Yeesh, I didn't like this one at all, and I can't help but feel like a lot of the buzz around this movie is purely off the back of Mia Goth's, albeit excellent, unhinged performance. Following Possessor, I was very intrigued to see what Brandon Cronenberg would do next and while a similar Sci-Fi + Social Commentary plotline is there, this quickly fades into psychedelia and masturbatory body horror that feels aimless and purely visual. I'm sure there is a message in here about rich individuals being above the law due to their infinite finances allowing them to cheat the legal system; I'm sure there is an exploration of the human psyche and how we can flip between normalcy and degeneracy at the drop of a hat when consequences are removed; I'm sure this movie has a lot to say but something just isn't connecting with me with how it's told and shown. A rather large whiff of the bat for me on this one, but I'm glad I got to see more of Mia Goth doing what she does best. While I think she's probably above comic book movies, I'm sure she's currently at the top of the list to take over the Harley Quinn character in whatever iteration WB spit out next, but I digress.
Tedious and plain (I’ll see myself out), even by B-movie standards. It’s one of the most by the numbers, predictable films I’ve seen in a long time. It feels like one of those ‘90s movies that’s ripping off Die Hard, which back in the day was done quite successfully on a few occasions (Speed, Air Force One). However, this is so clearly phoned in, nobody gave a shit. I don’t know what’s going on with the cinematography of this film, because the colour and lighting makes it look like it was shot on an iPhone. A recent model for sure, but an iPhone nonetheless. Say what you will about the …. Has Fallen trilogy, I’d argue they’re generally pretty disposable, but at least they looked fine visually. There’s also surprisingly little action here, and most of that stuff is poorly edited and tame, it certainly didn’t need the R-rating. The acting’s passable, it’s a waste of Mike Colter’s talent (as well as Gerard Butler’s, but he’s been typecast in these movies for a while now) and the dialogue didn’t do the actors any favours. Where are the fun, cheesy one-liners? Where is the clever, subversive touch? Why does this get a theatrical release in the year 2023? It’s the kind of content that gets looped endlessly on shitty cable tv channels, the kind of film that’s recommended to my dad when he opens his Netflix account, not something people actually seek out anymore. Throwing 25 million dollars at this seems insane to me.
3/10
Damien Chazelle's Babylon is grand in nature and visually striking, but its structure is not entirely solid. Unlike his previous films, Whiplash, La La Land, and First Man, Babylon left me feeling disconnected. The film explores the excesses and debauchery of 1920s Hollywood as the industry transitions from silent films to "talkies." The performances by Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie, and Diego Calva are strong, and the cinematography and score are impressive. However, the writing and runtime detract from the overall impact of the film. The characters feel like caricatures and the second half lacks focus. The movie also pays homage to Singin' in the Rain, which hinders the delivery of the story. While Babylon is a feast for the eyes, it ultimately falls short in delivering a cohesive and emotionally engaging narrative.
Babylon de Damien Chazelle es grande en su naturaleza y visualmente impresionante, pero su estructura no es del todo sólida. A diferencia de sus películas anteriores, Whiplash, La La Land y First Man, Babylon me dejó con una sensación de desconexión. La película explora los excesos y la decadencia de Hollywood de los años 20 mientras la industria se transiciona de las películas mudas a las "habladas". Las actuaciones de Brad Pitt, Margot Robbie y Diego Calva son sólidas y la fotografía y la banda sonora son impresionantes. Sin embargo, la escritura y la duración restan impacto a la película. Los personajes se sienten como caricaturas y la segunda mitad carece de enfoque. La película también rinde homenaje a Singin' in the Rain, lo que dificulta la entrega de la historia. Aunque Babylon es una delicia para los ojos, finalmente falla en la entrega de una narrativa cohesiva y emocionalmente atractiva.
At this point, Damien Chazelle’s career trajectory is one of upping the amount of Oscar bait with every new project.
And I get it, what happened with La La Land at the Academy Awards was most unfortunate, but this film should even be lucky to get nominated, because it's not going to be remembered beyond that.
