” and such disturbed individual

WE CRASHED

THE DROPOUT

INVENTING ANNA

PAM & TOMMY

SUPER PUMPED

CHIPPENDALES

PHYSICAL

SERPENT QUEEN

THE OFFER

*BONUS soundtrack of the series year

The White Lotus Opening theme - the remix

7 notes · View notes

what2watch2night · 2 years

Text

"Cinema Year 2021": What You Should Have Watched

That’s it! We end the month and we leave behind award seasons and the many movies that populated the last 12+ months…

To recap "Cinema Year 2021" (or films released initially or widely at some point in 2021 - but for some sadly only avail to the mass early 2022 *out of roughly 650 cinematic projects) we are going to keep things short and simple for once; no preambule necessary as it seems we pretty much had an extension of 2020 in terms of "things to say about" right?! *Just hoping more day and date are here to stay or they will finally “think of the cinephile worldwide” by stopping the gatekeeping and releasing movie on VOD not 3-months-to-a-year-to-never after they premiered (like 30-45 days seems reasonable - even for big movie at a premium…)

So no further intro, remark, or causes for heated let’s go straight to the good stuff only:

1. FLEE - 9

2. THE GREEN KNIGHT - 9

3. LAST NIGHT IN SOHO - 9

4. THE POWER OF THE DOG - 9

5. BELFAST - 9

6. THE FRENCH DISPATCH - 9

7. HIT THE ROAD - 8.75

8. ZOLA - 8.5

9. BEYOND THE INFINITE 2 MINUTES - 8.75

10. TITANE - 8.5

11. MEMORIA - 8

12. ONE SECOND - 8

13. A HERO - 8

14. BOILING POINT - 8.5

15. LAMB - 8

16. SPENCER - 8.5

17. RED ROCKET - 8

18. ALI AND AVA - 8

19. THE HAND OF GOD - 8.5

20. CINDERELLA ADDICTION - 8

21. NOWHERE SPECIAL - 7.75

22. PETITE MAMAN - 8

23. BROTHER'S KEEPER - 8

24. GAGARINE - 8

25. C'MON C'MON - 8.5

26. THE CARD COUNTER - 7.75

27. PIG - 7.75

28. SILENT NIGHT - 7.75

29. THE KILLING OF KENNETH CHAMBERLAIN - 7.75

30. FLOOD WONT COME - 7.75

31. SUNDOWN - 7.75

32. THE EYES OF TAMMY FAY - 7.75

33. THE SOUVENIR PART 2 - 7.75

34. LICORICE PIZZA - 7.75

35. DRIVE MY CAR - 7.75

36. ONODA - 7.75

37. TIONG BAHRU SOCIAL CLUB - 7.5

38. IN THE SAME BREATH - 7.5

39. ZALAVA - 7.75

40. VENGEANCE IS MINE ALL OTHER PAY CASH - 7.5

41. PRAYERS FOR THE STOLEN - 7.75

42. THE RESCUE - 7.5

43. BLUE BAYOU - 7.75

44. THE LAST DUEL - 8

45. THE HARDER THEY FALL - 7.5

46. THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN - 7.5

47. WRITING WITH FIRE - 7.5

48. SUMMIT OF THE GOD - 7.5

49. DRUKEN BIRDS - 7.5

50. FORTITUDE - 7.75

*if some movies lower better rating (fair/objective rate - or as much as possible) but are higher on the list it is because "emotions" (bias bonuses)

Then For once we did not try order the next 51-100 titles but here they are in alphabetical order, so after making sure to check the d50 films above (if you haven/t already or if you the type that rewatch good stuff multiple time) please do check the following 50:

7 PRISONERS - 7.5

AFTER LOVE - 7.5

AND TOMORROW THE ENTIRE WORLD - 7.75

ANNETTE - 7.5

ASCENSION - 7.5

AZOR - 7.75

BELLE - 7.75

BLACK BOX - 7.5

CANDYMAN - 7.5

CODA - 7.5

ENCANTO - 7.5

ENCOUNTER - 7.5

GIANTS BEING LONELY - 7.5

GODAVARI - 7.75

GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE - 7.5

HOUSE OF GUCCI - 7.5

I'M YOUR MAN - 7.5

IN THE EARTH - 7.5

IN THE HEIGHTS - 7.5

ISLAND - 7.5

JOHN AND THE HOLE - 7.75

KILLING OF TWO LOVERS - 7.5

KING RICHARD - 7.5

LAKEWOOD - 7.5

LINGUI - 7.75

LISTEN - 7.75

LOST DAUGHTER - 7.5

LUCA - 7.5

MADRES PARALELAS - 7.5

MAINSTREAM - 7.5

NITRAM - 7.5

OLD HENRY - 7.5

PAPER TIGER - 7.5

PAUL DOOD'S DEADLY LUNCH BREAK - 7.5

QUEEN OF GLORY - 7.75

REMAIN IN TWILIGHT - 7.5

SALOUM - 7.5

SPIDERMAN NO WAY HOME - 7.5

TENDER BAR - 7.5

TEST PATTERN - 7.5

THE GOOD BOSS - 7.5

THE MATRIX 4 RESURRECTION - 7.5

THE NOISE OF ENGINES - 7.5

THE PERFECT CANDIDATE - 7.5

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH - 7.5

THREE SISTERS - 7.5

TIK TIK BOOM - 7.5

UNCLENCHING THE FIST - 7.75

VIOLET - 7.5

VIVO - 7.5

BEST LEAD FEMALE ROLE

HIT THE ROAD

ZOLA

TITANE

HOUSE OF GUCCI

THE EYES OF TAMMY FAY

PRAYERS FOR THE STOLEN

THE INNOCENT

QUEEN OF GLORY

UNCLENCHING THE FIST

LOST DAUGHTER

LA CIVIL

BEST LEAD MALE ROLE

BOILING POINT / BELFAST

HIT THE ROAD

ALI AND AVA

THE GREEN KNIGHT

RED ROCKET

KING RICHARD

TIK TIK…BOOM

ANNETTE

TITANE

DON'T LOOK UP

THE KILLING OF KENNETH CHAMBERLAIN

BEST SUPPORTING FEMALE ROLE

KING RICHARD

PASSING

CODA

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO

LINGUI

BELFAST

HAND OF GOD

WESTSIDE STORY

NIGHTMARE ALLEY

THE POWER OF THE DOG

DON'T LOOK UP

BEST SUPPORTING MALE ROLE

CODA

C'MON C'MON

ZOLA

HIT THE ROAD

THE HAND OF GOD

HOUSE OF GUCCI

THE POWER OF THE DOG

BELFAST

LICORICE PIZZA

TENDER BAR

A HERO

BEST ENSEMBLE

HIT THE ROAD

THE HAND OF GOD

BELFAST

BOILING POINT

KING RICHARD

HOUSE OF GUCCI

THE FRENCH DISPATCH

RED ROCKET

BROTHER'S KEEPER

THE HARDER THEY FALL

BEST SIGHT (Films with either/or: Visual masterpiece, Mesmerizing visual, Entrancing cinematography, Immersive VFX or animation, And phenomenal production design, costume, hair & makeup…)

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO

THE GREEN KNIGHT

THE FRENCH DISPATCH

SPENCER

CRUELLA

THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN

THE HARDER THEY FALL

SHANG-CHI

THE SOUVENIR PART 2

THE HAND OF GOD

THE POWER OF THE DOG

TIONG BAHRU SOCIAL CLUB

ONE SECOND

GAGARINE

IN THE HEIGHTS

MEMORIA

DUNE

TITANE

CYRANO

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

VENGEANCE IS MINE, ALL OTHER PAY CASH

ANNETTE

IN THE EARTH

CANDYMAN

THE BLAZING WORLD

NIGHTMARE ALLEY

THE MATRIX 4 RESURRECTION

GUNPOWDER MILKSHAKE

FORTITUDE

ENCANTO

HIT THE ROAD

PETITE MAMAN

ZOLA

ZALAVA

LAMB

TIK TIK BOOM

CHARLOTTE

SUMMIT OF THE GOD

STRAWBERRY MANSION

LOST ILLUSIONS

BELLE

ONODA

LUNANA A YAK IN THE CLASSROOM

NO TIME TO DIE

FREE GUY

SWAN SONG

THE EYES OF TAMMY FAYE

LICORICE PIZZA

HOUSE OF GUCCI

SUPERIOR

BEST SOUND (Films with either/or: Memorable scores, Loopable soundtracks, Mastered mixes, And must-see music scene or Musical climax)

Starting with the best best scene of the year at #1 and #2

The one that made you smile

youtube

The one that made you cry

youtube

And of course at #3 the whole movie and the soundtrack that made you FEEL!

youtube

FLEE

SUMMER OF SOUL

THE GREEN KNIGHT

TIK TIK...BOOM

ANETTE

ZOLA

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO

ENCANTO

THE POWER OF THE DOG

DUNE

THE FRENCH DISPATCH

THE CARD COUNTER

THE SOUVENIR PART 2

CYRANO

THE HARDER THEY FALL

SPENCER

THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH

TITANE

CANDYMAN

LICORICE PIZZA

C'MON C'MON

ENCOUNTER

GODZILLA

(And sure the Bond song from) NO TIME TO DIE

BEST STORY (Films with either/or: Great tales - fictitious or based on real events, Unique narrative or story, And most the most WTF or weird!)

THE GREEN KNIGHT

THE FRENCH DISPATCH

BEYOND THE INFINITE 2 MINUTES

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO

FLEE

TITANE

ZOLA

THE HAND OF GOD

HIT THE ROAD

MEMORIA

GAGARINE

CINDERELLA ADDICTION

LAMB

BAD LUCK BANGING AND LOONY PORN

BROTHER'S KEEPER

SUNDOWN

ONE SECOND

DUNE

VENGEANCE IS MINE, ALL OTHER PAY CASH

ZALAVA

BELFAST

RED ROCKET

C'MON C'MON

COSTA BRAVA LEBANON

A HERO

TIONG BAHRU SOCIAL CLUB

ONODA

WONDERFUL PARADISE

PRAYERS FOR THE STOLEN

LICORICE PIZZA

RANDOM OBSERVATIONS

Main theme:

MUSICALS are back!

Tick, Tick...Boom, West Side Story, In The Heights, Everybody's Talking About Jamie, Dear Evan Hansen, Annette, Cinderella, Cyrano, Encanto, Come from away, Sing 2, Robin Robin, and…Diana

(still haven't checked this last one…Maybe we never will…)

In a time of isolation, there were a lot of movies about families, good or bad, but as seen in recent year with MINARI or PARASITE, many movies showed us something different or diverse/eclectic group with awesome or wholesome energy no matter the adversity (and of course offered great kid actors)

Amongst many:

THE HAND OF GOD, CMON CMON, BELFAST, HIT THE ROAD, A HERO, LISTEN, ENCOUNTER, CODA, THE TENDER BAR, BLUE BAYOU, NOWHERE SPECIAL, LAMB, AFTER YANG, ENCANTO, HUMANS, COUSINS, KING RICHARD, THE MITCHELS VS THE MACHINE, HOUSE OF GUCCI…and guess F9:THE FAST SAGA!

0 notes

what2watch2night · 2 years

Text

Sundance Film Festival 2022 Highlights

That’s a wrap on SUNDANCE 2022; the festival that opens “movie year” delivering some of what would be the most talked-about US indie films of the year ended and this edition had quite an interesting offering... It ended last week and having few days to think about everything, it was probably not the greatest year but, as usual, every projects screened had something special about them that made them the “SUNDANCE type” - or we can say they are all somewhere on the scale of “recommended-viewing to must-see!”

But, obligatory side note, the 2022 festival itself was initially a bit of a "sh!tshow"… Starting with how it waited to pivot, at the very VERY last minute, to online-only and half-pulled a Fyre Fest on those who purchased prior in-person tickets (with all the hotels + travel arrangements to be canceled also at the last minutes) or those who online packages for the full week and were enjoy themselves safely with optimal setting from the comfort on their house... Guess SUNDANCE did them a bit dirty and was not really sorry - or sorry without great action; eg: no reimbursement policy, no swapping for single tickets policies, no credit, no replacement days despite the having movies playing everyday… But in the end it sort of got sorted and hopefully the festival will learn from this and not penalize the eager fans in the future. (And maybe customers with modest resources will know better to proceed with caution and maybe risk not getting everything they want to see by booking tickets at the last minute but at least not lose money!) That being said, we have to truly be thankful that SUNDANCE is one of the few festivals that truly understand the power of having an online/in-person/satellites hybrid festival offering the same opportunities to ALL cinephiles whether they are wealthy and able to fly to Park City and dressed warmly to stay in line in the cold, or on a budget allowing them to only watch one or two films in their small hometown. Because that is the power of Cinema and it should be democratic! (sure being "not free" makes it already biased but $20 for a single ticket is pretty much what one would pay at a cineplex these days so great deal all around!) Now we can only hope that even when the pandemic eventually goes away ALL festivals get on board and stop being so elitist about how one gets to watch things first…Because let’s be real, even online, some of those film tickets were impossible to get! So see, there is still room to make some people sad and depressed that they are missing out on the good stuff while others get the privilege to brag about it! (Sorry not sorry ;) ) Anyway, SUNDANCE utimately did it right with their 2022 online platform (although gotta admit the 2021 system was better) and let’s hope they keep it up and do it even more rightfully in 2023 and beyond.

As usual no one is able to see everything (cuz “life is unfair”! ) but we were able to see a fair amount of things with a focus on US fiction films and all the would-be indie darlings, hence the following will be films to watch in 2022...

The Must-sees & Heavyweights

EMILY THE CRIMINAL

A perfect example of what an accomplished indie crime heist-ish thriller-ish movie with some serious action and tense moments can look like! Definitely our favorite of the festival, EMILY THE CRIMINAL is a tad short of a masterpiece but it is no less a great film with a perfect ensemble led by Aubrey Plaza on top of her game in a role that seems made for her. It is the story of a woman left with only bad options (because of our greedy exploitative society…) turning to a life of crime to make ends meet but also to simply get a shot at living life without the daily struggle. The film has a good dose of 90s LA movies being shot in places rarely seen on screen that adds to its realism and makes this protagonist's journey sadly too relatable for many... But no matter what, EMILY THE CRIMINAL is a movie that would 100% makes you root for its anti-heroes and offer no dull moments. *Best actress pick

Moral Of The Story: 7.75/10 ****

2. GOD’S COUNTRY

One of the many Sundance movies that tackle race from an academic angle, but also what it means to be Black or a POC in an environment seemingly made to keep you out. In the case of GOD’S COUNTRY, we follow Thandiwe Newton as a professor and one of the handfuls of non-white people not only at the university where she works but in the rural desolated area where she resides. Set in winter the film offers an eerily beautiful frigid and snow-covered landscape that ads up to the bleakness and the isolation anxiety feelings emanating from its main character. She not only has to confront racism pretty much everywhere but she is being harassed by hunters trespassing on her land

Moral Of The Story: 7.75/10 ****

3. UTAMA

This gorgeous-looking Bolivian film is also much about lands. Set in a dry remote region we follow an elderly Quechua couple, spending their days tending to their lamas and land. It is peaceful but the dry spell (and global warming…) is becoming a life or death problem for the animals. This has forced many of their friends from the nearby villages to live for bigger cities where they have better access to water, electricity, care, and basic necessities… But at the price of losing their freedom and their way of life. This impressive feature debut by Alejandro Loayza Grisi is like poetry with sunlit cinematography taking advantage of the magnificent vistas and telling an important tale about urgent issues for indigenous people living in similar situations.

Moral Of The Story: 7.75/10 ***

4. AFTER YANG

This arthouse scifi film is unlike a few others… Set in a future where one can adopt an artificially intelligent android too real to be true, AFTER YANG brings us into the life of a sweet and loving family composed of a Colin Farrell and Jodie Turner-Smith and their two adopted children. It might be a family affair but it is so much more, starting with what seems to be a family dance competition in a time of isolation, the movie offers a lot of beautiful oddities and there are a lot of different vignettes ever so gently blending elements from various genres. This is the kind of very peculiar film that will surely not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is a must-see for cinephiles and those who delight in aesthetically pleasing delicate film. AFTER YANG is on the “quieter side” but no less affecting with touches of poetry and philosophy about emotions, science, and what it means to be part of a family or to be human... *Best supporting actress and awesome kid pick for Malea Emma Tjandrawidjaja!

Moral Of The Story: 7.75/10 ***

5. MASTER

In the category “Being Black in the Academia world by Sundance 2022” MASTER is the movie that pulls all the stops tackling the subject from every angle. We simultaneously follow the arrival of a freshman and dean of students (played by Regina Hall) at an ominous “historically white” New England university. So, not only does the school have a “history” of racism AND sexism but it is also one with a dark occult past where witches’ ghosts haunt (certain) students to death. The film is equal parts drama and horror as there are horrific things in its drama and its horror is more drama than slasher, and in a way, it makes it all the more frightening with an eerie vibe lingering throughout. MASTER cleverly interweaves hot topics in its compelling narrative, AND, it even delivers a twist that was hard to see coming that was both hilarious and soberingly somber…

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

6. 892

This intense drama follows an ex-marine suffering from a mental breakdown (an PTSD) struggling to make end-meet and not become homeless in Atlanta. Despite his best effort to be an honorable man and father, he is pushed to his limit after suffering from an injustice. Thus, he is set to commit a terrible crime as the only way to right a wrong and tell the world what happens so no one can turn a blind eye anymore. 892 might be based on a real story but it is also depicting the heartbreaking tale of countless veterans being left stranded by their governments once back home. Its message is categorically important but the movie stands without a doubt as a lesson in acting by a formidable ensemble driven by a powerhouse performance by John Boyega. In addition, 892 sadly provides us the final film appearance of Michael Kenneth Williams in a role that is almost against his "usual typecast" and proves to those who still needed proof that the man was simply perfect in every role… *Best actor, supporting actor, and ensemble pick

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

7. KLONDIKE

Inspired by true events that unfolded in July 2014 this is a story of an expectant Ukrainian couple trying their best to live their quiet farm life amid the Donbas war. As if the situation was not already explosive in their village at the border with Russia with all kinds of bad armed folks abusing, threatening, or hurting civilians, an international airplane crashes next door and creates an impossible situation. Most people fled the region, but the heavily pregnant protagonist refuses to back down and leave their house even if it has been dramatically bombed. Witnessing their predicament and dilemma is both gut-wrenching and surreal. All characters behave nonsensically and are obviously all suffering from the constant violence and conflicts. The cinematography is entrancing with the visual of this wall-less blitzed house enhancing the surreal of it all. Nevertheless, this is not a film for the squeamish or those looking for escapism, and rightfully so; it is a very bleak film about the reality of living in a warzone with no help in sight…

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

8. EMERGENCY

Completing the “trilogy of sorts” about the danger of being a person of color in the higher institution world EMERGENCY is here to bring us some comedy, some levity, some much-needed fun BUT with the sadly compulsory look at the harsh reality… This kinda bro movie is one of brotherly love indeed, as we follow two very different best friends determined to be the first Black students to complete the end-of-school “legendary tour”, or hit all their university houses’ parties in one fateful night. However, as they are about to start their epic challenge their plans are jeopardized as they find a (very white and very young) girl passed out in their house… With the help of their Latino roommate, they must decide what to do to possibly save this unknown youngster’s life without putting their own lives in danger; as they very well know that they all look like “perfect culprits”...

