Dandy Cat

• Room: I feel like I’m still struggling to absorb everything I saw while watching this marvel of a film. It was powerful, sad, and ultimately, redemptive. I’m absolutely amazed by the performances Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay gave. They both deserve every accolade they received for this film. It’s going to stick with me for a long time. (★★★★½)
• The Favourite: Leave it to Yorgos Lanthimos to make a period piece as strange and uncomfortable as this one. Leave it to Olivia Colman to absolutely kill it as the petulant and demanding Queen Anne. Absolutely don’t skip over the towering performances given by Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone. This is a peculiar film because it’s full of everything that makes a film great, and yet it’s hard to watch at times. It’s unpleasant, in your face, and will refuse to leave your mind after you finish. It’s unique, and that’s a damn hard thing to find in the movies these days. (★★★★)
• Z for Zachariah: Oddl,y I would have loved to see a much longer version of this film. Show me more of the characters’ daily lives after an apocalyptic event. Give me a slow burn on the increasing tensions between Margot Robbie, Chiwetel Ejiofor, and Chris Pine. What I don’t want is a rushed loved triangle and unexamined hurt feelings. I loved the performances. I just wanted more story. (★★★)
• WeWork: or The Making and Breaking of a $47 Billion Unicorn: I saw this one while recuperating from my second COVID vaccination, and I think that was a mistake. There are few things that are going to make me more sickly and hopeless than watching a smooth-talking cult leader explain in greeeeeeat detail how we’re all WE. We’re all together. We can do great things through the power of thoughts and blah blah blehch. Also, he needs gobs of money to make it happen because that’s just how swindlers do things. I won’t deny that Adam Neumann was a smooth talker, but in the end, he was way too high on his own supply. (★★★)
• The Transporter: Jason Statham kicks people’s faces, sleeps with women, and slathers himself down with oil while half-naked. This all happens to a soundtrack that was probably called “Luc Besson’s Naked Rubbing Time Playlist” and was most assuredly made by Besson himself. (★★½)
• Foreign Correspondent: A pretty decent Hitchcock film is still a damn sight better than a lot of other films. Foreign Correspondent keeps the thrills and duplicity going at a fine pace. As with many of his earlier films, this one is overshadowed by the towering legends of his best work, but that doesn’t make it any less satisfying. You can really feel the director figuring out how to tell grander stories. He’s stretching out his talents. He’s laying the groundwork for what’s to come, and that’s a foundation you can build a damn house on. (★★★½)
• The Verdict: The film that kicked off my newfound appreciation for courtroom dramas. Paul Newman is one of the most captivating performers of his time and here he gives one of his most understated performances of his career. His beleaguered Frank Galvin is an admirable man looking to fight a system that’s intent on crushing him. He dares to fight this film’s version of The Man and it nearly does him in. Sidney Lumet directs a script written by David Mamet. The combination of these three legends is probably all you need to know about this magnificent film. (★★★★½)
• A Few Good Men: A knock-down, exultant film about a team of military lawyers looking to bring justice to a world that often operates outside of the law. Wrongdoings are done in the name of national security and this brave cadre dares to meet the orchestrators of the crime head-on. The ending is bittersweet—justice is found, but at the loss of purpose for a pair of soldiers caught up in one person’s machinations. Nonetheless, the performances are riveting. There’s a clear reason why much of this film is still so present in everyone’s minds. It leaves an indelible mark, and sticks with you. (★★★★)
• Philadelphia: If someone needs any indication that the ‘80s (and early ‘90s) could be an extremely rough and close-minded time, they should look no further than this film. There are some masterful performances here, but none more so than the one that Tom Hanks gives. He truly deserves the Oscar he received for his tragic Andrew Beckett. It’s quite the thing to watch a person deteriorate into nothing as his livelihood and existence is picked apart, ridiculed, and reduced to ignorant assumptions about gay people. This is powerful and important stuff. I’d call it a must-watch for everyone. (★★★★)