It’s essentially an exhausting, empty, 3 hour mess that thinks it’s a lot deeper than it is. Lots of fancy camerawork, lots of showy acting, lots of coke and nudity, lots of scenes where it’s clearly trying to be Boogie Nights, but it does not stick the landing at all. Showing excess can be fun and interesting, but combined with the cocaine fueled, Michael Bay-esque editing style it ends up feeling more like Scorsese for the inattentive Tiktok generation. It also leaves you on a note that I thought was incredibly indulgent and pretentious, which soured me even more on the whole experience.
It’s not even one of those films where you need to have a critical eye or a good understanding of cinema in order to get why it’s bad, it’s pretty upfront right from the start. It fails with a lot of the basics, such as plotting (which is incoherent), pacing (which is all over the place) and music (which is incredibly annoying). I wish I could at least praise the acting or characters, but it’s all so over the top in the most annoying, unfunny way. I like the cinematography and some individual moments, but that’s kinda it. The whole film starts with an elephant taking a shit into the camera, so at the very least Chazelle seems to self-aware about what he has delivered here; a massive turd that doesn’t play to his strengths as a filmmaker.
4/10
Probably one of the best starting points if you want to get into arthouse cinema.
You’re getting a fairly basic, straightforward genre film balancing crime, thriller, drama and romance, combined with the arthouse sensibilities of NWR. So it’s not trying to be Fast and Furious, but it’s a well written movie with a strong emotional core. Familiar ideas that are clearly inspired by the films of the 70s (such as Taxi Driver), but they don't feel familiar because of how they're presented. Aesthetically, however, this movie is much more inspired by the decade that came after that, and it’s easily its biggest selling point. The cinematography is extremely well done, and the score is terrific. This movie revived synthwave before it started to dominate in popular music again and it inspired the soundtrack of films like It Follows and The Guest.
The acting’s superb and the choices made by the actors inform a lot about the characters, tension is constantly building, honestly I don’t see how anyone could find it boring or slow. If you can appreciate filmmaking, acting and creativity, and don't need commercial bombast to create an artificial sense of story movement, you'll probably like this. It doesn’t quite have the depth to warrant a 10, but it’s pretty close.
9/10
It’s the Charlie Kaufman version of Don’t Look Up. This is essentially an exploration of all the different ways we collectively distract ourselves from our own mortality by means of white noise (some examples of the noise this film touches on being excessive consumerism, misinformation, cult of personality, religion, overprescribing and quackery ). I actually really like the dialogue and how the characters are written, it gives the film a very unique voice. Granted, it feels like an academic’s interpretation of Wes Anderson, so it’s wordy, eccentric and dry, but I like that. Sometimes you need to dig in order to understand what’s being said, or what the joke is. It’s very well shot (the second half in particular is very stylish), the acting’s great and it also has one of Elfman’s better scores in recent memory. However, I do think the storytelling is inelegant. There are a lot of tonal shifts that don’t work at all, and the two halves feel way too disconnected. They’re thematically linked, but besides that, they feel like two completely different movies. The second half is also considerably slower and less interesting. Still, I think this is entertaining, and the credits (which include a fantastic new LCD Soundsystem song) are a major highlight.
6/10
Please do yourself a favour and stop reading reviews; watch this movie as blind as you possibly can. This movie rides and dies on shock value, so stay as unspoiled as you can on your initial viewing. Even me telling you this as a prerequisite is probably going to takeaway some of the shock I felt that made my viewing more enjoyable than it otherwise would have been.
The subject matter is heavy and reminded me a lot of Funny Games; bad people doing bad things for bad reasons.
Did I enjoy this movie? Not really, and I think that's the intention, but the initial reveal and rollercoaster I felt during the opening 30 minutes is the kind of stuff I love in indie cinema. When an unassuming picture like this tackles such grim, horrible topics out of seemingly nowhere. I'll never return to this movie, but it did shock me, and I really enjoyed the implementation of it's single take style. Can I recommend it? It'll be up to the individual if the ugly topics it focuses on are something they can stomach, or give 90 minutes of their life to.
