Malcolm1980's 2022 Review Thread

[malcolm1980]

1/26

Cobra (Joseph Henabery) *** - An Italian nobleman fallen on hard times goes to work for his best friend's antique shop then things get complicated when his wife starts coming on to him. Not to be confused with the Sylvester Stallone action picture of the 1980's, this is a silent romantic drama film from the 1920's starring Rudolph Valentino, probably one of the earliest matinee idols who tragically died at a very young age. This is the fifth film I've seen him in and I have to say I can see why he's such a star and such a tragedy to lose him quite early. He does give a great performance here and he's the main reason to see this film. It's a little melodramatic for my taste though. But it does have a lovely ending.

[malcolm1980]

1/27

In the Same Breath (Nanfu Wang) ***1/2 - This is one of two Oscar-shortlisted documentaries that focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic. This one chronicles the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in China and that government's handling of it, as well as how the United States handled it when the pandemic reached its shores. The way this documentary juxtaposes these two countries reaction to the virus and how they handled it is all at once fascinating and frightening. Authoritarians really do think and act alike, I have to say. My one gripe here is that director Nanfu Wang crams so much in less than 100 minutes, she only touches upon some interesting topics that could be a 90 minute documentary on its own. But all in all, it's a solid effort.

The First Wave (Matthew Heinemann) ***1/2 - This is one of two Oscar-shortlisted documentaries that focuses on the COVID-19 pandemic. This one focuses on one hospital in New York City during the first wave of the pandemic where we see both the health care workers and a couple of the patients. This documentary can be quite upsetting because it is quite unflinching in how it shows a person suffering and sometimes dying of COVID. It will definitely break your heart and make you angry. But it can also be quite moving and emotional. Yes, it's about COVID-19 but it somehow ends on a hopeful but realistic note. This is one of my favorite documentaries so far this year.

Nocturne (Edwin L. Marin) *** - A composer is found dead. The police ruled it a suicide. But one of the detectives isn't so sure and he investigates further. One of the things I like to do is find public domain films that are deep cuts in their respective genres and posted on YouTube. Some of them are meh. Some of them are hidden gems. This is a pretty good one. George Raft is the lead and he's always a welcome on-screen presence. The film is a standard mystery procedural whodunit but it sprinkles in some unexpected moments of humor that makes this stand out from the usual B-noirs of this era. This is a solid crime thriller that's worth checking out on YouTube.

[malcolm1980]

1/29

Beirut, Oh Beirut (Maroun Bagdadi) *** - It's 1967 and four young people in Lebanon try to figure out their place in their changing society. For some reason, this rather obscure Lebanese film is actually streaming on Netflix and I thought I'd give it a try. I have to admit, I feel like I don't completely get this film. There seems to be a disconnect. I believe this is one of those films where I had to have some context on the culture and the history of Lebanon and what is going in their society at the time in order to completely get everything that's going on. The narrative doesn't transcend that disconnect. But it's an interesting watch and I'm glad I saw it.

Flee (Jonas Poher Rasmussen) ***1/2 - A gay Afghani man living in Denmark about to marry his boyfriend, shares his story about how he escaped Afghanistan and how he came to be a refugee. I've been hearing about this documentary all year last year. All the raves really made me want to temper my expectations of it. I finally got the chance to see it and it's a really, really fine piece of work. The use of animation to tell this compelling story that goes into all sorts of unexpected and sometimes scary directions is quite effective. You really do get invested in his story. Even though I was not quite as blown away by it as a lot of other people seemed to have been, I have to admit (it just missed my top 10). But it's still an excellent film which really must be seen.

The French Dispatch (Wes Anderson) ***1/2 - This is the latest from writer-director Wes Anderson. It is an anthology film revolving around the French foreign bureau of a fictional American newspaper, the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun. The worst thing I can say about this film is that it's not as good as Wes Anderson's previous five films which, for me, are 5-star all-timers and 4 of them are in my blu-ray collection. But it's still a pretty darn great film. Yes, it's a very Wes Anderson-y film. If you do not like Wes Anderson or are growing tired of his style, this will definitely not change your mind but if you've been on board with him for most of his career, this is him doing what he does best. And for a Wes Anderson fan like me, very fun. It was funny but it has some surprising soul, depth and emotion to it. The large all-star ensemble cast are all game for his vision. Yep, sign me up for more of this. I'm not yet tired of it.

Light Sleeper (Paul Schrader) ***1/2 - A drug dealer with a more upscale clientele goes through a moral crisis at the same time someone is killing women in drug-related incidents. This is from writer-director Paul Schrader and Willem Dafoe once again plays the classic conflicted morally ambiguous protagonist that is classic Paul Schrader. Even though this has the trappings of a neo-noir crime thriller, it is kind of more of a character study of a man facing a lot of moral and mental crises. I would say he is a somewhat of a less scarier Travis Bickle. Willem Dafoe is excellent in this one. Schrader is often hit and miss with his directorial efforts. This is one of his hits.