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 **

9. SPEAK NO EVIL

An unquestionably midnight section movie that is certainly not for a faint of heart! This Danish horror film with a good dose of Nordic dark humor is sure to provoke a…reaction (no SPOILER but we can guarantee you are not ready for it. Especially that ending!) The unsettling “horror dramedy” movie is about a Danish family of three who meets a Dutch family of three while on vacation in Italy and they all become friends. The trios are both roughly of the same age (with kids of similar age) and they seem to share many interests, except the Dutch family has a very strange vibe and are too quick to become besties. Furthermore, there is definitely something “weird” going on with their young son. After the holiday the Dutch are invited to spend time in the Netherlands in their new “friends”… country house. And everyone familiar with horror films knows that nothing good ever happens in an isolated house in the middle of nowhere! The story is very intriguing, peeling layers of bizarre and spooky one after the other until the situation becomes horrifically bonkers.

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 **

10. NEPTUNE FROST

NEPTUNE FROST is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and trippiest movies of recent years and 100% a must-watch. The Afrofuturist feature by Anisia Uzeyman and poet Saul Williams is A LOT to take on:Think MAD MAX by way of THE MATRIX but as a fever dream-ish contemplative piece a-la Apichatpong or even Malick, with a touch of MR ROBOT, NORTH COUNTRY or BLOOD DIAMOND, but it is also a musical full of fusion music, sounds and poetry (that also happened to have Lin Manuel and The Halluci Nation as exec producer) So…It is a lot indeed!

Set in a mining region in remote Rwandan hills in what seems to be the near future - or is it an alternate reality? NEPTUNE FROST follows a coltan miner who joins a mystical hacker group fighting against an oppressive regime and world as civil war looms. It sounds pretty straightforward but the film is everything but, and it brings viewers in a labyrinthian quest for an intersex person that will be the key to the revolution against colonization, exploitative capitalism (are there other kinds really…), and man-made ecological disaster. To say that NEPTUNE FROST is more style than substance would not be wrong at first glance but its substance is more powerful than that of most films out there. Sure, the story might be a bit convoluted and hard to follow with its own language and word building - plus it is covered in a magic blanket that makes it opaque - but the important message it carries about the state of the world and exploitation of African workers is not lost in the process. If not, it is elevated by this surreal poetic “nonsensical” tale (after all, the way the world works with the 1% making all the money on the backs of those who can't afford to live decently is highly nonsensical!) and completed by spectacular visuals. AND The production design and costumes are worth a thousand Oscars! Everything is wildly clever and creative so the film should be viewed as not only Black excellence in fashion (end everything else really!) but it is the pinnacle of recycling and eco-friendly fashion on screen, as they use all kinds of material to create memorable extraordinary outfits - like a keyboard jacket we now die to recreate!

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

Notable Mention: The Ones With A Darker Edge Or Just Different

THE COW WHO SANG A SONG INTO THE FUTURE 7.5/10 ***

FRESH 7.4/10 ***

DUAL 7.4/10 **

RESURRECTION 7/10 **

PIGGY 7/10 **

HATCHING 7/10 **

Notable Mention: Low-Key Stuff With Something To Stay & Lightweight Still Packing Some Serious Punches!

WHEN YOU FINISH SAVING THE WORLD 7.5/10 ***

HAPPENING 7.5/10 ***

CALL JANE 7.25/10 ***

PALM TREES AND POWER LINES 7.25/10 *

NANNY 7.25/10 **

EVERY DAY IN KAIMUKI 7.25/10 **

CHA CHA REAL SMOOTH 7.25/10 **

The Ones That Were Missed...

YOU WON’T BE ALONE

GOOD LUCK TO YOU LEO GRANDE

LIVING

HONK FOR JESUS. SAVE YOUR SOUL

DOS ESTACIONES

GENTLE

1 note · View note

what2watch2night · 2 years

Text

What To Watch On "TV"... If You Had Time In 2021

It’s a new year; we’re STILL in the midst of yet another “weird” award season, and a few days ago the Golden Globes delivered winners via Twitter telling us what they thought was to watch on Tv in 2021… And they were almost not wrong with the likes of SQUID GAME, POSE, THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD, and TED LASSO winning one or more gold statues. But let’s take a moment to reminisce about what was good, great, and memorable on “TV” (more like streaming services!) last year. This will maybe give one inspiration or hint on stuff to watch if one is sadly still locked down, staying safe, or staying warm and cozy at home in these uncertain times… It was not all escapism as strangely many shows kinda tackled nowaday's problems, and guess, made “the most'' of pandemic life; Art imitating Life imitating Art… Sometimes you gotta ask: ‘What came first tho!?!’

Anyway, the good thing is, as usual, there was something for all and something for maybe just a couple of people, and that’s 100% dope :) The more diverse and specific the merrier; always… Though gotta admit it is getting HARD to catch up on all that is “worthy” of catching up on, and some titles might have not been seen or fell through the cracks of the never-ending doomscroll that occurs when one is trying to find something new to watch! But a silver lining of these many months/year staying home was definitely more time to discover new fabulous and different things! (Out of 100 seasons watched in 2021!!!!)

Starting with… The revelation of these last few years and the first of our “2021 TV Highlights”

youtube

HOW TO WITH JOHN WILSON

The show was included in our 2020 rundown https://what2watch2night.com/post/644276232551383040/best-series-of-2020

But guess it did not fully hit yet as we caught it on a little late, but by the end, and with the wonderful new season, one would be blind not to realize that there is really nothing like it out there. It is a documentary series but it is just so goddamn beautiful and humanistic. But why oh why do we shed tears of amusing joy, bittersweet melancholy, heart-breaking nostalgia, and it fills us with a love for life with all its randomness while we watch this show is a mystery! So it doesn't seem like it but this is deep stuff with genuine naturalistic writing that coupled with beautifully random images gracefully meandering from one subject to another…

Moral Of The Story: 10/10 *****

*A great companion to PRETEND ITS A CITY another NYC docu show approaching things from a similar angle but with a different tone consisting of interviews and conversations between Scorsese and Fran Lebowitz about her and life in New York. It made some of us living in big cities (or better, NYC) relate to everything said and thought in this doc on such a meta-level; it was like “mind patting”!

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD The most wonderful immersive cinematic experience of TV in 2021 with an incredible story, cinematography, acting, and directing by none other than Barry Jenkins. It is a shame that this show was so underviewed (although understandably some found it triggering) But it is such an important work of Art and culture that it belongs in a museum… If you have not seen it already you should see it on Prime (kinda “funny” how this is a case of SMALL AXE or an underseen masterpiece about Black stories available on Prime…)

Moral Of The Story: 10/10 ***** all around there is not much to add but go WATCH IT!

SQUID GAME The one we probably all watched already! So do we need to write more about this show as so much ink has been spilled over it with some arguing ‘it is bad for children?’! (well, why are children watching this?!) while others were afraid people would do the same in real life (well, look around, some version of SQUID GAME has already happened for a long time cuz this greedy society is so f#!@*d for the not 25% earners all around the globe! More so now than ever…) SQUID GAME was not only a bonkerz show demonstrating the genius of Korean filmmakers like PARASITE did a few years ago with similar themes and the kinda “all hell breaks loose” approach, capturing expertly the angst and anger of the moment. On top of that, it was exhilarating to watch involving all kinds of emotions and all kinds of actors mirroring real life in surreal situations. On top of the of that: the technicalities of this series are without reproach from music (to the point the score and songs became global hits, remixed and sampled all over the place and on socials! Not sure how many theme shows can say the same or even compete at THAT level!) In addition, the costumes from the show were so distinct, that half of the Halloween costumes this year were related to SQUID GAME and surely people will keep wearing them long after the show is over! The production design, again memorable, and people will talk about the games and challenges for years to come. The acting also was phenomenal all-around, and 10/10 for the writing. Like how on earth do you come up with that and all the twists!? And last but not least, the direction is noteworthy with the fact that it was filmed in the middle of a pandemic with HUNDREDS of extras everywhere (licking stuff and fighting to the death) Well, what has SQUID GAME not achieved should be the question…

Moral Of The Story: 9/10 *****

DOPESICK This show was just as powerful and important as it was heartbreaking and enraging! With real stories, depiction of mostly real people, and bearing all the hallmarks of what an Oscar-winning film would be if it was a TV series (think SPOTLIGHT as it has the same vibe) with awe-inspiring performances by the ensemble cast.

Moral Of The Story: 9/10 *****

MAID Like the previous, you could not find a show more gut-punching and with more tear-jerker scenes than this one. MAID should definitely be seen by everyone - particularly people in charge of policies and the out-of-touch “rich” because they truly have no idea how hard it is out there and this show captures the harshness of the struggles so well… It was simply heartbreaking BUT ALSO ENRAGING to watch… Sadly many will relate in part or completely to the protagonist’s predicament (impeccably portrayed by Margaret Qualley)

Moral Of The Story: 8.5/10 *****

RESERVATION DOGS This awesome new show courtesy of Sterlin Harjo and Taika Waititi is about Indigenous American teens trying to make money in order to pursue their dreams away from their reservation. But as expected this show is sooooo much more and can only get praised for how it handled mental health issues and traumas in general but more particularly from the pov of indigenous people. It was both hilarious and maybe triggering but for the greater good, and this young cast deserves nothing more than great things! Why did it take so long to get a show like this tho…

Moral Of The Story: 8.5/10 *****

MASTER OF NONE This season was truly magnificent and it was clever for so many reasons to focus on everybody else other than the show creator… Naomi Ackie's storyline was simply perfect and she was superb in this role of a single queer black woman trying to have a baby on her own. The show continued its strike of proving that there are so many stories out there to be told that haven't yet and it is just wonderful when they are told by the appropriate storytellers. *Bonus point for this arresting cinematography

Moral Of The Story: 8/10 *****

POSE A show that never stopped making history and just did that again with Michaela Jae Rodriguez's recent Golden Globe win as best actress! Altho Dominique Jackson was not nominated, she did not disappoint in the finale season either! In fact, POSE should have won an ensemble award because this cast was pure gold and so unique. It was a show that kept serving looks, fun, but also great characters, and much-needed diverse stories. It was a perfect end season to a perfect show, hopefully, there will be other projects to the same effect about all kinds of stories from all kinds of people with all kinds of problems from all walks of life because it is beautiful to see everyone represented so completely - and thinking that maybe for some viewers POSE were their only exposure and understanding of LGBTQ+ people of color and that ballroom world just warms hearts…

Moral Of The Story: 8/10 *****

French Stuff With LUPIN /CALL MY AGENT

LUPIN was pretty traditional high-end stuff but made people watch foreign shows, in this case, the French well-known story of Lupin but made it modern and introduced the world to the amazing Omar Sy! Not that he was not in many blockbusters lately, but it is such a feat accomplished to have a black French actor recognized as “you know the french actor” maybe the next Depardieu level of fame or recognition. He was excellent in LUPIN and this show was a perfect piece of fun entertainment but with some sincere weight and emotions. Like SQUID GAME the future is absolutely global, so embrace it or die in your “small-town mind”… (AND PLEASE READ SUBTITLE PEOPLE, DUBBING SHOULD BE ILLEGAL - Only for people who are blind or have special needs, or maybe...maybe if you forgot your glasses, but everybody else READ and read the room!)

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

Of course, another French series that aimed for modernity but guessed more realistically as it is about talent agents in the film/entertainment industry was CALL MY AGENT. It was another great season finale and a sad au revoir but it never exceeded its welcome. Sure they are making a remake but maybe we could do with another season of the original with all its quirky cameos and sorta realistic plots! (for those in the industry, you know ;) )

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

INSECURE Talking about a bittersweet ending, we could not talk about this “not so low-key” revolutionary show, with highly relatable characters and plotlines with each season looking (and sounding!) better and better. They were the right cast at the right time telling the right stories about the right people (wearing the right clothes!) and, well, that’s how you do the right things! Issa Rae’s project truly pulled all the stops before crossing the finish line. It was a timely, delightful, and important piece but it was a fun ride mostly thanks to the tone and the mood that stayed upbeat and “comical” even when tackling hard subjects. It was great but with the story moving fast and furious and the show exploring every characters' arcs it also felt like the perfect time for INSECURE to tell us “okay, bye” in a very Issa-talking-to-a-mirror fashion!

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

The Kids Are Alright

We also said farewell to BETTY, even though we learned the news after season 2 aired, the 2021 season strangely offered a perfect ending as we saw characters growing from teenager to young adult learning many lessons (something the hard way) but without losing their friendship and passion. BETTY following the characters from the films was a breath of fresh air on TV and brought us something very special from a unique perspective and, damn it was also a good show to look at, and one that made you reminisce about your youth wishing you could have met those young and free-spirited folks. Hopefully, there will be more shows like BETTY or to similar effects, and hopefully, we can’t wait to see what everyone from creator to cast is doing next.

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

GENERA+ION Many were quick to compare GENERA+ION to EUPHORIA and justifiably so as it is as if it lives in the same universe and same time (and in the same city); these kids of roughly the same age just go to another high school across town! Albeit a school that seems more low-profile and less fancy, hence this show might not be as grandiose as its counterparts but is equally pleasing. It presents a sorta realistic view of teens these days (and even a few years ago as “older” viewers and some millennials might relate to these very GenZ people!), plots are more down to earth, performances are more grounded, and in fact, one might argue this cast was very very good; overall may be slightly better than the EUPHORIA cast if one wants to keep going with the comparison. But they all have their perks and GENERA+ION was a perfect show to have in a year without the former.

Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ****

The Scifi Stuff

SWEET TOOTH is a show somewhat bridging the gap between a “family-friendly “ series and a futuristic sci-fi adventure series AND it was very well-timed coming after a year of real-life pandemic… It was perhaps the first good surprise of 2021, and it swept us off our feet with some very emotional and gorgeous scenes that were certainly only heightened by the truth of life outside of the screen. But the great thing about SWEET TOOTH is that it was also a real good dose of escapism and a show that might make you forget all your troubles!

Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ****

No DEVS this year but a couple of breathtaking and sensational series set in an alternate universe, parallel world, near future, or just a world full of science and magic such as:

INVASION On Apple which was a welcome addition to - well - the invasion genre especially with the worldwide approach (talking about going global!), and the high-art yet low-key approach to the trope with almost mystical invader until we get to see them but it never becomes some “ALIEN” TV version, it is prob more akin to ARRIVAL, so if that’s your jam you would want a good spread a that!

Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ****

FOUNDATION On the other side of that spectrum, there was FOUNDATION which was grandiose in its world-building with all the decorum, costumes, and imaginative visual tricks and FX. but was lacking a little something and would have benefited from having more than 1 or 2 solid actors (no need to tell you Lee Pace was perfect for his role)

Moral Of The Story: 7/10 ****

STATION ELEVEN In between 2021 and 2022 we have the great STATION ELEVEN which is one of those shows that made the most of the pandemic being about a pandemic! It is very meta but it is also so brilliant in its approach and not sure what of the real world and covid was added to the production but it felt really real in many aspects. The stories were so touching and the writing was brilliant, the visuals were also very compelling with all the inventive production and costume design.

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

Now, The Weird & The Odd Like…

MR CORMACK A 100% pure pandemic show but made surreal about a young-ish adult (white male) with mental issues having a mental breakdown and an existential crisis in the middle of a lockdown… Guess that could hit close enough to home for many! It was one of the most creative shows of the year, if not the most surreal and surrealist with some funky FX and animation peppered all over. You can say Joseph Gordon-Levitt brought some of the HIT RECORD flavors to this “1 season and done” Apple TV series, it was of its time and it was an interesting exercise in style with some impressive character developments and maybe delivering some real yet uncomfortable truth.

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR Promise you there was nothing weirder than this in 2021! A show with magic, some fascinating gross stuff like a cat-puking lady, and it is also a show about how to make it in Hollywood in the 90s (with its own load of grossness…) So it is a fun combination and made for a perfect Halloween season watch.

Moral Of The Story: 7/10 ****

LISEY’S STORY By Chilean maestro Pablo Larraín and with a stacked cast led by Julianne Moore (and with a Stephen King story - one of maybe 3rd series seen in 2021 alongside the meh CHAPELWAITHE and the meh-sy THE STRAND!) Unfortunately despite a mesmerizing visual and Larrain’s touch, it did not manage to gel into what it could have become; something great. However, we cannot deny it’s one of those shows that pull you in every week because of its strangeness and beauty despite its many flaws.

Moral Of The Story: 7/10 ***

AMERICAN HORROR STORIES We could not go a year without it and the 2-for-1 2021 series was a bit uneven but deliciously unsettling with the 1st part being eerily entrancing and the 2nd part being... amusingly WTF! (Oh yeah they also made AMERICAN HORROR STORIES, which are one-off bottle episodes some inspired or calling back to the original show and more Gen-Z oriented but the result was watchable but nothing close to the mastery of AHS.) The last anthology series might not be the best but with all its problems and uneven 2nd half it still is one the most accomplished season and did not lose its addictiveness

Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ****

THEM There were a lot of great things about THEM, a show that was somewhere between AHS by way of the “Jordan Peele school of Black Horror Cinema”. It was a visually stunning, very well produced, and acted series that offered something slightly different than others in its category. Sure there might have been a certain je ne sais quoi missing but it is still a far better offering than most out there and again bringing diversity and a different pov.

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

The Fun Stuff!

Starting with Disney+ goods and WANDA VISION. This show was a revelation as no one expected it would use such a widely creative device as a show within a show and throughout decades of television history. It most often did not feel like watching anything to do with Marvel, specifically the first few episodes that created such a mystery. The acting is phenomenal, by mostly indie darling and high-drama actors that end up in Superhero movies, but surprisingly the writing was one of the highlights, bringing us probably the most memorable TV line of the year; 'What Is Grief, If Not Love Persevering...' Delivered by a robot! (kinda)

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

Then there was LOKI which again surprised us with the creative approach art deco style, altho the story veered into different territories, the visual is sure to leave no one indifferent, and THE SCORE: Best of the year!

Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ****

Then there was HAWKEYE. Surprisingly better than expected thanks to the bombastic chemistry between ‎Hailee Steinfeld and everybody but particularly Florence Pugh who continues to prove she cannot do anything wrong! Likewise, the show should be praised for its bringing some much-needed diversity in terms of differently-abled bodies and indigenous people with Alaqua Cox. *Bonus points for stealing Netflix/Marvel's most terrifying villain!

‎Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ****

And last but not least, BOBA FETT… Well more 2022 than 2021 and not quite THE MANDALORIAN but obvious successor telling a very Star Wars story via Streaming AND without losing none of its panache!

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

All the way to even things like the lovely ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING. Although it might not really be so sweet and lovely as it is about a murder podcast, it was one of the nicest surprises of 2021 that will please more than one and will tempt those who might not be into podcasts and real crime! It really hooked viewers from episode 1 and is a perfect dose of arty but comical escapism (and that coming from not typically fans of the Martin/Short type of humor)

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

HISTORY OF SWEAR WORD

Well, this title says it all and this was a fun Netflix addition with none other than Nic Cage presenting us little vignettes full of anecdotes and historical facts about words we use way too often ;) It might remind one of the dearly departed DRUNK HISTORY as it has the same vibe, and provides a fun way to learn things about things we didn’t know we needed to learn, so what’s not to like!

Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ***

A couple of Fun stuff were not shy of pulling some tough punch and tackling headfirst mental illness like THE SHRINK NEXT DOOR with Will Ferrell dealing with social anxiety and related mental issues being taken advantage of by a shady criminal therapist (with his own self-confidence issues!) played by Paul Rudd.

