breadandhammers
Lifetime Total
250+
Lifetime Filmo
5+
IMDb Member
12 years
Reviews
He bian de cuo wu (2023)
Brilliant
Directed by: Wei Shujun
Written by: Wei Shujin, Kang Chunlei
SUMMARY
A detective murder mystery piece set in rural village 90s China. After the murder of an old grandma, a cop investigates the murder. Going from lead to lead, he ultimately reaches the unsatisfying conclusion that it was committed by a madman. The bureaucracy of the police determine the madman is the murderer, but the cop still has doubts, but ends up conforming to society's opinion. This is a tragic piece about conformity.
RATING
A+
Wei is a brilliant filmmaker, whose confidence and intentionality fills every single frame of the movie. It feels like the entire piece is perfectly crafted - yet not in a pretentious way. There is remarkable efficiency in his filmmaking. What is not shown is almost as compelling as what is shown. Can you achieve the same story, painting with negative space?
SUMMARY
A detective murder mystery piece set in rural village 90s China. After the murder of an old grandma, a cop investigates the murder. Going from lead to lead, he ultimately reaches the unsatisfying conclusion that it was committed by a madman. The bureaucracy of the police determine the madman is the murderer, but the cop still has doubts, but ends up conforming to society's opinion. This is a tragic piece about conformity.
RATING
A+
Wei is a brilliant filmmaker, whose confidence and intentionality fills every single frame of the movie. It feels like the entire piece is perfectly crafted - yet not in a pretentious way. There is remarkable efficiency in his filmmaking. What is not shown is almost as compelling as what is shown. Can you achieve the same story, painting with negative space?
Fly Me to the Moon (2024)
Could have been good
Directed by: Greg Berlanti
Screenplay by: Rose Gilroy
Production companies: Apple Studios, These Pictures
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
SUMMARY
A charismatic advertising agent needs to figure out a way to sell NASA to the public to generate funds for the moon landing. Halfway through, she is forced to film a fake moon landing in case the actual one fails. She also falls in love with the NASA launch director.
RATING
C+
There is actually a really interesting story here about a cynical advertising agent doing the most cynical thing possible - filming a fake moon landing - but then finally learning the lesson of what it means to be an authentic human being and the value of things that are real. However, the balance of the movie seems off. The story is primarily geared towards being a rom-com first, which it shouldn't be, and a character growth story second. This makes scenes with the love interest, Channing Tatum, feel tangential and boring. The real story is her character growth.
SUMMARY
A charismatic advertising agent needs to figure out a way to sell NASA to the public to generate funds for the moon landing. Halfway through, she is forced to film a fake moon landing in case the actual one fails. She also falls in love with the NASA launch director.
RATING
C+
There is actually a really interesting story here about a cynical advertising agent doing the most cynical thing possible - filming a fake moon landing - but then finally learning the lesson of what it means to be an authentic human being and the value of things that are real. However, the balance of the movie seems off. The story is primarily geared towards being a rom-com first, which it shouldn't be, and a character growth story second. This makes scenes with the love interest, Channing Tatum, feel tangential and boring. The real story is her character growth.
Kung fu (2004)
Best fight scenes
Directed by: Stephen Chow
Written by: Huo Xin, Chan Man-keung, Tsang Kan-cheung
SUMMARY
A wild, absurdist kung-fu meets western screwball comedy. In a fictional version of Republic era Hong Kong, an evil group of gangsters, the Axe Gang, takes on the villagers living in Pig Sty village, only to discover that there are Kung Fu Masters that live there - including some of the greatest masters of all time. Ultimately, the Axe Gang is defeated by "the One", a wannabe gang member who becomes good.
RATING
A+
You don't go to Stephen Chow movies for "great" filmmaking - though, I would argue he is a great filmmaker. In his chaos, there is a method. I believe the fight scene between the evil twins and the zither with the Three Masters is one of the best - non-ironically best - fight scenes I've ever seen. Creative and fun.
SUMMARY
A wild, absurdist kung-fu meets western screwball comedy. In a fictional version of Republic era Hong Kong, an evil group of gangsters, the Axe Gang, takes on the villagers living in Pig Sty village, only to discover that there are Kung Fu Masters that live there - including some of the greatest masters of all time. Ultimately, the Axe Gang is defeated by "the One", a wannabe gang member who becomes good.
RATING
A+
You don't go to Stephen Chow movies for "great" filmmaking - though, I would argue he is a great filmmaker. In his chaos, there is a method. I believe the fight scene between the evil twins and the zither with the Three Masters is one of the best - non-ironically best - fight scenes I've ever seen. Creative and fun.
