Friday, February 14, 2025

Beauty & The Beast

Wild to think it took me this long to get around to this movie. 



Now I can easily tell you it has been about 15 years if not more since I last have seen Beauty & The Beast, but considering the day it fits perfectly. I am resoundingly impressed by Disney on this project, I mean this was the film that pretty much birthed the Best Animated Feature award and still to this day is heavily discussed and analyzed the internet over. From shot one it is iconic so do I really have to recount the plot of this movie? I'm pretty sure even if you have lived under a rock for the subsequent 30 odd years since this movie came out you know the story, so instead I shall discuss the myriad of qualities it possesses. Absolutely fascinating this animation style, the prominent use of multi-layered backgrounds giving you that depth of vision is very unique to Disney, this honestly might be the most gothic looking of the catalogue as well especially in terms of the castle, but it effortlessly captures that classic fairy tale look and time period. Cast could not be better with many theater actors granting a strong performance for each character. Paige O'Hara is like quintessential Disney nostalgia and is as blissful as love's first kiss, and she is the reason Belle is probably the most well received and beloved of all the Princesses if not female leads in general which I can attribute to one simple aspect, she feels real. There's nothing special about her, she's just this intelligent, simple, sweet girl that makes it ridiculously easy to grasp onto and you can put yourself in her shoes and understand why she reacts and does the things she does, she is a great character. Robby Benson as the Beast, wow man! I scarcely know where to begin here, phenomenal voice no doubt, lot of depth present in his actions and certainly even more his reactions, outstanding design as well, he is the reason people delve so deep into this story and breakdown the relationship presented. Hell the way he can flip between being scary, then slightly shy, to feeling undeserving of love, then to caring is something I have yet to see elsewhere. Richard White as Gaston, absolute bastard of a man but what a great performance! Which is hilarious because seeing clips of Gaston at the parks he is so entertaining and funny, how they took this womanizing son of a bitch and made him kind of likable is a feat in and of itself, but that juxtaposition is exactly what we need for the story and sometimes it is just fun to love to hate somebody. Also just want to shoutout Angela Lansbury, because I love that woman to the moon and back and if acting royalty is a thing she can be counted upon the high echelons of that hierarchy. Onto the romance! You're not gonna believe me when I say this but I timed it, by the time Belle gets to the castle there is one hour of film left before credits. One. Hour. It should be physically and statistically impossible for them to achieve this level of romance in such a short time, but the animators know the golden rule, show don't tell. I am kinda at a loss for words truth be told on how to break this down, it is much easier to feel it than to think about it, but it works. I'd be stunned shitless if I ever met anyone who liked the human version of the beast better, I mean not to kink shame or anything but y'all are dangerously close to crossing some legal and ethical boundaries with this monster of a fella. Now am I saying that I could so very easily see a dark romance version of this story in the future? And I do fully mean like Nosferatu this bitch up? The vision is clear. Oh God what I have just created? I'm only encouraging this debauchery saying such things. We gotta go, moving swiftly on, don't pay attention to the man behind the curtain! Just for the record by the by I laugh in pure derision and uproariously at the individuals who claim this movie promotes Stockholm Syndrome, oh darling your idiocy never fails to amuse me. Wow, lost my train of thought. This got way off track, I may have gone too far in a few places. I very much enjoyed it, the appeal still holds strong, may not have went super in depth with the romance and the characters but there's only about 1.6 million videos on Youtube for that, so I'll just wrap up by saying 4 stars, 8.5/10, thank God we went out on a high note and I hope you get some real nice goodies of....various types this Valentine's Day. And just for the hell of it we're gonna keep the animated Disney train rolling next week so stick around.

Wednesday, February 12, 2025

Crazy Rich Asians

I don't know if the wait was entirely worth it.