[malcolm1980]

1/30

The Tender Bar (George Clooney) ** - Based on the memoir of writer JR Moehringer, this is about a young man who wants to become writer who comes of age under the guidance of his blue-collar uncle who works as a bartender. We have all seen this movie before. Dozens upon dozens of times. I don't know why there's a need to make this film. The film pretty much follows the same tropes we have seen from these types of films before. It borders on parody at this point. Yes, the performances are very nice. Ben Affleck is really good in this one but I don't think he's any more special than Lily Rabe who, at least in my opinion, is just as good. I wish they gave Christopher Lloyd more to do because it seemed like he would've given the film some life if given the chance. So it's not terrible but it's not great.

The Tragedy of Macbeth (Joel Coen) ***1/2 - This is Joel (without Ethan) Coen's cinematic adaptation of the Scottish play by William Shakespeare about a warlord who with the encouragement of his wife, murders his way to the throne. This is my personal favorite of Shakespeare's works and I have seen practically every cinematic version out there and I know how this story goes. This manages to bring something fresh and new to the story. Bruno Delbonnel's beautiful cinematography and the minimalist production design gives it an otherworldly and yet also theatrical feel. Both Denzel Washington and Frances McDormand acquit themselves well in their roles but to me, the actors that stand out are Corey Hawkins as Macduff and especially Kathryn Hunter who is unforgettable as the Witches. Overall, a very good piece of work though not quite top-tier of the year for me.

The Lawless (Joseph Losey) ***1/2 - A newspaper editor takes up the cause of a young Mexican man who is in trouble with the law. This exposes the racism in his community. This is supposedly the film that got director Joseph Losey blacklisted and he had to continue his career in England. It's easy to see why. The themes tackled in this film is still eerily relevant today but that comes as no surprise to anyone. The climactic scene, which I won't spoil here, could trigger memories of a fairly recent historical event which goes to show you certain things haven't changed. Yes, this film could be criticized as a "white savior" narrative but it was fairly progressive at the time and it's a solid picture overall.

The Mystery of Picasso (Henri-Georges Clouzot) *** - Director Henri-Georges Clouzot collaborates with artist Pablo Picasso to document him making art. You've heard of art films? This is quite literally an art film. It is mostly a montage, set to music of how Picasso makes his work. As in you just see the painting take shape in front of you almost like an animated film. If you have zero interest in art, stay away. There's nothing for you here. However, uf you just have at least even a passing interest in art, this is actually a pretty good sit. The last few minutes, which I won't spoil, is quite thrilling and fascinating. It is worth seeing this film just for those final minutes.

[malcolm1980]

1/31

The Rescue (Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi/Jimmy Chin) ***1/2 - Using interviews and dramatic recreations seamlessly edited into actual news footage, this film documents how they rescued the trapped boys in that cave in Thailand. This may be my favorite documentary of the year so far. When this thing happened, I was among those who were following it and watching and reading all the news stories so I knew some of it and I knew how it was going to end. But this film manages to still keep me riveted from start to finish and got me emotional in some parts as well. It even revealed a few details I never knew The only thing that keeps this from being perfect is that I wished they interviewed a few of the boys or their family members to finish this film's emotional arc but as it is, it is a superb documentary and a must see even if you know the story.

[malcolm1980]

2/1

Scream (Matt Bettinelli-Olpin/Tyler Gillett) ***1/2 - The fifth installment of the Scream franchise should get tired eye rolls from me. There's been four! Enough, already! This is becoming like one of those endless horror sequels that the films have been satirizing. But this one, wow. It manages to present something new and something fresh to the franchise while honoring everything that came before. It is a clever parody and satire of "requels" as well as the toxic fan culture surrounding franchises. Even though members of the original cast mostly take a backseat to the new crop of young actors making up the ensemble, it still feels very much like a Scream film. It is scary and suspenseful as well as very funny and clever. High art? Nope. But it is a great, great ride. I had a freakin' blast.

Convicted (Henry Levin) *** - A man is convicted of manslaughter. A compassionate warden tries to reach out to him so he can make it through prison but things get complicated. This film primarily works because of the great performances of Broderick Crawford and Glenn Ford as the warden and the prisoner respectively. I have to say, Broderick Crawford is starting to become one of my favorite actors of this period. He's such an intriguing presence in all of his films. The concept of this film had the potential for greatness. It had hints of it but it doesn't quite get there. I'd be intrigued to see a remake of this in the present day to see if anyone can take it over the top. But as it is, it's a solid well-acted crime drama worth seeing for the performances.