Moral Of The Story: 7.4/10 ****

Or LET’S GET PHYSICAL with Rose Byrne dealing with eating disorders and some other unresolved issues but it is set in the ’80s and she is getting into the fitness craze. Some have said this series was a bit triggering and it is maybe a good thing that more shows tackle all kinds of subjects and even comedy-oriented ones, because it is part of real life, and these 2 did a great job at balancing harsh and amusing scenes.

Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ***

THE GREAT

T’was another great season from THE GREAT! This show is just so flamboyant and pure fun. Its production design is top-notch and every scene is like a painting. It certainly is an acquired taste and last season probably even more so, but for those digging this brand of dramedy, THE GREAT was a gift that kept on giving with a great ensemble cast.

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

Lovely Stuff!

Now some fun, sweet and lovely stuff mostly about love. Back in the “before”, we never really took time to explore this genre as it might not be our preferred cup of tea, but all those stay-at-home orders/recommendations created perfect moments (and time; lots of time) to watch heartening stuff that are “easy to watch” (and that is not a bad thing as sometimes it is what one needs especially with most episode having a 30 minutes time run)

We are talking about things like MODERN LOVE. As it happened we already loved the anthology series season 1 as each episode is based on a true story, features award-worthy performance, and are highly engaging mini-movies about different people… no time to get bored!

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

Or projects like

STARSTRUCK Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ***

LOVE LIFE Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ****

SHRILL Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ***

FLACK Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ***

And finally, we need to talk about TED LASSO….

We were late to the game because we could not see why this show would be our jam, but OMG it totally is! And binging season 1 leading to season 2 was perfection. TED LASSO is undoubtedly worth all the hype with its phenomenal ensemble cast (the best there is with POSE) and superb writing making you wonder how the hell did they come up with some of the stuff they came up with! On top of that, the 2021 season truly adventured into new territory in terms of style but also focused on more “players” (pun intended!) It truly is a case of parts as great as the whole and it is so rare to have something so deep seeming so “light”, but above all, it is so rare to have a show with such a kind spirit and we are all better for it.

Moral Of The Story: 9/10 *****

PERFORMANCES HIGHLIGHTS

BEST ENSEMBLES

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

SQUID GAMES

POSE

SUCCESSION

TED LASSO

RESERVATION DOGS

DOPESICK

THE GREAT

HANDMAID'S TALE

STATION 11

INSECURE

CALL MY AGENT

ONLY MUDERS IN THE BUILDING

WANDAVISION

THE LANDSCAPER

INDIVIDUAL ACHIEVEMENT

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD (Thuso Mbedu, Chase Dillon, Sheila Atim, but really everyone involved did a stellar job...)

POSE (Same as above stellar job all around and MJ and Billy Porter have already been rightfully lauded but Dominique Jackson, Indya Moore, Angel Bismark Curiel, were at their best this last season)

DOPESICK (Michael Keaton, Kaitlyn Dever, Phillipa Soo, Michael Stuhlbarg...)

SQUID GAME (Frankly everyone was PERFECTION! but if we need to name names then Lee Jung-jae, HoYeon Jung, O Yeong-su, Anupam Tripathi, Kim Joo-ryoung, Ji-yeong....)

WANDAVISION (Elizabeth Olsen, and fine if people insist Kathryn Hahn but she was much better in THE SHRINK NEXT DOOR)

TED LASSO (Toheeb Jimoh , Jason Sudeikis, Hannah Waddingham, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, Nick Mohammed, Juno Temple, Sarah Niles)

RESERVATION DOGS (Everybody was phenomenal but those performance were so unique and precious; Zahn McClarnon, Lane Factor, Paulina Alexis, Wes Studi)

MAID (Margaret Qualley, Rylea Nevaeh Whittet)

HANDMAID'S TALE (Elisabeth Moss, Mckenna Grace, Madeline Brewer, Samira Wiley )

THE GREAT ( Adam Godley, Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Gwilym Lee )

BLACK MONDAY (Andrew Rannells, Regina Hall, Casey Wilson)

MASTER OF NONE (Naomi Ackie )

AMERICAN CRIME STORY (Sarah Paulson, Beanie Feldstein)

INSECURE (Issae Rae, Natasha Rothwell, Yvonne Orji)

LUPIN (Omar Sy)

THE LANDSCAPER (Olivia Coleman, David Thewlis)

SUCCESSION

Hell we have not talked about this show because what more is there to say that hasn't been said already, and because EVERYONE AGREES this is a masterpiece from intro score to BONKERZ behavior amazingly well-acted and written to the infuriating cliffhanger… but for all the money injected in it this show could have had a better look it is maybe too realistic but here’s to the cast of SUCCESSION who NEVER DISAPPOINT (but particularly the father, the son, and the cousin Greg!)

Moral Of The Story: 8.5/10 *****

Special mention: STATION 11, GENERA+ION, THE END, MARE OF EATOWN, LET'S GET PHYSICAL, CALL MY AGENT, GENIUS, AMERICAN HORROR STORY, SCENE FROM A MARRIAGE, THE SHRINK NEXT DOOR, ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, MODERN LOVE, 9 PERFECT STRANGERS, FLACK, MR CORMAN

VISUAL

UNDERGROUND RAILROAD

SQUID GAME

HOW TO WITH JOHN

SWEET TOOTH

THEM

NORTH WATER

BRAND NEW CHERRY FLAVOR

HALSTON

MR CORMAN

INVASION

HANDMAID'S TALE

FOUNDATION

LISEY’S STORY

MASTER OF NONE

THE GREAT

THE LANDSCAPERS

And: ONLY MURDERS IN THE BUILDING, STATION 11, BETTY, AMERICAN HORROR STORY, LOKI, WANDA VISION, RESERVATION DOGS, THE BOOK OF BOBA FETT

0 notes

what2watch2night · 2 years

Text

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO...Where Nothing Is As It Seems

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, the 2021 British thriller-horror flick by Edgar Wright, is as slick as they come and it leads viewers ever so smoothly deep down into a neon-lit trippy rabbit hole.

We follow Eloise, an out-of-town introvert naive girl played by Thomasin McKenzie. She is moving to a vibrant London neighborhood near Soho to study at a prestigious fashion school. But nothing is as it seems, and our girl "Ellie” has some serious “abilities” (and/or mental issues) on top of some family drama that makes it difficult for her to navigate the "MEAN GIRL plot" at the school. But her life is turned upside down after she gets what is seemingly the deal of a lifetime and moves into a super roomie room in the middle of London. The thing is, the old landlady (Diana Rigg's last performance) is kinda creepy and the place is decrepit and old, well it is in Goodge Street so guess you get -wayyyyy less than - what you pay for... Everything is like back in the 60s which is perfect since Ellie is obsessed with that decade!

So what should happen happens and at night the girl is transported back in time where she meets, observes, or maybe becomes another young aspiring artist played by Anya Taylor-Joy named Sandie. She is a it-girl type pretty tall and slender bombshell blonde who, with the help of a shady dude played by Matt Smith, wants to become a big-time singer in Sixties' Soho no matter how... From there it all goes downhill and Ellie's beautiful nostalgic dreams turned into terrorizing nightmares where she is trying to figure out if ‘is this real life is this just fantasy’ or maybe something else!

This hence leads to room for all kinds of glorious and freaky shenanigans...plus some unfortunate missteps or plot holes! But the film is so captivating and engaging at all times that one won’t have too much time to dwell on the laters or might be willing to sweep them under… the floor! That being said Edgar Wright and Krysty Wilson-Cairns wrote a hell of a story that is only elevated to heaven - or more like hell in this case! - thanks to a spectacular show masterly shot (by Chung Chung-hoon who better get that Oscar) and filled with some mind-bending practical and technical effects.

This is all perfectly illustrated in the “highlight of the film” or its piece of resistance (which probs happens a bit too early on for that or that is sadly maybe not topped later on; but how could they top it!) A great party scene where we are introduced to Taylor-Joy's Sandy and Soho's bygone underground world. This scene will undoubtedly go down as one of the best ever made thanks to its technical prowess (one will be seriously blown away by reading about the behind-the-scenes and how they actually did a Texas switch!) and its dizzying intoxicating sight and sound combo.

And sound LAST NIGHT IN SOHO provides! After all, what did we expect from the guy who brought us BABY DRIVER and its music shepherded direction style. The soundtrack is filled to the brim with nostalgic vibing bangers and we even get to witness Taylor-Joy hidden vocal talents perfectly fitted for the mood. It is hard to fathom this movie with another actress as this is 100% a case of casting match made in heaven with Anya who, fresh from the glory of Queen Gambit proves - to those who did not believe the hype way back from THE WITCH - that she is the real deal and one of the most interesting performers of her generation (along with her fellow Brit, Florence Pugh --- Side note: that would have been an awesome pairing - and doubly amusing considering Anya was originally considered for the role of Eloise) But one thing for sure Anya Taylor-Joy is mesmerizing as ever as Sandie and having someone like Pugh playing Eloise might have also brought something a tad different (decisiveness?purpose?) to the role as Thomasin's take or interpretation of the character might be lacking some momentum. Yet her vacillation is why Ellie is so unsettling to watch.

Nevertheless, this is McKenzie's best, and, plausibly, her “always-disturbed-way-of-being” persona and weirdly unique intonation/pitch, that are, to say the least, very specific, might seem over-the-top for LNIS'S heroine but guess it hammered the point that she is the very obvious black swan. In addition, she is also meant to be a weirdo in and out, but at least she is not alone as the only main character of color, Michael Ajao's John, is likewise unmistakably “different” and...well a simpleton like Eloise. And this brought us to LAST NIGHT IN SOHO “problematic” aspect (or one of the "problems"): it was probably not intended but the way this character behaves and its treatment is sometimes quite unfortunate.

But again the pair are like a couple of Dopey, so no real beef here although it will VERY easily irritate some as they might find themselves yelling at them/the screen: “why you gotta be so naive!” Eloise is essentially akin to a wide-eyed old-school Disney princess (a 6-years-old in the body of a 16-year-old!) or some variant of the horror genre “manic-pixie-dream-girl-ingenue it-girl"...Wheew! However, with all the different looks and subtle behavioral/mood changes she goes through throughout the movie, Thomasin seriously displays some versatility as she certainly transforms herself; also thanks to the clothing she's wearing. Like everything in this movie, the wardrobe is outstanding, with all those dresses and coats! And they did a truly outstanding job as indeed those clothes are not wearing the girls, the protagonists are wearing the sh$t outta them!

Moral Of The Story: 9/10

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO....Death Becomes Her And Beautiful Nightmares? Maybe, maybe not and more, for it is safe to say that it is one of the best films of 2021 and no doubt one of the most visually alluring films ever made. It is a must-see for so many reasons and, despite things clearly needing to be more plainly explained (like how Eloise “abilities” work for one,) its murder mystery story, twist (cuz yes there is a twist!) and, well, mysteries will stay with you for a long long time.

And so will the psychedelic visual or the wonderful soundtrack (that too many of us are obsessing over!) And, lastly, its witchy vibes with nods to the like of THE CRAFT or evidently SUSPIRIA and the Giallo-ness of it all sprinkled all over, because, what less did you expect! There is also something wicked about LAST NIGHT IN SOHO and this can be seen through its many possible influences, references, or callbacks, bringing to mind other surreal movies. Thus all those easter eggs make this film an even more entertaining and bewitching one to watch. So if you haven’t done so, watch it tonight…. or watch it again!

8 notes · View notes

what2watch2night · 2 years

Text

TITANE. LAMB. ANNETTE. (Who Did It Best: "The Creepy Child" Edition!)

Halloween decorations are now long gone but let's keep the freaky spirit going with this 2021 triple bill about creepy children from hell! TITANE, LAMB, and ANNETTE

What they have in common, despite having a particularly cool one-word-title, is that they are somewhat magic or surreal, and play like fairy tales filled with bizarre events and weirdos having even weirder... progeny. These movies are definitely of the “WTF Did I Watch Today" variety (and maybe a tad NSFW - depending on where you work!) thus are not to be recommended to everyone, which somehow might make them even more precious. Sure, they are considered niche and maybe will appeal more to cinephiles, cult-film-like lovers, possibly the "hip and hype movie-folks'', and those like us on an ongoing quest for the odd & unusual...

In fact, if this titles could talk the convo will be akin to something like this:

TITANE (for France): ‘We present to you “car baby” kinda like Transformers...'

LAMB (for Iceland): 'Hold my beer - We present to you “lamb baby...'

ANNETTE (for Leos Carax!): 'Hold up, did somebody say baby but make it weird...'

The End!

Make of that what you wish but the additional good thing about the 3 films of the night is that they are award-season material (all premiered at Cannes) with TITANE and LAMB respectively representing France and Iceland. And ANNETTE…. representing, what a collaboration between the Sparks brothers and Leo Carax - and Adam Driver - would look like! So, ready or not, ready yourself for these unforgettable films...

*And an "uncanny valley fest"!?

TITANE

The 2021 Palme d’Or is a horror film by Julia Ducournau (the second non-man, after Jane Campion, to win the top prize in 74 editions!). It stars newcomer Agathe Rousselle as Alexia who was a creepy child herself with a strange obsession for automobiles... However, after a car accident, she has to be implanted with titanium that will give her a signature later on in life as a grown-up badass sexy dancer at… auto shows! Her life is pretty much all gloom and doom until things get even more bewildering and violent. After an “unfortunate series of murderous events,” she has no choice but to try her best to impersonate a missing man named Adrien. Alexia goes to live with the lad's overprotective part-psycho-part-loving father, Vincent (played by the great Vincent Lindon) who happens to be a firemen captain living in a jail-like fire station with many other young firefighters. Naturally, Vincent wants his "son" to be a “real man”, and a fireman, but their relationship is, to say the least... problematic. It doesn’t help that Alexia is a woman of few words going through an “unnatural” transition...

Moral Of The Story: 8.5/10 ****

This is the one film of the year 2021 that you will remember forever and ever as there sure ain’t nothing like it anywhere else! TITANE should have been our favorite film of the year, having all the peculiar attributes we cherish so much (and also you know being a Cannes winner - they sure are chosen well!) and altho it might not be, it still is a solid (like titanium!) movie that might just be short of a masterpiece. It seems at times uneven (ranging from good to amazing) with the middle part dragging a little, but at the same time, we are treated to basically 2 films in one. In addition, the performances are spectacular, especially Lindon who is as transformed as Roussel transforms herself throughout the movie. But there is no doubt the bonkerz premise and original story is what makes TITANE a must-see. Despite having its fair share of body horror it is probably not as shocking as RAW, and the horror or violence have more “poesy” to it but is also more fun! Guess having something magic, lyrical, gory, extreme, and melodramatic is possible! So, we should thank Ducournau for being so free with a clear vision and unashamed of her crazy kinky idea!

LAMB

Lamb is, believe it or not, the feature debut of its Icelandic filmmaker Valdimar Jóhannsson.

The drama stars Noomi Rapace (speaking in Icelandic cuz she can!) as Maria living on a remote farm in the middle of nowhere with her partner Ingvar. They are very credible as hard-working farmers tending to their land and sheeps, even giving birth to lambs, until one day they bring a quiet “newborn” lamb home. We are not sure why, but it is what it is, and it seems this couple was desperate for a child. We can sense they had this void to fill and it is confirmed as they actually had a crib and all the “equipments” necessary to take care of a new baby. They live a happy life with this mysterious child, but despite the sweet joy of this simple family life in this peaceful valley surrounded by heavenly mountains, we can sense something strange, unnatural, and ominous is bound to happen... Oh yes, there is also Ingvar’s brother coming to the farm to threaten their blissful household and the safety of “the child”; but that should be the least of everyone’s worry… Remember a few years ago we had the excellent Icelandic entry for the Best Foreign Film RAMS about feuding bros, and, well, rams. So, in LAMB we also got those and more!

Moral Of The Story: 8/10 ****

Regardless of the horror-ish aspect of the drama, LAMB makes for a soothing viewing experience with its appeasing colors and the magnificent vistas framed so perfectly coupled with fitted direction and "mood”. It is delicately crowded with vast emptiness and fine and gentle performance, and it appears it could have been the perfect “Covid movie” with 1 location in a beautiful rural setting with a handful of actors. Moreover, it could also be the perfect Icelandic movie, making the most of the gorgeous scenery and the cliches! The story is one-of-a-kind but the actors, and particularly Rapace, are great here. They make this naturalistic yet fantastic drama very grounded. They also give it its easy-going and dark vibe. Some levity and “monotony-breaker” likewise help make the flick less heavy thanks to some well-timed nordic humor. LAMB comes across as a slice of life “at the farm” with a slice of stranger things! Additionally, the film bears the mark of an “A24 horror entry” having this little distinctive “je ne sais quoi”, so it is a win-win-win all around!

ANNETTE

This latest Leo Carax film is an ambitious drama musical - with music by none other than The Sparks - that works as both an homage to LA and/or musical classics, and a modern-day cult classic for high-end camp or grand bizarro projects!

ANNETTE is mostly about Annette’s parents.; they are the protagonists of this love story (cuz duh! Yeah of course it is also a Luvveeeee story, cuz they “love each other so much” like soooooo much yall! But seriously, somebody please nominate this song for an Academy Award for Best Original Song; not because it deserves it by being so good, but because it would be mad to have Driver and Cotillard on stage singing those same verses over and over - with the Sparks brothers in the mix of course!)

Adam Driver plays Henry, a highly performative stand-up comedian/entertainer with some weird sense of showmanship and delusion of grandeur. His lover, Ann (Marion Cotillard), is a superstar opera singer. As mentioned they are consumed by a fiery passionate love and are the talk-of-the-town (Los Angeles) being both famous and a power couple, but like in a Greek tragedy, drama happens! It becomes a tale of jealousy and betrayal… And bad parenting! Because the pair have a kid...A weird weird child. It is played by a puppet and looks like a child from hell named Annette. The precocious girl is magical and so it brings magic to this whimsical rocambolesque fable of love and psychopathic behaviors!

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

It's great that the ANNETTE doesn’t take itself too seriously and knows that some of the most bonkerz or uncomfortable scenes are best to have some fun and funny elements sprinkled on top for breathers - and for the audience to laugh not at but with. In the end, this film is unlike any other for better or worse. It is a wild ride in its field (if there is such a field!) and is probably the most off-beat film of 2021. Viewers will be rewarded if they hang in there and are open to some of the “BOLD” artistic choices made.

Driver is now no doubt the king of “unusual actors” but he was mindblowing in this role and playing this over-the-top character to perfection. Think if Phantom of The Opera was an odd megalomaniac, introvert-extravert, privileged hipster! It is perhaps the most versatile part he’s done so far. The physicality of Driver’s performance makes ANNETTE an interesting work and might end up being the film’s real shot as gold (the man might be pulling double duty come award-season with his HOUSE OF GUCCI role too) which might help the film get more views despite its... Huh… "Specific flavoring”! Although ANNETTE seems to have some mainstream appeal, one has to admit that like many of Carax’s it is not the most “accessible” and - like TITANE - is probably one of the most divisive films of its year.