I do recall seeing trailers for this movie back in 2018 and it looked to be a fairly humorous romance movie and I was intrigued enough, fast forward seven years and...it's okay. Granted I love how unabashedly it revels in the asian heritage, from the music to the food to the architecture of Singapore, and how it digs into the shall we say differing if not archaic principles of how family units and relationships are handled there. Now speaking as a dumb white boy from Texas I'm not saying I know better or how to fix it, but I can tell you I don't agree with it for even a millionth of a micro-second. It starts extremely innocently enough with a young professor named Rachel who is going to Singapore to accompany her boyfriend Nick for a wedding but to also be introduced to the family, as she gets thigh deep into the opulence and debauchery of the most lucrative family in China. This movie does firmly deepen the fact I do not want to be stupid rich or even moderately wealthy, it really does not paint such boujee antics in a positive light, maybe that's just my upbringing speaking but it is incredibly vain and shallow though I will admit the wedding reception was lovely. What I did appreciate to a point was the fact that not every member of Nick's family was a massive raging cock to Rachel, a good few in fact welcome her with open arms which is lovely! Constance Wu plays the sweetest most down to earth girl imaginable as Rachel, who really has to deal with so much shit I was kinda hoping this would turn into a villain origin story or at least contain a few murders, now that would make this movie vastly better! Henry Golding as Nick honest to God, he's kinda husband goals like the man is maybe too nice, acknowledging, and caring for his own good cause even I was like damn dude I simultaneously am crushing and aspire to be that great myself. Very interesting to see Michelle Yeoh take on a much more antagonistic role as Eleanor, almost an evil stepmother who wants two things to do with Rachel, jack and shit, but it certainly doesn't end on a happy note with her which admittedly is more realistic but Jesus Christ. Awkwafina our girl still shining bright as ever here as best friend Peik Lin, still an oddball, still hilarious, nothing but love from me on this character! Also Gemma Chan you have precisely zero right being that absurdly pretty, and not to bash Rachel or anything but I was kinda invested in her story more probably because it didn't feel needlessly dramatic or eye rollingly stretched out but rather a unique relationship dynamic that has solid potential for storytelling. And yeah the last 30 minutes of this movie simply did not have to exist, this is a two hour movie that has an obligatory third act breakup tacked on to a story that honestly if you stopped it at the end of the wedding would be a beautiful and sweet ending, because the movie fucking ends the same way either way so I thoroughly checked out after that. Such a shame because while I strongly detest drama with a force that even God has to reckon with, but at least the instances before were manageable. Like okay, I get the whole putting a spotlight on the perhaps toxic lineage of parents over controlling their children and how marriages and relationships are still being held up as if it's still medieval times and we gotta form that bond with Spain so time to marry the Spanish Infanta, which what the fuck that is not how you achieve a life of peace and happiness in every day! I really understand what the writer and director's intent was and indeed I don't hate the acknowledging of the problem, I just fucking despise the problem to begin with. Some traditions have to die. There is a very fine line to walk where you can uphold your past while still embracing the future, and I just wish it was different. But then again I suppose that is good storytelling if you can get someone from a different culture to think about and feel something that strongly, so props to them for that. The production design really does show every penny on screen and for a budget of I believe thirty million dollars, consider me impressed because you can see the rapacity in stark display. It's shot competently albeit basically, the soundtrack is good, the technicals are done solidly, so I really can't harbor any serious grievances with it. If memory serves there is a sequel but we'll just have to see when I get around to that. 2.5 stars, 7/10, see you on Valentine's Day for hopefully the best of the lot for this week.

Monday, February 10, 2025

Punch Drunk Love

This has been on my list for a good few years and frankly it did not disappoint. 



