Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Killers of the Flower Moon - Well, in a big twist of events, I didn't love this. I really expected to. I read the book back in 2018 (I wrote some quick thoughts on it on this blog I think). It covers a lot, so I didn't think I would mind the length of the film. I love Leo, and I love his collaborations with Scorsese (I think this is, what, his 6th collaboration??). And I was excited to see this supposed incredible performance from Lily Gladstone. I just....am disappointed with the result. It is waaaay too long, and I felt every single second of it. I don't like what Scorsese decides to focus on, which is more about the villains of the story. I get why maybe focusing on the FBI part would create another "white savior" type story, buuuuut....that's what the book is about? The literal subtitle is "The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI". But Jesse Plemons (as the FBI agent assigned to the case) doesn't show up until 2 WHOLE HOURS into the movie!! I actually forgot who played this role and when he knocked I thought it was Matt Damon! I wouldn't be surprised because Damon shows up in random movies all the time (It's his thing!). Leo is...absolutely awful in this role - the fake teeth they give him feel so unnatural and the accent is hard to listen to (combined with the constant frown, he looks like he's trying to do a Billy Bob Thornton Sling Blade impression). I think at this point, Scorsese has blinders on when it comes to certain actors because I felt like both Leo and De Niro were completely miscast in this. And as far as Gladstone is concerned - she's fine. I don't think her part is written very well, and she's not given much to do other than sit or lay there and look absolutely miserable. I'm not saying she should ever seem happy, so-to-speak, her family is slowly being murdered, but she' never given any depth whatsoever. A completely one-note character. And there are so many incredible lead actress performances from 2023 who aren't even being talked about in favor of this - and that's incredibly frustrating (Florence Pugh in A Good Person is a perfect example). I also don't think that is a "lead" performance, but this isn't the first nor will it be the last that we see of category fraud from awards shows. Other than that, it's a well-made film (because of course it is!) and some of it is very beautiful, but it just never hits the emotions that it should nor does it give a voice to the Osage people. It does shine a light on a disturbing part of American history (one of many!), that many don't know about (even my husband who is usually well-versed on American history. He came home while I was watching it, about 1/2 way through, and instead of watching the movie spent the next hour and half researching the history behind the film. I'm sure he learned a lot more in that time than he would have watching the movie). I also appreciate the end, with Scorsese inserting himself into the film. It's bold, for sure, and I can see why some didn't like it, but I felt like it was the most necessary part of the whole film. 

2. Foe - *spoilers* Well, now, how do you fuck up a movie with such a strong premise, starring Saoirse Ronan and Paul Mescal???? First, they filmed this movie that's set in the American mid-west in...Australia. And then they had both of these incredible Irish actors play Americans (taking away a big part of there "essence" - Although, Ronan is great with accents, Mescal...is not). It also doesn't help the film that it was released after the Black Mirror episode that essentially had the same story except it was good! I think the comparisons definitely hindered my enjoyment, specifically, because the whole thing is supposed to be some sort of mystery, with a twisty ending, but I knew exactly what was happening and how it was all going to play out because of those comparisons. It also is way too similar - the farmhouse looks identical?? It's like they used the same set! So my brain instantly said "oh, he's the AI already within the first, maybe, 20 minutes" (which is different than the Black Mirror plot, but not different enough), so the rest of the film seemed like a moot point. I think if they revealed the twist more towards the middle and then showed the after-effects of the "original" back on Earth, it would have added a layer of interest. Instead it's 90 minutes of this very boring couple with a slight mysterious air surrounding them. And it's not even interesting to look at, the characters are never fully fleshed out, the dialogue is dull, there's no chemistry, just all a big fat failure on every level. I don't update my Worst of list, like I do my Best of list, but if I did this would surely make the cut. 