Cotillard did her best with her character but not sure she was the person most would have cast in this role or this movie filled with eccentrics and weirdos. But guess she grounds this project and brings her panache to it. She plays the soft-spoken delicate and ephemeral Anne, though one has to truly suspend disbelief to believe her to be an opera singer! Maybe they should have gone extra camp and cast someone from, let's say from Broadway, like Aubrey McDonald or Idina Menzel, or dunno like Lady Gaga (it would have been an interesting year having her and Driver playing a couple in two flicks! *Plus fun fact: they actually wanted to go the celebrity-singer route with Rihanna, and that could have been super intriguing - and also brought some “color”...) Ultimately, not sure if many other people would have been able to bring the mystic Cotillard instills this character.

Then, there is the unique screenplay coupled with The Sparks music & lyrics making the whole thing poetic and unconventional! One can argue that ANNETTE would’ve probably worked better if it was more subtle in terms of its dialogue and lyrics, but guess one will find joy watching this film and it’s a brand of humor if one is willing to disregard the idiosyncratic aspect of the latter (think parody-like 80s musicals!). Nevertheless, there is no denying that the tunes and lyrics are catchy and sometimes also beautiful (again Oscar-worthy even!)

So, in a nutshell, ANNETTE is indeed completely bonkers, probably the most nonsensical cinematic gem we’ve seen in a while, so what’s not to like!

32 notes · View notes

what2watch2night · 3 years

Text

Highlights from TIFF 2021

We cannot start this list without talking about what seems (and feels) to be THE film of 2021 THE POWER OF THE DOG...

This is the kind of engrossing film that stays with viewers for a longgg time and somehow scream "prestige arthouse" Oscars material all around and rightly so. From the direction, to beguiling cinematography, fitting score, unsettling (in a good way ;) ) actings from pretty much everyone, to the writing, and that chilling story .... And that unsuspecting ending for non-bookreader🤯

Moral Of The Story: 8.5/10*****

THE POWER OF THE DOG might look like BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN meets NOMADLAND meet “generic frontier Western”, but this is nothing like we’ve seen before… Jane Campion truly outdid herself with this MASTERPIECE. So make sure to watch & listen to all the details…(although this is always gonna be on Netflix so no excuse😉) BUT cannot stress enough how this tour de force must be seen by all.

Then we sensed a theme in Movieland this year: “A Mother’s Fight”

It’s been done thousands ways over before but we got to see some powerful stuff this year and a subversion of the TAKEN style narrative for the better…

LA CIVIL: About a mother taking things into her own end to save her kidnapped child. Moral Of The Story: 7.75/10****

LAKEWOOD: About a mother literally running against time and bending a few rule to save her child from school shooting Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

LINGIU (The Sacred Bond): About a mother making sure her child gets to live a better life and has access to basic care and choice over her body. Moral Of The Story: 7.75/10 ***

NIGHT RAIDERS: About a mother doing all it takes to save her child from post-apocalypse facist regime forcing indigenous assimilation and conforming to their “norms”. Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10**

PETITE MAMAN: Well, not really in the same or more of a switcheroo situations as a mother being confronted to her child as a child!!?!! Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

There were also a good dose of awesome, weird, quirky, disturbing films along with a couple of midnight madness movies (cuz those are the best! )

VENGEANCE IS MINE, ALL OTHERS PAY CASH: A bonkerz martial art/action comedy with supernatural elements! One of the most surprising film of the year no doubt Moral Of The Story: 7.75/10 ***

THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN: Possibly the most GORGEOUS surreal film of the year with lots of quirkiness all around! Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10**

ENCOUNTER: Riz back at it again for awards glory with this mind-twisting movie (altho way too obvious twist/early reveal) Wonderful performances all around and great way to bolster diversity by telling stories that felt genuine , authentic and not forced (if that’s what some are worried about ...)But we really really loved the premise and the psychedelic vibe going one , just wished they pushed it further. Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10***

ZALAVA: Set in A remote Kurdish village where the villagers do what villagers do best (in movies...and sadly also often in real life!) They believe in too many crazy sh!t lol lol lol But some of their fear of evilness might or might not be real, but a no-nonsense policeman is here to tell them the HARD truth...at his own risk! Moral Of The Story: 7.75/10 ****

SALOUM: So glad we get to see more and more films from Africa at festivals ESPECIALLY genre films, like NIGHTS OF THE KING or the watch-it-before-you-die ATLANTICS! And so this one is the 2021 addition that mix&match genre being almost like a comic book superhero + fantastical adventure + political horror... That sounds like right up many of our alleys ;) Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

SUNDOWN:It might seem that Michel Ranco did a 360 degree from his last explosive NEW ORDER and you might think this is just business as usual but before you know it, this film will creep on U…HARD!!! Just let it do its job😉 #nospoiler Moral Of The Story: 8/10 ****

I'M YOUR MAN: Here is an quirky odd but good one with Dan Steven playing a German speaking humanoid, and also with Sandra Huller (and no wonder we are already thinking it would be a great double bill with another good weirdo TONI ERDMAN!) Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10*** *German entry for Best International Film #oscars

Other highlights, must-see, and best of 2021 movies

DRIVE MY CAR: A poetic and contemplative story of art and grief and complicated relationships... But at its heart it is an ode to Art and Artists dealing with all the above emotions with the Japanese Cinema soft put striking touch! Moral Of The Story: 8/10****

.️

COSTA BRAVA, LEBANON: Talk about a timely movie! And one that is a perfect example of all that is wrong with the world we're living in, not just Lebanon. Also the perfect film to illustrate why we have a BIG garbage problem that is also one of the main reasons why the world is a dumpster on fire sometimes (a dumpster fire?!) But it is also a lovely and moving movie about complicated family relationships with a fierce little actor, so what's not to like! Moral Of The Story: 7.75/10 ****

THE WORST PERSON IN THE WORLD: Was expecting something completely different and darker (and tbh something a bit more... Je ne sais quoi lol!) but instead was treated to this saga that many will relate too. Might not get all the hype about this one but it was definitely one of this year's best... Well, so far ;) Moral Of The Story: 7.56.5/10***

BERMAN ISLAND: Mia Hansen-Løve is back with another 'A melancholic meditation on love and creativity' (so they say! ) A character study film about filmmakers on filmmakers with an ending that might leave more than one perplexed... Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

ONE SECOND: Think CINEMA PARADISO but made as a Chinese Epic film EPICLY by Zhang Yimou!!! It is too sad and noticeable that this film has been cut due to censorship(and apparently it changed the overall ending vibe...) but the film still stands as a monumental achievement and should be one that will touch all cinephiles over the world - particularly the "reel" scenes! Moral Of The Story: 8/10 ****

*Would be great double bill with another Chinese film with the same theme "a projectionist & a kid": KING OF PEKING

ALI & AVA: Clio Barnard is now officially one of our fav directors from the UK and carrying that social realism torch we love so much ;) Very different mood from the unforgettable THE SELFISH GIANTS but equally amazing...MAYBE it is even a masterpiece...Baftas and Bifas this one will surely be nominated for (and will personally add it to my Oscar list for best film and best acting, writing, directing...Another great great year for #womenfilmaker killing it !!!) Moral Of The Story: 8/10 *****

**Plus it kinda is a film about music and how it can bring people together and it has a few bangers in the soundtrack that are very well used in the narrative

**Bringing us to this scene below! One of the best "real life" scenes of the year so far

youtube

And finally 2 family friendly animated features that would make for a perfect double bill so timely with powerful stories about one atrocious moments of our history that altho always on screen in one way or another every year will never NOT be needed...

CHARLOTTE: The remarkable true story of Charlotte Salomon, a German Jewish artist defying incredible odds to create a masterpiece during World War II. Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

WHERE IS ANNE FRANK: Ari Folman is back after the mesmerizing THE CONGRESS with an interesting take on Anne Frank and altho the film might not be as arresting as its previous project it is definitely worth watch for its creativity and message (that might give the wrong/right idea to some...) Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10***

*They also screen the previously seen awe-inspiring Sundance winner animated doc FLEE which is also "related" in more than one way to these 2 and is A MUST-SEE (we say this a lot but this one is like...compulsory and probably our favorite film of the year)

0 notes

what2watch2night · 3 years

Text

The Best and Weirdest from Fantasia Fest 2021

As usual, the 2021 edition of Fantasia Film Festival brought us some "interesting", peculiar, and weird weird stuff from all around but the following movies are some highlights (only some of the many many) you might want to seek out at some point when you feel the need for something odd and/or unusual…

BEYOND THE INFINITE 2 MINUTES

What is it about:

Directed by Junta Yamaguchi BEYOND THE INFINITE 2 MINUTES is about a group of eclectic friends who figured out that their screens can project them 2 minutes in the future. It might not seem like much time but it sure leaves enough room for various shenanigans involving fight, love, and laughter!

Why should watch it:

This one-of-a-kind one-take will blow your mind and make you wonder why you (or someone else) did not think about it before! It would remind one of another Japanese masterpiece ONE CUT OF THE DEAD - who will forever be the one-cut standard by bringing the oner to a whole ‘nother level! But BEYOND THE INFINITE 2 MINUTES wisely choose to take the continuous shot from beginning to end, and to infinity and beyond with the image within images concept; or screen within the screen within the screen within the screen! On top of that, they are also toying with time in the most hilarious short span ever, or as the title suggests 2 minutes! So you can say this is definitely the most inventive and crafty movie you’ll probably this year(maybe too crafty! As there is no denying it would have been a far superior movie and a perhaps huge hit considering how "time loop flicks" are all the rage if it was visually more appealing)

Moral Of The Story: 8.5/10 ****

TIONG BAHRU SOCIAL CLUB

What is it about:

What if there were a place, akin to a luxury retirement village where one could go to fulfill their potential by becoming an upstanding member of a community while finding happiness by conforming to the weirdest norms of society!? That is what Tiong Bahru Social Club is about, and this is where our protagonist will end up all while his mother is fighting to keep her house from “happiness sellers” who are trying to “gentrified” their neighborhood...well sort of!

Why should watch it:

This high-concept and eye-catching sci-fi comedy will stay with you for a while thanks to its colorful sets and resourceful production design making the most of the city surroundings. All the characters are quirky and elevate a plot that might feel a tad familiar but adds a fresh twist to the BLACK MIRROR-ESQUE (lite) story.

Moral Of The Story: 7.75/10 ****

IDA RED

What is it about:

IDA RED is a heist-like crime drama with a dark dark vibe… It follows criminal brothers trying to pull one last (dirty) job to make enough money to live good, and hopefully lawful, lives with their incarcerated terminally ill mother. That is only if she gets an early release or finds another way out...

Why should watch it:

Director John Swab sure has a busy year with IDA RED and BODY BROKERS! The former might be one of the more “formal/normal” films to be shown at Fantasia Fest, but it sure has its weird moments, particularly one scene bringing to mind the likes of KILLER JOE in the kitchen (but fret not it is not as traumatizing as that fried chicken scene!) Frank Grillo was a minor revelation in that one, going slightly (very slightly) against type here - would not be surprised if it gets some recognition for that turn. Josh Hartnett is also in this one as the main guy, and guess he is having a “thief-like-roles renaissance” of sorts in recent years, and gotta say, it works! The rest of the cast is quite good, and, eh, Melissa Leo is in her too doing what she does best: intimidate people!

Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ****

PAUL DOOD'S DEADLY LUNCH BREAK

What is it about:

Directed by Nick Gillespie PAUL DOOD'S DEADLY LUNCH BREAK is about Paul, a down on his luck but super optimistic and confident thrift store worker's journey to fame. He wants to be the next winner of a Got Talent-like show by singing cheesy songs in old-fashioned sequin costumes made by his sick mother. Things might not work the way he planned but his path to glory - and revenge - will no doubt be noticed on social media and beyond…

Why should watch it:

PAUL DOOD'S DEADLY LUNCH BREAK will surprise you in all kinds of ways and, for better or worse, it tends to zig when you think it would zag. It is both too much and not enough but it keeps you intrigued thanks to - well! - intriguing intrigues, a solid ensemble, a poetically idiosyncratic approach, and some plain ol’ stupid fun shenanigans.

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

KRATT

What is it about:

This Estonian movie is about what can go wrong if you leave the kids at grandma's for a few days without cell phones while you are having a life crisis! But KRATT is also about the nostalgia of summer vacation at grandparents' house in a remote town (without internet!) where there is not much to do but hang out with the local weirdos and maybe get into devilish supernatural stuff because you don’t want to do chores or you are just bored!

Why should watch it:

Well, no one was expecting this film to go the way it did!

It can be family-friendly enough (and maybe with a way too childish humor - no less humoristic!) but is also a perfect midnight madness type. KRATT has an old-school Halloween movie look about it that makes it a fun ride to watch with a few giggles here and there and some gory stuff. Not mind-blowing stuff but perfect for its destined purpose and effects.

Moral Of The Story: 7/10 ***

REMAIN IN TWILIGHT

What is it about:

REMAIN IN TWILIGHT is a story about friendship and coping with the loss of a loved one; so grief, regrets, and learning to let go, to forgive, BUT to NOT forget! We follow 6 longtime friends, all with very distinct personalities, styles, and lifestyles akin to a boys band, as they rehearsing a dance routine (they did back in high school years ago) for a friend's wedding. They will spend some time together re-bonding and reminiscing about their crazy days and emotions.

Why should watch it:

This one is certainly not like another! One might have expected (more) stranger things to happen earlier on, or more gradually, instead of going from pretty “normal” stuff or maybe even taking itself too seriously, to a totally bonkerz last act! But to say more will be spoilers, and in all fairness, this is what makes REMAIN IN TWILIGHT good! The cast chemistry, which can itself be a character, was great, and the acting altho over the top (it comes with the genre probably!) was somehow...sweet and believable.

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ***

HAND ROLLED CIGARETTE

What is it about:

This neo-noir-esque movie set in Hong-kong and directed by Chan Kin-long follows a grumpy ex-soldier who had a falling out with his bros from his army days and is now getting by by doing some shady businesses around town. His life will be turned upside down (like actually!) when he decides to do what’s right by protecting an immigrant - who is also involved in some shady stuff- and fight prejudices (also literally!)

Why should watch it:

HAND ROLLED CIGARETTE is the most “prestige fest” type of the bunch. It looks really slick with great cinematography, a solid cast, and a complex dramatic story with pathos...PLUS some serious action scenes! In addition, it is very “of its time” So what’s not to like, as it might as well be one of the best films of the year; period.

Moral Of The Story: 8/10 ****

WONDERFUL PARADISE

What is it about:

Set in Tokyo, WONDERFUL PARADISE is a film about a special kind of party, or the party to end all parties! Due to financial hardship, the Sasayas family has to sell their giant mansion, but as they are desperately trying to get the movers to do their job, weird and weirder things start to happen... At the same time, a wide assortment of people starts to show up at the house after seeing a tweet about a party happening there. Little by little, the Sasayas and the movers joined by foreign tourists, family members, friends, neighbors, newlyweds, drug dealers, youngsters looking to have fun, homeless man, and other randos, will know each other and spend possibly the craziest night of their lives in this “wonderful paradise.”

Why should watch it:

WONDERFUL PARADISE is the craziest movie from the festival and is maybe one of the most absurd exuberant extravagant films of the year (Think Jodorowsky surrealism but super SUPER lite, swapping lyricism for goofy and made in Japan!)

It has a bit of everything for everyone, from ghost playing card games, to man-eating coffee beans, to a Bollywood dance scene, to body-swapping, to kids turning into sticks (you also read that right and that might be our favorite thing about this film!), to bloody double-stabbing, and other random nonsensical supernatural occurrences… So it'll most likely won’t be everyone's cup of tea (especially when all these flavors are mixed) but if you are prepared to roll with it and to try this mix-and-match then you might end up happy about a thing or two!

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10***

1 note · View note

what2watch2night · 3 years

Text

THE GREEN KNIGHT (& The Wannabe Knight)

THE GREEN KNIGHT was likely one the most anticipated movie of the year, if not the most hyped pandemic-delayed release courtesy of A24 and directed, written, edited, and produced by David Lowery (yep definitely one of his!) and it did not disappoint; if anything it might be one of those rare films that exceed all expectations!

I. The Movie, The Myth, The Legend…

As per “the internet”, this is an epic medieval fantasy film based on the 14th-century poem Sir Gawain and The Green Knight… And yes it is just that but with a few changes and twists!

It follows Gawain, played by Dev Patel, as he embarks on a journey to become an honorable man, a knight, and well, someone with a story to tell.

For those familiar with the poem the movie is keeping pretty close to the source material as Lowery only swaps a few characters' relationships (but saying more will be spoilers...maybe!)

On a weird Christmas day, at Arthur (yep that Arthur)‘s roundtable in Camelot, Gawain receives a challenge from an impressive greenish wooden man with an equally impressive axe, the Green Knight - who made an ominous grand entrance in the middle of a festivity "Maleficent style"!

Gawain has to basically hurt/kill the Knight with his ax in order to win the famous ax. Weird enough?! But to make it weirder, however, one year later Gawain must travel to a green chapel to receive the same treatment...That’s how bad one must want that huge axe: to maybe or maybe not meet their certain death 365 days later. That is, if they are brave enough to face the consequence of their action (or take the Green Knight words seriously!) And so, our young man does just that and, even though he is not the heroic-looking dude, he will travel to far far away lands and encounter other weird people/things on the journey…

The moral of this story is an admirable one, a true hero journey about a boy becoming a man (or a knight in that case), but also one where our chap Gawain realizes a man is only human after all!

II. The Cast: The Men, Women, & Other

Well, yes first, the man, the myth, the legend itself, Gawain.

This iteration of the character is played to perfection by Dev Patel who brings a certain cluelessness and chill to a character that is looking to be courageous and exemplary. So he really is “just like us”: scared of Sh!t that looks too uncanny to be true! He is a bit too gullible too, trusting everyone, and he has a childlike approach to many things due to his past as a privileged mommy’s boy who only enjoyed life without major worries. That being said, he is not a brat, a bro, or a bully type, he has a good heart.

We can see many of these attributes in pretty much all of Patel’s previous work, but this role is like a combo, thus “Peak Patel” and hopefully he will get that Oscar nom(since he did not get for THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD they better…)

Then there are….Women!

Alicia Vikander playing two very interesting roles here showing her acting chops while looking fabulous and mischievous. One has to admit it was a clever thing to have her personifying two very metaphorical and symbolic female roles. One of her “persona” is somehow the most enigmatic characters of this film (along with her husband played by Joel Edgerton) as there can be many readings as to why are her character’s motives and true meaning(S).

The same can be said for Sarita Choudhury who is perfect in this role of many interpretations (side note: blindcasting tales of the past often works wonder!)

Oh yes, there are GIANTS women that might also be real or not, and likewise possibly carrying various meanings.

Other notable additions are Barry Keoghan and Kate Dickie showing up to play yet other weirdos, and then there is, of course, the Green Knight himself, a tree who becomes a man once in a while...Or is it a man made out of a tree; a Man-tree!?

And last but not least an ethereal fox who might be the literal voice of reason...But if not, he is just another enchanting and bizarre addition!

III. The Cinematography

The word on the street is; yes this is a masterpiece and every frame could be a painting on its own, carefully created and thought.

Captivating would be the best way to describe the visual of THE GREEN KNIGHT that is hypnotizing but also giving us good/bad vibes, like a beautiful nightmare...or a nightmare-ish dream!

IV. The Trippiness

Sort of linked with the previous point: THE GREEN KNIGHT is indeed one of the trippiest movies there is for various reasons, from otherworldly sets to totally whack scenes that will make you wonder '#wtf I am watching right now!?'

Not only the film is a “moody mood” or a “vibing vibe” but it displays some serious VFX that makes it bound for awards glory in that department (also!)

