First Reformed

2019-01-202019-01-20 ~ Mark

First Reformed. I dig it. Some great performances. I never knew what direction it was going to go.

Predestination

2015-05-112018-02-03 ~ Mark

Predestination. The brisk opening especially felt a little 1990s-ish, in a good way. I wish that pace had kept up. Reminded me of Dark City a bit. Love the costume and set details that keep you oriented. As with many labyrinthine movies, I’m curious about what the experience would be like if they told it straight, in one chronology. There’s so much story in this story that it sort of spoils itself, but… I liked it. How wrong can you go with time travel?

Training Day

2014-09-242018-02-03 ~ Mark

Training Day. Pretty good. Denzel covers some good range here, maybe a little toooooo schizo/flip-floppy. Always switching, probing, testing. I was a bit impatient with it after a while. Surprised how well Hawke carried his chunk of the movie.

Boyhood

2014-08-222018-02-03 ~ Mark

Boyhood. Though the movie is pretty mesmerizing in a slice-of-life-y way, I think I’m more in awe of the work involved than the end product.

Before Midnight

2013-06-232018-01-24 ~ Mark

Before Midnight. I’d call it a must-see if you’ve seen and liked the previous two movies. It’s been a real treat to see these fictional people grow and change. There’s a couple moments in there (a dinner table monologue, a sunset countdown) that are so perfectly heartstring-tugging and bittersweet. I also liked the expanded cast with some couples older and younger to add some ground or contrast, and the timely nods to new technology and ways we connect. Somewhat in the same vein, I have to recommend Certified Copy, a brilliant walk-and-talk Mediterranean maybe-romance.

2013-06-232017-11-12 ~ Mark

Girls on Film: Before Midnight and the evolution of one of cinema’s most dynamic women.

Yes, they are some of the most critically acclaimed cinematic romances in decades. Yes, they represent the “little engine that could” in a creative system in which only big-budget popcorn flicks tend to get multiple sequels. Yes, they are an enjoyable departure from the current standard of overly frenetic, quick-cut filmmaking. But they are also the only films that strive — and succeed — to create a detailed and ongoing look at the female experience.