review
Mārama
I really wanted to like this both as an anti-colonial critique and as a 'good for her cinematic universe' revenge story but unfortunately the more I think about it the more it comes apart at the seams.
Reviews
late night reviews and rants about film and other media
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review
Obsession
As a horror film, it is a decent debut for such a young director on a shoestring budget, but did leave me wanting for more given the promising Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets Wishmaster meets social critique premise.
review
The Testament of Ann Lee
While I appreciate that the duo behind this took some stylistic creative choices to depict the ecstatic nature of their communal rituals, I am clearly not this film's target audience. To me, it ultimately came of as superficial, unfocused, aimless and ultimately just downright boring.
review · Berlinale
A New Dawn
For as clumsy as a the storytelling is, at the very least this debut film by Yoshitoshi Shinomiya, a PhD in traditional Japanese art, undeniably works as an impressive display of the director's talents as a visual artist.
review
Heretic
Let's feature Hugh Grant as a charming, manipulative villain in a film that deconstructs religion. Slowly make the main characters question their core beliefs and sanity as they spiral downwards into the web of a reasonably intelligent narcissist hellbent on control of young women but too self obsessed to see the flaws in his actions---slowly giving himself away.
review
The Lost Bus
As a stand alone film it is a classic formulaic natural disaster film, but given that we shape out understanding of reality through the consumption of media, the realistic depiction of the devastating horror of wild fires (an issue only getting worse as we head deeper into the climate crisis) is handled quite well.
review
Winter in Sokcho
Nice little melancholic coming-of-age story dealing with various degrees of self-identity issues, but a bit too on the nose with the criticism of South Korea's cosmetic surgery industry.
review
It Was Just An Accident
I did enjoy this and given the context of the director think it is a valiant work, but do have some gripes with it.
review
Sirāt
Ambitious in its bleak, oppressive portrayal of decisions gone wrong and a group of tortured souls in way over their head as the whole world around them keeps falling apart.
review · Berlinale
What Does That Nature Say to You
A gentle, artistic boyfriend postpones meeting his girlfriend's parents out of fear of rejection and clashing expectations. When it finally happens, awkward, stifled laughter and superficial conversations make place for the inevitable after a few drinks too many.