What a movie to start off 2023 :sweat_smile:
A very strong cautionary tale about people being misled by propaganda in order to fight for useless causes that only lead to emotional self harm and pain. A timeless message, you could make that movie during any time period and it’ll probably strike a chord with audiences, but now especially it seems extra relevant with the worldwide rise of neofascism. The directing and cinematography are both extremely well done. It’s clearly inspired by 1917 colour, lighting and composition wise, though it’s not all edited to look like one take (there are a few great long takes in it, however). I also appreciate the eye for detail and authentic choices its willing to make, I like that everyone in this movie has shitty teeth, which is something often omitted in American war movies. When it comes to the story, I like the contrast the script provides between the soldiers and commanding officers, both parts felt equally as interesting to me. The action sequences are impressive, but so are the armistice negotiation scenes with Daniel Brühl. Emotionally, it packs a strong punch, though its extent is lessened by the fact that most of the emotional beats are build around the arc of the protagonist, who’s simultaneously meant to be the audience surrogate and kind of a wet blanket as a result. It reminded me of Dunkirk in that regard, though a lot of the side characters here are generally more colourful and interesting. I also think the music could’ve been more gripping, but those are the only real complaints I have. An essential war movie for the modern age.
7.5/10
“I swear on my late scorpions soul, MY hands are clean.”. :laughing:
This instrumental version of Nothing Else Matters coupled with this montage at the end of episode 3 is chef’s kiss.
I know the show is called Wednesday not The Addams Family or something like that but the adults needed more lines. I wasn't sure about the Morticia and Gomez casting and still am because they're barely in it so far. I want to see more of them.
Jenna Ortega is absolutely knocking it out the park as Wednesday.
Dialogue is kind of weird. Some of it is giving me strong boomer writing teenagers vibes.
Show definitely has its flaws and is outside my demographic but the gothic design is fun to watch, so I will be continuing. An easy yet forgettable watch.
Wow that was a trip. The last half of the episode made me really question who's the bad guy. But the very end...looks like the real bad guy is Cieran. Or is he? It seems the passengers of Prometheus are all in a simulation to pass the time while they take their space trip - so why would it be bad for Cieran to do that? New questions arise, like what is Daniel working for? Why is the simulation bad? Why doesn't the Dad know? Is Elliot's sickness unique to him or something all of humanity is facing, which is why Prometheus was made? And finally...which reality is real? Daniel said Maura made the simulation and now Cieran took over. But what Elliot saw, is that the real reality or within the simulation, because the show does show us that it is possible to create a simulation in a simulation. The Allegory of the Cave is huge in this one and I'm impressed with how much the show deliberately fed us the truth. Like Maura, we are also fresh from our slumber and confused about the world we're in, which is great because I was really confused how they were going to lead to a S2 with this...and I guess this is how. I loved Dark, and it looks like 1899 is rolling with the same intense mystery that makes us feel smart until the rules are broken again and a new season will teach us what is right/wrong. Well done Baron bo Odar and Jantje Friese. Oh...and is Cieran even real or is he an AI, there's no way he's going to survive the whole trip in space conscious the whole time either.
01x05 - The Calling: 8.4/10 (Great)
Episode 5, “The Calling,” picks up the pace after a few slow episodes and hints at what may be happening. Not only do the electronics in Henry's chamber appear like they belong in the late 20th century and not the 19th, but we also get a hint that Maura's father might be in charge of the whole situation. With the addition of Daniel's possession of a LED torch in the year 1899, it seems increasingly likely that he has travelled across time or that alternate realities exist. Perhaps the people in charge are based in the twenty-first century or the far future, and everything we see is a simulation? It was eerie to see so many people following what sounds like a metronome to their deaths; this likely fits in with the signs we've had about a mental facility. Excellent sequence, amongst the best of the show. A part of me is disappointed by the horror in “1899”, which has felt somewhat underwhelming. There was room to make it scarier, but the creators, unfortunately, opted against exploring that avenue. So far, I'm loving it; it's reminiscent of Severance in many ways, and I'm hoping they can nail the resolution.
This is fascinating, I loved every second of it. Such a brilliantly written script and Cate Blanchett’s performance deserves every possible accolade, Lydia Tár is one of the best characters I’ve seen in a long time. The way the film tackles pretension, artistic ego and achievement as a veil for perceived integrity, and the abuse of power that results from it really spoke to me. Should artists be held accountable or not? Should we seperate art and artist? What is the effect of cancel culture on art? These are questions I’m currently asking myself, as one of my own favorite artists made anti semetic remarks and alligned himself with highly questionable social movements just a few weeks ago, tanking his own career. I used to be firmly in the camp of seperating the two, but this movie made me reconsider that, which is quite an achievement. An achievement made all the more impressive by the fact that there’s no spoonfeeding going on here. The main character isn’t judged in an obvious way and Todd Field clearly wants you to draw your own conclusions.
