Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Pearl - I liked X, but I didn't love it as some did (which isn't surprising - horror is not my genre, but a good movie is a good movie). But the crazy thing is that I had no idea that Mia Goth played the old lady until this sequel was announced. Is that a part of the movie that I missed? Are those two characters connected in some way to explain why they look alike? I obviously don't care enough to look it up. But it's a good gimmick! Anyway, Mia Goth is a great actress, and she really shines here. And she's also credited as a writer for this, which is super cool. I think I liked this slightly more than X (both are still 3 star movies), just because it feels really authentic for the time period, but also modern which is a really hard combination to get right. Goth is part of this authentic feel - her acting is that whiny sort of overdramatic acting that was a very popular style for movie stars of the 20s (I'm thinking of Clara Bow specifically), but has that more modern anger and vulnerability to her. There has been a lot of talk about her being snubbed for awards simply because it's a horror movie, and I completely agree (this has been a problem for a while - Toni Collette for Hereditary, Lupita Nyong'o for Us, etc.). It's definitely one of the best performances of the year (my favorite actress performance is Rebecca Hall for Resurrection - which is also kind of a horror. Psychological horror definitely). There are some scenes and sequences that are really creepy and definitely got under my skin (especially the end, and the scene with the scarecrow), but I don't think there is anything that will stay with me. 

2. Triangle of Sadness - I loved this! Second favorite movie of the year, for me (#1 is still After Yang - it is unbelievable that neither of these are frontrunners for awards). I was not expecting to like this, simply because I find Harris Dickinson really, really dull. But it works for him here because I think he's supposed to be this boring entitled white guy character who is hot (he's a model in this), but has nothing really to offer the world other than his looks (this sounds meaner than intended - I'm sure Harris is a lovely person - I have no idea- but I don't think he's a strong actor and he lacks screen presence). Charlbi Dean Kriek, though, was a force. It's so sad that she died so young, especially being on the cusp of hitting it big. The film starts off really strong with two incredible scenes - the first with the model audition. Modeling seems like such a degrading profession, but I watched every single episode of America's Next Top Model, so I am guilty of feeding into this culture (p.s. I never knew that forehead crinkle was called a "triangle of sadness" - I totally have that! How do I get rid of it??). Then, the next scene shows this incredible dynamic between this young couple - one in which the woman has a more successful career. They begin to argue over who should pay the bill, each having a clear reason as to why the other should (although if he just said "hey, you said you would get this one, right?" as soon as the bill came instead of playing the game, I would have been on his side. The passive-aggressive bullshit can get in the bin). Then, the film begins - about this terrible, rich, entitled model/influencer couple on a super rich yacht - taking selfies of her sunbathing, and eating pasta that she doesn't actually eat. It has a White Lotus vibe a little bit - a satire of the rich, while also giving these people the attention they so desire. It's really interesting to watch the class distinction between the crew members and the passengers - and how some mistake their kindness towards the staff as some kind of heroism. The contrast of the modeling audition (which is degrading) with the way the one passenger insists that the one staff member swims with her (also degrading), is beautifully done. I wasn't really sure if there was any more to this, though. It seems to say what it wants to say pretty quickly, so I questioned where else the story could go. And boy does it go to some surprising places. *slight spoilers ahead* After a very rough day at sea, and an accidental explosion, a few passengers and crew members get stranded on an island - and it is just as excruciating to witness as you think it would be, with the wealthy people having no survival skills whatsoever. I think it does a good job in keeping its neutrality because it doesn't exactly show the crew in a good light either - as they have no interest in helping their fellow human unless they are getting paid to (or something in return). It's all very fascinating - by far my favorite screenplay of 2021. And the ending is absolutely perfect. 

