Malcolm1980's 2018 Movie Review Thread

[malcolm1980]

12/25

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle (Andy Serkis) **1/2 - I saw this on Netflix. This is Andy Serkis' adaptation of the Jungle Book stories by Rudyard Kipling. It has basically the same story we're all familiar with: A man cub called Mowgli is orphaned and raised by wolves and Shere Khan is his mortal enemy. This time though director Andy Serkis decides to take the story into a darker territory than the Disney versions would dare go. The result? Well, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. The motion-capture work is impeccable and the central performance by Rohan Chand is quite good. So overall, it was alright. Some of it felt like it bit off more than it could chew especially in the third act. I can see why they opted to go straight to Netflix instead of a theatrical release.

First Reformed (Paul Schrader) ***1/2 - A reverend from a dwindling historic church called First Reformed who's alcoholic and suffering from both personal and health problems, meet a young couple and gets concerned about climate change. This is an excellent film After seeing it, I found that there is a lot to digest. Writer-director Paul Schrader is clearly revisiting a lot of familiar themes in the style only he could have done. The first half or so felt almost like a remake of Robert Bresson's The Diary of a Country Priest then it slowly becomes more and more Taxi Driver like. Ethan Hawke gives one of his career-best performances in this. This is a film that will definitely get people mad in more ways than one. The ending in particular is gonna stay with me for a while. I would place this as one of the best films of the year.

[malcolm1980]

12/27

Dishonored (Josef von Sternberg) ***1/2 - A lady of the night is recruited by the Austrian army to serve as a spy for the Russians during war-torn Europe. Things get complicated when she actually falls in love with a Russian officer. I thought I had seen all the collaborations between Marlene Dietrich and director Josef von Sternberg. This one slipped past me, I guess. It's a good thing I managed to see it because it's a pretty great one. Dietrich is at her very best here. She even sprinkles in humor in parts (one memorable scene in particular, you'll know it when you see it). It is a unforgettable classic film which ranks among both Dietrich's and von Sternberg's best works.

Private Life (Tamara Jenkins) ***1/2 - I saw this on Netflix. It's about a couple in their mid-40's struggling to have a baby and how they deal with the various complications involving that. When I first heard what it's about, I thought, "That's it?" There have been so many dramas and comedies dealing with the same subject matter but writer-director Tamara Jenkins manages to keep things fresh and honest. The script is intelligent. It's funny when it needs to be and thought-provoking when it needs to be. The performances are fantastic. Kathryn Hahn, in particular, is great. It doesn't break new ground but it does make me wonder why Tamara Jenkins isn't more prolific. Finally! I have completed by #52FilmsByWomen challenge!

[malcolm1980]

12/28

Aurora (Yam Laranas) **1/2 - This is the first and probably the last film I see in the 2018 Metro Manila Film Festival and most likely the last film I see in the theaters for 2018. So it saddens me to report that this is barely okay. The concept is strong: A passenger ferry is wrecked off the coast of an island and the bodies haven't been recovered. But their ghosts are starting to haunt the one regular resident on the island, played by a capable Anne Curtis. Okay, that's a strong concept but the thing goes off the rails quite quickly. The script didn't seem to know what it really wants to do with it. It desperately needed another rewrite. That said, it's well-made and kudos to a full-orchestral score. That's something rare in Filipino films.

Django The Bastard (Sergio Garrone) *** - This is actually one of a lot of films that feature a version of the character of Django, originated by Franco Nero in Sergio Corbucci's classic original (which remains one of my favorite spaghetti Westerns). In this version, Django was a Civil War soldier betrayed and left for dead by his superior officers along with his unit. He returns to hunt them down one by one. It starts off with a really cool, really inspired scene (which I decided not to spoil) and ends really strongly. The middle is uneven. It's pretty much a standard Western revenge film that won't rock your world but will entertain fans of the genre.

[malcolm1980]

12/29

The Death of Stalin (Armando Ianucci) ***1/2 - Russian dictator Joseph Stalin dies. It creates a power vacuum in which all the players try for a power grab. This is a fact-based film but writer-director Armando Ianucci does it with a darkly comedic and satiric slant, reminiscent of his work in In the Loop. It may not be laugh out loud funny as that film but it's just as compelling. In a twisted way, I found this film somewhat comforting. In an age with buffoons as leaders like Trump and Duterte, it's nice to know that murderous dictators and their ilk are all just bumbling human beings who are far from gods. They should always, ALWAYS be knocked down a peg. It's good to know that Ianucci will be there to do it.

Taira Clan Saga (Kenji Mizoguchi) ***1/2 - I saw this film browsing randomly in YouTube. As it turns out, it's one of only two color films directed by Kenji Mizoguchi, one of the great Japanese filmmakers. It's a pretty darn good one. It centers on the intrigue and betrayals surrounding a samurai and his son as they gain power and influence. I must say, it is beautiful to look at (It almost feels like Douglas Sirk film at times). I suspect Zhang Yimou must have seen this film to make his epic wuxia films. As is with Mizoguchi, that even though this is a samurai flick, there's only minimal action. I wouldn't place this as top-tier Mizoguchi but it's a solid samurai drama worth seeing.

[malcolm1980]

12/30

Snatch (Guy Ritchie) *** - This is another one of those films which I can't believe I haven't gotten around to seeing. It's on Netflix so why the hell not? Suffice to say, Guy Ritchie is not one of my favorite filmmakers. I think he's okay at best. This is his sophomore effort which is more of the same vein from Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. This one's a bit better though. This has two seemingly separated story lines (a fixed boxing match and a crooks trying to get a precious diamond) colliding with one another. This film is worshipped by a certain sector of film geekdom, a sector I particularly do not like. While I don't think this is a bad film, I don't think it's a masterpiece either. It's a perfectly solid black-comedy-crime thriller, no more no less.

[malcolm1980]

12/31

Mandy (Panos Cosmatos) ***1/2 - Nicolas Cage plays a man whose wife, Mandy, gets burned to death in front of him by a strange psychedelic cult then he goes on a murderous rampage. There. Thats it. What more do you need? This film seems to exist solely to accommodate Nicolas Cage's wild-eyed over-the-top performance tic which isn't necessarily that bad. It is alternately horrifying and brutal and darkly hilarious. It is brutal, strange and totally f*cked up in the best way possible. It's definitely not for everybody but those that dig it will REALLY dig including yours truly. This is my last film of the year. It's great to end the cinematic year with a bang with this.