Now, the script is super intricate, there’s a lot of technical mumbo jumbo in it. Having a background in music (and music theory) myself, I can honestly say that a lot of that stuff went over my head. I got the impression that parts of it were meant to be satirical, but still: you don’t need to feel stupid if you don’t have a perfect grasp on what all of that means, because it’s not the crux of the story. Your focus should be drawn to the journey of our main character, which is intriguing by itself. It starts out as a drama, but then incorporates elements of psychological thrillers as the film progresses. After the movie finished, I immediately wanted to go back and dissect how we’d gotten to the point where we end up.
The filmmaking is very Fincher-y: it’s cold, impersonal, distant, and it has some of the best one takes you’re going to see this year. It’s confidently slow paced, subtle and the director likes to linger on certain shots for a long time, which will inevitably lead to some of the general audience calling it '''''boring''''', even though it obviously isn’t. In fact, I can even see it winning Oscars in a few technical categories, it’s that exceptional.
9/10
After a questionnable year for Marvel we finally get something good! It's exactly what I wanted from a Black Panther sequel. As good as they could have done it with what they were left with and no Chadwick Boseman. I think it's actually an upgrade from the first such a better story dealing with grief and loss. Those themes were done greatly and you can feel the emotional impact on the characters. The story is engaging to the point where Chadwick Boseman's absence wasn't as strongly felt. There are of course moments where he's missed but the transition and execution was done right so I wasn't missing him as much.
The acting was good all around but the standout is Angela Bassett who gives her heart and soul into an incredibly powerful emotional performance. The CGI has it's flaws at times but they're minimal and didn't bother me. The action is fantastic I was on the edge of my seat most of the time.
The world building was truly excellent. Namor is a really cool and badass villain and so layered he isn't just black and white. His civilization underwater loved it and the whole adventure of discovering them and how they're brought in was a treat.
Some characters felt unnecessary like the new girl, not a fan of her and her suit looked cartoonish. The whole politics subplot should of been cut out it brings nothing to the stoty. I was satisfied by pretty much every characters arcs but it needed way more Okoye and M'Baku. Also Okoye was absolutely right that blue suit looks like shit honestly it felt like Power Rangers when it was on-screen.
Loved the ending and mid-credits, so emotional. Overall a great time at the theater watch it in IMAX if you can!
Better than I expected, but not as good as I hoped.
I don't care about the historical inaccuracies. There's no historical epic in existence that hasn't taken some liberties with the details, many far moreso than this.
What surprised me is that, despite Nanisca being top-billed, being the face on the poster, and even being the titular "Woman King", she wasn't the main character of the film. She was a supporting role to the real protagonist: Nawi.
I wish Viola Davis had been given the opportunity to do what she does best: Intense, emotional scenes that don't let the viewers off the hook. But in this piece there simply wasn't a scene long enough for her to sink her teeth into. The few emotionally-charged scenes were shuddering with jump-cuts and dialogue that just pull you right out of the emotion... It was disengaging.
It was great to see Davis in a more physical role for a change though. I was on set for some of the action scenes, and her physicality and professionalism were captivating in person, even if the choppy editing didn't quite tdo them justice on screen.
While Mbedu and Bolger did a fine job protraying it, with excellent on-screen chemistry, I felt that the romance story was just a distraction that could have been dispensed with. That might have bought us a few more minutes of Davis screen time!
Man I love every time an action movie comes out that reminds us the genre can have depth and themes and true character work. That there can be style and practical effects and grounded action. In the wave of the MCU this is such a breath of fresh air. The action is slick but the drama and characterization work in tandem with it to create something truly special. It's a film that is inspirational not in spite of the history but because it acknowledges the history and transforms it and finds a way to make it resonate today. It shows the strength of these women and the culture while not shying away from its flaws. These black women are put up on a pedestal and asked- if not demanded- to stop feeling, that it is weak, a dereliction of duty, and the film gradually repudiates that while never denying their strength or more importantly their humanity.