*Minor spoiler for those who know*

The ANNIHILATION effects face morph was something something...

And again yes, it is a trip cuz of all the freaking giants - that might make whale noise! , talking animals, reappearing stuff, and/or hallucinations aplenty! Plus this is an A24 f afterall and there is a bonkerz je ne sais quoi about it! (About that, at some point we got another A24 release vibe: the excellent SAINT MAUD - Could it be because of all the redemption, sacrifice, and... fire stuff!)

V. The Costume & Props & Others

We established that THE GREEN KNIGHT was a visual feast of sceneries, settings, and light, but it would not be complete without a good serving of looks!

The costumes and hair were yet another highlight, particularly the “refreshed” amazing crowns and period outfits (altho it is a trend we see quite a lot on some film/series lately) and jewelry that made medieval style great again! BUT without being obnoxious.

*Bonus point for the vegan options😱

VI. The Music

Well, as every great movie does THE GREEN KNIGHT hits the trifecta; story, sight & sound…

The ominous score (and sounds of the Underground) and also “refreshed” medieval-like songs, complete the immersive experience. As stated, same as for the costume, Daniel Hart perfectly blended classical/period instruments and music with new wave sounds and folk-like tunes; like "Mumford & Son gone bards"... Yep that's right, Lowery sure knows how to keep it hipsterish!

youtube

Moral Of The Story: 9/10 *****

-Sure,THE GREEN KNIGHT is an instant cult classic that will have a devoted fan base forever and ever and ever! And hell yeah it is a Xmas movie after all, like “The Ghost of Christmas Past; The OG” or “The Arthurian version”! So consider this film your early Xmas fairy-tale (well kinda!)

-Sure, THE GREEN KNIGHT should be ideally seen on a huge screen with a booming sound system, but strangely its effect might be multiplied if you watch it at home at midnight by yourself in the dark (hopefully with the headphone on and on the biggest screen you have only inches away from your eyes!)

-Sure, THE GREEN KNIGHTis on the slower side, and things meander for maybe too long (although not as obnoxiously as seeing someone painfully eat a WHOLE pie!) but the poesy of it all and the accompanying OST will delight those reveling in passive contemplation like in front of a painting!

-Sure-ly if you love some fantasy, medieval and if you were (still are!) into the whole Arthurian legends & stuff, then, no doubt THE GREEN KNIGHT was made for you!

- Sure, the twisty ending(s) will stay with you forever and ever and ever… It is without hesitation one of the best (ever?!)

So grab your sword, axe, cloaks & dagger, and, if you haven’t already (or you fancy going at it again!), go watch THE GREEN KNIGHT tonight!

7 notes · View notes

what2watch2night · 3 years

Text

Tales of Resilient Heroines at the 2021 Bentonville Film Festival

Narrative feature films from the Bentonville Film Festival, that champions women and diverse voices, had heroines for almost everyone and/or almost every situation this year. These protagonists all shared one thing in common - apart from being a woman and all that ensues! - they showed resilience in front of adversities. And sure enough, adversity can mean different things for different people but in one way or another, it might be easy to relate to their struggles, big or small, and appreciate, or even relate to, how each woman in all the films shown dealt with their issues successfully or sadly not...

1. WAIKIKI

This gorgeous made in Hawai movie does not leave audiences indifferent may it be because of its mesmerizing cinematography, trippy vibes, rollercoaster performances, story and approach to mental health, abuse, and precarity, or a predictable but highly appreciable twist. WAIKIKI by Christopher Kahunahana is a very unique and fresh film starring a captivating Danielle Zalopany playing a woman “on the verge of a nervous breakdown”. The elementary teacher by day, hula dancer & waitress by night, is pushed to the extreme limit of her physical and mental state while struggling to make enough money to afford a place of her own to escape her abusive partner. We follow her as her life spirals out of control as she finds some weird comfort in a “magical homeless man” ….

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 ****

WAIKIKI is definitely one to watch and, although it tells a story we’ve seen/heard before, it does so in a clever and original way that intrigues and makes you want to know more. The movie might nonetheless not be everyone's cup of tea as it is very dreamy and takes time to find on which foot he wants to (hula!) dance on: a mysterious film with a Nolan-lite twist, or, a beautifully heavy and depressing indie drama about gender & race traumas as well as the weight of colonization…

In the end, it is a bit of both with a dash of experimental visual poesy. Kahunahana wants to show the beauty in the ugly truth of being a woman of color in a society that is too often misogynist and racist but tries his best to make it look visually appealing without glamorizing the violence of it all.

It might not be an easy watch for many reasons (and, at times, the film that looks so so luminous in some scenes, was quite obscure, like literally!) but it is one to watch tonight or whenever you get a chance!

2. THE NOVICE

This is another film using clever visual tricks to portray extreme physical and mental violence or pain. In the year of Olympics drama, THE NOVICE is a sports movie like few others, and might ironically be the “perfect” one for its time. It stars Isabelle Fuhrman of ORPHAN as Alex Dall, a perfectionist college student who decides to throw herself into a new hobby that will turn into an obsession; rowing. The thing is, it is a team sport but she is a very self-centered and paranoid individual who stops at nothing to achieve the “best score” and undoubtedly this is not good for her or the team so of course, drama ensues and things get...dark; very dark! But most of the drama and tension are between Alex and herself, and her stubbornness in refusing help or accepting things until it might be too late...

Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10****

Ultimately about the price or success or the price of prioritizing one's wellbeing, THE NOVICE was a welcome surprise (especially going in with no prior knowledge.)

Hadaway has extensive credits in sounds and editing, and it shows as this feature displays lots of skills with crisp visuals and sound. Viewers truly feel like they are in the main character's state of mind with a dark palette and pictures at times hazy and confusing, things are tense and sometimes happen fast and brutally with vibes bordering a psychological horror-ish drama. Additionally, Fuhrman delivers a great performance as a troubled, messy but also OCD character in need of a therapist more than an after-school project. In that sense THE NOVICE walks (row!) in the footsteps of films about athletes or performers pushing themselves to the limit for better or mostly the worse. So think BLACK SWAN but with rowing instead of Ballet!

3. BEANS (Previously seen at TIFF) This festival darling and award-winning movie was definitely the best of the all films shown at this year's BFF along with MOGUL MOWGLI (with the always excellent Riz Ahmed). The two films share the common thread of being an authentic explosive story about a minority character dealing with some identity crisis in and out of their community and are also about generational trauma. Thus, this is what our very young heroine Tekehentahkhwa, aka Beans (Kiawentiio) has to reconcile with, and she has to stay strong and resilient in face of great adversity and injustice. This drama by Mohawk director Tracey Deer is inspired by her life and about the 1990 Oka Crisis in Canada with the Mohawk standoff that helped add sparks to a movement. It follows Beans, a young Mohawk girl witnessing the historical events while dealing with some family drama and the ups and downs of growing up indigenous in a messed-up world and society. Moral Of The Story: 7.5/10 *** BEANS is undoubtedly one of the most interesting coming-of-age stories out there, offering the kind of unique perspective many of us are craving for. The young actress is a revelation and hopefully has a bright future ahead of her. Plus BEANS is one of the best projects made in recent years not just about, but featuring and made by First Nations people; and sometimes it is about the right people telling the right story…

4. CATCH THE FAIR ONE

This is a revenge tale like no other. The thriller drama by Josef Kubota Wladyka stars Kali Reis as Kaylee, a boxer on a hunt to catch the people who took her missing sister, and on a quest for justice - or revenge depending on how you see things... It helps that Reis is a real-life professional boxer of Native and Cape Verdean heritage like her character, so it brings authenticity to the film that might at times stretch things too far and veer into TAKEN territory. But the gritty independent movie hit very close to home and carries an important message about missing girls and women, particularly indigenous or POC. It also shows that sometimes the savior is no white knight, but someone looking just like the prey. Our heroine is no doubt a very flawed “messed-up” individual, but her evolution throughout the movie, although grim, is interesting, and although she is a woman of few words we can understand her journey to becoming a vigilante. On the other hand, maybe the film could have used a bit more words when it comes to Kaylee's backstory in particular, but following a mystery thriller formula (kinda) it also let viewers fill in the gap and thus be invested in this tale of violence and resilience.

Moral Of The Story: 7/10 ***

CATCH THE FAIR ONE is a movie that definitely packs more than a punch and that will creep up on you. It begs the question: what if someone totally opposite to Liam Neeson were looking for sweet dark and twisty revenge to avenge a member of their family?! That's not to say there aren’t some women in films avenging innocent people in a brutal fashion with total disregard for the law, but we seldom see someone like Kali Reis do it. So that should be reason enough for you to watch CATCH THE FAIR ONE.

5. LUDI

This wonderful indie drama directed by Edson Jean starring Shein Mompremier as Ludi, a Haitian immigrant, might be one of the most precious indie films of the year. It is often beautifully meandering and luminous, but most of the time displaying authentic situations with live-in dialogues and performances that make viewers feel like flies watching real life unfold. Shein portrays a healthcare worker trying to live the American dream but is, in reality, facing financial and personal hardship. Set in South Florida, LUDI in some way might bring to mind other Floridian movies about characters having to go to extreme lengths to change their predicaments and make it or simply survive... Ludi wants to do good and please everyone, she does not want to be one of those carers who actually don’t care. She wants to treat every patient like they were in fact a family member that she dearly missed in this foreign country. But although her determination to stay true to her principles and herself is commendable, Ludi often forgets about her own wellbeing.

Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10 ****

Suspension of disbelief might be needed briefly as few scenes might demand it, or are in stark contrast with the ultra-realistic feel of the bulk of the film, but in more ways than one LUDI is a very grounded film about a minority group not often showcased in film and about timely social issues. Its storyline about a woman working tirelessly to not only make ends meet but to provide for her family will remind one of Ken Loach's last heart-shattering film, SORRY WE MISSED YOU - also featuring a care worker for the elderly. LUDI maybe not be as strongly rooted in that social realism but its message is clear, and no matter how slightly depressing and bittersweet things get, there is a sense of levity and a feeling that as an immigrant Ludi’s has, for better or worse that “everything is going to be alright because I made it that far" attitude affecting the whole movie perspective.

6. SEE YOU THEN

Another surprising film with a genuine and distinct story ( and also a very minor twist - well for those who come in without reading the synopsis!) SEE YOU THEN by Mari Walker is led by Pooya Mohseni as Kris, and Lynn Chen as Naomi, as two friends meeting a decade after not seeing each other. In the space of an evening, the film slowly peels the layer of its story and characters by revealing what happens to them and why. It starts as the two women meet at a restaurant for dinner, we can observe that things are now different for both of them and there is some tension. We learn that they were more than best friends who knew everything about each other but also lovers. And soon enough it is revealed that Kris had transitioned to become the woman she now is. It is interesting but also a good thing that the film makes sure to make Kris's transition clear in the first scene and make no big deal out of it. It lets the conversations and the night between the characters evolve naturally. They mention details and dig deeper and deeper in time instead of dumping everything in a “tada” moment (which is now becoming pretty cliche when it comes to trans characters..) That being said there is such a moment but it is one many saw coming midpoint.

Moral Of The Story: 7/10 ***

SEE YOU THEN might feel like a “pandemic” movie with minimal actors but maximum use of them as the film is solely about Kris and Naomi and their histories. It feels very real and intimate and for a film about a trans character and issues, voiced by an actual trans actor it’s something we should want to see more often... Because as always #representationmatters it is almost a character study of these 2 pals with very different struggles who managed to fall back on their feet in face of adversity. Many will appreciate the casual honesty of their conversations, and might be able to relate to a thing or two (or more) and if not, will be happy to have spent an hour or so learning about these women's lives and feelings.

7. 7 DAYS

Talking about pandemic movies, this is definitely one of them! We sure have seen our fair share of lockdown movies by now already, but there is something special and different about 7 DAYS. It manages to talk about how specific minority communities and people in a unique situation lived the first choking and uncertain days of the 2020 pandemic.

At first glance, 7 DAYS appears to be a movie about Indian arranged marriages and the unexpected joy they actually brought to so many people, and we are introduced to Ravi (Karan Soni), a young geeky and socially awkward American-Indian man super eager to find his match and move on with the life he thinks he is destined to live. He heads to a pre-arranged date, however, the other person on that said date, Rita (Geraldine Viswanathan) wants none of that old-school BS but to keep her mother happy, has to. What should have been a cordial meeting between two sorts of stereotypically opposite individuals that lasted no longer than an afternoon turned into...Well, 7 days due to the unforeseen shelter in place emergency. And so, the odd pair is stuck together inside Rita's apartment during those first unusual or extraordinary days of the lockdown and they will reveal their true selves for better or worse. So one can say that 7 DAYS is an earnest, sweet, or heartwarming and fun flick about those desperately looking for romantic connections in extremely different ways. But it is also about how to cope with loneliness; especially in a time like no other. And oh yeah, the reality-ish of “normal” people at the beginning of the pandemic living day by day and not sure if they were waiting for the apocalypse, certain death, or just...whatever we thought was gonna be done in 7 days, 2 weeks, a month…

Moral Of The Story: 7.25/10***

Think "Room 104; The Pandemic Episode" and in a way, it might as well have been considering it is produced and features a small voice role by one of the Duplasses! It is a good and a bad thing as the film might have better work as a bottled episode or a series rather than a full-length cinematic feature. Not to say there are no cinematic qualities about it, but due to the many obvious constraints, and some really great scenes, it feels like 7 DAYS could have been something bigger, or more than an enjoyable quirky "reversed rom-com" about what happened to those seeking arranged Indian wedding in the middle of a pandemic. But again this itself is already quite an accomplished feat, so 7 DAYS already achieved something impossible: making us not roll our eyes and actually care about characters in yet another "COVID movie"!

8. I’M FINE (THANKS FOR ASKING)

This film seemingly managed to do the most with the least (for example Kelley Kali is directing, producing, and acting as the lead here; talk about maximizing your resources and skills!) and tells an engaging and relatable story that will speak to many trying to make ends meet while facing a succession of unfortunate events... It is the story of a single mother, a widow, who hustles all over town on rollerblades to find gigs as a hairdresser, or money however she can so she can. She does so in order to provide for her kid and that they can afford to live in a proper home instead of in a tent in the middle of an abandoned field.

Although she wants her daughter to think this is all a game and they are on a camping adventure, the little one is starting to miss the comfort of a real home, and things are getting difficult or even dangerous for their safety and belongings. I’M FINE (THANKS FOR ASKING) is the kind of film that makes you root for its heroine no matter how wrong she can sometimes be as she is relentless and the most resilient. Kelley really inhabits this character who loves her child but is too proud to tell the truth about her situation. There are comical scenes here and there but it is overall a drama that will make you sad more than once… Technically, it is in some scenes sadly barely passable, but it is balanced by the well-paced and well-told narrative.

Moral Of The Story: 6.75/10 **

As mentioned I’M FINE (THANKS FOR ASKING) is quite uneven which might be frustrating but the message it carries is too important to be overlooked and redeems the cons. In addition, it is well-acted with pretty vibrant performances that also feel real. This realness makes us realize that we might too often forget to ask how one is, and if we do, do we really care about the answer... It reminds us that we should try to show more kindness to strangers as we never know what they are going through.

9. WOMEN IS LOSER

The 1960’s San Francisco set film directed by Lissette Feliciano is sure to please more than one with its retro aesthetic, cast filled with familiar faces (from a bunch of TV series!), interesting editing choice, and its crowd-pleasing “recent history” storyline about women. In addition, the film is also about diversity and what it means to be an American or the many American dreams.

It follows Celina Guerrera (Lorenza Izzo, recently seen in ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD) from her teen years to womanhood and her painful realization that life sucks and is unfair when one is not a man! (well especially at that time and on top of that being a POC or minority...)

Moral Of The Story: 6.5/10 **

WOMEN IS LOSER is better in part than as a whole, as it is unevenly and scarcely giving us impressive bits (but will take it! ;) ) Storywise, it might also lean on the generic side of things, and might not live up to the hype of the inspirations behind its Janis Joplin song namesake. But as mentioned, despite being set in the 60’s it is very timely and the narrative nicely ties all the trendy but no less important topics at its center with a nice happy-ending bow.

Plus it is an easy film to watch being well-paced and at times fun!

*Now The Ones Actually About Music!

10. FALLING FOR FIGARO

This musical-ish comedy, or comedy about music, and to be precise about opera singing, is one of the films that are akin to a more high standard production although still on the independent side of things. Likewise, being set in the UK it seemed to be one of the only non-North-American films shown at BFF - even though our heroine played by Danielle Macdonald is (but not the actress; she is Australian!) She is Millie, a young woman who decides to pursue her dream and passion of being an opera singer but to do so has to leave her boyfriend and her successful career in finance in big city London behind. She has to move to a pub in the middle of nowhere in the Highland so she can learn with an eccentric voice trainer played by a pitch-perfect Joanna Lumley!

Macdonald is no stranger to singing (after all she will forever be Patti Cake$ to us!) it is unclear if she is actually doing some singing here and it was a bit distracting trying to figure that out as some singing parts looked “unreal”/weird but who knows! Her character is a well fleshed and highly relatable one, and is no doubt an example of perseverance and resilience in making your dream come true no matter how crazy (or privileged )it looks!

Moral Of The Story: 6.5/10**

It is nice that FALLING FOR FIGARO is not heavily leaning into the rom-com stereotypical cliches, although it is filled with them, but the whole cast is good and have good chemistry.

Lumley obviously channeled Meryl Streep THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA like a (Prada!?) glove here! And guess Danielle is giving us Streep’s Florence Foster Jenkins vibes (well, the whole film is strongly flavored so) but Millie is more grounded, less dramatic, and noticeably much better at singing!

11. COAST

Directed by Jessica Hester and Derek Schweickart, COAST tells the story of Abby (Fatima Ptacek), a rebellious 16-year old in a rural California town. The teenager is in crisis, not only an identity one but, since her father's departure from the household, she lost her faith in humanity. Like many teenagers, she feels misunderstood or does not want to conform to the norm; and her being a wannabe musician makes her more inclined to do so. Many viewers coming from small places and who had/have big dreams will relate to this heroine's plight, her need for escape or to find "her people '' and her purpose.

Moral Of The Story: 6/10 **

COAST might be a bit too "Lifetime MOV" flavored for some, but it might be the right project for the right demographic; or teens who could identify with its narrative and leads. It also sorta wants to be a "music movie" but it does not really succeed there despite being a valid film about music and aspiring teen musicians from small towns desperately trying to make it - or at least get out of their community who might not value their thoughts and Art! But at the same time, the film and its conclusion wants to be a celebration of those country-town and wants to let viewers know that leaving might not be the solution, but understanding where people come from (literally and figuratively), celebrating different and initiating changes for the better, might make one happy and helps future generations. In that regard, COAST could be an inspiring and hopeful story of resilience, perseverance, and respect for kids out there watching it. But for everyone else, it is a film that would remind one that sometimes what you are looking for is right under your nose...

4 notes · View notes

what2watch2night · 3 years

Text

What To Watch In "2020"... A.k.a Best #100 Movies From"Last Year" & So Much Much More!

This is it Moviepeople, Filmfolks, Movielovers, and everyone else! Today we can FINALLY turn 2020 once and for all (at least “movie speaking”!) So this is your compulsory recap of all that happened at the movies - and mostly at home - since last year...GOOD STUFF ONLY THO ;)

First our little yearly “op-ed” type intro - it’s sort of compulsory, but feel free to disregards and scroll through the good stuff starting with THE “2020” TOP 100 FILMS. (Followed by all the necessary category or component necessary to make a great film and some fun stuff!)