Ga yau hei si (1992)
Let go of logic
Directed by: Stephen Chow
Written by: Vincent Kok, Tessa Choi, Roman Cheung
SUMMARY
An screwball, absurdist comedy. An ensemble family movie about three brothers and the women in their lives - a husband who cheats on his wife, a gay man who is rivals with a lesbian woman, and a handsome brother, who falls for a woman but also cheats on him. The film is wild, but ends with each othe brothers making peace with the women in their lives (including, the gay man becoming straight with the lesbian woman).
RATING
A
A thoroughly fun time despite the screwball nature of this. Let go of logic and the story becomes a ride that careens from one area to the next, but still maintains humor throughout.
SUMMARY
An screwball, absurdist comedy. An ensemble family movie about three brothers and the women in their lives - a husband who cheats on his wife, a gay man who is rivals with a lesbian woman, and a handsome brother, who falls for a woman but also cheats on him. The film is wild, but ends with each othe brothers making peace with the women in their lives (including, the gay man becoming straight with the lesbian woman).
RATING
A
A thoroughly fun time despite the screwball nature of this. Let go of logic and the story becomes a ride that careens from one area to the next, but still maintains humor throughout.
Sik san (1996)
Funny and absurdist
Directed by: Stephen Chow
Written by: Stephen Chow
SUMMARY
A wild, absurdist comedy. A narcissistic celebrity chef gets upstaged and dethroned. He finds his way back by befriending an ugly woman who runs a noodle shop and learning mystical Shaolin cooking techniques.
RATING
A
You would think Stephen Chow movies would be too wild to judge, but the narrative structure itself is surprisingly coherent. It's rather the content that is wild, but that works! I thought this movie was very funny and a fun wild ride for the mind.
Directed by: Stephen Chow Written by: Stephen Chow
SUMMARY
A wild, absurdist comedy. A narcissistic celebrity chef gets upstaged and dethroned. He finds his way back by befriending an ugly woman who runs a noodle shop and learning mystical Shaolin cooking techniques.
RATING
A
You would think Stephen Chow movies would be too wild to judge, but the narrative structure itself is surprisingly coherent. It's rather the content that is wild, but that works! I thought this movie was very funny and a fun wild ride for the mind.
SUMMARY
A wild, absurdist comedy. A narcissistic celebrity chef gets upstaged and dethroned. He finds his way back by befriending an ugly woman who runs a noodle shop and learning mystical Shaolin cooking techniques.
RATING
A
You would think Stephen Chow movies would be too wild to judge, but the narrative structure itself is surprisingly coherent. It's rather the content that is wild, but that works! I thought this movie was very funny and a fun wild ride for the mind.
Directed by: Stephen Chow Written by: Stephen Chow
SUMMARY
A wild, absurdist comedy. A narcissistic celebrity chef gets upstaged and dethroned. He finds his way back by befriending an ugly woman who runs a noodle shop and learning mystical Shaolin cooking techniques.
RATING
A
You would think Stephen Chow movies would be too wild to judge, but the narrative structure itself is surprisingly coherent. It's rather the content that is wild, but that works! I thought this movie was very funny and a fun wild ride for the mind.
Sunshine (2007)
Underrated!
Directed by: Danny Boyle
Written by: Alex Garland
SUMMARY
The Sun is dying. A group of space scientists fly a spaceship to the sun to drop a payload bomb to try to restart it. They encounter the previous ship that failed and discovered the previous captain was suicidal and sabotaged the mission. The movie turns into a slasher halfway through. At the end, the suicidal captain is defeated and they drop the payload into the Sun.
RATING
S
While not ever risk Sunshine takes pays off, the film is still a wonderful space film with an absolutely brilliantly assembled cast and a gripping narrative. I'm surprised this is as underrated as it is, because I absolutely loved this film.
SUMMARY
The Sun is dying. A group of space scientists fly a spaceship to the sun to drop a payload bomb to try to restart it. They encounter the previous ship that failed and discovered the previous captain was suicidal and sabotaged the mission. The movie turns into a slasher halfway through. At the end, the suicidal captain is defeated and they drop the payload into the Sun.
RATING
S
While not ever risk Sunshine takes pays off, the film is still a wonderful space film with an absolutely brilliantly assembled cast and a gripping narrative. I'm surprised this is as underrated as it is, because I absolutely loved this film.