And the cast gamely rises up to what they're given. Davis obviously shines as the centerpiece, putting decades of experience into a performance that is stoic, aching, charismatic, and raw in equal measures. Some of her delivery and expressions, from a wry smirk to a fond and exasperated roll of the eyes, are so good at grounding Nanisca and making her really feel like a person, just one from a different time. And while I had mixed feelings about Underground Railroad, Mbedu was never one of them, and she shines here as well. The things she can do with her eyes alone are captivating. And Boyega is charming while being hard and pragmatic enough to still keep you guessing where he'll fall. But in a cast of greats, Lasana Lynch still stands out. The charisma she has on display here makes me baffled she hasn't led a franchise yet, put her in everything.
This film is a celebration of black women while never dehumanizing them. It lets us be strong and vulnerable, stalwart and hurting, devoted and loving, in equal measure. And it's a tight, fun time to boot.
1x05 - We Light the Way: 9.0/10 (Near Perfection)
After 60 minutes of pure brilliance, I can only describe it as stunning, exhilarating, and memorable. “We Light the Way” is the best episode of the season thus far. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute; nevertheless, I have certain reservations regarding the ending—I feel the writers allowed themselves to get away with a little too much.
I’m unsure if I’ll ever really warm up to Daemon because he remains as perplexing as he did at the season’s outset. Knowing that George R. R. Martin considers him one of his favourite characters makes me eager to see where his character goes from here. I thought Ser Laenor was somewhat underwhelming, and I hope that changes; he seems out of place, and I can’t put my finger on why that is. Seeing him get so distraught at the end that he could hardly finish a sentence is a foreboding sign that things are about to get very serious, as if they weren’t already.
One of the things I enjoy most about the show is how my sympathies shift each episode as I see the characters grow and descend further and deeper into savagery. After the conclusion of “Game of Thrones,” I’ve been wary about committing too deeply to this show. This episode, though, is one of the best I’ve seen, and it’s more than convinced me that the show warrants my complete attention.
EASILY one of the best shows this year and this thing is flying under the radar as far as I can tell which is a shame. The first five episodes in the hospital are incredibly transportive due to the cinematography, set design, and performances. Every actor embraces their role so well and everyone feels so real. This is probably the most grounded show this year while also being able to draw so many emotions out of you. I felt anger, fear, anxiety, endearment, and overwhelming grief and sadness in the first five episodes alone. Episode 5 in particular stands out as one of the most emotional and heartbreaking hours of TV I've ever watched. The only emotion that seemed to be missing was happiness or joy. It is really lacking in levity, but at the same I'm not sure that adding levity to a true story like this would be the right thing to do. I bet that any feelings of levity were severely absent for the real life doctors and patients of this story, and therefore the tone of this show feels like a faithful thematic adaptation. My one complaint was the juxtaposition between the first five episodes and the last three. The first five episodes in the hospital produced some of the most engaging and emotional television I have ever watched, and I just don't think the final three episodes was able to match this. The final three episodes are by no means bad, but they feel like they comprise a completely different of show and inherently the legal aftermath section of the show just isn't going to be as engaging or enthralling as the first five episodes actually in the hospital. Because of this the show dragged a good bit in these last episodes. Once we get to the final three episodes the show also narrows in on continuing Anna Pou's story, but most of the other characters get little to no screen time after being major parts of the first five epodes. I had gotten attached to those characters and there was a harsh cutoff for most of them after the fifth episode. I do, however, think that the final three episodes do a great job of adding complexity to Anna Pou's character and the entire situation at the hospital, as well as adding well-written new characters. Overall, even with the harsh transition after episode 5 I still found this show as a whole to be incredibly engaging and emotional. One of my favorite limited series.
2022 TV Shows Ranked --> https://trakt.tv/users/justinnumerick/lists/2022-tv-shows-ranked?sort=rank,asc
I remember not liking it all that much when I first saw it, but I can’t for the life of me remember my own reasoning for that.
Now it’s my favourite film.
