Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate it | {Insert Appropriate Seasonal Greeting Here}

[Chili]

Amarcord-1973 (subtitles)

Federico Fellini remembering and fantasizing about his youth, growing up in a seaside Italian town in the 1930ies. The storybook town is filled with a number of interesting characters. Titta is a teenage boy, the story revolves around him and his family. Gradisca is the beauty of the town, admired by the young and old men alike. The classroom scenes are so funny, great gags. A number of references to Hollywood films and actors of the era. Fascists make an appearance at a bizarre rally and are deeply annoyed at a gramophone playing music from a bell tower. Amarcord reminded me of a classic Canadian film Mon Oncle Antoine about a boy's world in rural Quebec in the 1940's. Lots of good fun.

Napoléon-1927 (intertitles)

'With his piercing looks, this little stump of a man frightens me'

I took 4 pages of notes watching a 5 1/2-hour version of the epic film which I'll try to condense. Abel Gance's original intention was to make 6 films on this subject, while he was making this one a financier passed away and the money ran out 2/3 of the way through. So, the story only goes as far as 1796, his Italian campaign when Napoleon was age 27. The two original versions shown were 4 and 9 hours. I watched a restored version from 2016.

Great opening shot, on a white background, a dark hat begins to rise up above a snow fort enclosure. And a large-scale snowball fight ensues, with Napoleon's young schoolmates' side vastly outnumbered by boys on the other side. The headmasters at Brienne college encouraged these fights, the one depicted occurred in 1783 when Napoleon was 14. Like this incident, the bulk of the film is based on historical references and quotes (although some are disputed). Napoleon wasn't well liked at the school, his only friend was said to be a gift from his uncle, an eagle who played an important role is his life. i.e. When he became Emperor in 1804, the eagle was made the centre of the French coat of arms.

The story then skips forward 9 years to the French Revolution and a scene popularizing Rouget de Lisle's song La Marseillaise. Napoleon returns to Corsica to visit family and becomes a hunted man. Scenes were filmed in Corsica including at the actual Buonoparte home. Napoleon's escape on horseback is beautifully filmed including impressive low-level shots. And then heading seaward in a small boat using a French flag as a sail. Act II for the most part is about the violent Battle of Toulon, where Napoleon distinguishes himself leading his men with bold tactics against the well defended English garrison. I read that Akira Kurosawa was a fan of the film, he must have appreciated the battle scenes in pouring rain. Act III begins with The Terror led by Robespierre and Saint Just (played by the director Abel Gance). And goes on to the courtship of Napoleon and Josephine. Act IV, 48 hours after his wedding to Josephine, he sets out to join his Italian army. Before meeting his new troops, he stops at the Convention Centre where the echoes of the Revolution in the empty hall provide memories and inspiration.

Found so many things impressive. The two actors who play Napoleon, Vladimir Roudenko (young) and Albert Dieudonné (older) are both memorable. Attention to detail, like a live snake on the shoulder of one of Napoleon's enemies, a prosecutor in Corsica, the kitten in the barrel of a cannon to show the inactivity of the army at the time, the filing cabinet of the documents sealing the fate of many during the Terror was a coffin. The tinted screens, such as red for battles, blue for skies. There is an awesome shot near the end of the film, Napoleon on horseback, galloping alongside a seemingly never-ending line of soldiers, horses, guns & wagons. The triptych shots, 3 cameras filming the same image to form a widescreen view, made a fitting ending.

Looking forward to seeing the 2024 restoration by Netflix to just over 7 hours at some point. Stunning film.

 

[kihei]

His Three Daughters (2024) Directed by Azazel Jacobs 7A

With their father now requiring hospice care at home after a long but losing fight with cancer, his three daughters, who have become somewhat distant from one another, gather to provide comfort and support and to work through some grudges of longstanding. Katie (Carrie Coon) is abrasive and judgmental; Christina (Elizabeth Olsen) is warm, caring and maybe a little lightweight; and Rachel (Natasha Lyonne) spends most of her time in her bedroom stoned out of her mind on grass. Early on the emphasis is on differences and I thought I was watching an undiscovered Bergman movie for awhile. But gradually, the sisters come to more of an understanding about their grievances and the movie takes on a warmer, deeper tone. Dealing with the death of an elderly parent, His Three Daughters obviously has universal resonance, and thanks to the very strong performances of the three principal actresses, it is quite moving to see how each of them navigates grief and the end stages of letting go of a loved one. After so many empty calorie movies this summer, I found it bracing to encounter a movie which, without any cheap sentimentality whatsoever, examines some of the most difficult moments in anyone's lives. It also says something that by the end of the movie, I liked all three of these women, something I wouldn't have guessed during the first act.

