Thoughts on 5 Films

1. The Killer - Ummmmmmmm....so, I didn't love it. It's exactly how I feel about Fincher's output since Zodiac. I haven't loved any of it (except Mindhunter!!), and some of them I didn't like at all (Mank, Gone Girl). It's really a shame considering that Se7en is one of my all-time favorite films. And I love Fight Club and Panic Room. But this is just so dull. It's well-made, and visually appealing, but the actual story is so predictable and the story of a killer (whether paid assassin or serial killer) letting his personal life effect his "job" has been done a million times (Dexter, Barry, Killing Eve, that awful Jessica Chastain movie Ava, are the first projects that pop into my head, but I'm sure I can probably name a dozen more if I really thought about it). I quite like the idea behind it - that being an assassin is just as mundane as any other 9-5 job ("Redundancies, Redundancies, and Redundancies" said in the same tone as "I smile, I smile, and I smile"). And at least Fincher knows how to light a night scene! There's also a lot of discussion within the film community about Fincher's use of seamless CGI, which I also agree with. But I just couldn't connect to it at all and I found the soundtrack extremely grating (we get it, he likes The Smiths, but Jesus Christ there's only so much I can take within a 2 hour timeframe). I think it could have been more subtle, or had more nuance. It also could have gone much darker or added more comedic moments. But instead, it's just all sort of...there. It's definitely a case of style over substance, and I do think his fanbase are those kind of "die hard" fans that will see genius in everything he does even if it's mostly mediocre. I also think Michael Fassbender is (usually) a terrific actor, and he does a good job of leading this film. I do think it's weird that he seems to have escaped the abuse allegations. I see it brought up every once in a while, but then it's quickly forgotten about again. It's most definitely because he's white, handsome, and has star power that can lead franchises (also, maybe the allegations aren't true, but it's still weird that nobody seems to want to address it). Overall though, meh. 

2. El Conde - I think this movie is sort of genius. It's a little too long and it feels kind of like an episode of Succession but with vampires, but then there is a really funny twist to it that I don't think anyone will see coming unless you're like me and wonder who did the narration and were too impatient to wait to find out. I googled it within the first minute and realized I spoiled a huge twist for myself. ***and spoilers ahead*** I honestly looked it up because I thought why does this narrator sound like Gillian Anderson doing her Margaret Thatcher on The Crown impersonation??? And then once I realized that it is supposed to be Margaret Thatcher, I kind of knew how the story was going to end. It's hilarious, though. But anyway, I think Pablo Lorrain is a really interesting filmmaker, even though I haven't loved all of his movies (Ema is my favorite of his, and I liked both Spencer and No. The only one I didn't really like was Jackie, but that might have been due to my own expectations). There's some really beautiful cinematography in this, and the scene with the young woman flying is excellently executed (I didn't love the overwhelming violins though). I don't know if the movie will really stick with me (other than the Thatcher twist), but I appreciate what it attempts. 

3. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse - This is a stunning movie. I really, really liked the first one, but I thought the praise was a little too much. When the same praise happened for this one (and most citing it as "even better"), I assumed it was another product of the hyperbole machine. However, I think I agree! It's definitely better than the first one, and it's one of the most well-thought-out superhero stories...ever. I did find the animation to be a little over-stimulating (and I didn't feel like that one with the first one), but it's still absolutely gorgeous. There are so many highlights to the story, but my personal favorite is Spider-Punk, voiced to perfection by Daniel Kaluuya. I laughed so hard at how much he loved the chaos (a lot of his little mannerisms are in the background too, so you have to really be paying attention specifically to him to notice it). I also thought the Indian version of Spider-Man was hilarious as he's showing them around ("this is where all the traffic is"). I love that both of these films have leaned into the fact that they can do Spider-Man comic book things that don't translate well in live-action (like Spider-Cat for example), and I can't wait to see how the next one attempts to top this. I was already aware that this was a "part one" and that it ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, so I kind of guessed what was going to happen, but I don't really rely on these stories to be shocking. I also don't rely on them to have this much depth and heartfelt emotion, but this film excels in this aspect. Just everything one could ask for in an animated film - perfectly cast voice actors, gorgeous animation filled with unexpected visual styles, a strong story, well-written characters, and some emotional punches. I think Infinity Pool is still my favorite film of the year just because of the sheer audacity of it, but this is a better film in terms of filmmaking so it's a close second.