That’s kinda interesting in its own right, as this is such a Gen X movie, which I’m not a part of. It’s a movie that to me seems to delve into the general sentiment about a lack of direction/purpose and ideals to strive towards this generation was feeling around the time, which I don’t think directly translates to Millennials or Gen Z.
Yet, because the writing is so compelling and rich, it’s still engaging from beginning to end. Its themes are not dated in the slightest, and have only become more and more relevant as time went on.
It has 3 great characters at the center, fantastic and tight storytelling ( the twist is genius ) with lots of sharp and poignant dialogue, and Fincher is on top of his directing game.
The cinematography and score are both raw, dirty and disgusting, and I mean that in the best possible way.
It’s also quite challenging in the way it analyzes masculinity and its place in our modern, capitalist society. None of that is handed to you on a plate, you have to put some thought into its ideological messaging, otherwise you might very well get to the wrong conclusion.
It may not be the most accessible film on first viewing, but the film will open up on a second viewing, because your entire perspective as a viewer is completely different.
10/10
Another banger from mr. Peele. He’s challenging himself and the audience once again with his latest effort, this time focussing on themes such as the relationship between humans and animals, consumerism, grief and fame, specifically through the lens of spectacle and exploitation in the entertainment industry. It’s probably his most technically proficient, truly excellent cinematography and music. The characters and actors all hit their mark, the tension’s very well built up, it’s genre bending and unique; the man knows what he’s doing. I have some minor problems with the writing though. The Daniel Kaluuya character figures out a pretty major twist during the second act, which is a major turning point for the story ( the ufo is an animal, and you shouldn’t look at it ), but I’m a bit fuzzy on how he arrived at that conclusion. It sort of makes sense if you consider his profession, but I still thought it was a little thin. There are also a few characters that show up in the third act that feel either unnecessary, or share the same purpose in the story. For example, you could’ve cut the tmz journalist (who by the way looks a lot like one of the Daft Punk robots) out entirely, it wouldn’t make much of a difference. Still, my quibbles with this are pretty minor, mr. Peele has a great trilogy under his belt now. A trilogy of auteur driven studio films, quite the rarity in the current Hollywood system. Is he the new Denis Villeneuve/Chris Nolan? Time will tell, but I wouldn’t bet against the guy at this point.
8/10
What an excellent sequel - I, in fact, like it more than its predecessor.
'Top Gun: Maverick' is fantastic, simply put. I was expecting it to be good, but it's actually much more enjoyable than I had anticipated. The callbacks to the original are expertly done, the new characters are strong/well cast, it has plenty of meaning, music is fab and the action is outstanding - the aerial stuff is sensational.
The story is superb, with each high stake coming across as intended - parts even gave me slight goosebumps, which is a surprise given I'm not someone who has a connection to the 1986 film. It's all super neatly put together, I honestly came close to giving it a higher rating.
Tom Cruise is brilliant as he reprises the role of Maverick, while Miles Teller comes in and gives a top performance. Jennifer Connelly is another positive, though her role does kinda feel a tiny bit forced in order to have a love interest; given Kelly McGillis' [unexplained] absence.
Monica Barbaro stands out most from the fresh faces, though I actually did enjoy watching them all - which is something I thought the film may struggle with, adding new people, but it's done nicely; sure Jon Hamm and Glen Powell are a little cliché, though overall I approve.
A great watch - I'd highly recommend it, though naturally would suggest watching the previous film first if you haven't already.
Tonally all over the place, was expecting a better and truthfully more impactful reveal of the 3rd persona after all that not-so-subtle build up. The Ammit CGI was gorgeous though… but man what a let down after that masterful previous episode.
Also someone explain to me why Taweret’s costume idea was basically a discount Captain American Falcon? Introduce a new character with meaningful representation and they stick it with that unoriginal design/concept - like why does a god that takes the form of a hippo give wings to its avatar as their main ‘feature’ (and yes I know the relevance of chimeric wings in ancient Egyptian mythology)?
On the note of character development, the way they showcase the idea of sacrifice early on is a bit strange. So Marc gives up his life ‘in heaven’ to not leave his emotional self defence mechanism behind? After doing all the mental gymnastics to work through his past traumas in the last episode? It makes the weight of the Steven persona’s sacrifice meaningless.
