Dec 3, 2015

HOW CAN YOU NOT THINK JAMES GRAY MAKES MASTERPIECES YOU DILETTANTE

 

Dec 3, 2015

James Gray is top 10 director of all time.

 

Dec 3, 2015

Funny thing is, I remember like 5 years ago before seeing any of his films I would roll my eyes at random critics like my buddy Adam Cook giving Mark Wahlberg films 5 star ratings. Little did I know...

James Gray is the Wagner of cinema.

 

Dec 3, 2015

 

Dec 3, 2015

Kamran 2 real sumtimes

 

Dec 3, 2015

^wat

Anomalisa was rly great

 

Dec 4, 2015

paul w.s anderson auteur

 

Dec 4, 2015

and uh La Vallee Close by Jean-Claude Rousseau is one of the greatest films OAT

 

Dec 4, 2015

 

Dec 4, 2015

^hot take!

so just saw a certain western ft. kurt russell...

 

Dec 5, 2015

I watched my first Carax and Kiarostami features this week.



Holy Motors (2012) is jaw dropping on a pure technical and talent level, but in the vein of similar meta films-about-life-about-filmmaking (8 1/2, Synecdoche, N.Y.), I found it a little too distant to really resonate with me. I wanted the director to get a little more personal and vulnerable to tie everything together. As it stands, I found it to be less than the sum of its parts. Objectively brilliant execution though. Masterful. 3/5



Like Someone In Love (2011) is such a calming experience. F&W's recent piece on cuts being both cheaply thrilling and anxiety inducing really made me appreciate the brutal patience of this. The shots are so powerful without ever feeling contrived. A simple pan is as flashy as it gets, letting composition be its foundation. The camera just sits there and observes what feels like a genuine slice of life. The dialogue is soft spoken magic, completely natural and yet deliberate. If it's boring, it's because we expect movies to be artificial and full of affectations. This denies all of that as excess or cheating or plain deception. Reality should be enough, and it is. 4/5

 

Dec 5, 2015

Are you embargoed until a certain date?

Saw Justin Kurzel's Macbeth last night. It all looks rather incredible with vividly rendered images set among its elaborate production design and stark Scottish landscape. With that said, its imagery can at times give off a video game sort of "cool" vibe, especially when coupled with its use of slow-motion. To its credit, it boasts a highly talented cast, including Fassbender and Cotillard, who give stellar takes on their respective roles with a more naturalistic flair. However, despite the film's many technical attributes, I can't say I was particularly stirred by Kurzel's adaptation and was left with mostly a superficial admiration.

 

Dec 5, 2015

yes until the 21st.

--
i am a member of the boston online film critics -- we released our annual awards earlier today. take a look:
http://bofca.com/2015-bofca-awards/

 

Dec 5, 2015

charlie eating

 

Dec 5, 2015

I should be getting to Fassbinder, Tarr, and Sokurov soon.

 

Dec 5, 2015

 

Dec 5, 2015

and??

 

Dec 5, 2015

You've never watched Tombstone?

 

Dec 6, 2015

was talking about bone tomahawk tbh

 

Dec 6, 2015

After the talk about Korine, I've decided to go through all the earlier work again and catch the ones I overlooked. This includes Larry Clark, Korine, Van Sant. Started with a rewatch of Kids. Bully, Julien Donkey Boy, etc to come.

• 
  Bridesmaids 2011
  ★★½ Rewatched 05 Dec, 2015
  
  Guffaw-worthy episodes of comedy, drunk on a plane the highlight, interspersed throughout an uninteresting, childish, and cliche ridden script.
  
  60/100 - Decent
  
  No likes
  
  
• 
  
  
• 
  Wild Life 2014
  ★★★ Watched 05 Dec, 2015
  
  A well scripted but narratively sluggish take on the hypocrisies and contradictions of both mainstream & alternative lifestyles.
  
  72/100 - Good.
  
  No likes
  
  
• 
  The Virgin Spring 1960
  ★★★★ Watched 05 Dec, 2015
  
  A highly symbolic, literary, and performative fare from a master filmmaker, only slighted in its fixed role as parable.
  
  84/100
  
  No likes
  
  
• 
  Good Burger 1997
  ★★½ Rewatched 04 Dec, 2015
  
  Never previously noticed the Spike Lee influence: all the canted angles in the vein of Do The Right Thing. Also the One Flew Over a Cuckoo's Nest reference and all the breakout stars in relatively insignificant though hilarious roles. Still makes me laugh, regardless how 'dumb' it happens to be. Iconic at times, and piss-poor filmmaking at others.
  
  60/100 - Decent.
  
  1 like
  
  
• 
  Kids 1995
  ★★★½ Rewatched 03 Dec, 2015
  
  A hyper-realistic but downright fascinating portrayal of teen vices, bad morals, naivete, and sex/drug culture.
  
  78/100 - Very Good.
  
  2 likes