V for Vendetta. Wow, I didn’t remember this being so tedious. What a drag.
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Night Moves
Night Moves. Second viewing (the first). I forgot how good this one is, visually. So many shots underscoring the protagonists’ perspective, seeing their environment torn apart, or reshaped, or unappreciated.
Leave No Trace
Leave No Trace. Loved it. Such a good quiet story. I like melodrama but it’s also nice to see this, too: just naked presentation of people trying to do what they must while trying to take care of each other. Other good movies with Oregonians wrestling with modernity: Old Joy, Night Moves, The Goonies.
Get Out
Get Out. The more I think about it, the better and better it becomes.
Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek)
Kannathil Muthamittal (A Peck on the Cheek). Really really liked it. A child is orphaned by war and later seeks out her birth family. Took a couple turns I wasn’t expecting. I was a puddle. Soundtrack has some bangers, too.
The Crow
Sahara
Sahara. Really dumb, but also kinda subversive! There’s some, uh, provincialism and casual violence that doesn’t age well, but it’s fun overall. Love the big reveal moment. Normally in these sorts of adventure movies it’s a room full of treasure. Here, it’s toxic waste.
Twilight
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).
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.
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.
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.
Murder on the Orient Express
Murder on the Orient Express. I think my favorite part was the extended opening, gathering up all the players before the journey starts. Mostly entertaining. The final act/resolution seems a bit over-cooked. I wonder if it comes across better in the book, though.
Uptown Girls
Uptown Girls. It’s not great but I love that it makes the effort to be better than it strictly needs to be to get the job done. Like the high-energy opening setpiece, around the room and out the building to grab a taxi. Small touches like the quick cut when looking at the mirror in horror; the Road Runner cartoon playing during the break-up scene; the use of mirrors and blocking during the ballet practice; the cuts between street fights; the train reaction shot transitioning to Coney Island; the spin of the teacup echoing the spin at the beginning of the movie. It all adds up. Brittany Murphy is completely charming.
Source Code
Source Code. It’s good clean fun!