It was great to see another Paul Thomas Anderson romance movie considering how much I adored Licorice Pizza, and I was walking fairly blind into this movie. Adam Sandler plays a businessman with social anxiety named Barry who similar to The Dude himself gets embroiled in this caper, while also meeting this nice lady Lena played by Emily Watson as a odd romance blooms between the pair. It is an interesting movie to say the least, certainly never dull for a moment pretty much from the word go with an opening sequence bordering on David Lynch bizarreness as we follow the day to day life of Barry. This was one of Adam Sandler's first forays into more dramatic acting which from all examples present he actually has a knack for, and while there are moments of offbeat comedy present the movie plays it pretty straight and he is very believable in the role to where I kinda forgot I was watching Adam Sandler! Emily Watson gets a smidge of screentime but I do like the romance that is played up and she is very likable and sweet, and it is quite nice to hear her native accent present. Philip Seymour Hoffman essentially plays our antagonist who has even less screen presence than Emily, but you know what it's Philip he puts in a good performance no matter how small the role is and again it is an interesting dynamic between our main character and the antagonist. It's a romance movie with some sprinklings of other more original plot points that keep it interesting and I think that's really why I like it as much as I do! It's such a horse of a different color and defies all tropes of a typical romance movie akin to Licorice Pizza and yet in an even more bold way. Now if you want a master class on lighting and a cut above the rest in terms of color palette, dear sweet God look no further! There is not a dull or average shot to this movie, with use of shafts of light and lens flares, tracking shots and great use of space, color sequences nothing short of kaleidoscopic and wondering if I was having one of my occasional acid flashbacks, it really did kinda blow my socks off. If that wasn't enough this movie quite possibly more than any other effortlessly got me severely anxious and wound up tighter than a spring, through the sound design and music choices alone, really putting you in Barry's shoes as this maelstrom of shit is happening around him and you feel that ever increasing crescendo of stress and uneasiness rub off on you. That is pretty impressive storytelling. I thoroughly enjoyed it but I know for a fact it isn't going to be for everybody, critically it did pretty well but commercially was considered a bomb but I feel as time has passed since 2002 it's gotten a cult status. It's good enough for the Criterion Collection so it's good enough for me. 3 stars, 8/10, and next time we got another movie that has been on my list since even before the movie hit theaters so stay tuned.

Thursday, February 6, 2025

Love Hurts

First rom-com actionsploitation I've reviewed?




Could be! That's quite a few genres to juggle and the movie handles that...adequately. I pretty much knew the movie I was walking into, a fun albeit basic action comedy with our golden boy Ke Huy Quan and that's what I got! Following a realtor who has a shady past that sucker punches him out of the blue he quickly finds his life upturned, an old flame returns, and he has to square off with his brother to gain some semblance of normalcy back. It mostly succeeds in the action part, got a few laughs from me, and I will admit Ke and Ariana are cute at times but there would be tiny changes I would make. I mean the movie doesn't even clock in at 90 minutes with credits so I feel even a slightly longer runtime could make a big difference. I think the biggest detraction is the editing and even then it's sporadic, prime example: in the middle of a fight scene we get this POV shot from inside a microwave as the turntable does it's thing and I think oh wow, a shot I've never seen before in an action movie this is gr-and then they just fucking cut! Odd ass choices like that can have a negative effect. I will say however I somehow liked 90% of the characters and didn't want them to die, yes even the henchmen which is wild and they write them in such a unique way to where you strangely get invested. Like this assassin who writes poetry or this buddy duo where one of the guys tries to get back with his lady friend, it's very original! I very much liked that! It's definitely an action movie first and I will own up and say it actually is really rock solid choreography that even got a "Oooh shit!" moment out of me at one of the falls the stuntguys took, and they even do the thing where this dust cloud puffs up after a hit in true martial arts fashion, so props to them on that. The comedy is more unannounced I guess I could say, it doesn't build up to a punchline or anything it's more just hearing people talk humorously but it sorta works. I wasn't completely sold on the romance angle, a lot of the history between Marvin and Rose is kept off screen and the time they do spend together feels more like kindred partners in crime than romantic opposites but they do have small moments, and it's not really at the forefront so I can't be too harsh on it. Ke Huy Quan is a joy, shocker I know, able to pull off a simple man trying to make his way through the galaxy and asskicker extraordinaire seamlessly, and does not look half bad with a nice suit and a moustache either! Ariana DeBose is decent, she certainly has that off her rocker criminal edge down pretty good and though not really prevalent a lot gets the job done. Hell we see Lio Tipton as one of Marvin's office staff Ashley way more and man, I kept having to shake my head clear cause that woman is a little too similar to Emma Stone like it was fuggin' weird! Pretty fun though and was my second favorite performance of the film! Mustafa Shakir easily is the most well designed in costuming, and as the assassin who writes poetry Raven he gets some flowery dialogue as well as some good action so thumbs up from me. Daniel Wu as our main villain Knuckles is pretty standard (aside from a boba tea addiction) but pulls it off with ease. It's an okay movie, more on the average decent side than cult classic gem in the making, but it's entertaining enough for at least one viewing. 2 stars, 6.5/10, I'll do proper romance films next week for the holiday so see you then!