3. Society of the Snow - What a beautiful movie! While I thought *for sure* that Killers of the Flower Moon was going to effect my Top 10 from 2023 (and it didn't), I had no expectations that this would (it will definitely be in the revised version). I've been a little peeved with J.A. Bayona ever since he made The Impossible about a white family. But he corrects his mistake here and casts actors from South America (many from Uruguay) and the dialogue is in Spanish. I don't think he could have technically done it any other way nowadays (but nothing surprises me, he could have added a fictional white family on the plane if he wanted to), BUT apparently this story was made into a film already and they cast WHITE ACTORS like Ethan Hawke! I obviously have not seen it, but Jesus Christ, that's hilarious. I'm not that familiar with this story, it was a little before my time, but obviously I had heard about the plane crash and what they did to survive (cannibalism). I think the tv show Yellowjackets obviously took some inspiration for their storylines, which I didn't even think about until watching this. The most effective part, I think, is that they tell the story from the perspective of one of the people who die. It would have been a far easier and more expected route to tell the story from a survivor perspective, so I appreciate the little twist. And I think in doing this, it gives the survivors more equal weight (audiences will automatically care more about the narrator of the story, usually, but he's dead!). The plane crash scene is just really brutal, and the film never shies away from the difficulties they face to survive, as well as the guilt they feel. I, for one, would be so pissed if I survived the initial crash, and would, for sure, just curl up in a little ball and die from either freezing or starving to death. But there are obviously people who have more of a survival instinct, and they really showcase that here. I did actually write down in my notes "why were there so many cigarettes and if they could light them, then why couldn't they start a fire?", although I questioned that maybe there wasn't enough stuff for them to burn. So I appreciate that Bayona actually answered this question on twitter (I guess I wasn't the only one questioning the reality of that), and apparently it's true. His answer is that they actually did find a whole suitcase filled with cigarettes so they smoked constantly (which makes sense because it's an appetite suppressant) and they did try to start a fire, but everything was too wet to get one going (makes sense!). 

4. The Equalizer 3 - I watched the first two films a week before catching this latest one and I quite enjoyed them. Denzel is just such a watchable movie star. I think I actually liked this one the best, though? I would rank them 3 > 1 > 2. Although, I don't understand how or why they didn't actually call it The Sequelizer and The Threequalizer. I know people made jokes about it, but I genuinely think those are what the titles should be. I loved seeing the supporting cast in the first two (Haley Bennett - clearly A STAR from the second she's on screen, and Pedro is in the second one! I think it's way too obvious as to his what his arc will be, though, which is why I didn't enjoy it as much). But THIS ONE takes the cake!!! A reunion with Denzel and Dakota Fanning 20 years after Man on Fire!! LOVE IT. I actually didn't recognize Dakota for a second - it's not like she's been gone (I watch The Alienist!), but something about her looks different. She almost looks like Maika Monroe?? Anyway, it's a little hard to take her seriously in such an adult role, but she is going to be 30 YEARS OLD this month, so I guess I have to deal with it. I do think that it's obvious as to who she is, and they didn't need to wait for a reveal, but it's different than Pedro because it's just a character reveal, not a twist of character. Anyway, I like the new Italian setting, and the overall kindness from everyone in the town. The action sequences are terrific, as expected. And, like I said, Denzel is just perfect in this role - I could easily watch a dozen more of these movies. 

5. Golda - On one hand, I appreciate that this isn't a traditional biopic, instead it's more of a war strategy film about the Israel/Palestine conflict, but on the other hand, it's kind of boring (and obviously one-sided). It was filmed before the events of 2023, I'm surprised that they still decided to release it, but it is important to see the history of this conflict. It's been going on for DECADES and it's wild to me that people outside these countries are so invested in it now but have no knowledge of the history. Anyway, this film is a bit like The Iron Lady, by trying to conjure up some sort of empathy for an awful woman in power. Sorry, but I don't believe for one second that leaders in power care about the death toll of war, because if they did, then war wouldn't exist! It's all just a numbers game to them. There are a few good things happening in this movie - Helen Mirren is one of the best actresses of all time, and she gives a very strong performance. And the sound design is really great. There are also certain harrowing scenes that are filmed almost like a horror film, which I think is really interesting for a film like this. But, overall, it's a very average film. And every other scene features a cigarette! I'm not exaggerating! At least 60% of the movie is someone smoking or lighting a cigarette.