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
Stunning, even today
Directed by: Stanley Kubrick
Written by: Stanley Kubrick, Arthur C. Clarke
SUMMARY
Sci-fi space epic, with groundbreaking visuals. After a mysterious (alien) radio signal is detected on Jupiter, a crew flies to Jupiter to investigate. The crew, two men, Frank and Dave, are betrayed by the AI, who thinks the men are plotting against it. Eventually, Frank arrives at Jupiter but is sucked into a wormhole, and ends up in a place beyond time, and is reborn.
RATING
A
The visuals and filmmaking alone is impressive enough to shoot this to a personal A rating, though I found the story to be light, as it was designed to be. This is not a very narrative kind of story and is instead more experimental and artistic. The dreamlike quality is supported by stunning visuals, that still hold up today, and would have wowed audiences in 1968.
SUMMARY
Sci-fi space epic, with groundbreaking visuals. After a mysterious (alien) radio signal is detected on Jupiter, a crew flies to Jupiter to investigate. The crew, two men, Frank and Dave, are betrayed by the AI, who thinks the men are plotting against it. Eventually, Frank arrives at Jupiter but is sucked into a wormhole, and ends up in a place beyond time, and is reborn.
RATING
A
The visuals and filmmaking alone is impressive enough to shoot this to a personal A rating, though I found the story to be light, as it was designed to be. This is not a very narrative kind of story and is instead more experimental and artistic. The dreamlike quality is supported by stunning visuals, that still hold up today, and would have wowed audiences in 1968.
Tian mi mi (1996)
Almost there, but could have held back
Directed by: Peter Chan
Written by: Ivy Ho
SUMMARY
Two Mainland immigrants to Hong Kong meet and fall in love. The man has a girlfriend back home in China. The woman is focused on making money. The two end up parting ways, but finally end up coming back together in New York.
RATING
B+
The premise and ending of this film is very strong, and I thought the ending was quite beautiful. However, I wish the film held back a bit more at the emotional parts, with plot points being hit very hard with a full score and dramatic acting. Parts of it came across trying too hard and cheesy, like a soap opera. With a subtler touch, this film could have been a masterpiece. What's surprising is that there are subtle moments in the film. I wonder if this was the result of two different creative forces.
SUMMARY
Two Mainland immigrants to Hong Kong meet and fall in love. The man has a girlfriend back home in China. The woman is focused on making money. The two end up parting ways, but finally end up coming back together in New York.
RATING
B+
The premise and ending of this film is very strong, and I thought the ending was quite beautiful. However, I wish the film held back a bit more at the emotional parts, with plot points being hit very hard with a full score and dramatic acting. Parts of it came across trying too hard and cheesy, like a soap opera. With a subtler touch, this film could have been a masterpiece. What's surprising is that there are subtle moments in the film. I wonder if this was the result of two different creative forces.
Moon (2009)
Strong premise, muddy second act
Directed by: Duncan Jones
Written by: Nathan Parker
SUMMARY
A space worker working a three year stint on the Moon discovers that he is a clone and that his entire life, including his loving wife waiting for him on Earth, is a lie. In the end, he works with his clone to escape back onto Earth in a repair ship.
RATING
B
A very strong premise and first act that, unfortunately I though, deflates and loses steam through a muddy second act. Throughout the film, I kept wondering why the two clones weren't talking to each other, trying to figure out what was going on. Instead, they immediately were antagonistic and started bickering with each other. I really thought the ending was very good, but I wish the film spent more time there.
SUMMARY
A space worker working a three year stint on the Moon discovers that he is a clone and that his entire life, including his loving wife waiting for him on Earth, is a lie. In the end, he works with his clone to escape back onto Earth in a repair ship.
RATING
B
A very strong premise and first act that, unfortunately I though, deflates and loses steam through a muddy second act. Throughout the film, I kept wondering why the two clones weren't talking to each other, trying to figure out what was going on. Instead, they immediately were antagonistic and started bickering with each other. I really thought the ending was very good, but I wish the film spent more time there.
Xi yan (1993)
Great
Directed by: Ang Lee
Written by: Ang Lee, James Schamus, Neil Peng
SUMMARY
A gay Chinese man has a fake wedding with a woman to hide his sexuality from his Chinese parents. The second half of the film turns when the woman gets pregnant. They end with the three of them agreeing to have the baby and everyone deceiving the Father, but he knows about gay.
RATING
A
A premise that could have easily gone too outlandish is tempered by Lee's gentle sensibility. What I really appreciate is that all the characters have depth here, including the parents, who could easily have come off as "conservative" and one-note. While I think the back half of the film falters a bit, with an out-of-left-field baby plot, I think the film holds up overall.