Tuesday, February 4, 2025

Conclave

Okay I feel like an ass for not seeing this when it came out. Granted I never saw a poster or even a trailer, only through some preliminary buzz on the interwebs was the movie brought to my attention. And this is truly an interesting film if not for the plot itself, because for lack of a better word this concerns the "business" side of the Vatican, with the plot revolving around the election of a new Pope. I'm guessing from a very ignorant, uninformed, and straight up uncaring point of view that this is information not readily available to the public, I mean I doubt they let observers into the conclave for the voting process. So it is fascinating to watch because it's a very realistic, very humble, very unglamorous window into a religious sect that has existed for nigh a millennia with little rites or even spirituality. Funny to say regarding the cast is entirely composed of the various hierarchy of priests and nuns, but I very much appreciated such notions, with even certain scenes pointing out that the church should be used for worship and not power. Ralph Fiennes is our lead as Dean Lawrence who is essentially the head honcho in charge of the conclave, keeping the event and it's participants in line and the man can clearly play anything bringing emotion and yet unswerving power to the role. Stanley Tucci as Cardinal Bellini certainly had my vote for next pope, bringing a sense of world weariness and self awareness with very progressive ideals that I think many not even of Catholic faith could stand by, plus the guy is just a great actor and it's been too long since I've seen him last in a movie. Our fabulous lady Isabella Rossellini though in a minor role as Sister Agnes has a part to play, and David if you can hear me pull some strings and get this girl an Oscar win just for the hell of it! Carlos Diehz is certainly the outlier in the cast as a newly appointed cardinal pretty much thrown in the deep end head first but is kinda the dark horse of the conclave, and they do some bold stuff with his character but he plays it beautifully. It was surprisingly difficult to get a grasp on what story this was going to be, causeI read the synopsis and at the word 'conspiracy' I was expecting almost this thriller style story and while it does wiggle it's toes in the mystery pool it kinda sticks to this simple story of just electing a new pope, with some political machinations which comes with any kind of vote. I will say the movie looks beautiful, and not just simply down to the extravagant sets or lavish costuming, the cinematographer knows how to use color, they know how to linger on a shot or place the camera in an engaging way. For a 2 hour movie it was flying by and I honestly wanted it to be longer, it certainly wasn't dull or tedious which in and of itself shows the crafting of this movie to be in strong capable hands. Also I attribute that to the score, it is...intense, you could say and knows how to punctuate a scene. Props to the composer Volker Bertlemann! I mean the movie has to be good if even someone such as myself, who isn't religious and actually holds contempt for organized religion was thoroughly invested and easily can say it was a great movie. Shit it got a whole point for just acknowledging and admitting the public facts that a previous pope was a youth in the natzi party and the massive cover up of priests with their choir boys en suite, I have to have respect for just calling that out! But it was super engaging, very well made, has a story that may ruffle some feathers but the status quo needs a shakeup now and then, and I could easily have seen it on my top 10 even if it was in the bottom five. 4 stars from me, 8.5/10!

Saturday, February 1, 2025

Companion

Potential top 10 material already? Ooooooohhhh maybe!