3. White Noise - This seemed like Noah Baumbach going outside of his comfort zone, and that, to me, was very exciting. I definitely consider myself a fan even though some of his movies come off as pretentious and elitist (Francis Ha and Mistress America come to mind). I really loved The Squid and the Whale, though - it's honest and raw. The poster for this is really cool - I stared at it for hours when it was first released. It's clear from the poster that the focus was going to be on consumerism and the overwhelming way that it has literally "consumed" our surroundings. But there is also this clear focus on death - the anxiety of getting older, dying before your loved ones, or having your love ones die, and the way that we use consumption and technology as a distraction from thinking about this inevitability. However, the movie is...a mess. The pace is insane, and there is a pattern of over-stimulation that is definitely intentional, but it's hard to watch. I completely lost interest about 1/2 way through, even though it seemed like that is when stuff actually started to happen. I'm also not the biggest fan of either Adam Driver or Greta Gerwig - and they both are just too annoying in this. There are some good things, though. The dialogue is mostly wonderful - all of the existential crisis stuff has a lot of truth and layers that had me lost in my own thoughts on the subject (although I'm kind of the opposite of this - death doesn't scare me at all and I have more anxiety about the fact that I might live for another 40 or so years?! What am I going to do with all that time??). I also like some of the absurdity of the dialogue ("she has important hair" is my favorite line of the movie). But the best part, hands down, is the end credits musical number of everyone dancing in the A&P (my mom actually worked for their corporate office until they closed so it has a special place in my heart). It's definitely true that if the supermarkets seem fine, then the world seems fine. I never knew that would ever be a discussion, but I clearly remember when the pandemic first started and there was talk of a mandated "shut-down", everyone's first thought was the grocery store. I vividly remember walking in and seeing the empty shelves, and suddenly everything felt apocalyptic. I definitely cried myself to sleep that night. Anyway, the credits scene is glorious and there is some wonderful camera work showcased. I could watch those credits for 2 hours straight. You know what's crazy though? That Jodie Turner-Smith is featured in the best opening credits scene from 2021 (After Yang) and the best closing credits with this - and that they both feature absurd dancing. What a weird coincidence!

4. Troll - I liked this. I don't really know what I was expecting because I didn't watch the trailer or hear much about it, but I thought "well, I liked Trollhunters and maybe this is similar?" (literally how my brain works), but I was not expecting a Norwegian monster movie. It's basically King Kong, but with a Jurassic Park plot (actually it's so similar to Jurassic Park that it's kind of offensive??). I was a little annoyed in the beginning because I was expecting it to be in Norwegian, but they speak English in the beginning. It quickly continues in the native language, so that's good. The main actress is excellent (Ine Marie Wilmann), but she looks so much like Kate Hudson that it becomes a distraction. There are some moments that are done really well - like when you first see the eye of the troll (especially if you're not really expecting a monster movie...I was shocked!). I love the way her father smiles while he's in the helicopter after finally knowing that his long-held belief is really true. I like the idea of switching the old saying "you have to see it to believe it" to "you have to believe it to see it" - I know there are a lot of people in this world who believe in things that seem ridiculous to me (horoscopes, superstitions, God...), but to each their own. I do think that once you do believe in something - you'll do anything to keep that faith even if it doesn't make logical sense. There's also some really strong action sequences for something this low-budget (I assume it's low-budget?), like the scene with the troll taking out the helicopters. It's glorious. 

5. The Woman King - It's unfathomable that Thuso Mbedu isn't a frontrunner for every award this season. I watched this and was in complete awe of her (she's also great in The Underground Railroad - and I remember being surprised there wasn't awards talk with that, but this is an even greater injustice in terms of bullshit Hollywood awards). I would also say that it's the lead role, even though Viola Davis is the bigger name. This story is incredible and so necessary for it to be told - it's refreshing to watch a story from 1800s that's about strong, powerful black women instead of the usual stories that we've been bombarded with. Unfortunately, aside from some really strongly choreographed fight scenes, I got a little bored by this. I don't really feel like the story goes anywhere, and the twist overtakes what it is trying to say (making it feel sappy and emotionally manipulative instead of powerful - does that make sense?). I didn't really expect the twist, but the foreshadowing is there so I should have guessed it. I just don't think that it's necessary - the story is strong in itself about womanhood & sisterhood. Anyway, I definitely recommend it - for the acting, mostly, but also to support these stories.