SUMMARY
A gay Chinese man has a fake wedding with a woman to hide his sexuality from his Chinese parents. The second half of the film turns when the woman gets pregnant. They end with the three of them agreeing to have the baby and everyone deceiving the Father, but he knows about gay.
RATING
A
A premise that could have easily gone too outlandish is tempered by Lee's gentle sensibility. What I really appreciate is that all the characters have depth here, including the parents, who could easily have come off as "conservative" and one-note. While I think the back half of the film falters a bit, with an out-of-left-field baby plot, I think the film holds up overall.
Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade (1989)
Classic action adventure
Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Written by: Jeffrey Boam
Story by: George Lucas, Menno Meyjes
SUMMARY
Indiana Jones discovers his father has gone missing on a quest to find the Holy Grail, captured by the Nazis. He works to free his father and recover the Holy Grail before the Nazis do. Ultimately, he reunites with his father, finds the Grail, but chooses to leave it.
RATING
A
Classic action adventure for a reason with action scenes that are thrilling and unfold in an unexpected kind of way. The action scenes here are a masterpiece of storytelling, and the film manages to contain light, even broad, comedy along with a thrilling plot.
SUMMARY
Indiana Jones discovers his father has gone missing on a quest to find the Holy Grail, captured by the Nazis. He works to free his father and recover the Holy Grail before the Nazis do. Ultimately, he reunites with his father, finds the Grail, but chooses to leave it.
RATING
A
Classic action adventure for a reason with action scenes that are thrilling and unfold in an unexpected kind of way. The action scenes here are a masterpiece of storytelling, and the film manages to contain light, even broad, comedy along with a thrilling plot.
Contact (1997)
Trippy
Directed by: Robert Zemeckis
Written by: James V. Hart, Michael Goldenberg
SUMMARY
A young woman astrophysicist, searching for aliens, picks up a signal from an alien civilization, revealing to the world that there really are aliens in the universe. The aliens send over instructions to make a spacecraft. She visits the aliens, but comes back with no proof.
RATING
B
After Interstellar, I was in the mood for a space movie and I enjoyed Contact. The filmmaking, particularly the cinematography, was fascinating to watch and I really enjoyed Jodie Foster's acting. The story seems optimistic and bombastic, very characteristic of the 90s, and I was shocked to see Bill Clinton featured in the film several times.
SUMMARY
A young woman astrophysicist, searching for aliens, picks up a signal from an alien civilization, revealing to the world that there really are aliens in the universe. The aliens send over instructions to make a spacecraft. She visits the aliens, but comes back with no proof.
RATING
B
After Interstellar, I was in the mood for a space movie and I enjoyed Contact. The filmmaking, particularly the cinematography, was fascinating to watch and I really enjoyed Jodie Foster's acting. The story seems optimistic and bombastic, very characteristic of the 90s, and I was shocked to see Bill Clinton featured in the film several times.
Pride & Prejudice (2005)
Wonderful
Directed by: Joe Wright
Written by: Deborah Moggach
SUMMARY
A romance set in the Regency era of the 1700s. A proud young woman, Elizabeth Bennet, who believes she can deduce and judge the character of anyone meets a proud young man, Mr. Darcy, who is snobbish and socially awkward. The man falls in love with the young woman because of her wit. She ultimately realizes she has misjudged the character of Mr. Darcy and falls for him herself.
RATING
A
Pride and Prejudice is a wonderful novel, one of my favorites, and this film captures the novel spectacularly, if not in every twist and turn (though most!) but in its emotional character. It's surprisingly funny at points. It was a delight to watch.
SUMMARY
A romance set in the Regency era of the 1700s. A proud young woman, Elizabeth Bennet, who believes she can deduce and judge the character of anyone meets a proud young man, Mr. Darcy, who is snobbish and socially awkward. The man falls in love with the young woman because of her wit. She ultimately realizes she has misjudged the character of Mr. Darcy and falls for him herself.
RATING
A
Pride and Prejudice is a wonderful novel, one of my favorites, and this film captures the novel spectacularly, if not in every twist and turn (though most!) but in its emotional character. It's surprisingly funny at points. It was a delight to watch.
High Life (2018)
Experimental
Directed by: Claire Denis
Written by: Claire Denis, Jean-Pol Fargeau
SUMMARY
Sci-fi drama. Non-linear narrative. A crew of condemned prisoners is put on a space ship to go and explore a black hole. While this makes it sound like the focus is on the crew and the black hole, this is more an experimental piece about a man living among an isolated group of people slowly going mad. The prisoners are forbidden from having sex with each other, but the doctor is trying to create a human life fit for space travel. Ultimately, the man goes into the black hole with his daughter.