Fwack that was exactly my type of weird, and this is gonna hit spoilers of a certain degree so fair warning right now, aboslutely loved it, highly recommended. Okay? Okay. Companion was unfortunately spoiled a bit for me but not through any jackass on the interwebs, but through the second trailer I saw in theaters. Now the first trailer had me hook, line, and sinker I was gonna be here one way or other! But then...dear sweet Sophie turns out to be a fembot and I was pissed hearing that, and indeed the twist isn't kept for long but my God the reaction would be all the stronger had I not known. And yet! This movie still had me guessing, on my toes, and utterly engrossed. Because there's still shady areas where you don't know all the in's, all the out's, all the what have you's with why this group of friends have taken up a lakeside house and what role Sophie or rather I should say Iris has to play here. It takes elements of Ghost In The Shell, Blade Runner, and Asimov's 3 Laws Of Robotics and crafts something original and great. Sophie dear sweet God my girl better get recognition with this role, just her fucking tics and the way her body reacts, c'est magnifique! And yes I was loving every second of her, for lack of a better term, empowerment and where her story goes, just outstanding start to finish. I'm telling you man this was a wild ride! Jack Quaid was bugging me man, I mean not only does he potray the most massive asshole but I kept scrathing my head cause I swear I've seen him before and then I remembered, he was in Oppenheimer. But anywho, I just had a bad feeling about his character Josh after just seeing he doesn't cuddle after a love making session, may be painting in gigantic strokes here but if you don't give a bit of aftercare once done with a bit of hey hey yeah sorry you're a worm and I'm severely disappointed in you. Easy win with Harvey Guillén, he was as fun as always and though not in it long was still great! Props also to Lukas Gage who has quite an arc through the movie to say the least and is far more than just a handsome face. Megan Suri no slam against the actress here, if anything big props for playing a complete bitch, that takes talent more than you think. But it's more how the characters play into the story that makes it super good rather than just the very good cast, and I think you'll have no problem getting invested. Couple that with not super fancy cinematography but we got some solid landscapes and a couple of artsy shots which of course daddy like (in a cinema snob way of course), pretty friggin' good humor that hit my funny bone multiple times throughout, and a pretty bitchin' soundtrack that ends on one of my favorite Bee Gee's tracks. So do I hear 10/10 off in the distance?? The Bee Gee's helped push it farther than I already adore it, I will shamelessly admit. It's been a hot minute since a movie pushed so many of the right buttons for me, I'm kinda amazed. I wanted it to be good, a rare instance of expectation in my career, but it somehow surpassed it by several leagues and a country mile. Of course I'm biased as hell it's my show after all, so just take it all with a grain of salt and if you're feeling super adventurous try a triple feature date night with this, Heart Eyes, and Love Hurts. Thank me later! I really wanna give it a 10 buuut to temper my excitement and love I'll give it 4 stars, 9/10! Still Kino.

Friday, January 31, 2025

The Elephant Man

Certainly went out on a depressing note.




But poetic nevertheless as this was my introductory David Lynch film, and I can even pinpoint to when I saw it last. 9th grade theater class, typical substitute with an interesting twist as he himself played John Merrick for a stage play so we had a good talk about character and the film. Set amidst the dark steam filled streets of London a surgeon Frederick Treves stumbles upon a medical marvel in the sordid freakshow of a circus before integrating him in society, as the movie more or less boils down to a war of attrition between those who would see John Merrick in comfort and peace for the remainder of his days and those suffering worst from the human condition who want him back as an attraction. This probably is the least stereotypical David Lynch movie and yet undoubtedly is the most David of them all, showcasing incredible compassion, love, and respect for what many would deem weird or odd. If you're not even a slight emotional mess by end credits it's time to return your heart and get a new one, even with not really super sad scenes I was bawling, it strikes so many nerves near my heart. I attribute that a tremendous deal to the actors with of course ample appreciation for the script. Anthony Hopkins I know this role may not have seemed all that interesting to you but you deserve a lot of love for your performance, Frederick Treves is a stalwart humanitarian here with a deep sense of care that I feel is sorely lacking in this day and age, and the fact he's flat out willing to fight for John's safety is something truly special. I hold a firm hand when saying this movie would be not much special without John Hurt as Merrick, for a performance buried under rather remarkable and heavily extensive prosthetics my God the man can still do so much maybe even more than the rest of the actors, with intelligence, sterling manners, and a true appreciation for a new lease on life is a wonderful thing to see. Ample love also going to Anne Bancroft, Freddie Jones, and John Gielgud who only raise the acting ability of those around them. The pristine black & white cinematography is a work of art in and of itself, undoubtedly echoing a lot of early monster movies and I don't feel that was unintentional. John Merrick is teased slowly with buildup to the blunt and lack of fanfare reveal like the Universal Monsters, an interesting dichotomy to film a character as monstrous when he is anything but. This also extends to the opposing sides surrounding John as well, with unfathomable heart present alongside the cruellest and lowliest hate. It's a film about as mainstream as David got with a whopping 8 Academy Award nominations, but winning none. An unsung hero to all who aren't familiar with the production, Mel Brooks himself produced the film and wasn't even credited to not diminish the film as a comedy. A human story to the very last, with love, appreciation of art, and an outer shell holding hidden depths undoubtedly makes this a David Lynch film. 4 stars, 9/10, I hate endings more and more with each passing day.