Great strands to work with but the series felt like it was in a mad dash to wrap everything up in 1 episode. I felt they could’ve truncated the first 4 episodes to give this latter half more breathing room - but hay there’s always next season :person_shrugging_tone3:♂
Got to watch early and I was so excited because I always have high expectations for mid-season finales and season finales, especially it being the last season. Was a tad bit disappointed to be honest. The mood they are setting is great. The cicada's - or what where they? - flying over the dark, tense silence, all good HOWEVER there wasn't enough happening. There is this constant build-up this season and I'm waiting for it to pop but it simmers down every time. I really expected someone to die by now. Someone other than a minor character like Marco. (Am I the only one who yelled POLO at the tv when Lydia cried out for him?)
Lance is great. I'm loving him. He is a good villain. One who seems nice and polite but slowly descents into madness. The way he didn't even flinch when that bullet grazed his face, excellent. He is calm and composed but his eyes show the crazy building up inside him. When he'll let out that crazy I'm sure things are really gonna blow. But when!? WHEN!?
I'm sad to see Leah go. She was beyond saving at this point. She was going to keep hunting Maggie so it's the natural course of the story to have her killed but man, she was one badass character! The one on one with Maggie was fantastic!
I still hope Pamela turns out to be a good, decent person unlike her son and Hornsby. But if she's not in the loop about everything that those two are up to than what does that say about her? Either way, this uprising is good. I wondered how long it was going to take before our group would try to take this town over.
My expectations for the final part of this show are really high. I hope they can live up to those after all this build-up.
Well, obviously the parents have never had a talk with their kids about "stranger danger", but then, in the case of Ethan and Victor, creeps of a feather flock together, even if, in a way, they are both innocently creepy. Daddy Jim is obviously alarmed that Victor may be grooming his son for some bad touching, but, in reality, he is, (and apparently always has been) trying to figure out what the hell is going on, even if he can't articulate it to the normies. As the OG resident number one of the newly christened "Monsterville", just how long was his only companion the day-walker ghost boy, and his dog who, I have a feeling are key to solving the mystery. Even as a kid Victor was "different", which, in the end, may have been the reason he survived, along with hiding in the storm(?) cellar. (why didn't anyone else hide?)
Teen girls gonna teen, but, I have a feeling Sara really HAS made a mistake, especially if no one at the colony house respects boundaries. That tossed off "we share EVERYTHING here" remark came off to me as ominous, even more so with Fatima and Boyd's son so eager to share sleeping quarters. The people in there have separated into tribes, the Colony House folks seeming like those who just want to isolate in a herd for some imagined protection from the monsters. The town folks seem to be the ones pulling most of the weight with Boyd and Kenny trying to hold it all together, Father Khatri playing Pontius Pilot, while dispersing platitudes and holy water. Jade is the wild card who will either figure it out, of be the next one to get mercked.
Hmmm, teleporting trees, and, now it appears that everyone there was ALSO teleported from different parts of the country after they came upon a downed tree in the road...., gotta mean something. But, who does the choosing, and WHY? Also, the space, according to Victor, is tightening like the proverbial noose that had a baby with the frogs in a pot of water sitting on the stove.
Better to have several graves and not need them, than to need several graves and not have them hey Victor?
Behaviorism has been a theme and source of criticism in the cinema ever since it was concepted, but it was popularized with Kubrick and even inconsciently writers and directors continue to expose how dangerous and brutal it can be.
Wolf is an incredible movie, with it's core on social criticism but it's soul on human identity and the suffering of having to addapt to what the world have decided for you.
Lily Rose-Depp and Paddy Constantine give us amazing performances, but the highlight and what holds the movie and all of its themes together is the terrific performance of George MacKay. We've seen him do it before, but never with so much dept and pain, he makes us feel exactly what the caracther is feeling, therefore the movie can be painful and unconfortable to watch.
The movie is not about a mental disorder, probably is based on clinical lycanthropy, a type of psychosis, but it looks nothing like in the movie. The movie is about freedom, pain, to give in to your nature and discovering what it really is.
Wolf can be read in many ways, interpreted with your own struggles and that's what makes it such a perfect film.
I will not forget George MacKay and this criminally underrated performance, it will stay in my mind for a very long time and I'm glad for it.