Netflix


Best of '24 so far

1) All We Imagine As Light, Kapadia, India
2) Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World, Jude, Romania
3) Green Border, Holland, Poland
4) Hit Man, Linklater, US
5) The Substance, Fargeat, US
6) The Breaking Ice, Chen, China
7) Dune, part 2, Villeneuve, US
8) His Three Daughters, Jacobs, US
9) Grand Tour, Gomes, Portugal
10) The Dead Don't Hurt, Mortensen, US

 

[Osprey]

Civil War (2024) - 3/10

Four journalists take a road trip across America and see how many dying people they can photograph. They risk their lives and get others killed by their dumb decisions for the sake of pictures that no one seems to need because everyone knows what's going on in the country. We don't learn much about them, despite a lot of time spent talking, and the little character development that there is felt contrived. Nothing is explained, such as what they hope to achieve by interviewing the President, why California and Texas joined together to secede when they can't agree on anything and why there's a JC Penny in this near future when they're practically extinct in the present. In the end, there are still no explanations, no suggestion of how we might avoid such a future and, in general, no optimism. I could've watched TV if I wanted to be depressed for two hours. I didn't need a movie for that.

The Batman (2022) - 6/10

A bat teams up with a cat to catch a rat. I put this off for over two years because of the 3-hour run time, but the good reviews for the spinoff series The Penguin motivated me to finally watch it. Yep, it's too long and lost me a little in the 3rd act. I also felt that it was a little too melodramatic at times and Bruce Wayne too emo for my tastes. You might say that Pattinson played him like a vampire bat. I liked just about everything else, though. It's dark and gritty and has good performances, stylish action sequences and an effective soundtrack. It felt like Matt Reeves tried to copy the tone and atmosphere of Nolan's trilogy, and I'd say that he largely succeeded. I appreciated that it wasn't yet another origin story and takes place, instead, during Year 2 of Wayne's cosplay career. Overall, it passed the time... and a lot of time spread over two nights it was.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

The Batman (2022) - 6/10

A bat teams up with a cat to catch a rat. I put this off for over two years because of the 3-hour run time, but the good reviews for the spinoff series The Penguin motivated me to finally watch it. Yep, it's too long and lost me a little in the 3rd act. I also felt that it was too melodramatic (bordering on Pranzo's favorite word) at times and Bruce Wayne was too emo for my tastes. You might say that Pattinson played him like a vampire bat. I liked just about everything else, though. It's dark and gritty and has good performances, stylish action sequences and an effective soundtrack. It felt like Matt Reeves tried to copy the tone and atmosphere of Nolan's Batman trilogy, and I'd say that he largely succeeded. I appreciated that it wasn't yet another origin story and takes place, instead, during Year 2 of Wayne's cosplay career. Overall, it passed the time... all 180 minutes of it, spread over two nights.

Kinda bummed to see The Batman only get a 6/10 from you. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and thought it was a heck of an experience. Then again, I've been obsessed with Batman since I was a child and highly doubt I would give anything Batman related less than a 7.5/10 lol so I guess I am biased. I think that perhaps The Batman's biggest praise is that it's setting up for the sequel beautifully. I think that they have an opportunity to make The Batman 2 one of the greatest Batman flicks of all time. It's a lofty goal, but if they can pull it of it's going to be a masterpiece.

 

[Osprey]

Kinda bummed to see The Batman only get a 6/10 from you. I thoroughly enjoyed this film and thought it was a heck of an experience. Then again, I've been obsessed with Batman since I was a child and highly doubt I would give anything Batman related less than a 7.5/10 lol so I guess I am biased. I think that perhaps The Batman's biggest praise is that it's setting up for the sequel beautifully. I think that they have an opportunity to make The Batman 2 one of the greatest Batman flicks of all time. It's a lofty goal, but if they can pull it of it's going to be a masterpiece.

6/10 means that I liked it, so it's still a good score to me. I was considering a 7/10, but the 3rd act brought it down a little. I'm biased, too, but towards the Tim Burton Batmans that I grew up with. I just can't get very excited about the newer ones, including Nolan's trilogy. I can still enjoy them, but they aren't the same.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

6/10 means that I liked it, so it's still a good score to me. I was considering a 7/10, but the 3rd act brought it down a little. I'm biased, too, but towards the Tim Burton Batmans that I grew up with. I just can't get very excited about the newer ones, including Nolan's trilogy. I can still enjoy them, but they aren't the same.