• Monsters: For a film with the name it has, there are few monsters seen. I think that’s to its benefit. Much like how you don’t see Jaws until the very end of that film, the fear and power surrounding these alien creatures only grows in strength when you don’t see them. They’re spoken of in news broadcasts and frightened whispers, making them seem more fearsome than they might actually be. Indeed, I wonder if they’re actually the “monsters” that the title refers to, or is it really the human beings that keep trying to destroy them for daring to exist on this planet? Scoot McNairy and Whitney Able give great, improvisational performances. They tie the film together and give it an actual, meaningful story. (★★★★)
• Suspicion: Boy, will this one keep you guessing throughout its entire running time. What’s going on with Cary Grant? Why can’t he keep a job? Is he actually some maniac on an unstoppable murder rampage? It’s a fun film to watch on a lazy weekend afternoon, as I did. Joan Fontaine won an Oscar for her performance in this film, and while I do think she deserves all the awards, her performance in Rebecca was the stronger of the two. Still, it’s nice all around. (★★★½)
• A Goofy Movie: Talk about taking a step back into the ‘90s. This was a nostalgia trip all the way. It came out in 1995, and I’m certain I saw it in the theater. Probably with my dad. That’s a great way to see a film like this. Parents would do well to watch Goofy try his damnedest to bond with his son with their own children. It’s a nice ride and the music was awesome. (★★★)
• Yojimbo: Toshiro Mifune was always one of my most revered actors. He’s quickly becoming my absolute favorite. The first thing I saw him in, as I’m sure is the case for many others, was Seven Samurai. He’s wrestled some control back from his wild Kikuchiyo character and turned himself into a confident, daring ronin named Sanjuro. He’s clearly the star of the film, but the story and the supporting cast (especially Tatsuya Nakadai) round everything out and turn this film into a classic that’s still as thrilling and fun as it must have been when it first premiered. This should be required viewing for any film lover. (★★★★★)
• Another Round: At the end of this film, three alcoholics mourn the death of their alcoholic friend by getting wasted. Absolutely day drunk, as they have throughout the entire film. This is after they risked their jobs, marriages, and lives in the pursuit of a dumbass theory about how you can be your best when you’re always a little drunk. The film spent a good portion of its time showing how alcohol can dismantle a life—a worthy message—and then undercut itself at the very end. Although, I guess that’s part of the point: alcoholism is a pervasive, corrosive disease that’s damn hard to battle. Still, as someone who dealt with an alcoholic for most of their life in a way that was eternally unpleasant, I saw nothing redeeming or enviable about these characters. They’re not worth emulating or looking up to. They were sad, pitiable people who were all too willing to ignore their problems instead of actually working on them. Mads Mikkelsen (and the rest) were as amazing as ever. It was well-made. Its message could have been stronger, unless the message is “drink, ‘cause why not?” (★★½)
• Safety Not Guaranteed: The film bogs itself down by adhering pretty strongly to its indie film trappings. I don’t mind quirky characters and plot lines, but a film shouldn’t be carried on those qualities alone. It’s a good thing that the running time for this one was short. Had it been any longer, the thing would have become a bore. Instead, it was brisk and had an ending that still surprises me and makes me wonder just what happened to two of the central characters. I hope they really did travel back in time. (★★★½)
• Deep Murder: Ugh. This was just the worst. I had to watch it for my More Movies Please! podcast. The most frustrating thing is that the movie had a clever premise, but nothing landed. I’ll never get this time of my life back. (★)
• The Mitchells vs. the Machines: Whoa, the energy of this film was off the charts! I absolutely adored the visual style of this film, and not just for its clever asides. The whole thing had a painterly feel to it which made it more appealing than it would have been had the filmmakers strived for more realism. The look of it marries nicely to the daughter’s love of animation and filmmaking. It’s clear that this one was led by directors who were assured in their vision for their film. When a film has that quality there’s nothing it can’t accomplish, much like the Mitchells themselves. (★★★★)