RATING
B+
A weird, sci-fi bordering on experimental film. While it feels like there is not much here to hold onto narratively - a lot of weird stuff happens - ultimately, the film is still very interesting and visually captivating. Beyond any literal truth, I did feel the emotional truth of the piece.
SUMMARY
Sci-fi drama. Non-linear narrative. A crew of condemned prisoners is put on a space ship to go and explore a black hole. While this makes it sound like the focus is on the crew and the black hole, this is more an experimental piece about a man living among an isolated group of people slowly going mad. The prisoners are forbidden from having sex with each other, but the doctor is trying to create a human life fit for space travel. Ultimately, the man goes into the black hole with his daughter.
RATING
B+
A weird, sci-fi bordering on experimental film. While it feels like there is not much here to hold onto narratively - a lot of weird stuff happens - ultimately, the film is still very interesting and visually captivating. Beyond any literal truth, I did feel the emotional truth of the piece.
Cyrano (2021)
Ultimately, a little empty
Directed by: Joe Wright
Written by: Erica Schmidt
SUMMARY
The skilled soldier, but ugly dwarf Cyrano, is in love with Roxanne. Roxanne falls for a handsome soldier, Christian. Cyrano, a skilled poet, writes Christian letters of love to give to Roxanne and Roxanne falls in love with Christian. The two even marry. But then the soldiers are sent off to war where Christian dies. Cyrano comes back from the war and confesses to Roxanne, and then dies.
RATING
B
Cyrano is a romantic drama based on the idea of a love triangle, where the love interest Roxanne, is actually in love with the words of the main character, Cyrano. It is filmed in a very romantic and lush kind of way, which I enjoyed. I know that the original play was a downer ending - with Cyrano dying - but I really feel like the ending leaves the movie feeling pretty empty.
SUMMARY
The skilled soldier, but ugly dwarf Cyrano, is in love with Roxanne. Roxanne falls for a handsome soldier, Christian. Cyrano, a skilled poet, writes Christian letters of love to give to Roxanne and Roxanne falls in love with Christian. The two even marry. But then the soldiers are sent off to war where Christian dies. Cyrano comes back from the war and confesses to Roxanne, and then dies.
RATING
B
Cyrano is a romantic drama based on the idea of a love triangle, where the love interest Roxanne, is actually in love with the words of the main character, Cyrano. It is filmed in a very romantic and lush kind of way, which I enjoyed. I know that the original play was a downer ending - with Cyrano dying - but I really feel like the ending leaves the movie feeling pretty empty.
Civil War (2024)
A critique of journalism
Directed by: Alex Garland
Written by: Alex Garland
SUMMARY
In a dystopian America waging a civil war, a jaded photo-journalist, Lee, wants to get to Washington DC to interview the president. She takes along a young, naïve girl who also wants to be a photo-journalist. At the end, after a harrowing journey where several of her friends die, she becomes disillusioned with photo-journalism. She sacrifices her life to save the young girl, but the young girl is just concerned with taking photos. This is a film about the sick voyueristic adrenaline fueled motivation behind some journalists.
RATING
B+
In many ways, Civil War is much smaller of a film than the word implies, as it follows the story for a group of photo-journalists as they try to make their way to DC to interview the president of a collapsing America, torn apart by - as the name suggests - civil war. The film isn't really politcal, but rather, focusing on how journalism and bearing witness can bring out a dark side, a hunger for sensationalism and addiction to the adrenaline rush of chasing the next headline, sacrificing your humanity in the process. The last action sequence - where soldiers storm the White House to kill the President - is gripping and thrilling, but it also itself is both falling into and expressing the same sensationalism that the film derides. Is it meta-commentary? I don't know. Ultimately, I didn't quite enjoy a film that portrays journalism in a bad light in modern day America. I don't really care if there is a dark motivation behind some journalists. Journalism is important!
SUMMARY
In a dystopian America waging a civil war, a jaded photo-journalist, Lee, wants to get to Washington DC to interview the president. She takes along a young, naïve girl who also wants to be a photo-journalist. At the end, after a harrowing journey where several of her friends die, she becomes disillusioned with photo-journalism. She sacrifices her life to save the young girl, but the young girl is just concerned with taking photos. This is a film about the sick voyueristic adrenaline fueled motivation behind some journalists.