Ah okay, I can understand that. There's certainly a different feeling about the newer ones. I guess it's just hard for me not to fanboy over anything Batman lol

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Watched Last Week:

8/10

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Watched Yesterday:

8.5/10

 

[alko]

Lobster (2015): The film follows a newly single bachelor who moves into a hotel with other singletons, who are all obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days, lest they be transformed into animals

What a sick idea... Many well know actors... 8/10

 

[MetalheadPenguinsFan]

Watched Last Night:

8/10

 

[kihei]

The Damned (2024) Directed by Roberto Minervini 7C

During the American Civil War, a ragtag collection of Union soldiers patrol the Montana territories during winter, trudging through deep snow at the very extreme edges of the conflict. In this vast landscape, they don't run into anybody else. Until they do. And that single extended skirmish changes everything as death shakes them out of their sense of a higher purpose and returns them to the reality of who they are, a bunch of farmers and youngsters who just want to go home. The notion of winning, of defending a noble cause, quickly becomes replaced by the raw instinct to simply survive.

In The Damned style is everything. The extensive use of the gorgeous wintry landscape and the reliance on hand held cameras and vintage lenses that provide shallow focus give the movie a curiously contradictory feel--somewhat like a documentary but dreamy, also. Before the one big battle, in which the enemy could be other Union soldiers for all we know, The Damned just follows the soldiers around, as they do mundane things and cope with the monotony. After the battle, desperation quickly seeps in. Director Roberto Minervini eavesdrops on the soldiers' conversations which increasingly sound like the philosophical musings of 21st dorm students suddenly awakening to the possibility of existential dread. It is an odd mix, a Civil War movie like you have never seen before or even imagined. The most common shot is watching the men plow through the snow from behind. The contrast of the period setting with the contemporary dialogue combined with the leisurely pace will be unnerving to some viewers, I suppose. But despite a lack of action and an excess of nuance, The Damned has an undeniable freshness. And eventually the movie even creeps into contemporary relevance. Then as now, the characters are trying to make sense of a country divided against itself. As one critic (Jordan Mintzer in The Hollywood Reporter) put it, quoting Faulkner, "The past is never dead. It's not even past."


Best of '24 so far

1) All We Imagine As Light, Kapadia, India
2) Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World, Jude, Romania
3) Green Border, Holland, Poland
4) Hit Man, Linklater, US
5) The Substance, Fargeat, US
6) The Breaking Ice, Chen, China
7) Dune, part 2, Villeneuve, US
8) His Three Daughters, Jacobs, US
9) The Damned, Minervini, US
10) Grand Tour, Gomes, Portugal

 

[Rodgerwilco]

Lobster (2015): The film follows a newly single bachelor who moves into a hotel with other singletons, who are all obliged to find a romantic partner in 45 days, lest they be transformed into animals

What a sick idea... Many well know actors... 8/10

Coincidentally today is National Lobster Day lol. Sounds like an interesting flick. Thanks for the post, it's on my list now.

 

[alko]

Watched Ted, you know, this fluffy bear, who likes weed.

And the i saw this:

 

[Pink Mist]

To Live / 活着 (dir. Zhang Yimou, 1994)

Zhang Yimou’s To Live is a powerful and deeply human story that spans decades of Chinese history, masterfully weaving personal and political upheavals into an intimate portrait of survival and endurance. Adapted from Yu Hua’s novel, the film captures the tumultuous journey of Fugui (Ge You) and his family as they navigate through the sweeping changes of mid-20th century China — from the Chinese Civil War to the Cultural Revolution.

At its heart, To Live is about resilience. Fugui’s transformation from a wealthy, irresponsible gambler to a humble, struggling family man is poignant and affecting. Ge You’s understated performance as Fugui is remarkable, expressing a range of emotions — guilt, hope, fear, love — with subtlety and depth. His relationship with his wife, Jiazhen (Gong Li), grounds the film with its quiet strength. Gong Li’s portrayal of Jiazhen as the unflinching pillar of the family is both heartbreaking and inspiring, adding layers of emotional complexity to their survival story.

Zhang Yimou’s direction is visually stunning, balancing the grandeur of China’s historical shifts with intimate moments of personal loss and joy. The cinematography paints a vivid picture of both rural and urban China, with the vibrancy of daily life and the starkness of political oppression playing out on screen. The use of color and lighting amplifies the emotional beats, while the music adds an additional layer of poignancy to key scenes.