• The Player: So much of this film is shot with a long lens and through the windows of studio offices on film lots. It makes the viewer feel like an outsider, perpetually wanting to break into the biz, but always held at arm’s length. It’s a good analog for the reality of the film world. It’s the rare person that actually makes it in the film industry. Most people will only be able to guess what’s happening behind those closed doors. Throw in a murder mystery and you’ve got a great Robert Altman film. Shame about what happened to Cynthia Stevenson’s character. She was done so wrong. (★★★★)
• A Quiet Place: Who would have thought that John Krasinski had such range? I’m completely sold on the man now and I want to see everything he makes. He shows off his filmmaking prowess in one of the most suspenseful and thrilling films of the last decade. By the end, I was left feeling breathless and afraid to make any sort of noise; I don’t have a hearing aid with which to protect myself! Hats off to Millicent Simmonds, too (and just the whole dang cast). She was a revelation and I can’t wait to see what she does in the future. (★★★★)
• A Quiet Place Part II: The amazing quality of this better than average film is how well it sustains the suspense, drama, and feel of the first film. I appreciate the filmmakers expanding the world that we were introduced to in part one—you can’t stay on that farm forever. We’re shown just how this alien invasion began and how it has transformed the world. All the while, there are terrifying monsters hunting down humans and they’re very good at killing us. Even with the newfound hearing aid weapon, the creatures are still fearsome adversaries. I’m looking forward to the next film, which is sure to happen now. (★★★★)

Total movies watched: 20

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• The Sisters Brothers: Between the sibling bickering and the unsettlingly realistic violence is a tale of love and sadness. Love for your brother, both by blood and found. Sadness for lost opportunities and half-realized dreams. All this is done under the guise of a western and it’s an engrossing magic trick that the filmmakers pull off. (★★★★)
• Kong: Skull Island: The best thing this film has going for it is the glorious, beautiful cinematography by the talented Larry Fong. He elevates a fairly weak story to respectable heights. Otherwise, it’s hard to connect to any of the characters, save for John C. Reilly’s excellent Hank Marlow. Samuel L. Jackson is one-notey and there’s not a lot going on between Brie Larson and Tom Hiddleston. It’s got thrilling moments, but not a lot of heart. (★★★)
• In a Valley of Violence: It’s fascinating to watch a film that’s so derivative of works from other directors. Ti West, director of this one, definitely thinks of himself as Quentin Tarantino making John Wick. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, but this one never tries to be anything more than its influences. I think the cast did a fine job with the script they were given. The dog murder was extremely tough to watch, though, and lessened my enjoyment of the film. (★★★)
• The 39 Steps: I haven’t seen many Hitchcock movies yet, but every time I have the opportunity to see one I feel delighted. This film was one of his early, British-era films, and by all accounts, remains one of the strongest films in his filmography. I had a delightful time watching it. Robert Donat and Madeline Carroll made for an excellent pairing. They played off each other so well. (★★★★)
• Godzilla: King of the Monsters: As the third film in this new, I don’t know, “Titans” series, this one had less substance than either 2014’s Godzilla or Kong: Skull Island. It sure had a lot of stylish monster battles, though. It featured a plot with a very Thanos-esque motivation of wiping out a large portion of the world’s population so that the planet can “heal.” Ultimately, its reliance on destroying cities over telling a better story made this one less effective than Avengers: Endgame. (★★★)
• Sound of Metal: This is one of those films that I feel utterly grateful to have seen. It’s a film to luxuriate in, even as it dwells in depths of despair at times. The towering performances from both Riz Ahmed and Paul Raci are going to stick with me for a long time. They both deserve every single accolade they receive for their beautiful work on this film. (★★★★½)
• The Man Who Knew Too Much: Harrowing, weirdly humorous in places, and brisk as hell. This film tells the story of a kidnapping and the lengths that parents will go to return their child to safety. Peter Lorre gives a memorable performance as the said kidnapper. He brings a gangster attitude to his role, making him seem more menacing than the character otherwise would. This guy doesn’t care what it takes to accomplish his assassination mission, even if it means killing an innocent girl to do it. (★★★½)