RATING
B+
In many ways, Civil War is much smaller of a film than the word implies, as it follows the story for a group of photo-journalists as they try to make their way to DC to interview the president of a collapsing America, torn apart by - as the name suggests - civil war. The film isn't really politcal, but rather, focusing on how journalism and bearing witness can bring out a dark side, a hunger for sensationalism and addiction to the adrenaline rush of chasing the next headline, sacrificing your humanity in the process. The last action sequence - where soldiers storm the White House to kill the President - is gripping and thrilling, but it also itself is both falling into and expressing the same sensationalism that the film derides. Is it meta-commentary? I don't know. Ultimately, I didn't quite enjoy a film that portrays journalism in a bad light in modern day America. I don't really care if there is a dark motivation behind some journalists. Journalism is important!
Kung Fu Panda 4 (2024)
Inconsequential
Directed by: Mike Mitchell
Written by: Jonathan Aibel, Glenn Berger, Darren Lemke
SUMMARY
Po, the Dragon Warrior, has to take down the shapeshifting Chameleon. He befriends a thief, Zhen, who betrays him, but then has a change of heart. In the end, Po selects Zhen as the new Dragon Warrior.
RATING
B
Kung Fu Panda 4 is a fun sequel that supplies action. This time around Po has to fight a bad guy named The Chameleon, while teaming up with a shifty fox named Zhen. The issue with KFP4 is that it is a little hollow in its story. The substance of the story tries to deal with Po's journey to "move beyond" being a Dragon Warrior - he has to bestow the title onto a disciple, which ends up being Zhen, however this seemed completely tangential to the movie. Sadly, this makes the movie feel inconsequential. Still, the action scenes were fun.
SUMMARY
Po, the Dragon Warrior, has to take down the shapeshifting Chameleon. He befriends a thief, Zhen, who betrays him, but then has a change of heart. In the end, Po selects Zhen as the new Dragon Warrior.
RATING
B
Kung Fu Panda 4 is a fun sequel that supplies action. This time around Po has to fight a bad guy named The Chameleon, while teaming up with a shifty fox named Zhen. The issue with KFP4 is that it is a little hollow in its story. The substance of the story tries to deal with Po's journey to "move beyond" being a Dragon Warrior - he has to bestow the title onto a disciple, which ends up being Zhen, however this seemed completely tangential to the movie. Sadly, this makes the movie feel inconsequential. Still, the action scenes were fun.
The Theory of Everything (2014)
Would have liked more science and/or love story
Directed by: James Marsh
Written by: Anthony McCarten
SUMMARY
A biopic about Stephen Hawking, focusing on the relationship between him and his wife Jane, and the obstacles of his neuro-degenerative disorder (ALS). It ends with Stephen and Jane separating, with Jane going towards a choir director and Stephen going with his nurse.
REVIEW
B
I like the concept of "The Theory of Everything", where we blend the mathematics and physics of Stephen Hawking with a love story, but there's a lot to do here because the main obstacle is Hawking's illness. The fact that the love story, so sweet and grand at the beginning, doesn't really last to the end, kinda takes aways the sweetness. I would have liked delving more into the science. Was there a way to echo the relationship with the science? Ultimately, it comes off as a disability film (e.g. The King's Speech) with a focus on the physical disability rather than the love story.
SUMMARY
A biopic about Stephen Hawking, focusing on the relationship between him and his wife Jane, and the obstacles of his neuro-degenerative disorder (ALS). It ends with Stephen and Jane separating, with Jane going towards a choir director and Stephen going with his nurse.
REVIEW
B
I like the concept of "The Theory of Everything", where we blend the mathematics and physics of Stephen Hawking with a love story, but there's a lot to do here because the main obstacle is Hawking's illness. The fact that the love story, so sweet and grand at the beginning, doesn't really last to the end, kinda takes aways the sweetness. I would have liked delving more into the science. Was there a way to echo the relationship with the science? Ultimately, it comes off as a disability film (e.g. The King's Speech) with a focus on the physical disability rather than the love story.
Past Lives (2023)
Not for me
Directed by: Celine Song
Written by: Celine Song
SUMMARY
A slow, slice-of-life observational piece about a Korean boy and girl who are separated after the girl moves to the United States. Years later, as adults the boy comes to visit the girl, but she's married. It ends anti-climatically with them just parting.
RATING
B
These types of films are just not for my taste. While I love the theme - of love and time being cyclical - I feel the style is just not something for me. It is overly talky and "lifey" with characters just talking about deep, heavy emotional topics out of nowhere, in a way that isn't really true to life. While I appreciate the film's anti-climatic ending, to me it didn't accomplish what it wanted to do.
