Twilight. Hoo boy. Yeah. It's not great. There's a lot of hopeful staring and stewing in the tension, which I imagine (hope) comes across better in the books. Here it's just kind of stagnant. No flame, no heat.
Nobody Walks in L.A.
Nobody Walks in L.A.. It's uneven. I wish our heroes were more evenly matched, but she nobly spends a lot of time and effort dragging around a mopey dude. It picks up, though. I love a good walk-and-talk (e.g. Before Sunset, Before Sunrise, Before Midnight, Top Five, Certified Copy, Midnight in Paris).
Take a Photo Here
Teju Cole on the sameness of travel photography:
The visitor to a place like the Roman Forum does not only take a photograph of the Forum; he also takes a photograph for the Forum. His photograph partly serves the narrative chosen by the Forum’s custodians. The visitor is inadvertently mesmerized not only by the site but also by the municipal or museological organization of the experience of the site.
Incredibles 2
Incredibles 2. I liked it more than the first one. This one seemed funnier, and I like that the main heroes swapped roles. The set piece with the Screenslaver chase, fight, and monologue was delicious.
A Complete Guide to Getting What You Want
Everything you’ve ever wanted and then obtained, except maybe for the very latest thing, is probably not providing any great satisfaction at this moment.
And later:
The farther your plan deviates from established “best practices” (i.e. how the people who actually achieve your goal tend to do it), the more likely it is that you don’t actually intend to do it.
Dear Zachary
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father. At some point last year I polled friends for movies that most reliably make them cry. They were right on this one. It's completely gutting. Interesting how often documentaries can become their own subject, the creator becoming aware of and changing/reacting to the story in front of them as it goes along.
Faces Places
Faces Places. What a lovely documentary. I like the odd couple, clearly affectionate while also finding time to needle each other. I especially liked the mixed reactions to their art that they got from their collaborators. Some proud, some uncomfortable!
Lady Bird
Lady Bird. I like the momentum. Great in its cuts and edits and how it skips through time. Like our heroine, it refuses to get stuck.
Three statistics to understand the world
One key reason why we struggle to see progress in the world today is that we do not know how very bad the past was.
Paranormal Activity
Paranormal Activity. This was really fun. Ending seemed inevitable, but I suppose there's not much else you could do. Weird that being creeped out can be so fun. Filed under: horror.