In Retrospect: Pearl

You absolute madman Ti!

Sweet friggin' lord this has lost none of it's potency in 2 years time, and I haven't seen it since it hit theaters mainly because I knew this day would come when the end would be near for this trilogy though I'll admit it hasn't left my memory that's for damn certain. But on the rewatch and knowing everything that occurs, I did get more out of it. I strongly believe a theater going or really just any first time watch experience is a reactionary experience, and the more you see a film the more you can read into it. The story of Pearl and how it comes to pass by the time end credits roll is simultaneously relatable and also just disturbing, because of how her character is potrayed you want the best for her in life even when you know it's just not. I'm not gonna get all psychoanalyzing on this or anything, but I get it I even sort of get why she pitchforks people, and the performance given is still the high bar if I've ever seen one. Mia my God, the raw emotion we get out of her here is truly striking and I can't wait to see what she brings to the table in Maxxxine! I did get a hell of a lot more out of her parents in this movie, not that they were bad the first time around but getting a chance to dig into just the state of mind showed so much more. The mom is a lot to handle and it does tip toe into slight Carrie territory at times, but the perspective of her and her life with a humanizing moment does make you feel at least a bit sad that she gets torched and kicked down some stairs. Likewise for the dad who big time props need to go to that actor, man didn't have a line and had to just body language that part and was so good at it, you can see the heartbreak and fear in his eyes when things go south and it packs a punch. I also just appreciate the fact it's a horror movie that doesn't really turn into a horror movie until about the halfway point, it's a slow escalation of events but that doesn't mean the suspense isn't present beforehand. You're almost constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop and she takes an axe to someone's face, it's very nicely done on the pacing side of things. Will fully admit though I thought the whole umm...scarecrow scene was later on, naw that weird ass shit was not even at the 20 minute mark. Granted you have my respect and bewildering admiration for not only going that far but finding an actress game enough to do it, so fair play to you ya buncha' weirdos. I've seen stranger, but not much! I am ridiculously curious what people think of this movie if it's the first one they see, most of us had the benefit of seeing X first so I can't imagine what people's impression is just going into this blind. Do they love it or hate it? Might need to research that. Ending shot still fucking floors me, not since Malcolm Mcdowell staring straight through my soul at the end of Caligula have I seen a final shot quite like that, and yeah that was an experience in the theater I can tell you that right now! It is an offbeat film but one I still very much enjoy and am happy to have watched again, the score remains the same with a 9/10, and now we travel onwards to X which again I haven't seen since opening day so this is a whole ass trip so stick around and I'll see you Wednesday!

Pearl

Holy cow did this slip right under my radar, I'm losing track of time.

I would like to issue a formal apology to the director Ti West, the production crew, and star Mia Goth, and say I am so f***ing sorry I missed the premiere! The words are trying to escape my mouth, but I was rendered speechless by this film. I'm still fumbling about with the fact that X came out this year, it sure doesn't feel like it. Man. Jesus Christ movie! The question of which is better, X or Pearl is unanswerable in my mind's eye right now. So let's go through it and see what the answer shall be. The year is 1918, World War 1 is still raging, spanish influenza is on the rise, and a young lady living on a farm named Pearl has aspirations to dance in the pictures. Where do I begin? I feel Ti West is getting way more artsy in this movie than X, which is fine with my snob side entirely, there are sequences and more directly shots that say, look at me I have something gorgeous to show to you, very striking colors and painting-esque composition. I love it. I can't talk about her right now, just...just hang on a minute. The story may truthfully feel not as involved and horror filled as X, but I feel that is intentional. It focuses on a farm girl, her small town, the very veryyy slim assortment of people she knows, it's really about as independent filmmaking as you can get while still having a budget. And before I forget, did anyone get some hard Wizard Of Oz vibes at certain points. A young farm girl fed up with her life, dreaming of something grander, only to know home is the place to be above all. There is a scarecrow in it, with a painted face, green shirt, and black hat, but the less said about that the better. Pearl even flat out looks like the real world equivalent of the Wicked Witch when she tries to take Toto away, that can't have been coincidence. Not sure if it has significance on the movie....but it's there. Alright. Guys. Mia Goth deserves, no I flat out DEMAND on her behalf, that this woman wins every single major award for an actress next year. Motherf***er you do not walk past a performance like this, not in your life! One of the best modern monologues and performances I have seen in a long ass while, and an ending shot that made my soul quiver out of my body as my eyes were transfixed in a mix of immense delight and overwhelming terror, no no no. You, mm-mmm, no way, you don't get to say bad things about her, ain't gonna happen. This. This is it. I can't say for certain, but this could be the best actress I've seen in all my days. There just no one who can commit wholesale like she does in this movie, no way, no how, it's just her in her prime element giving the performance of a lifetime. Holy goddamn, motherf***ing, sons a' bitchin', shitting me out the ass, f*** f*** f***ing hell, I can't believe how good she is in this. Moving swiftly on. No groovy soundtrack but I can forgive that, supporting cast is very commited and props to them for making it all come alive, gruesome as hell effects though not clearly as ample as X it still gets the bloody job done. What a friggin' comeback for new movies, the unexpected wait was worth every second and penny of my life, do I like it better than X? I gave X like a 9 if not a 9.5/10, and I will say Pearl gets a sterling 4 stars, 9/10. It's close, like a hair breadth away guys in either direction, just go see it and don't worry about my rankings or score. The best expectations for cinema is zero expectations, I had no clue what the hell I was walking into but I clearly liked what I saw. My subconcious has enough nightmare fuel for the next 5 years rent free. I'll see you tomorrow.