SUMMARY
A slow, slice-of-life observational piece about a Korean boy and girl who are separated after the girl moves to the United States. Years later, as adults the boy comes to visit the girl, but she's married. It ends anti-climatically with them just parting.
RATING
B
These types of films are just not for my taste. While I love the theme - of love and time being cyclical - I feel the style is just not something for me. It is overly talky and "lifey" with characters just talking about deep, heavy emotional topics out of nowhere, in a way that isn't really true to life. While I appreciate the film's anti-climatic ending, to me it didn't accomplish what it wanted to do.
Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
Surprisingly despicable
Directed by: Martin Scorsese
Written by: Eric Roth
SUMMARY The brutal story of how White people killed wealthy Native American tribespeople, the Osage, who controlled lands with oil. Ernest, working with his conniving uncle King, work to deceive and kill the Osage people to gain control of money, land, and oil.
RATING
C+
While this is a competently made film, and the filmmaking itself is good, jam-packed with gorgeous visuals and performances, the underlying content of this film is surprisingly despicable. This entire story is from the perspective of White people, and though they are supposedly the focus, the Osage people are thin, minor, shallow characters - essentially and always, a victim. At the end of the film - which bizarrely ends with a "radio show" being done "years from now" that dramatize the events (is this some self-critical denouncement of the film itself?) - the White people don't even get their comeuppance. It's a White savior story without a savior.
SUMMARY The brutal story of how White people killed wealthy Native American tribespeople, the Osage, who controlled lands with oil. Ernest, working with his conniving uncle King, work to deceive and kill the Osage people to gain control of money, land, and oil.
RATING
C+
While this is a competently made film, and the filmmaking itself is good, jam-packed with gorgeous visuals and performances, the underlying content of this film is surprisingly despicable. This entire story is from the perspective of White people, and though they are supposedly the focus, the Osage people are thin, minor, shallow characters - essentially and always, a victim. At the end of the film - which bizarrely ends with a "radio show" being done "years from now" that dramatize the events (is this some self-critical denouncement of the film itself?) - the White people don't even get their comeuppance. It's a White savior story without a savior.
Madame Web (2024)
Lifeless acting
Directed by: S. J. Clarkson
Written by: Matt Sazama, Burk Sharpless, Claire Parker, S. J. Clarkson
SUMMARY
A young woman begins to receive visions of someone trying to hunt down and kill three girls. She warns and protects the girls. In the end, she protects the girls with the visions, is blinded, and becomes their mother figure.
RATING
C
Despite everyone's damnation of this film - and it is indeed not a great film - I actually think there were some great moments here. Under the trappings of a superhero film is a cool thriller about a woman who receives visions and tries to prevent them, and this could have been a cool thriller like Source Code. However, the central pillar - besides clunky writing - that makes the film completely collapse is Dakota Johnson's lifeless acting. None of the actors care, and it shows.
SUMMARY
A young woman begins to receive visions of someone trying to hunt down and kill three girls. She warns and protects the girls. In the end, she protects the girls with the visions, is blinded, and becomes their mother figure.
RATING
C
Despite everyone's damnation of this film - and it is indeed not a great film - I actually think there were some great moments here. Under the trappings of a superhero film is a cool thriller about a woman who receives visions and tries to prevent them, and this could have been a cool thriller like Source Code. However, the central pillar - besides clunky writing - that makes the film completely collapse is Dakota Johnson's lifeless acting. None of the actors care, and it shows.
All of Us Strangers (2023)
Haunting
SUMMARY
A surreal drama. A grief-stricken, middle-aged gay man is able to visit the ghost of his dead parents in his old house and hometown. He begins a relationship with a young man in his empty building, who at the end of the film, we also learn is dead. The man ends up staying with the ghost. It's a sweet ending, in the sense that the man has learned to let go of his parents, but he ends up staying with the ghost of his lover.
RATING
A
All of Us Strangers is a surreal drama about a grief-stricken, lonely, gay man who visits the ghosts of his parents, and eventually, develops a relationship with a ghost man. It's ambiguous, haunting, and if it weren't a quiet drama, could very easily be a horror film. The film ends ambiguously. Although Adam connects with someone, the ghost Harry, the ghost is revealed to be dead. It might be that Adam dies too.
A surreal drama. A grief-stricken, middle-aged gay man is able to visit the ghost of his dead parents in his old house and hometown. He begins a relationship with a young man in his empty building, who at the end of the film, we also learn is dead. The man ends up staying with the ghost. It's a sweet ending, in the sense that the man has learned to let go of his parents, but he ends up staying with the ghost of his lover.