The film’s only drawback is its relentless pacing, which at times feels overwhelming as Fugui and his family endure tragedy after tragedy. Despite this, To Live never feels manipulative; it captures the essence of what it means to endure in the face of crushing adversity. It’s a beautifully rendered, deeply moving film that reflects on the power of family, survival, and hope amidst the chaos of history.

 

[kihei]

Flow (2024) Directed by Gints Zilbalodis 9A

A brave cat tries to survive in the forest after a great flood has wiped out human life but spared some animals. There is no dialogue, and this wondrous piece of animation doesn't need any--the story telling is superb. Along the way, the cat is befriended by a capybara, a ringed-tail lemur, a golden labrador and a stork along his and their journey on a skiff sailing to who knows where. These animals are only very slightly anthropomorphized--this is Miyazaki territory, not Disney. They all seem to know how to use the rudder on the skiff, and they all show moments of cooperation and kinship. But other than that director Gints Zilbalodis' approach is naturalistic and thoroughly captivating. The animation complements the story perfectly, and the cat's journey is an eventful and occasionally nail-biting one with a surprising number of genuinely suspenseful moments. Latvia's submission to the 2025 Oscars' international film category, Flow is the equivalent of a top-of-the-line Ghilbi Studios work. I can't say enough good things about this movie; I just loved it.

Sidenote: While there are gracefully treated themes about resourcefulness, friendship and especially cooperation clearly evident in this movie, I'm not sure Flow is suitable for very young children. There are too many intense scenes, and the movie seems pitched as much to an adult audience as to a young one. Older children will love it, though.

Best of '24 so far

1) Flow, Zilbalodis, Latvia
2) All We Imagine As Light, Kapadia, India
3) Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World, Jude, Romania
4) Green Border, Holland, Poland
5) Hit Man, Linklater, US
6) The Substance, Fargeat, US
7) The Breaking Ice, Chen, China
8) Dune, part 2, Villeneuve, US
9) His Three Daughters, Jacobs, US
10) The Damned, Minervini, US

 

[Osprey]

Based on the screenshot, I thought that you started reviewing video games. I'm slightly disappointed.

 

[johnjm22]

"Two tickets for Am I Racist." I had to say it out loud in front of a black women and Hispanic man. I admit it was a bit awkward.

The girlfriend and I had intended to see 'The Substance' but arrived late so we pivoted to Matt Walsh's satirical documentary.

In its 1 hour and 41 minute runtime the laughs are few and far between. Walsh comes off as thinking he's a lot funnier than he actually is.

Selling DEI books and courses has become a profitable business. The anti-racist theory that backs these products has developed into something quite bizarre. Pseudo-academic concepts like "decentering whiteness" should be fertile ground for mockery but Walsh only scratches the surface.

It's not all bad though. In one of the films few funny moments Walsh gets race profiteer Robin DiAngelo to give 30 bucks to a black man for reparations.

In my theater there was only handful of people. Most of who went out of their way to laugh at every joke; Walsh’s film is preaching to the choir. The DEI industry deserves scrutiny by a legitimate documentarian but none will do it so we’re left with partisans like Matt Walsh.

'Am I Racist?' will mostly be consumed by the right wing's built-in audience that already agrees with its point of view. Not much ends up being accomplished here.

4 / 10

(The GF was much harsher. She gave it a 0 out of 10)

 

[Spring in Fialta]

Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai (1999): Way, way, way cool. I loved it. But I'm also a sucker for crime films with an absurdist take while taking themselves entirely seriously, as they should. Despite the movie's oddities, the plot is very straight-forward. Ghost Dog, an African-American man living in an unnamed northern city, leads an austere life as a hit-man. It's a pretty common trope, albeit here Ghost Dog is utterly dedicated to two things: a Samurai way of life and a hapless mobster named Louie who once saved his life, considering himself his retainer. As again common of gangster films, things go wrong, people have to die and everyone starts pulling in different directions.

I love the way the story deconstructs itself. In an understated, humorous way, Louie, for roughly half the film, is the stupidest gangster of his crime family (and the one who's most in trouble to boot) but without realizing it, has the most formidable weapon in his arsenal (Ghost Dog) which leaves him virtually untouchable for the entirety of the film. Even as his own allegiance pulls him away from Ghost Dog (of who he knew and did little for in the first place), Ghost Dog remains loyal to him per his life philosophy. That life philosophy is reinforced in a multitude of ways. His best friend is an illegal immigrant who only speaks French (played by the perfect Isaach de Bankole) yet they understand each other entirely, often repeating the same thing to one another in a language the interlocutor won't catch, never knowing it. The film is filled with humorous little takes like that while remaining dedicated to its solemnity. Truly a top film. Very lean in its pacing too. Jim Jarmusch is hit or miss for me (sometimes even within the same film) but I think this is easily his best, usurping Only Lovers Left Alive albeit I want to give Stranger than Paradise a re-watch and watch Dead Man soon.

