Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Immaculate - *some spoilers ahead* First of all, I'm a big Sydney Sweeney fan - she's absolutely gorgeous, but I also think she's very talented and that gets a bit overlooked because she's so gorgeous (kinda like Alexandra Daddario). I didn't like her in Anyone But You, but I just don't think that romcoms are her genre. I did really like her in that other horror movie that she did where she was a twin - I can't think of the name of the movie, but she was excellent in it (and the rest of the movie was bad). I appreciate that she found a story that she was passionate about and decided to take matters into her own hands and produce this movie. It's sort of a shame that it came out so closely to The First Omen because they are eerily similar stories and they are equally great (I think I would put this slightly above The First Omen, but probably only because of Sydney's presence. The First Omen is probably better made, but it's very close). I think this would have gotten a better reception if the exact same movie didn't come out just a few months prior. However, it's very strong - there are some scenes that are just so good, like how she plans her escape by faking a miscarriage (although I don't think chickens have that much blood?!). And I like how the people at the convent just go full on evil - the line "If this is not the will of God, then why does God not stop us?" is delicious. It sums up these religious cults so succinctly with just that one sentence. Literally sent chills up my spine. There's some gorgeous imagery that is definitely referential to past movies, but still very much its own thing. And wonderful supporting performances from Benedetta Porcaroli (she's so beautiful too! She reminds me of someone but I can't put my finger on it. Penelope Cruz, maybe?) and the woman from The White Lotus! The ending is really strong too, which is hard to accomplish in films like this. 

2. The Instigators - Okay, I get that this isn't a great movie, but reviews seem overly harsh, in my opinion. It's a solid 3 star movie! I was entertained! Matt Damon and Casey Affleck have great chemistry and seem like they're having a ton of fun! What else do you want??! The overall plot is insanely stupid, but there's also something very charming about how dumb these characters are - just the worst heist ever with everything that could go wrong, in fact, going wrong. I think it's kind of funny that Clooney and Pitt have their own Apple film coming out. It's like the A team and the B team of Ocean's Eleven (although I think both Damon and Affleck are A team now but they weren't back then). I prefer Casey over Ben, as far as acting - he's a FAR better actor (and Ben should stick to directing!). And I'll always love Matt Damon - I do think this is the first movie that I said "wow he's getting old", so I laughed when Affleck says "what are you...60?". He's still so handsome because men look BETTER as they age (for the most part). I also love Paul Walter Hauser, but he's definitely underused - and the dialogue that he had to work with is quite painful. A lot of the dialogue could have definitely been better - but Damon and Affleck make it work, for the most part. It's not something I would highly recommend or anything, but if you're in the mood for a dumb heist movie with two loveable stars, then this will fit the bill perfectly. 

3. Kinds of Kindness - Welp, my favorite film of the year - and I highly doubt that will change because I think this is close to a masterpiece and there's very few of those made each year. I think you really have to like Yorgos Lanthimos' weird side to fully enjoy this. Like, if you thought The Lobster was a masterpiece then you'll likely love this too. The films that have more general audience appeal tend to be my least favorite by him (The Favourite, Poor Things - both are definitely "weird", but still have a tangible cohesive story). I love that it's three separate stories that definitely still feel connected by loose threads and I think if I rewatched it those threads would be a bit clearer. I think it also helps the 2 hour and 44 minute runtime feel less like 2 hours and 44 minutes because there's clear pause points and it feels like you're watching 3 short stories instead of one movie. I think I might be in the minority with the first part being my favorite? I really dig all three, but my initial feeling is that the first story feels the strongest. I think the other two are assisted by Emma Stone's dynamic performance (she's not in the first story as much), and are therefore thought to be "stronger". The entire cast is fabulous - playing different characters in each story - Jesse Plemons has the most to do, but great supporting performances from Margaret Qualley, Willem Dafoe, Hong Chau (she's been *excellent* at choosing projects lately - this, The Menu, Poker Face, etc.) and Joe Alwyn (on a sidenote, isn't Stone part of Taylor Swift's crew?? Weird that she would do a movie with Alwyn when according to her fanbase, he is the devil? My point is he's probably not that bad if one of her besties willingly works with him). Hunter Schafer also has a really strong scene (actually probably the strongest scene of the entire thing, aside from Stone's dance scene that became the main marketing for the film). Anyway, I just love that the film focuses on uncomfortable realities of human nature - those who thrive on power and domination vs those who seek out being dominated. And even though sex is a large part of this, it's not the sole focus (there are also focuses on cult behavior, domestic abuse, corporate dominance, etc.). I was flicking through some reviews after I watched this and someone noted that the film is basically a visual form of the Eurythmics song "Sweet Dreams" (which is featured in the movie). I can't remember who and now I can't find the review, but yes, that is exactly what this movie is. I also love how each "story" never goes how you expect it to - it's weird and wacky, but every action seems purposeful (instead of being weird just to be weird), like how in the 3rd story Emma drives her car as if she's participating in a drag race every time she drives - it seems totally out of character, but it somehow builds character at the same time (and also is great foreshadowing for the end). And best of all, it's actually very funny. If you get it. 