If all goes well we should NOMADLAND rightfully crowned Best Picture Oscar at the 93rd Academy award! Well, we hope and the stars seem perfectly aligned, but again we wouldn’t be mad if MINARI gets it… However, if it’s CHICAGO 7 we might lose that little faith in humanity The Academy that was restored last year thanks to PARASITE!

Sure it is hard to follow last year's historic moment for Cinema and not easy to follow-up ThAt Best Picture winner - aka the best picture ever! It achieved so much and reached almost everyone in a special way while also reaching the status it needed to reach.

This “year”, or however many months moviepeople considered the 2020-to-early-2021 year due to the pandemic, we still had quite a lot of groundbreaking stuff, and one can safely it was a solid year with no major disappointments, so a stream of consistent good projects being rightfully acclaimed. Maybe or maybe not thanks to the pandemic indies were better appreciated or maybe due to the changes happening viewers were less enthused by the usual conventional Hollywood (white men) BS- hence some people arguing about "Oscar so woke and so Sundance", well no complaint here!

Although we won’t get into too much details about the film this “year” and we did not really see major common threads - maybe more clever, quirky, creative, or just different take on UFO and invasions movie by the weird and just creepy! Because we all know that since basically the last Oscars things got INSANE... But also dramatically sad for so many reasons… (and yet people feel *entitled* to live their lives like there is no tomorrow and endangering many in the process! We won’t go there today...cuz what’s the point if this pandemic told us anything is that in the end, people are...people sigh)

Nevertheless, if there was 1 good thing for everyone, particularly Cinephiles, coming from all the changes that COVID19 brough, is that apparently all the world but a tiny VOCAL minority think it is a good thing that people FINALLY didn’t need to go to the movie theater (and sorry movie theater...) or wait FOREVER AND EVER for being able to see almost any movies!

Well, this vocal minority of people are chiefly those with interest and people with no interest but who probably genuinely don’t care if most of us don’t get to see the latest limited release ever... There is also people like us who value the cinematic experience for SOME movie above all else BUT don't mind watching them at home! But it is not really viewers fault; as usual, the culprit is the distribution system - Like every year we have to rant about this one BUT, for a few months, things were AWESOME!!! It was the shiny bright light spots in the sea of dark worries... For a year more people than usual, all over the States (and the world to some degrees) had the same opportunity to watch new releases. All movie were accessible TO ALL at any point in time THAT MEANS EVEN STUFF PLAYING IN THE VERY FEW OPENED THEATERS! (where ideally at risk or unvaccinated folks should wear all the available PPE ever!)

AGAIN some movies MUST be seen in theaters (sure ideally they should all be seen in theater but...time and money and life gets in the way for the 99% of the non-blockbuster stuff!) But let's be real MOST films released in theater are as good at home if you have a decent size screen... Yet again, the joy of "now", which sadly might not last long, is that we did not have to wait forever AND EVER for movies to leave the theaters to enjoy them like everyone else without trying HARD to avoid any kind of spoilers online, in the bus, at work, while waiting in line! Hell in some cases we did not have to wait for “never” for the movie to reach the theater near us...or even better streaming services!

So basically all of our "top 100 of 2020 films " deserved to be seen in cinema, or live at festivals, or with a big crowd (maybe!), but seeing them alone at home did not affect their appreciation at all (In a honesty in a normal year we would still watch more than ⅓ of the best movie of the year at home; so the mode of screening is not factoring in any unbiased rating!) Hence this "brief" period was almost “democratic” even tho sadly, yes, it might mean things are going to be tougher for indies and… Huh... not everyone would want/can spend $30 on a movie all the time at home especially if IT IS A HOUSEHOLD OF 1 PERSON!(Lol lol lol Disney + how about a non-family price please) But to be “fair” any weekend outings at a theater would not be that far from that $ if one includes drink/transport/else! So win-win-win!

Moving on…

Because of this shift and the luxury of WFH or compulsory stay-at-home, meant not wasting precious time in transport or doing stupid s$it! Or simply finding spcap and comfort watching movies… we broke the record and watched around 700+films released in 2020 and a few released in 2021 for 2020. (Yep on top of work, eat, sleep, classes, volunteering, personal projects, reviews, blogs, “virtual social life”, and well life in general… Highly doubt this record will be shattered in a normal time… Unless we get a full-time job ONLY watching movies :) ) Additionally it is say to say roughly 90% of them were movies made pre-pandemic but it also did not and should not change how we view them, but strangely some of those flicks sort of foreshadowed things to come...Guess we are living in one of those “pandemic movies” hopeful it won’t evolve worse than it already did…

So without further ado, here are all the films that should’ve been nominated in various categories, and/or the top 100 of whatever the last year was. To make your life easier when you don’t want to watch the same old things, or you are looking for something recent you might not know about but you don’t wanna doomscroll Netflix?! Then consider the following list your ultimate guide for when you don’t know what to watch tonight, tomorrow, after tomorrow, or any night after that... You can pick anything from this list and you won’t be disappointed! (99% guaranteed ;) ),

BEST FILMS - 2020 TOP 100

*SMALL AXE which belongs to both Film & TV category - and Masterpiece of Humanity category! So guess it’s 105 films to be added to your list as the “miniseries” is made of 5 distinct features

** For the second half of the list, the rank - out of 100- may be, to SOME extent interchangeable - especially since many movies have the same mark out of 10. So if you’ve already watched everything above, pick whichever movie you haven’t from the rest of the list and it should still be a decent/good-to-great viewing :)

BEST ENSEMBLE

MINARI

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI

CUTIES

ANOTHER ROUND

SMALL AXE

JALLIKATTU

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

MOVING ON

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD

ADULT IN THE ROOM

BEST ACTRESSES

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

PIECE OF A WOMAN

SAINT MAUD

GAZA MON AMOUR

CUTIES

A SUN

NOMADLAND

LIFE AHEAD

BILLIE HOLIDAY VS THE UNITED STATES

BEST ACTORS

SMALL AXE

THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN

THE SOUND OF METAL /MOGUL MOWGLI

GAZA MON AMOUR

THE WHITE TIGER

THE FATHER

ANOTHER ROUND

ADU

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESSES

NEWS OF THE WORLD

MINARI

CUTIES

PIECE OF A WOMAN

SMALL AXE

THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG

HILLBILLY ELEGY

TRUE MOTHER

FAREWELL AMOR

BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIE

BEST SUPPORTING ACTORS

MINARI

SOUND OF METAL

JUDAS AND THE BLACK MESSIAH

ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI

ANOTHER ROUND

MOVING ON

MA RAINEY

FALLING

DA 5 BLOODS X2

THE TRUE HISTORY OF THE KELLY GANG

BEST VISUAL EXPERIENCE (CINEMATOGRAPHY + VFX + PRODUCTION DESIGN + HMC COMBO)

TENET

JALLIKATTU

BLACK IS KING

EMA

NOMADLAND

UNDERGODS

PINOCCHIO

SMALL AXE

TRAGIC JUNGLE

SAINT MAUD

BEST AUDIO EXPERIENCE (SCORE + SOUND + OST COMBO)

youtube

EMA

youtube

TENET

youtube

JALLIKATTU

SMALL AXE

youtube

SAINT MAUD

youtube

THE DISCIPLE (The movie IS The music, so here's the trailer FYC)

youtube

UNDERGODS (*Trailer illustrates perfect use of score+sound FX!)

youtube

KAJJILLIONAIRE

youtube

GAZA MON AMOUR

youtube

ACUTE MISFORTUNE

Special mention:

BLACK IS KING (we technically head most of it the year before but hey this without the music and The Beyonce will not be what it is no matter how GORGEOUS it looks )

AMERICAN UTOPIA (kinda same reason as above!)

HAMILTON (kinda same reason as above!)

MOGUL MOWGLI / SOUND OF METAL (for obvious reason BUT also to show you how Riz is not just one of the greatest actor of his generation but an equally talented musical artist)

And last but not least

BEST IDEA/STORY (ORIGINAL OR ADAPTED SCRIPT+DIRECTION COMBO)

*Feels redundant or a repeat of the best of but these are the one you should really watch tonight if you don't know WHAT2WATCH2NIGHT and are looking for a story like no other...

TENET

SPECIAL ACTOR

NEW ORDER

WINDOW BOY WOULD ALSO LIKE TO HAVE A SUBMARINE

SMALL AXE

THE WHITE TIGER

JALLIKATTU

THE SOUND OF METAL

THE MAN WHO SOLD HIS SKIN

SAINT MAUD

....Just kidding, would be wrong NOT to mention the following or other true MUST-SEE cinematic stories of "2020"...Enjoy!

WE ARE LITTLE ZOMBIES

UNDERGODS

POISSON SEXE

NOMADLAND

NIGHT OF KINGS

THE SHEPHERDESS AND THE SEVEN SONGS

FIRST COW

MINARI

BAD HAIR

ANOTHER ROUND

ADULT IN THE ROOM

ABOUT ENDLESSNESS

A FEBRE

DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD

THE PERSONAL HISTORY OF DAVID COPPERFIELD

MOGUL MOWGLI

LA LLORONA

PROMISING YOUNG WOMAN

GAZA MON AMOUR

FIRST FAREWELL

0 notes

what2watch2night · 3 years

Photo

🎞👀Today In #WTF Did I Just Watch: THE MAN WHI SOLD IS SKIN 😱🤯🙌 . MORAL OF THE STORY: 9/10⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️  Watch👏It👏  .  Took a while for #THEMANWHOSOLDHISSKIN to be available FOR ALL to see (cuz distribution system still sucksssssss 🍋) But this is now an all-time-favorite - and slightly edging ANOTHER ROUND as my pick for Foreign Oscar (altho knowing how people are, it seems sadly an unlikely outcome ) In any case I truly hope all Cinephiles get to see this wild ride & precious gem …  .  . https://www.instagram.com/p/CNwaRCGBRrs/?igshid=zn5zi09lovnq

0 notes

what2watch2night · 3 years

Text

Today In WTF Did I Just Watch, And More Importantly, Why Did You Not Watch: JALLIKATTU!

This is a story about a film that starts with a bang and ends with a…BIG bang!

Thus, indeed the important question should be why did everyone NOT obsessed over JALLIKATTU and shortlisted/nominated it for an Oscar!? Guess because this film is of the “INTENSE” variety… And it has an “unusual” story about how things escalate after a bull gets loose and starts roaming free (destroying human civilization on its passage) in a small rural Keralan village near the jungle. And boy oh boy things did escalate! The movie quickly became one that should have been aptly titled “The Hunt” as EVERY SINGLE MALE HUMAN in the village goes on a chase to hell to capture the rampaging animal. And when we say EVERY SINGLE DUDE we’re not joking, by the end of the first act you pretty much have the butcher, the farmer, the banker, the mobster, the politicians, the elders, the shopkeepers, the simpletons, even the fricking priest gets involved! Talk about pack mentality reigning supreme… Well, until it doesn’t.

So, JALLIKATTU is in fact what an action thriller-ish movie should be, it keeps you on your seat biting your finger! (It is the kind of action drama that'll put the likes of FAST & FURIOUS, JAMES BOND, or MISSION IMPOSSIBLE to shame...Cuz that bull is the ultimate worthy foe!

Again, why is it that nobody is talking about this movie constantly, it should have easily reached cult status not just in India but right here and everywhere! It is one of the best foreign films released last year and that story is definitely unique, the cinematography and direction are masterfully handled, the editing and sound with their rhythmic beats certainly put one in the mood from the first ticking second! Plus the delicious “realistic” acting by the main cast and - what looked like! - million of extras going 1-1000 in one scene...It is something very special and you won’t see anything like this ever again probably!

But yes, it is also full of nonsense but the renowned master of Malayalam Cinema Lijo Jose Pellissery makes you believe in everything even the fact that no animal was harmed (or armed!) or killed - but some men probably were and so was a chicken! Even better, almost no mad bull was involved as they used a puppet that would make Baby Yoda (Grogu) blush! No spoiler here, but since we don’t really see the animal (or that it moved so freaking fast like a ninja) it was totes believable. However, one might wonder how the hell they filmed some later scenes involving humans without said humans getting hurt! This is a mystery... BUT congratulations to ALL the "extras bros" (and it felt like there were 1000 of them real or not!) for making it out alive.

JALLIKATTU not only turned a pretty “simple” premise into a banana narrative, but it tops it off with multitudes of weird, odd, and delicious craziness like the film’s editing and the score accompanied by quirkily inserted chants and funky atmos sound. It offers viewers a “Symphony of natural sound” with ticking, baton-grabbing, knife-sharpening, fast-running through the field swoosh, heart-beating, insects-buzzing, and random howling (at the moon!?), plus the aforementioned chanting that made for the most BONKERZ score ever heard around those parts!

So not only a sight to behold BUT a sound to be heard ;)

About that sight, what a ...vision, both raw and freshly refined, not wasting anything beautifully rushing to the next chase yet capturing a; the little details OCD style...One really has no choice but to stay on the edge of their seat! This is a film that ingeniously shows us how men - and well, it is a “manly” movie for better or worse - get dirty and angry, and turn to primal instinct real...fast and furious. In fact, JALLIKATTU would make one want to get a bath! (* And make one happy to be vegan looking at all these idiot machomen sporting “about-to-drop-lungis” running around like the madmen they are a la BRAVEHEART and its beefed warriors ready for the fight in kilt skirts…No offense to anyone cultural gown but those images are probably the most hilarious things one can see in this context. (just like

***SPOILER***

That INSANE GOT's 'Battle of the Bastards' lookalike scene - well more of a “Battle of the Bastards” hyped on crack cocaine! - that should not leave anyone indifferent … This scene truly makes one curious about how many extras did they have!?!?

***SPOILER END***

But don’t be fooled, JALLIKATTU is a riotous flick but it is dominated by violent chaotic frenzy and toxic masculinity madness that Pellissery shoots so well. All these shenanigans and “escalations” of violence are sort of gory but also a delight for the audience by also bringing to mind many cinematic moments from genre movies where we see men turn to wild beasts when hyped by the mob…

There can be many readings of JALLIKATTU but its epilogue and biblical symbolism and allusions clearly highlight some of the main themes; primal instincts; nature versus man; man versus beast, lust, greed, hell on earth, and loss of moral principles driving to insanity…

MORAL OF THE STORY: 9/10*****

It takes a LITERAL village to catch a buffalo!

JALLIKATTU might have been snubbed out of the entire 2020 award-season or conversation but it’s undoubtedly one of the few movies (aside from TENET) of the “pandemic era” that makes one wish they saw it on the big screen in a packed house reacting to the madness of it all because indeed, that movie’s bonkers yall!

2 notes · View notes

what2watch2night · 3 years

Text

What To Watch In 2020: The Bingeable And Streamable; Series, Shows, and More...

2020 was definitely a memorable year for all the wrong reasons... BUT some good things happened, and there were on our screen because all the best shows of last year seemed to have made an effort - or effortlessly did the right things - not only in terms of the quality of the projects but in terms of representation; because as ALWAYS representation matters. Sure we are talking about the usual factors and how people see themselves represented on screen by characters who look like them or have the same characteristics, BUT we also saw diverse stories from across all genres, from new narratives, to tweaks to old-timey tropes, to shows about completely new subjects or made in very novel ways. It was refreshingly refreshing!

But of course, what was comforting was the fact that our favorite shows had the perfect combo of Art + diversity with concepts such as intersectionalism and inclusivity coming together front and centre. By doing so they offered genuine complex stories that appeal to a wide range of people. We might say this every year but it has never been truer and what's most impressive is that most of these series are also (strangely) about people finding light in the darkest time of their lives... and we strangely watched those during one of the darkest periods of this timeline! Maybe there is something cathartic about it, but also considering that most of these projects were made pre-pandemic, we know that it have be the last time in a while we could watch anything through a certain lens (the one where people were "not being worried by a deadly disease and its multiple consequences." At this point, it is safe to say anything seemingly current but not mentioning Covid might be some sort of "modern period" genre or alternate reality!

Should be noted, and not to put this on the shoulder of being emotionally on-edge due to recent events of all kinds, that most of these series strokes a nerve because of their bold and raw attitudes when talking about serious subjects or how they masterfully handled "emotions" and made them universal for all to be touched by... So maybe we never cried so much in front of a screen than in 2020 but it was beautiful tears! Beautiful because of the shows, and chiefly the best ones (on the following list!) were simply beautiful themselves, and again, displayed diversity a multitude of ways, in all its splendor and touching depth

So here are the must-see series of 2020 to watch tonight (of course they are bingeable! ) or when you don’t know what to watch!

1. SMALL AXE

THIS is a once in a lifetime viewing experience... It is totally unfair to put Small Axe here but at the same time fair and good to know what greatness looks like and that it can be achieved! Also fair for all of us that McQueen decided to make a series of basically 5 films and not release 5 films in one year (although technically that's what he did!) Because otherwise, it would have OWNED the ‘best filmS of 2020 list’; no doubt (He kinda did it too tho! Lol) We talked about Small Axe in length here so we are not going to do that again... But watch it because it is a masterpiece, the stories are amazingly written and flawlessly directed, the acting is beyond awe-inspiring, it looks perfect and filled with nostalgia, AND, it sounds even more PERFECT with a bombastic soundtrack. MORAL OF THE STORY: 10/10 ***** Best films and miniseries (or however one wants to classify it) of 2020 or possibly ever... Small Axe is a project as unique as they come and a Masterpiece; like WATCH IT TONIGHT!

2. I MAY DESTROY YOU

The most explosive show of the year 2020... I May Destroy You is probably the most real and raw, depressing yet hilarious show there is. Comparisons have been made with Fleabag as it also keeps things riotously entertaining while tackling very challenging and painful subjects - but here everything is amplified time 100! I May Destroy You brings the intensity to the roof thanks to a brilliant cast and its intersectional approach to all things. Actors, and in particular Michaela Coel who created the show, appear to be playing a version of themselves, which is for better or worse for them as all involved seem to have brought on their personal traumas to the table, and/or possibly reenacted the worse scene from their own lives… There should definitely be something cathartic about this process and it might also be the case for many viewers relating to one or more situations or narratives. Likewise, I May Destroy You is definitely one of the hardest show to watch for various reasons, one of them being that it’s very tough (without being graphic or voyeuristic) in its depictions of various triggering issues and all “forms of violence”, may it be verbal, physical, sexual, domestic, racial, homophobic, sexist, family abuses, abuse of power in the workplace, and even just “casual” school bullying… But this is also why the show is so great! It gives such an insightful true-to-life view and presents all the greys areas with scenes making one feel uncomfortable enough that they might wanna crawl under their blankies; or others might want to turn on the TV in order to not be depressed thinking about their own past decisions. That being said, some scenes were also fantastic in the depiction of friendship with all its beautiful (and annoying) complexities. The subtleties of the interaction between the characters, besides being between black and non-white folks akin to Insecure, were very important, and people who can relate can testify. Moreover, the series is not only about powerful storytelling but it also looks damn fine! I May Destroy You is a beautiful piece of Art from the terrific writing, to eye-pleasing cinematography, to, again, the performances, and the cherry on top was the nostalgia factor (possibly truer for Brits, Londoners, and those in the know!) Episodes set in the past really managed to encapsulate the time and that “ting” made it so special! The big “problem” is that it was too short for its own good! Not to bring back the Fleabag parallel, but why so damn short!? We could have had so much fun laughing out loud at many comical situations and feeling like we are seeing our lives in action in all their glory, full of clumsy, funny, tender, and disturbing moments. BUT also with some real action-ish sequence so well-done they will keep you on the edge of your seat! MORAL OF THE STORY: 9.5/10 ***** A must-see before you die show and the superior drama series (BUT why many prize-awarding organizations did not see that is baffling AF...) So WATCH IT before now if you could or defo before you die! *possible trigger warnings for traumatized or sensitive viewers...