• The Long Kiss Goodnight: Next time I’m just going to watch The Bourne Identity and follow that up with La Femme Nikita. I think that would make for a far better time, and it would basically be the same movie. Except, you know, way better. (★★½)
• Soul: When Joe falls through away from the Great Beyond, through endless black and white depths, and comes out into the Great Before, I was awestruck. No other movie I’ve seen this year caught my attention and admiration as firmly as this one did. What followed that opening sequence was a touching story that shows there’s more to life than just chasing a dream. If you spend all your days in pursuit of something intangible, you may wake up one morning wondering how you missed living your life. (★★★★★)
• Mortal Kombat: Mortal Kombat is supposed to be a tournament. There is, however, no tournament held at any point. The film contradicts itself from the very start. What follows is nonsensical, not thrilling, and messy. What a shame that so much money was spent on creating a film that’s an utter bore from beginning to end. It’s clearly the first in what will most likely be a series of Kombats, mortal or otherwise, so at least there should be more of this nonsense in the future to look forward to. In the meantime… Man, this movie was bad. Just unpleasant all around. (★½)
• Rebecca: I thought this one was going to be more of a ghost story. To my surprise, it turned out to be a tale of unrequited love and murder. It’s dressed up as a troubled romance between two people. Laurence Olivier has skeletons in his closet like you wouldn’t believe, and Joan Fontaine is the poor woman who has to bear the brunt of his past. In the background is the titular Rebecca, who, despite being long dead, continues to torment all who live and work at the Manderley mansion. Whether it’s with the new love between the main characters or the old love still held by the understandably severe Mrs. Danvers, there’s angst and turmoil. It’s a classic for a reason, and still as entertaining as ever. (★★★★½)
• Shoplifters: How could anybody be ready for the gut punch this film surprises you with at the end? I know I certainly wasn’t expecting things to go the way they did. I thought this was just going to be a simple story about a family of shoplifters who fall under some hardship. While it is that, there’s a lot more happening under the surface. It’s too good to give away. What has stuck with me the most is the moment one of the characters shares with the young girl who has only known apathy and abuse. She hugs the girl close and says that love isn’t violence. Love is a hug freely given, and it lives in your heart. (★★★★½)
• Godzilla vs. Kong: Somehow the filmmakers found a way to stretch a thirty-minute story into a two-hour smash fest. This was nothing but destruction porn. What I found worse to endure was the frequent pain inflicted on the titular characters. And for what reason, ultimately? Godzilla was a savior of humans. Kong was a savior of humans. They should have some interesting common ground. It would have been far more interesting to have had Mecha-Godzilla be the thing they team up against from the start. Well, who cares about any of that nonsense? Let’s instead use a human-caused misunderstanding between them as an excuse to have them beat each other nearly to death. Cruelty, now that’s entertainment! These Titans are maybe too forgiving of the species that keeps trying to murder them. (★★)
• Collective: You ever watch a film that feels like it’s on simmer nearly all the way through? You know something is building underneath you, but you’re not sure what it old be, and why are you starting to feel warmer than usual. This film uses its entire running time to tell what amounts to four separate stories: the tragedy of a catastrophic fire that took the lives of many young concertgoers, the journalists who uncover the governmental corruption that led to the deaths of many more victims, the minister of health who took on the role after his predecessor was ousted, and a young, badly scarred woman learning to live again after the tragedy. These stories wind around each other, each giving more information to the entire story. By the end, what everyone has gone through turns the simmer into a boil that quickly escapes the confines of the pot, leaving you gobsmacked at how corrupt a government can be, and how quickly it can spread its disease throughout an entire country. (★★★★)

Total movies watched: 14

Compared to last month, I’ve seen far fewer movies. Seems I spent more of my time watching tv shows. I may not be able to record those on Letterboxd, but I still had a good time watching stuff in April.

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