It has been too long since I have been able to commit to writing full reviews for each of the films I have seen over the past eight weeks or so, so I thought I would give my summarised thoughts for all of them here in this one post. Awards season is going to be packed so I want to be all caught up.
The Farewell
The Farewell is a hopeful, poignant and honest story with a mature and nuanced performance from Awkafina, but almost overshadowed by a scene-stealing Shuzhen Zhao. Lulu Wang establishes a really intimate and raw environment and executes dramatic moments with a perfect amount of subtlety.
A-
It: Chapter Two
It: Chapter Two is entertaining enough but fails to realise that, especially in horror, less is more. There are several sequences that are structured almost the same, beat by beat, and with its almost 3-hour runtime, this repetition becomes jarring and slows down the pace. The first act is strong and tightly structured, the second act slows down, and the final act is just a bit too much, with several unintentionally laughable moments, and overall, a lack of the much-needed character building of Pennywise. The film didn't fail to keep me engaged, but the runtime and the lack of inventiveness in most aspects is unfortunately its biggest detriment.
C
Ad Astra
Ad Astra solidifies 2019 as the revival of Brad Pitt. He has an untainted star quality and his toned down and natural performance is what carries the film. It is very, very well directed, and very easy to appreciate from a technical perspective; I can imagine it will garner a lot of awards recognition in the sound and visual effects categories. However, I struggled to attach myself emotionally to the film, and this in no way is because of Pitt's performance - he is excellent here. But, there was just something not quite there. It is a very quiet film, it is hard to follow in terms of plot; not because it is complex, but the opposite. It feels more like an emotional journey and a character study, and, unfortunately, I don't think I grasped it well and therefore didn't get a personal kick, but I can still appreciate that it is borderline masterful in its technical execution, and respect Brad Pitt for choosing this project - this is not a generic space adventure.
B
The Mustang
Mattias Schoenarts is worthy of serious awards recognition in this raw, gripping and emotional independent drama. It is paced to perfection. It is never too slow, but I never felt that I needed to catch up either. 'Raw' is the word. The Mustang is quiet, tender and powerful.
A-
Judy
Judy features one of the most transformative, mesmerising and devastating leading performances of recent memory and is a career-best from Renee Zellweger. It isn't as heavy-handed as I was anticipating it to be in its treatment of the story at hand, but it strikes a satisfying balance, with an ending poignant and bittersweet, but without Zellweger, the film feels somewhat inauthentic, yet Judy is still a respectable tribute to one of the true icons of the past century. Full review to come.
C+
Joker
Joker has disturbed, amazed, traumatised and stunned me. It's set in the 80s but is a film for our current times. It has a lot on its mind, and communicates these sentiments in a deeply disturbing way, as intended. Joaquin Phoenix is staggering, and Todd Phillips honours Martin Scorsese's masterwork Taxi Driver, but not to the point where it feels like a rip-off. A truly chilling piece. A modern classic.
A+
Maleficent: Mistress Of Evil
Angelina Jolie dazzles once again. Mistress Of Evil is a visually stunning fantasy spectacle that enhances and builds upon mythology in the same way a high-fantasy epic would. The mythology is intricate enough, and it actually pays off to great, cathartic effect in the final confrontation. It is predictable - this film is nothing ground-breaking and does build from quite a basic premise, but does the most with that. It is entertaining from beginning to end and surprisingly emotional, and a very well-balanced, family-friendly blend of epic conflict and heart-warming innocence. Harmless, and... maybe forgettable, but solidly entertaining all the same. Angelina Jolie will never fail to impress. She reigns supreme.
B-
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Much like Matthias Schoenarts, Shia Labeouf is probably not going to get the recognition he deserves. But he deserves it. The Peanut Butter Falcon is honest, eye-opening and beautiful.
A-
The Last Black Man In San Francisco
I am going to predict that Joe Talbot will a major force behind the scenes of independent filmmaking over the next decade, as this was a stunning debut. Talbot respects his audience, and trusts them to look deeper rather than drench the film in pretentious symbolism. He perfectly establishes the right balance between surrealism and naturalism; it is a rare occasion where it does feel like beholding an intricately crafted piece of fine art. The entire film is an atmosphere, as well as being emotionally resonant.
A-
No comments:
Post a Comment