3. THE MANDALORIAN

Need we speak or remind people about this hit show!? Probably not, since possibly everyone already know what The Mandalorian is about; baby Yoda right!? (lol) Or more like the story of a masked bounty hunter on a quest across the galaxies to bring ‘the child’ to its kind or protect him from getting killed or kidnapped every10 minutes! Season 1 was a revelation with all the Star Wars nostalgia one could only dream of, AND with a fantastic diverse cast in front and more importantly (in SW’s case) BEHIND THE CAMERA! There was a strong lead, real motive, emotions with a cute creature that broke the internet, jaw-dropping visuals, and the surprising highlight was the amazing score by Ludwig Göransson. Then Season 2 brought us something else... It took the concept of diversity and blew it to pieces into the most beautiful explosion. One would not believe their eyeballs how cinematic some scenes - hell even full episodes -were, and almost all were filled with POC. AND from all kinds, it was A.M.A.Z.I.N.G! AND they even blew our socks off with an all-women team kicking ass in all sort of way in the finale episodes... A dream come true! For these reasons and so much more, this Disney+ show gave us faith not only in the service (let's be honest we only pay those monthly fee for 1 show at time... That is until they finally bring more originals!) but also in the power of “Peak TV: the blockbuster era chapter" with The Mandolarian‘s technical achievements deserving all the laurels if this world. Last but not least, when some Star Wars films disappointed some fans, The Mandolarian went above and beyond by delivering fan-service like never before (THAT ending!) while also providing something completely new and fresh, albeit following an old formula. Guess that is what one would call a win-win-win situation... This is the way! MORAL OF THE STORY: 8.5/10 ***** Like we just said, everybody wins when watching Mandalorian especially if you are into SW. Also, watch it if you like fun stuff!

4. LOVECRAFT COUNTRY

Talking about “Peak TV: the blockbuster era chapter", Lovecraft County is another show that had a very big Cinema feel with a good dose of horror and SciFi... Well Lovecraftian vibes! But not to the detriment of other things like the story, the visual, and the performances (with Jonathan Major, once again, proving that he is "the future"! Jurnee Smollett in a powerful performance, who also had a good year in 2020, plus a solid supporting cast with the likes of Wunmi Mosaku - who also had a good year doing nightmarish things! Or even Michael K. Williams who is always a welcome addition.) Lovecraft Country is set in the '50s and follows our protagonists solving mysteries and trying to save their lives, avoiding monsters and racists... For fans of the genre, and for the average viewers, this is a series that captivates and intrigues. Not only was the cast was perfect, but it brought some long-overdue diversity to the Neo-niche and horror side of high-end TV, and added some more layers thanks to diversity also behind the camera with show-runner Misha Green delivering a vision and some important messages that put in perspective the (...hum "questionable") views of Lovecraft’s world. MORAL OF THE STORY: 7.5/10 **** Lovecraft Country is a perfect SciFi/horror show with important things to say offering viewers more than they would've hoped for.

5. BETTY

This one's for the kids and kids at heart! It centered on a group of skater girls (or bettys) navigating teenagehood and trying to live their best lives free of stereotypes and boundaries in NYC. Sure, if you liked Crystal Moselle 2018 Skate Kitchen then you would probably dig Betty. But even without prior knowledge (or one looking to fill that Euphoria gap - although these very different project live on the same world and emanate some comparable vibes), this skate coming-of-age show is a real treat one that elevates the genre to a new fresh height. The chemistry between the girls gang at this heart of this story is a rare one and it makes Betty feel very authentic. Stories and emotions seem lived and, like the aforementioned I May Destroy You, it aims to tackle real and serious issues but from an angle not often explored. Betty's crew are not your typical cliched teens, some of them might not know entirely yet who they are and are exploring the world, while most are aware and proud of their differences not waiting for the world around them to accept them. BUT none of them are lost delicate souls looking for nonsense and romance! Sure there are some fun nonsense and some romance in Betty, but in fact, one might say it is a show about friendship. Or friends who share a common passion that might not be the "norm" for their gender but they have a delightful "F-it" attitude about it, and in the 20's (2.0 edition!) it's about time we all have "F-it" attitudes about what one wants to do with their lives, hobbies, or else, as long as they are happy and they leave you to be you too :) This "free-ness" approach is what makes Betty so interesting and compelling, and it helps that the show is longing real crisp like an eye-candy! MORAL OF THE STORY: 8/10 **** Watch it because you won't see anything quite like it out there. It's also a fun one for teens or for "post-teen” folk as it is very relatable and might even take you back and fill you with nostalgia. Plus, it looks darn good and colorful!

6. P-VALLEY

Another one tackling serious issues but this one from the perspective of workers and performers at a Mississippi delta strip joint. Everybody there is dealing with personal problems and prejudices already, and, on top of it, they have to deal with the news that the club will be demolished because of gentrification and greedy unscrupulous businessmen A-holes. P-Valley has been rightfully acclaimed critically but it seems it could have been so much bigger considering it came on the heel of Hustlers also about women of this profession (and also by and with women viewers in mind) Guess this is explained by the show being somehow "niche" (hum it almost feels racist to consider niche a drama series this broad and quite realistic just because the cast is not majority white...#foodforthought ) or more like because it might be considered NSFW because of the pole dancings and all that being set at a strip club involve. But again, thankfully P-Valley is directed by women (with Boy’s Don’t Cry Kimberly Peirce even directing an episode!) and spearheading by showrunner Katori Hall so we are being spared the "male glaze" and, it is not necessarily swapped for the "female glaze" but guess one can say the "human glaze"! We get a deeper understanding of all the characters’ lives as a whole, from the leads to bit-players, in a show that could have been, well...All for show but instead was finely layered. Although P-VALLEY’s many backstories and convenient dramatic dramas felt like its narrative was a bit too convoluted, audiences were still treated to fresh things; or old ones seen through a new lens. MORAL OF THE STORY: 7.5/10 **** Watch it if you are looking for a somewhat "typical" adult-oriented drama BUT something a bit different and from a very specific perspective. Also, hell, yes watch it for the shows (within the show!), because the performances were great and the filmmakers acknowledge that there is A LOT of HARDwork going on and it is always so impressive.

7. DEVS

This is one has one of the cleverest SciFi narrative ever made by the guy who does just that, Alex Garland! He brings a distinct detailed vision and a unique aesthetic to this complex slightly bonkerz yet "credible" SciFi show effortlessly blending high-Art, high tech, and nature. From the first scene of the first episode, you know you are in for something great and a sight to behold. The Silicon Valley set miniseries full of mysteries follows a computer engineer who will see her life changed dramatically after starting a "dream job" at a company developing a groundbreaking, morally questionable, and possibly dangerous project involving Quantum science and stuff! It stars Sonoya Mizuno, one of the few Asian lead protagonists on the TV landscape, particularly for this type of show - although it seems there is a trend towards diversification with programs like Homecoming (that btw could be Devs's cousin as it feels they are on the same "wavelength", they share many similarities and that mysterious vibe!) She might be Garland's muse now, and it appears she found quite a cozy niche for her style; artsy, auteur series about "the future", with Devs and last year Maniac ... And wait for it, she is set to be in the GOT prequel/sequel/whatever-it-is-we-will-watch! Devs is one of the most unique shows of 2020, it is a rare gem whether in terms of the story, the moods, the "unusual" yet captivating performances, or the incredibly innovative sets enhanced by gorgeous VFX. It is also highly addictive and bingeable. It should have made the top list of many more people and garnered much more praises than it did this award season... But, guess this is one of those "not for everyone; either too clever or too quiet for its own good" type of sciency futuristic endeavor. Sure, Devs is geeky escapism for the better, but to define it solely as just that would be wrong! It is about a mystery thus is, in essence, labyrinthine, and although we are far from the typically brainy mind-fuckery going on in Nolan's fares (and conceivably required less than 1000% of your edge-of-the-seat attention!) it is a show that appeals to your thinking. (coming to think of it, Devs actually share some vibes with the moody Interstellar!) The revolutionary yet low-key futurism resonates widely with our present and where we might be heading. Devs warped in philosophical conundrums, an eerie atmosphere with intriguing characters, feels a bit like - to lesser degrees - Westworld in the sense that it is grand with a story relying heavily on technological advances, yet very intimate and toying with human (or robot, or AI, or hologram...) emotions and morals profoundly. MORAL OF THE STORY: 9/10**** This is a show that will stay with you long after you watched it... What's more: is how the suspension of disbelief is easily achieved as the premise and its science elements are extremely well incorporated; only time will tell if it holds up...but Devs as a whole is a brilliant and mellow ride into the (not so distant!) futuaaa'

8. THE EDDY

Like seriously, why all the "hate"! If one would have watched this show in a vacuum when it came out, they would have felt like they discovered a hidden gem. The Eddy is the story of an American in Paris, played by André Holland, where he own a Jazz club in a bad financial situation. He gets in all kinds of trouble with his angsty teenage daughter (an excellent Amandla Stenberg), his business partner (a welcome against-type performance by Tahar Rahim), his jazz band led by a surprising Joanna Kuligis (from that great yet annoying Cold War movie!), and of course he owes money to the wrong people! The Eddy was amazing for many reasons, amongst many the fact that it boasts a diverse cast like rarely see on French show about "the Arts”, and the fact that it was really a music / Jazz show thanks to Jack Thorne and no other than "the new Jazz movie dude" Damien Chazelle! THE EDDY might have been too specific for too many people and very heavy on, well, Jazz! (to our delight and probably boredom of others since the show did not do so well...) But there are probably another element at blame for this like, admittedly, the plot going full nonsense cuckoo for cocoa puffs after few episode cuz...the mafia or some sh$t! Did not helped that everyone was people full of ego so well that it felt like the whole thing was full of itself BUT that was the intended purpose! (And it worked) Though undoubtedly Chazelle is not a filmmaker that make the unanimity and this project was as divisive as it gets, no one can deny its real artistic merit. From the story, and again sure there were few plotholes and nonsense but the imaginativeness and inventiveness of the overall characters' background stories, the interactions; it all felt like rarely seen before. In addition, the acting was also great and the music was good AND played "live" by real musicians so what's not to like people!? Why the hate!? MORAL OF THE STORY: 8/10**** If you like all things music & movies then you must watch this one; you will not be disappointed. But you can still watch it if you are looking for an interesting show, something atypical, dare we say "exotic" being very foreign in some aspect, and one where people get to speak their own languages and nobody is faking an accent! ;) (*And for the love of all that is sacred DON'T watch Emily In (#fake) Paris! The Eddy might not picture the capital perfectly but it gets more things right and the vibe, so consider this your "travelling via your screen show"!)

9. GOOD LORD BIRD

Well if this wasn't the craziest fun surprise of the year! The Good Lord Bird stands here before you as a historical-ish dramedy that might have been brought to you spiritually by the Coen brothers with its impeccably cast ensemble getting into shenanigans inspired by real events! Based on a novel about our fictional protagonist, Onion, and his time with abolitionists (and zealot!) John Brown, played by a never-seen-before Ethan Hawke. The teen boy, disguised as a girl becomes a sort of daughter to Brown's and part of his crew that played a crucial role in American history by inciting slave revolts and eventually the Civil War by way of the Harpers Ferry's raid. The series very loosely based on real events, still does the necessary to carry the meaning and importance of those events but works more as both a biopic style character study, and an ensemble drama. BUT it made sure everything seems bonkers as hell (well, for the times those ideas and events sure were!) by adding humor and some fun to the heaviness and importance of it all, audiences are in for a treat. Hawke, who also created the series and co-wrote some episodes, gives the performance of his lifetime in his fantastic reimagining of this legendary figure (and rightfully deserves all the laurels in his category...) but Joshua Caleb Johnson’s Onion is the bonafide revelation here. The young actor carries the show on his versatile shoulder playing his part with all the required subtlety of a child going through so much. The Good Lord Bird is also quite cinematic, and again, the very strong and diverse cast, and the well-paced and written story makes it one of a kind. MORAL OF THE STORY: 7.75/10 *** Watch it if you are in need of something quite hilarious that will make you (feel like you) revised your history-ish in a fun way!

10. INDUSTRY

Yet another series tackling serious issues! This time from the perspective of graduates entering the treacherous (and abusive) world of finance. Viewed through the eyes of yet another American expat in Europe (well, we’re talking pre-Brexit!) with a mysterious and shady past. She and a diverse group of young graduates from various class - all carrying with them some sort of heavy emotional "baggage", mental issues, and/or dramatic backstories - are starting a new position (kinda like an internship++) at a major investment bank. But the thing is the pressure is higher than normal as these youngsters have to compete to be hired permanently. Thus, making friends (and/or more) in this environment is hard... Welcome to real life y’all! This very “HBO show” (make of that statement what you wish) is one of the most daring ones and a bit more low-key than the usuals. And despite being set in a word of excess, it is not as extravagant and riotous as other “banking” films or series like Wolf Of Wall Street or Showtime's Black Monday. In fact, it might be closer to its London set contemporary I May Destroy You both thematically and tonally, some fun is to be had but it gets real dark and twisty making the audience feel "unease" or morally compromise. Industry is also one of those shows about the post-coming-of-age or the-reality-of-adulthood, and in this sense, it also has a good mix of Girls's style (with Lena Dunham directing the pilot) but a-la London high-end filmmaking sauce. Guess, you can say London Town had a good year on shows AND the real-ish on, like the one we can see with our own eye full of diverse people talking multiple languages and bringing in their own culture and subculture, far away from the The Crown this world! MORAL OF THE STORY: 8.5/10**** Watch it because apparently this show, like its protagonist, is an underdog and underestimated one! It might not look like much at first, but it ticked all the boxes of a great and bingeable show with an excellent cast of mostly unknown very convincing actors, agreat narrative, and somewhat believable yet over-the-top stories.

...And last but not least, the incomparable, the off-the-wall masterpieces, the "chosen one"; THE GREATEST SHOW ON EARTH back at it again!

(no number will do this one justice). THE NEW POPE

Paolo Sorrentino's papal saga, including this second season with a slight change of name (or whatever this beautifully odd setup is), is still the most exquisite, bizarre, and creative thing seen in this ever-changing TV landscape. Therefore showing us that what one can now make, offer, or consume is limitless. First off, if you haven't watched The Young Pope, which is the aptly titled prequel or season one; watch it! But if you don't/didn't and were to start this journey with The New Pope, one might dare say it can stand on its own, or still be appreciated without its predecessor - if one is willing to overlook and go with the flow. You will be forgiven for thinking it is "cray-cray to the max" and A LOT! The New Pope as its name indicates is about, you bet, a new bishop of Rome coming to town and more! As per its IMDb synopsis: 'Two Popes. Only one Vatican. A holy war to come.' Simple; and it's all one needs to know to start the show without spoilers! But fret not, this is not a simple affair as the writer really found impressive ways of making this show about so much more, being at the same time a satirical comedy, a romance, a drama, a mystical fantasy, a political thriller-ish, a mockumentary, maybe even and an experimental alternate history novel. But of course, like the first one, this is definitely one to come with a HUGE "not for everyone" label (altho it really shouldn't) and for a myriad of reasons: one; religion. Two, as mentioned above; genre confusion. Three; the divinely surrealism of it all (in the visual and artistic sense) despite being a “grounded” story can confuse/upset some viewers. Four; not only it is surreal in style but the story is likewise populated with delightful comical nonsense and crazy plots involving so many characters, nuns, and cardinals like you've never seen them before! It could be argued that The Young Pope was indeed a revelation so holy many connected on "a spiritual level", and The New Pope felt less impactful because it was novel anymore (although the pope was!) So after an out-of-this-world first season some might have thought that Sorrentino had already pulled the rabbit kangaroo out of the hat mitre, BUT he still had many marvelous tricks available to surprise and enchant us. As a matter of fact many fans thought season 2 reached new heights and was even more bewildering as the maestro went all-in showing off his embolden confidence after the success of Pope 1.0 knowing the audience will be game for whatever shenanigans, and because of Law & cast & crew visible faithful commitment and trust in the process to go all in! There is no denying this show is what the peak of Peak TV looks like; dare we say this is it. THAT's the peak, or at least one that will be hard to topple. It is what happens when streamer and/or network, decide to give carte blanche to auteurs renown for their out-of-the-ordinary stuff and they're like ‘Hey dude (and once in a while lady or other), come with us and we'll let you do what you could not in your 2 hours+ movies because of time, money, or miscellaneous movie biz constraints... Actually, you know what, do more than that, go bananas if you like - but try not to get us sued (too many time!)" Hence watching a show like The New Pope is like watching a dream; someone's wildest dream; a filmmaker's craziest idea made with all the money in the world -or a lot of it! The maestro seemed free to explore evey ideas that popped in his mind and gave us series filled with unconventional stories, including a music video?, a perfume ad?, an electro experimental art piece?, a heartful drama about tormented men, a fairy tale about faith and will-power, a sexy love affair, a comedy about politics and delicious plotting in the Vatican... Well, it always helps that Paolo's projects have the most on-point cast, and here he is back with Jude Law in his career-defining role that everyone keeps on ignoring!?! (why is that!!!!) He is having so much fun and making us believe he is possibly just too good to be an actor; he should aim to be a Pope! And then this season co-lead is the one and only John Malkovitch being, well, himself to some extent, and it was perfect for the character. But yet again the MVP was Voiello. The Italian thespian Silvio Orlando was back at it again using his word and "faith" for the greater good or not. (might be sinful to proclaim such a statement but may the 3rd season be his!) Also, a noteworthy turn by his fellow cardinal bro Gutiérrez played Javier Cámara who continues to find a way to bring quiet and tender EMOTIONS to this extravaganza. Never thought watching cardinals going about their businesses full of connivances and shenanigans could procure such heavenly feelings and laughs (like laugh out loud by your own damn self on the couch!) In comparison to many shows on that list The New Pope might not rank as high in term of skin color or gender diversity of its A and B characters (tho it is the perfect vessel for old actors playing old cardinals from all over the world, so hear hear to more opportunities for aging male performers !L.O.L.) but so many languages and accents can be heard and major characters talking in their native tongue or accent - and seemingly naturally as in not soften for the American ears that normally have issues with the likes of Tom Hardy and some of his British compatriots! AND bonus point: most folks are not obnoxiously portraying or pretending to be or to speak with some fake French or Russian accent! (*well guess Malkovitch and his weird$ASS legendary elocution can play whoever white person he damn wishes, he is the only native English-speaker that can get a pass for obnoxious Slavic or French-speaking role ..) Lastly, can we just say; THAT ENDING...how can one forget! MORAL OF THE STORY:10/10**************** Watch it because: That's entertainment; that's Cinema! (AMEN!) *But also because it is sooooo flamboyant, soooo aesthetically intoxicating, soooooo supercalifragilisticexpialidocious, soooooo devilishly blasphemous yet so religiously divine. In a nutshell, it is sooooooo Sorentino-esque! So give us this year our yearly fix, and forgive our impatience as we also have forgiven your tardiness! And lead us not into binging mediocre shows, but deliver us from this wait... So now can we get more seasons of this please?! May it be young/old/new/renewed/infant, whichever pope, we will take it gladly!