[malcolm1980]

2/2

For You I Die (John Reinhardt) *** - An escaped convict, who was forced to join a prison break, hides out in a roadside diner with a group of characters. I have been watching a lot of these public domain, obscure film noirs and I have to say, even though they all share a few elements in common, they are such different films. This one substitutes the hustle and bustle of the city for a quiet small town feel with a group of interesting characters which seem to exist in an entirely different movie. The plot on top of it is fairly standard but this is still an interesting piece of work with genuinely nice performances by the ensemble cast who almost steal the show from the leads.

[malcolm1980]

2/4

The White Sun of the Desert (Vladimir Motyl) *** - An officer for the Red Army is called into action to protect a harem of women in the middle of the desert during a Civil War. This is a Russian film and it is classified as a Western and in a way, it is. It sometimes does feel like a spaghetti Western picture. But it all also blends elements of a slapstick comedy, a musical and war drama into it. The result is somewhat of a strange mishmash. There are undeniable moments of brilliance here. The performances are great. The cinematography captures the hot desert really well. It didn't quite come together as a great film for me though. Just a pretty good one. It's worth a watch nevertheless.

[malcolm1980]

2/5

Simple as Water (Megan Mylan) ***1/2 - This is sort of an "anthology" documentary. It is divided into five segments and documents four Syrian families from varied backgrounds who are each dealing with the aftermath of the Syrian war. Sometimes you need reminding that people who live in war-torn countries are not statistics but actual human beings, no different from you and I. This documentary does just that as it takes us into the lives of very different families with different situations and circumstances but are from the same country. It is at times heartbreaking and even moving. My one minor quibble is that the segments sometimes feel they should go on for a bit longer because you want to know a bit more. But overall, it is an exemplary documentary.

Belfast (Kenneth Branagh) *** - This is a semi-autobiographical film from writer-director Kenneth Branagh about a movie-loving young boy growing up in Belfast, Northern Ireland with his family during the late 1960's, when the Troubles was going on. This is a really good movie. Is it THE best movie of the year? No. Is it even one of the ten best movies of the year? Not really. It is well put-together, competently directed and extremely well-acted by a fine ensemble cast. It is sweet. It is warm. But not TOO sweet and warm. It is, again, a really good movie. I don't think it necessarily deserves awards (that said, there are worse films in the running for awards this year). It is a film I would watch on a lazy Sunday afternoon and be comforted by it. There are very nice moments here. But again, it is just a good movie. And sometimes being a good movie is enough.

Crimson Gold (Jafar Panahi) ***1/2 - A pizza delivery man engaged to be married sees a receipt for a very expensive piece of jewelry from a lost handbag. This kicks off a series of tragic, unfortunate events. I would not be surprised if Bong Joon-ho saw this picture and somehow it influenced Parasite a bit. It's quite a bit darker and bleaker than that film if you can believe that. This is from director Jafar Panahi and the script is by Abbas Kiarostami. The milieu is modern day Iran but the commentary on the massive gulf between the haves and have nots remains the same. The central performance by an actual pizza delivery man with actual mental problems is haunting and gives this film more heft. Definitely top-tier work from Jafar Panahi.

The Sentimental Bloke (Raymond Longford) **1/2 - A man who's a gambler and a drinker falls for a woman who works in a pickle factory and vows to give up his gambling and drinking to win her over a more sophisticated rival. This is a silent film from Australia...and it kind of reminds you that it is. In the version I saw, the inter-titles are spelled with an Australian accent and heavy with Australian slang. So as a result, I have to admit, I barely understood the intricacies of what exactly is going on in this film. The plot is pretty much a straightforward romantic comedy so I'm guessing there's not a lot to understand but it makes this a bit of a chore to get through. But it's cool that I saw a very early Australian film.

[malcolm1980]

2/6

Happy Hour (Ryusuke Hamaguchi) **** - This film focuses on four female thirty-something middle-class friends. When one of them announces she's getting a divorce, this reverberates through their respective personal and professional lives. This film is over FIVE hours long. Yet when it was over, I have to admit I kind of wanted more. I wanted to stay with these characters for even longer. That's how beautiful and compelling this film is. No, the film does not breeze by. You definitely feel the length but the film is so absorbing that you really don't mind. It is a testament to how brilliantly this film is directed, written and acted. There are lots of unforgettable moments that will stay with me for a while. Writer-director Ryusuke Hamaguchi is really something. He should be known as one of the great contemporary Japanese filmmakers.

Uncle Vanya (Andrei Konchalovksy) ***1/2 - This is a Russian film adaptation of Anton Chekov's play about a man who falls under the spell of the much younger second wife of his brother-in-law. Watching this, I strongly suspect Ingmar Bergman saw this film before he directed Cries & Whispers (I actually thought it was the reverse but this film came out first). Despite being an adaptation of a play and the story set pretty much all indoors, director Andrei Konchalovsky manages to make this film feel quite cinematic and not stage-y at all and manages to bring to cinematic life this story written for the stage. Great cinematography and the performances are of course key to the whole thing. Chekov may not be anyone's cup of tea but for anyone in the mood, you can do a lot worse.