I finally watched Contagion after hearing about it since Covid. It’s eerie how many things they got right about a global pandemic: the blogger with his BS treatment, vilifying the head of the CDC… The list goes on.
I also watched the Deathstalker remake. It was okay, but that was to be expected.
Contagion
I tried towards or slightly after the end of the pandemic and I just couldn’t take it, gave up after 10 minutes. Not because it’s a bad movie (I still don’t know) but because all that crap was still way too fresh in my mind.
I definitely felt the trauma of that time coming back and felt like crying at the end just due to the release of it all.
I rewatched Hell or High Water. This was back when Sheridan didn’t write via the regurgitation and recycle method.
Sheridan has a three flick streak that was one for the ages.
I am surprised I’ve never heard of this movie, sounds pretty cool! Cheers!
Wow…
Sheridan’s big three are:
- Wind River
- Sicario
- Hell or High Water
I highly recommend all three if you into modern westerns and highly recommend them if you just like really good movies.
Skip Sicario: The Day of the Soldodo. It is a steaming pile of dogshit.
I watched Anatomy of a Fall last night. Possibly a little overrated? It was a good film, well shot and acted, that took a more intimate and human approach to the courtroom drama sub-genre.
Still, it felt like it was lacking something. Perhaps not a “twist”, I think American films have conditioned us to expect those too often in these sorts of films, but maybe some kind of additional exploration to one or more of the characters. There are subplots that hinted at but never really expanded upon. I’m a bit confused as to how this won a Palme d’Or, though I guess it is French.
Re-watched The Usual Suspects, the initial setup with five criminals getting connected during a police crackdown is compelling (it turns out the movie was developed based on the initial scene in the poster with the line up). The acting is also strong with Gabriel Byrne, Benicio Del Toro and even Stephen Baldwin doing a great job. Chazz Palminteri plays to his typecast, but it works well.
I also personally appreciate the 90s cinematography, scene design and the score.
I have to say the main hook and ending seem very contrived (much more so when I first watched the movie in the early 2000s). It does not seem convincing, well connected criminals usually have state backing rather than being a “ghost”. And a senior criminal would not directly involve themselves in an assassination attempt or risk third parties acting in an independent manner. The behaviour of the police was also unconvincing.
Spacey’s presence also taints the movie in a way that it did not on the initial viewing.
That being said, it’s a solid 6/10 action packed, crime thriller. You could do a lot worse.
Recently I watched a movie in a cinema (Vie privée; a well made murder mystery). Haven’t been for ages. It was almost empty; maybe a dozen people. Imagine my surprise when after the movie, the foyer was packed with people, mostly teenagers. I was so baffled that for a moment I didn’t even realize they were waiting for the next movie; anyhow, the ticket seller told me it’s “some cult movie” called Five Nights At Freddy’s 2. So, last night I watched Five Nights At Freddy’s. A fun and touching movie about 1980’s animatronics puppets, with some mild horror motives.
PS: yes, it’s part of a video game franchise. Surprisingly well made though.
And now about Vie privée, the latest Jodie Foster movie. It was a nice whodunnit with a strong psychological strain. I liked it well enough. All Paris, Jodie Foster talking mostly French with occasional American swearing. The ending was a little rushed, the resolution a little simplistic, but a nice watch somewhere between crime and drama.