RATING
A
All of Us Strangers is a surreal drama about a grief-stricken, lonely, gay man who visits the ghosts of his parents, and eventually, develops a relationship with a ghost man. It's ambiguous, haunting, and if it weren't a quiet drama, could very easily be a horror film. The film ends ambiguously. Although Adam connects with someone, the ghost Harry, the ghost is revealed to be dead. It might be that Adam dies too.
American Fiction (2023)
Dry comedy
Directed by: Cord Jefferson
Written by: Cord Jefferson
SUMMARY
A frustrated, unsuccessful Black author decides to write and submit a stereotypical Black novel as a joke. He ends up finding success. In the end, he is exposed, but ends with a kind of peace with the author who wrote the stereotypical novel.
RATING
B+
American Fiction is a slice-of-life comedy film with a dry sense of humor. It tackles the way Black people are portrayed in American media - always in ghettos and gunfights or violence - and how it feels to be a Black man in this kind of environment, and how it almost feels like he is not Black enough. I liked this film. I wonder if there would have been a broader version of this film with a stronger ending.
SUMMARY
A frustrated, unsuccessful Black author decides to write and submit a stereotypical Black novel as a joke. He ends up finding success. In the end, he is exposed, but ends with a kind of peace with the author who wrote the stereotypical novel.
RATING
B+
American Fiction is a slice-of-life comedy film with a dry sense of humor. It tackles the way Black people are portrayed in American media - always in ghettos and gunfights or violence - and how it feels to be a Black man in this kind of environment, and how it almost feels like he is not Black enough. I liked this film. I wonder if there would have been a broader version of this film with a stronger ending.
Mean Girls (2024)
An abbreviated version of the original
Directed by: Samantha Jayne, Arturo Perez Jr.
Written by: Tina Fey
SUMMARY
An innocent homeschooled girl learns the ins-and-outs of being a popular "mean girl", sabotaging and becoming the queen bee of the school, and ultimately learning the true meaning of self-confidence.
RATING
B
The original Mean Girls is a landmark classic teen movie film that captures the catty, back-biting world of being a high school girl. This musical ultimately ends up as an abbreviated version of the film - with a lot of the nuance and social commentary cut out. I didn't feel like the songs contributed much to the story or the movie, and for me, none of them were particularly memorable.
Written by: Tina Fey
SUMMARY
An innocent homeschooled girl learns the ins-and-outs of being a popular "mean girl", sabotaging and becoming the queen bee of the school, and ultimately learning the true meaning of self-confidence.
RATING
B
The original Mean Girls is a landmark classic teen movie film that captures the catty, back-biting world of being a high school girl. This musical ultimately ends up as an abbreviated version of the film - with a lot of the nuance and social commentary cut out. I didn't feel like the songs contributed much to the story or the movie, and for me, none of them were particularly memorable.
Du li shi dai (1994)
Dry comedy
Directed by: Edward Yang
Written by: Edward Yang, Hung Hung
SUMMARY
A dry comedy that follows the an ensemble of young people that are all dealing with finding meaning and fakeness in an a quickly modernizing Taiwan that is moving all too fast. The film centers on a misunderstanding between the most grounded characters Qiqi and Ming, and they are torn apart by a fight but come together at the end.
RATING
B+
This story is a dry, slice-of-life kind of story that moves at a slow pace and is a comedy that comes more from observation than outright slapstick. We are presented with many young yuppie characters in a speedy, modern Taiwan that are all dealing with fakeness in their own way. I thought the cinematography was so informative as Yang really stays in the wide with, usually, one shot - not in a showy "oner" way, but almost have events transpire like a play. This gives the film a very observational kind of feel. "These silly humans in a glass box experiment" kind of feel, which to me, teaches me the power of close-ups.
SUMMARY
A dry comedy that follows the an ensemble of young people that are all dealing with finding meaning and fakeness in an a quickly modernizing Taiwan that is moving all too fast. The film centers on a misunderstanding between the most grounded characters Qiqi and Ming, and they are torn apart by a fight but come together at the end.
RATING
B+
This story is a dry, slice-of-life kind of story that moves at a slow pace and is a comedy that comes more from observation than outright slapstick. We are presented with many young yuppie characters in a speedy, modern Taiwan that are all dealing with fakeness in their own way. I thought the cinematography was so informative as Yang really stays in the wide with, usually, one shot - not in a showy "oner" way, but almost have events transpire like a play. This gives the film a very observational kind of feel. "These silly humans in a glass box experiment" kind of feel, which to me, teaches me the power of close-ups.