4. Fingernails - I really liked this movie, but I'm also a little disappointed with it because it could have been A LOT better. I just think that a movie with this cast that has a storyline on par with The Lobster, should be my favorite film of the year and I don't think it's going to even make my Top 10. It just feels like it's missing something. And one of those things is chemistry. While I LOVE Jessie Buckley and Riz Ahmed - they just don't click for me at all. I wanted to feel the aching they had for each other. And I love that Jeremy Allen White is, like, a household name now (he was so good as Lip Gallagher, and I've seen a lot of people going back to watch the U.S version of Shameless due to his current popularity. Now if I can just convince people to watch the original first season of Shameless, my heart would explode. It's still my favorite season of any television series ever. Plus, James McAvoy), but he's given very little to do in this. I also don't really feel the chemistry between White and Buckley either, which I think was sort of done on purpose, but I think it would have made the story a LOT more interesting. I do like a lot of other things about this movie, though. I love that it feels futuristic and retro at the same time - it seems to take place in the late 70s/early 80s based on cars and technology, but they have an advanced system of detecting if two people are in love. I also think they mention the movie Titanic? So it would have to be after 1997 (or do they talk about the actual Titanic??? Now I'm double guessing myself). Anyway, it's definitely an interesting world that they've created. And I love all of the dancing scenes because it's very ridiculous, but they take it very seriously. There is a line of dialogue that I deeply hate though - "watching a love story feels safe, while being in love doesn't". What the fuck? Being in love should make you feel the safest you've ever felt in your whole life. If it doesn't then please get the fuck out of the relationship. 

5. Barbie - I'm not quite sure just how I feel about this movie yet. I know when the trailers were released and everyone was freaking out about it, I thought it looked horrendous. I had no interest in watching it in a theater, because it seemed like a nightmare (especially with the whole Barbenheimer thing). I wasn't surprised when reviews starting come in and they were largely good, but mostly because Greta Gerwig has a fairly large fanbase and her movies are a bit over-praised, in my opinion (I liked Lady Bird a lot, but it wasn't a masterpiece as some describe it. And I enjoyed Little Women more than I thought I would, but I can't believe it was nominated for Oscars). But, I'm happy to report that I definitely liked this - it's funny and cute, very well-acted, and the production design and costumes are a dream. But, I also think it's also a little cheesy, kind of stupid, and...very simple. I think too many people acted like it was subversive and layered, and I found it to be the opposite. The biggest success is most definitely the casting - Margot Robbie is Barbie and I love how much she just owned it - the press she did pre-strike, in which she wore recreated iconic Barbie looks were downright genius. And while I think Oscar talk is ridiculous, Ryan Gosling as Ken, is HILARIOUS. I think the best thing about Gosling is that he's in on the joke. Like, he knows how ridiculous this movie is and he just leans into it. I was surprised at how good he sings that Matchbox Twenty song, and I sincerely hope that "I'm Just Ken" is nominated for an Oscar because I think watching this performed live during the Oscar ceremony could potentially be an Oscar highlight of the century. I also love the casting of Issa Rae (her line delivery of "that's because they're dreamhouses, mother fucker" is probably my favorite line of the whole movie), and the Sex Education reunion (I'm going to miss that show so much). I also think that the whole battle of the sexes aspect is done really well - and when Ken introduces the patriarchy to Barbie Land, I laughed really hard at most of it. I appreciate the production design, the attention to detail with the costumes, and the choreographed musical numbers. It felt like Gerwig put a lot of love into this, and I'm glad that she was rewarded with breaking box office records. But, as I said, it's also really stupid, the ending drags a bit, and it's not something I would ever watch again.