As a sidenote, while all the performances are great, who the hell is John Tormey? He's the guy who plays the Louie character (pretty much the other main character besides Ghost Dog) and I think he gives one of the most memorable performances I've seen in years. He doesn't even have a Wikipedia page! The guy was fantastic!

 

[Spring in Fialta]

"Two tickets for Am I Racist." I had to say it out loud in front of a black women and Hispanic man. I admit it was a bit awkward.

The girlfriend and I had intended to see 'The Substance' but arrived late so we pivoted to Matt Walsh's satirical documentary.

In its 1 hour and 41 minute runtime the laughs are few and far between. Walsh comes off as thinking he's a lot funnier than he actually is.

Selling DEI books and courses has become a profitable business. The anti-racist theory that backs these products has developed into something quite bizarre. Pseudo-academic concepts like "decentering whiteness" should be fertile ground for mockery but Walsh only scratches the surface.

It's not all bad though. In one of the films few funny moments Walsh gets race profiteer Robin DiAngelo to give 30 bucks to a black man for reparations.

In my theater there was only handful of people. Most of who went out of their way to laugh at every joke; Walsh’s film is preaching to the choir. The DEI industry deserves scrutiny by a legitimate documentarian but none will do it so we’re left with partisans like Matt Walsh.

'Am I Racist?' will mostly be consumed by the right wing's built-in audience that already agrees with its point of view. Not much ends up being accomplished here.

4 / 10

(The GF was much harsher. She gave it a 0 out of 10)

'Most of who went out of their way to laugh at every joke' to describe conservatives watching conservative humor is the perfect description.

If there's one thing that seems to hold true (at least in modern times) is that no matter your political affiliation, sweet Jesus are conservatives painfully unfunny and uncreative when it comes to comedy. And in the world of minor tendencies, it's one thing that seems to annoy conservatives to no end. They always have to enjoy/watch comedy/art from people who largely hate everything they stand for and won't cater to them at best/actively make fun of them at worst.

 

[Rodgerwilco]

"Two tickets for Am I Racist." I had to say it out loud in front of a black women and Hispanic man. I admit it was a bit awkward.

The girlfriend and I had intended to see 'The Substance' but arrived late so we pivoted to Matt Walsh's satirical documentary.

In its 1 hour and 41 minute runtime the laughs are few and far between. Walsh comes off as thinking he's a lot funnier than he actually is.

Selling DEI books and courses has become a profitable business. The anti-racist theory that backs these products has developed into something quite bizarre. Pseudo-academic concepts like "decentering whiteness" should be fertile ground for mockery but Walsh only scratches the surface.

It's not all bad though. In one of the films few funny moments Walsh gets race profiteer Robin DiAngelo to give 30 bucks to a black man for reparations.

In my theater there was only handful of people. Most of who went out of their way to laugh at every joke; Walsh’s film is preaching to the choir. The DEI industry deserves scrutiny by a legitimate documentarian but none will do it so we’re left with partisans like Matt Walsh.

'Am I Racist?' will mostly be consumed by the right wing's built-in audience that already agrees with its point of view. Not much ends up being accomplished here.

4 / 10

(The GF was much harsher. She gave it a 0 out of 10)

Better you than me. I've never walked out of a theatre before the credits and can only recall 2 times I turned off a movie at home before the end, but I can't imagine sitting through this nonsense lol. I'm sure I would probably lean close to your gf's score of 0/10

 

[kihei]

The Wild Robot (2024) Directed by Chris Sanders 7A

A robot literally falls out of the sky and lands in a woodland area where it immediately causes chaos among all the wild life. Soon, however, a baby gosling named Brightbill is born and thinks the robot is his mother. Ros, as the robot is eventually christened, cares for Brightbill as best as she can, and she gets a lot of help from Fink, a clever fox (think a less street-smart Nick, the fox from Zootopia), and no shortage of other delightful and often very funny forest creatures. A crisis finally emerges when Ros' kind attempt to retrieve her despite the fact that she believes she has already found a home.