4. The Killer (2024) - I love Omar Sy so much! I'm not sure if I've mentioned that on this blog because I've really only seen him in The Intouchables and then one of the best current shows, Lupin. He deserves to be a huge star though. Unfortunately this movie isn't going to push him to that direction. It's not a bad movie, but I don't think I'll remember a single thing about it in a few months. I could already tell you before I pressed play that this movie did not need to be 2 hours - it should have been 100 minutes tops. I rated it 3 stars, but if it had tighter editing and a few other changes it could have easily been a 4 star movie. It's a ton of fun, and the fight choreography is so smooth. Especially the ending - the fight sequence that moves along to the cool suspenseful jazz music just works so well. John Woo knows how to direct these types of films, obviously, and I think he really finds the right rhythm for these films that a lot of other directors don't understand. I didn't realize until after watching this that Woo remade his own movie! I've never seen the original, obvi, but that's kind of interesting. Sy is obviously the highlight, but the rest of the cast is mostly good too. I LOVE Diana Silvers and her version of "Let's Live for Today" (the Pachinko song!!!) is SO GOOD. She's not really believable as being blind, though. I don't know the main girl, but she reminds me of Meghan Markle (and I like Meghan Markle!). Plus, MY FAVORITE BAD GUY EVER - Fouchet from Bad Boys (I can't believe that was like 30 years ago!). The worst part is definitely Sam Worthington because for some weird reason he does an Irish accent. Why not just let him have his natural Australian accent? Especially because he can't do accents? Is this like when Charlie Hunnam chose to do a Northern Irish accent because "it's his favorite"? Actors really need to learn their limits. 

5. A Quiet Place: Day One - I thought this was very good. Just as good as the first two, and they both landed on my "Best of" list in their years of release. I think a lot of people were expecting answers, and were therefore disappointed, but I think it's weird to expect answers for a story like this. That's not what these stories are about - they are about survival and human instinct and connections, not "why did the aliens attack Earth and where did they come from?". I usually *never* connect with these disaster flicks because I would just die. If the world was ending and millions of people are dead and there are no resources, I would just kill myself. But, as my husband always points out, I would absolutely stay alive *just* to make sure my cats are ok. So, this film, being that its main plot is that this woman is trying to save her cat and get a slice of NY pizza (and *spoiler* then die), is SUPER relatable. And, once again, Lupita gives a stellar performance but it's in a horror movie so it will be ignored come awards season. The way she can show terror in her eyes is a masterclass in acting. I do think that this film leans more towards disaster movie than horror, but my point still stands. I'm not fully convinced by Joseph Quinn, though. He's fine in this, but comparatively, Lupita outshines him in every moment. I thought he was also okay in Stranger Things, but he rose to film star so quickly and I don't really understand why (and he even got a coveted role with the Fantastic Four reboot!). They also got a great cat for this role - although I do find it mostly unbelievable that she's able to find the cat in all that chaos in NYC of all places. And I spent the whole film stressed out about the cat because if it were me - I would have had my cat in a bag or on a leash! There are several scenes in which the cat is not in the shot and it would stress me out! WHERE IS THE CAT?! I think Djimon Hounsou is extremely underused - and so unbelievable that he would be on the same boat that they were trying to get to. That's a bit ridiculous for a city with a population of 8 million people. And, even though the ending is a happy one (for some), everyone on the boat is probably going to die anyway, right? Also, as I write this post on the 23rd anniversary of 9/11, the imagery used of people running through NYC covered in soot and ash still stings.