Also...

Other new shows worth checking out if one has time to be “bored” in 2021 (*even though one can do and learn most anything on the internet; the true windows to the world that apparently many don’t know how to use considering the HUGE amount of complaints from people - usually those not living in one room and with resources...- bored and “unable” to stay home or else they'll suffer greatly. Haaaa #eattherich !)

GANGS OF LONDON: For those looking for some well-executed violent delights and stunts and some gangster shit! (by the guy who did the fantastic The Raids so you know the fight choreography will be worth your time)

I KNOW THIS MUCH IS TRUE: For those looking for some high-brow HBO type stuff with an A-lister cast giving Performances (special shoutout to Ruffalo playing not 1 but 2 very very complex characters admirably). It also has a good dose of creepy downer mood on top of a solid story that keeps one intrigued till the end.

RATCHED: For those looking for their "Ryan Murphy fix"! A great addition for some retro fashion, high-end camp, and horrish vibes as well. Maybe not the best or Murphyesque projects of his with the always pleasing to watch Sarah Paulson, but it was quite satisfying visually, storywise, and “Hollywood history” wise!

Talking about that, almost forget but...

HOLLYWOOD: For those also looking for “for their Ryan Murphy fix"! Hollywood is a great addition for some retro fashion and high-end camp but it mostly is for those fascinated by the Cinema history, La La Land or Hollywood Babylon stuff of myths and legends... and of course some queerness in the human and artistic sense! Inspired by real events and with a well-cast cast, this show is a great one that will dazzle you till its very “hollywood'' ending!

THE THIRD DAY: For those looking to keep up with the horrorish and the weird with Jude Law delivering another fantastic interpretation of a character making weird facial expressions while stuck in the most random and peculiar scenario! The whole project is quite fascinating and theatrical (with a 12 hours live staged event - actors acting in real-time for the FB crowd, bathroom break and all!) Somewhere between Midsommar and Black Mirror by way of British High-end TV drama.

THE GREAT: For those looking for something fun fun fun! And also a period piece but riotous by the guy who wrote The Favorite! The Great is, well... A great addition that arrived early on last year and brought us all kinds of naughty misbehaviors and villainous hilarities. It is also a great period drama “TV” and Hoult and Fanning are surely continuing their streaks of being little low-key sensations (for those who did not know they are quite delightful in comedy!)

A SUITABLE BOY: For those into classical old-school romance and drama, but with some funny bits; all of that the British-Indian/Indian way! Or simply for those looking for some visual delights and would watch anything Mira Nair decides to do. (And at least it can give you peace of mind that this is not some whitewashed version or “exotic for show” show...)

Following seasons of shows worth checking out!

RAMY: Why are you not on it yet!? Fun story, touching moments, with a great message about immigration and tolerance, and some impressive performance. What's not to like folks.

WESTWORLD: Never cease to amaze ...AND these violent delights DID have delightful violent ends!

BETTER CALL SAUL: The more superior drama in its field yet people continue to be F#$K!NG IDIOTS and either not watch it and/or not nominate it for EVERYTHING... And yes BETTER CALL SAUL is overall much better than BREAKING BAD and we will never forget you fools for not honoring it the same way!

BLACK MONDAY: The period Wall Street comedy series with hilarious sequences and an entertaining story. But with a last season that could have been better, yet is still extensively enjoyable. Or another “QUITE GOOD and MAYBE GREAT", but overall maybe not as the most mentioned before on this list”

HOMECOMING (we’re talking about the second season of this Prime series - No offense to Beyonce!)

And now other solid recommendations for your night(and day!) in...

QUEEN’S GAMBIT / THE CROWN: For the period galore and the classical and classy acting!

STATELESS

MISS AMERICA

THE LUMINARIES

QUIZ

SOULMATE

THE UNDOING: HuH... for the coat and the social media buzz Let's be real if it wasn't for this cast it would be obvious that it is SOOOOOO overrated! Yet one cannot argue this show made one want to tune in every week! But definitely not really satisfying our Little Big Lies craving.

A bit like...

YOUR HONOR: A show that passed the point of “trolling” viewers with more twists than a Twizzlers. It tries to channel BREAKING BAD but ends up being miles away. However, the pilot was VERY great and announced an engrossing adult high-end TV drama, but the later episodes (released in 2021 making this show not quite 2020 - so yep little cheating here) border on Law & Order and are filled with eyerolling and “c’mon really!?” moment. So kinda like its cousin Defending Jacob and Ozark (that we didn't include on this list purposefully...Come at us bros!)

So to a lesser extent a typical case of...

LITTLE FIRE EVERYWHERE The clear winner of the “most eye-roll per episode” show of 2020! Guess this was a show aimed at, what our 'Marketing media consumer behavior 101 class' years ago would call, “middle-aged housewives viewers”...And no offense to anyone but the appeal of this show doesn't seem to scoop large. It was also just good enough but yet again you want to watch it cuz why not when everyone is SO commited to their roles!

GRANT: For people into history or not, this show is a good one in its specific niche.

POWER BOOK II: For those looking to fill the Power gap. This sequel might be better than its prequel and is actually quite admirable achievement, and also one of the best in its niche. It still looks sleek and the acting is good and...Mary J Blige!!!!

HOW TO WITH JOHN WILSON: For everyone really, and another great one in his field of fun little docu-series. Although not everyone will dig it.

And to end thing on a dubious note roar

TIGER KING: For apparently everyone since it seems everyone with access to Netflix (which is realistically everyone!) has seen it whether in bits or full, and EVERYONE has a strong opinion for better or worse...

10 notes · View notes

what2watch2night · 3 years

Text

THE WHITE TIGER; or How to Eat the Rich With a Side of Paan & Some Chai!

THE WHITE TIGER is the story of how our protagonist, the quick-witted and trickster Balram, went from slumdog to millionaire! But unlike that other movie, his tale is not one of love and luck at game shows. In order to break free of the metaphorical “rooster coop” (or India’s vicious circle of having a huge minority being subservient and not rebelling against basically the corrupt 1% in a broken democracy,) Balram created his luck going from a poor low-caste boy in a small village dropping out of school to help out with the tea and sweets family business, to a personal driver and servant for one of India’s elite - and corrupt- family. To them becoming himself a “nouveau riche” an entrepreneur assuming a new identity. Everything is told from his perspective, the perspective of a boy, and later a man, who is thought to be a one-of-a-kind, like the most intelligent animal in the jungle, a white tiger.

The whole film is just full of those metaphors putting in opposition noble ideals to overcome one’s circumstance in a rigged society, and the reality of playing the game and crossing lines.THE WHITE TIGER oozes #eattherich and “f#$% the system” vibes! Great thing that we do love those “eat the rich” films about class & social struggles, and in the vein of the great PARASITE (that will forever be the pinnacle of this genre and the reference we will keep mentioning on and on and on till the dying days,) THE WHITE TIGER is a very worthy successor and is equally excellent in showing how “servant” take can take kver their “master’s lives”. The 2021 film by Ramin Bahrani adapt the explosive story from Aravind Adiga's 2008 successful book of the same name, that sure might have been problematic for some reasons, especially for people who are actually Indian deeming the pov “westernized” and obviously because the director who is neither Indian nor live there or being familiar with the culture being American-Iranian. But guess you could still say he is a POC and a person that might be better-suited than a famous white posh director to understand the very “rise of the brown man” spirit of this story- lol....We take what we can get! Indeed, one of the memorable quote from the main character is that of him declaring that “ It’s the century of the brown and yellow man…”; his world to not be insensitive to anybody! But yeah it’s about time and it’s really comforting that, again not to bring it to PARASITE, THE WHITE TIGER is indeed a film from and about what in the West would be considered minority, but also is about the low or hard-working class standpoint which also makes it universal for everyone in the world that not a 1% or not from an upper-class! So many people around the globe can relate to these sorts of narratives. Yet again they are very specific about the culture of their respective countries, or Asia's hard social boundaries approaches. And in the case of THE WHITE TIGER it can never be truer, has a India’s millennial age a caste system that enables situations where millions like Balram are abused and used and then threaten (or their families) if they don’t comply with the rules set for them by the powerful...

What’s rather impressive about this movie is that it moved from the first scenes with this fast pace and high HIGH energy. Likewise, it has a very distinct vibe, mixing crispy and eerie cinematography with a bleak yet riotous sense of humor that sets the tone for what would be something like we rarely see on the screen. But also thankfully the movie stays focused on its material and its engrossing plots very “made in India” being set there, and with what transpires as a commitment to not “Netflixing '' things too much! As mentioned the filmmaker is not familiar with the reality of the country but at least the bulk of the production crew and the actors speaking both English and Hindi (the film is in both, let say 70/30!) are Indians, including our main guy played by Adarsh Gourav in his first International feature but who has been acting in India for years. The other main cast members are all actors known to various degrees in their land (with Priyanka Chopra being the “big draw” for US audiences since I guess she is also American now! - Or usually that is what happens when one is that famous or married to someone who is in the US of A!) However, they are all arguably all quite famous and obviously they don’t belong to the same class as Balram but they are probably more aware of things than if the casting director had choosen some famous American or Brits thespian who might just look the part (or maybe they would have just “brownfaced”/”whitewashed” the whole thing and nobody would be surprise! But mercifully this was not the case- Highly doubt DuVernay would have accepted producing such a thing - she exec-produced this one!) but who has never even been there! Thus, for Netflix global audiences THE WHITE TIGER looks authentic enough and that is quite appreciated and even if the acting or some other things might be very “ hollywood” we can still see that little touch of Indian Cinema Bollywood (not NOT every movie production from Inda is Bollywood OKay... what is wrong with people!)

To go back to the lead, Adarsh Gourav, he is phenomenal and we are so glad that he’s getting the recognition he deserves with an Independent Spirit award nom already! THE WHITE TIGER is pretty much a 2021 movie but apparently, like everything else, award-season is weird these days and 2020-2021 might blend and confuse us till “normal” award-season schedule happens again! Hencde, what is delightfully weirder is that we now have an embarrassment of riches having so many POC and especially of Asian background represented or potentially up for best performance AND they are all vying for the main big acting prize! So yes Gourav, but Riz Ahmed is the one who might eventually end up winning everything with his awe-inspiring turn as a musician going deaf in THE SOUND OF METAL, let’s not forget Dev Patel’ COPPERFIELD, and also Steven Yeun in the wonderful MINARI (also already up for so many leading actor recognitions,) and to top it up we have strong award-worthy performances by the whole Black cast of ONE NIGHT IN MIAMI (good luck finding the lead in this movie of performanceS that will make you do a standing ovation in your living room multiple times!) and DA 5 BLOODS that also starred the late Boseman as a strong contender for a supporting nod. He is himself up for lead noms for Ma Rainey's Black Bottom! So yes, #sorrynotsorry, but it’s almost like Balram said it with the end of the white men... in best actor category! (but always be ready for major upset a la Green Book...) Geez if they could’ve been spread out over the recent #Oscarssowhite years. But no complaint as it is just amazing to witness this - but it would be perfect if Riz (who is/SHOULD definitely win this) and Adarsh could be tied.

Lest we digress, but the dudes elevated the material and blowed our collective mind with subtlety and complexity. But here Adarsh gives us a powerhouse performance thanks to a material being so rich with the story arc and narrative of his character being a gift that keeps on giving. There’s a play within a play within a play sort of situation as the actor is portraying someone that is not him and/or him just altering himself for work purposes, being the greatest hypocrite... But did he really had a choice. And then he is playing multiple facets of those characters. Certainly movie folks love those roles where actors get to play twins and schizophrenic psychopaths. Well, Balram is not suffering from multi-personality disorder (unless we missed something) but guess he sure is a psycho! Pretending to be someone else, and faking it till he makes it without remorse and regrets… And, funny enough, like he said, he is no SLUMDOG MILLIONAIRE but it is very interesting to view these 2 stories that captivated the whole word with their rags-to-riches tales from India. However, they might both have

*SPOILER ALERT*

happy endings, but one protagonist gets there staying on the light side of the force and the other is unrepentantly on the dark side. Besides, one could argue Balram is being one of the many villain of THE WHITE TIGER and/or a sort of predestined anti-hero, yet again like last year PARASITE protagonists. This makes us question our wants or needs to “eat the rich”and shows that, although there is a clear line between what is sweet revenge and what is crime, there are too many grey areas in between that, in the end, only give advantage to, well the rich…

MORAL OF THE STORY: 8.75/10 *****

So THE WHITE TIGER is 100% fresh & fun. It is a great movie with an even greater story and it is A LOT of food for thought...

Side note: Tigers sure are having their moments on Netflix since Tiger King, and it’s interesting how it is always about shitty and shady folks doing shitty and shady business…or worse. What’s next, Tiger Lily !? Oh please for the love of Cinema let’s not make it so as it smells like some sort of appropriation nonsense (again!)

0 notes

what2watch2night · 3 years

Text

MINARI: Wonderful Wonderful Wonderful!

The wonderful 2020 MINARI by Lee Isaac Chung is inspired by his own story as an immigrants' child in rural America. The film is about a Korean man chasing that American dream by starting over in rural Arkansas in the 80s, in the hope of growing produce and having his own farm. The father (Steven Yeun) who moved his family to a precarious trailer on the forsaken land he bought as a dubious deal, is a dreamer with an elaborate plan. But maybe he did not plan so much for all the bad things that can happen when one has a dream but very little means or opportunity to achieve it.

The film is an emotional roller-coaster that makes you want to believe, like his main man, that all is possible (or at least was) in that America. But MINARI through the mother of the family (Yeri Hanalso) is painfully aware that, when you are different, everything is against you and the sacrifice you might have to make might be too big and it might not end well on so many levels. Yet, it is also a film that wants you to understand that life has to be lived one step at a time and the very "wonderful!" grandmother (Youn Yuh-jung who blew our mind in the amazing 2016 THE BACCHUS LADY,) like a wise and cool Baloo, reminds everyone to 'Look for the bare necessities, The simple bare necessities, Forget about your worries and your strife'. And that seems to be her philosophy through highs and lows, even when she inadvertently drinks a suspicious "mountain water" drink given to her by her young grandson, the revelation of this film, Alan S. Kim. He stole the show and he too, like a young insightful yet very cheeky Mowgli, gets to learn how to live life in this foreign "jungle" of his from accompanied by his Baloo grandma.

These two are the heart and the MVP of sorts of the film. Even though everyone involved, from the parents to the daughter (Noel Cho) to the extremely religious farm-helper (Will Patton) get their moment to shine and no characters feel one-dimensional, it really feels like the unlikely duo - and their magnificently written stories and dialogue exchanges- is holding the movie and making it the wonderful MINARI that it is. The film is everything one needs with all the emotions and all ever so subtle, from that whole"water mountain saga" that would make you laugh out loud in front of your screen, to the very tender yet playful relationship between a grandma and her grandkid. Seeing them learning how to accept each other while getting to truly know each other and learn from one another. Despite feeling so warm like its visual glow, MINARI can be heartbreaking with moments when a family realizes that it might be better for them to go their separate ways, or someone's absolutely devastating realization that all their hard work, time, money, energy, may have been for naught as one's dream may never come true.

But MINARI is a film very much in the "life works in a mysterious way" category as we see that maybe something can come to bring someone back a bit a joy, it depicts how to mend broken things, broken family, broken couple, broken house, broken stick, broken heart, broken dream. And all of that sometimes with broken English to further the point that not only making money as a foreigner is hard, making friends as "the other" is even harder especially in these times (or place still stuck in that times...) when most folks in the community were not a racist per se, but sort of preconditioned or just ignorant (you can call it casual racism, inoffensive but hurtful and no less dangerous) But then we'll see how children learn from a very young age and then very easily unlearn prejudices if given the chance, and one can recognize that "people are people" no matter who they sound like, look like, or maybe even smell like!

MORAL OF THE STORY: 9.5/10 *****

MINARI is a story that definitely seems lived with moments so authentic and genuine that they will take you out and even in your maybe send you into your own childhood memories (especially if your life is one way or another be sharing similarities with the stories) However, the film appeal is universal as it is also a "simple", well-told yet graceful family story. Certainly, the dreamy reflective cinematography and soundtrack helped the film being the indie hit that it became is since it premiered sensationally at Sundance exactly 1 year ago where it won both the Grand Jury and the Audience awards. The wait to see it, although agonizing, justified the very very limited release for what would have been a normal award-season schedule; because ladies & gents & both or everyone, MINARI is what Oscars are /should be made of! And we won't be mad if it is tied with NOMADLAND for best picture exaequo for a weird weird 2020 year. In fact, MINARI shares many similarities with the masterful NOMADLAND as they are both about a certain ideal of America and the dreams or goals one might pursue while trying to make it while also trying to make a living. MINARI also has that extra foreign language layer for better (and we say even better!) or worse as seen with the whole Golden Globes silly nonsense not taking clue from PARASITE's historic wins - even more "funny" that those "foreign press" voters probably do speak 2 languages at least and still think language spoken in one's household = country of residence or citizenship...Golden Globes stops the BS NONSENSE now!!

In any case, hoping for more sane and satisfactory outcomes for the Academy Awards (at least in terms of noms) where MINARI could be another moment of glory for Koreans as the film (that has already garnered a hefty dose of awards!) should be nominated for many things including, direction, screenplay, and acting hopefully. So even tho it might not take home the big O it will make history once more as surely someone will/must win and that after "The Year Of Our Lawd & Holy glory To The Wifi" PARASITES would make us scream of happiness and racists be racists BUT losers! hahaha Being petty aside, we are way past time for the GREEN BOOKS of this world, and it is time everyone learns to appreciate and enjoy the beauty of a story like THE FAREWELL or MINARI, because for foreigners, immigrants (which AGAIN is everyone BUT Native /Indigenous/ First Nation/Aboriginal/Insert-preferred-respectful-identity), or for anyone starting from scratch in a new place looking for that "A BETTER LIFE"; This IS America in all its contradictions, from hard times to good times... It's a wonderful life when one finds his own "minari"

[side note - nonsense related: due to the distribution nonsense MINARI will only be released to all maybe in February, maybe in March, or maybe even in August if you sadly live in the Netherlands but happens to love US independent films and would gladly pay for it!! Hahaha, that damn wait from hell between the festival premieres and the "commoners" release dates that makes most cinephile angry and desperate every year... And even more so now as most films have been held out - to some understandable degree - like strong liquors waiting for the prohibition to be over...But only time will tell if the wait was useful for those studios and companies' wallets - probably not that much - At long last, we are now having some "streaming window time reduction" victory! It might have been prohibited to legally sell boozy products during the prohibition era but, hey, during the Covid-19 era it is legal to sell your products directly to consumers!! So why wait for your films to turn into vinegar (cuz we know only 5 % of those movies we might or might not see soon might be "consumed" like fine wine = cuz not everything can be TENET or MINARI!!!) Anyway, we can end this side off-track rant by professing the love and the truth: YES all the movie-lovers out there are more than happy to keep supporting the industry from the comfort AND CLEAN SAFETY of their couches - statistic also says so! ;) So... now... A24 after giving us the wonderful MINARI you better not postpone ZOLA and THE GREEN KNIGHT even more... We are mad as hell we can't take it anymore!;) ]

11 notes · View notes