The Wild Robot is incredibly sweet-tempered with oodles of charm and a good story. It would take a cold, cold heart not to like this creative mashup of Wall-E meets Bambi. The animation, at least the extensive woodland scenes, recalls a slightly retro approach that harkens back to classic Disney and fits the story to a tee. The third act, where most of the action occurs, is a little jarring if only because of how gracefully the first two acts of the movie unfold. Although director Chris Sanders sentimentalizes some later scenes more than necessary (and more than in the book), it's a minor quibble. The Wild Robot will appeal to almost everybody in the 4 to 80 age range.

Best of '24 so far

1) Flow, Zilbalodis, Latvia
2) All We Imagine As Light, Kapadia, India
3) Do Not Expect Too Much from the End of the World, Jude, Romania
4) Green Border, Holland, Poland
5) Hit Man, Linklater, US
6) The Substance, Fargeat, US
7) The Breaking Ice, Chen, China
8) Dune, part 2, Villeneuve, US
9) The Wild Robot, Sanders, US
10) His Three Daughters, Jacobs, US

 

[johnjm22]

'Most of who went out of their way to laugh at every joke' to describe conservatives watching conservative humor is the perfect description.

If there's one thing that seems to hold true (at least in modern times) is that no matter your political affiliation, sweet Jesus are conservatives painfully unfunny and uncreative when it comes to comedy. And in the world of minor tendencies, it's one thing that seems to annoy conservatives to no end. They always have to enjoy/watch comedy/art from people who largely hate everything they stand for and won't cater to them at best/actively make fun of them at worst.

It felt like listening to a Christian rock band. At best the music is mediocre, but the audience it's pandering to will convince themselves to like it.

Speaking of which, there's actually an "Am I Racist?" Christian rap song that's featured heavily in the movie. I found it extremely irritating. I dare you to look it up.

Better you than me. I've never walked out of a theatre before the credits and can only recall 2 times I turned off a movie at home before the end, but I can't imagine sitting through this nonsense lol. I'm sure I would probably lean close to your gf's score of 0/10

FWIW I didn't think it was horrible. I wasn't bored. It's just kind of obnoxious and mostly unfunny. Annoying at times.

But I'm viewing it through the lens of curiosity. I'm not taking it a face value. I'm more interested in what the film is and peoples' reaction to it rather than the content itself.

I also lean more conservative politically, so that might be why I was able to tolerate it.

 

[kihei]

Wolfs (2024) Directed by Jon Watts 5A

A "fixer" is called into to clean up a messy crime that has taken place at an exclusive hotel. Only minutes after he enters the room, another "fixer" appears, claiming he has been summoned to take care of the situation. They don't get along, and many complications follow. Wolfs is a vehicle of pure star power reuniting George Clooney and Brad Pitt. Unfortunately, the movie itself is kind of disappointing, never rising above workmanlike at best.

While there is some fun watching the old pros snipe at one another, despite its convolution, there isn't much of a story, nor is there any sense of urgency. Though no one else seems to have shared this thought, I found that the young cub in this movie (Austin Abrams who plays an unsuspecting accomplice) stole the show, injecting some much needed warmth and good nature into the proceedings.

It has been sixteen years since Clooney and Pitt have made a movie together, which is surprising given their comic chemistry (though I think Pitt is a lot better at it by this stage than Clooney). One would think that given their immense clout they could have come up with a more promising and wittier script than this one.

Sidenote: What's with this spelling of the title? Makes as much sense as Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

[kihei]

Will and Harper (2024) Directed by Josh Greenbaum 6A (documentary)

In this documentary, Will Farrell and his close friend Harper Steele (formerly Andrew Steele, formerly chief writer for SNL for four years), who has just transitioned from a man to a woman, go on an extended road trip across the US to both explore their feelings about one another in light of this new development and to give Harper a chance to test her fledgling wings as a woman. It really is a road movie, too, with a lot of time spent in cars going through places like Iowa, Indiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. Harper has always liked greasy spoons and country and western bars, so she is a little bit hesitant to revisit these places as a 61-year-old woman. Often people are friendly to her face, then write hurtful things about the encounter with her the next day on social media.

Ultimately the movie serves two important functions: to give insight into the reasons why Harper and others have made this seemingly drastic switch and to demonstrate the immense comfort and support that this friendship provides for both individuals. Will and Harper is a moving document in that regard. I couldn't help but wonder, though, that had not Farrell been along for the ride, this documentary could have had a very different vibe.

Netflix

 

[CDJ]

Bone Tomahawk

God damn that one scene.

8.2/10