Malcolm1980's 2022 Review Thread

[malcolm1980]

2/7

Cause for Alarm! (Tay Garnett) **1/2 - A woman's sick, bed-ridden husband suspects his wife and his doctor are conspiring to kill him and writes his suspicions down in the latter. This is actually a pretty damn good concept, a sort of like a reverse Suspicion in a way. There are a lot ways this could have gone down. There are some good moments here and there but all in all, it doesn't quite come together as well as it should. The performances of the cast is very good especially Loretta Young in the lead role. She actually makes this noir quite watchable and worth watching. I wonder how different this would be if Hitchcock directed it. Oh, well. It's available on public domain and on YouTube for you fans of the sub-genre out there.

[malcolm1980]

2/10

Writing with Fire (Rintu Thomas/Sushmit Ghosh) ***1/2 - This documentary follows the journalists and reporters who run the newspaper Khabar Lahariya, the only newspaper in India run entirely by Dalit (low-caste) women as they make the transition into digital to widen their reach. Being from another country where journalism is also constantly under attack, I found watching this film quite refreshing, thought-provoking and inspiring. You really root for these women to succeed in a world that is largely hostile to them. It may not break new ground when it comes to documentary filmmaking, it does manage to open your eyes on the situation in a different country and culture. I can see how this got nominated in the Best Documentary Oscar category.

Tol'able David (Henry King) *** - The youngest son of a farmer seeks to prove his worthiness as a man (he's just "tol'able" according to everyone). When outlaws move in next door and start making trouble, he might get his chance. This is an early silent picture. This plot is a bit similar to Harold Lloyd's The Kid Brother, only this time, it's done as a straight drama instead of slapstick comedy. It's not quite as good as that film and being a drama, some of the dated elements feel even more dated. However, there are quite a number of good moments and the performances were really good. The ending in particular is quite moving. It's far from my favorite silent film but it's a solid enough watch.

[malcolm1980]

2/11

The Story of the Fox (Wladyslaw Starewicz/Irene Starewicz) ***1/2 - This is a feature-length black & white stop-motion animated film from France released in 1937. So you know it's gonna be at least an interesting watch. And it is! It is about a clever fox who tricks and fools his fellow animals in a talking animal kingdom. The king has had enough and orders him hanged. I have to say the animation in this and what they were able to accomplish using the technology they had in 1937 was actually quite impressive. The story is also funny, fun and engaging. It's a fun romp but it's also bit darker and more violent than your average Disney fare but I think it's suitable for older children. It's clear Wes Anderson saw this film. Yes, check this one out.

[malcolm1980]

2/12

A Summer's Tale (Eric Rohmer) ***1/2 - This film follows a shy college math student for one summer and his various friendships and relationships with several women over the course of a couple of months. Recently, there was a term I found out for films that don't really have traditional three-act structure that kind of meanders and focuses more on character rather than plot: "vibes films". Writer-director Eric Rohmer is pretty much the master of this and this is apparently semi-autobiographical story. It's a warm, immersive breezy film that has moments of poignancy when you least expect it. It's not my favorite Rohmer, but it's definitely one of his great ones. This is part of his "Tale of the Four Seasons" series.

Death in the Nile (Kenneth Branagh) *** - Kenneth Branagh adapts another Agatha Christie whodunit and this time detective Hercule Poirot investigates a murder aboard a cruise down the Nile River involving a wealthy heiress. Once again there is a star-studded ensemble cast (with several "cancelled personalities). I have not read the novel but I have seen the 1970's adaptation so I pretty much know what happens and who the killer is (although my memory is a bit hazy) but this still manages to be pretty engaging and entertaining. It is certainly slickly made but I thought this was a little better than the previous Kenneth Branagh-directed Agatha Christie adaptation. The cast, I have to admit, is hit-and-miss: Tom Bateman and Sophie Okonedo are great; Armie Hammer and Gal Gadot were mediocre. All in all, it's not bad.

Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom (Pawo Choyning Dorji) ***1/2 - A young man with ambitions to go to Australia to be a singer, is assigned by the government to teach in a remote village in the mountains of Bhutan, the titular Lunana. This is the first Bhutanese film I have ever seen so I have another new country to add to my list. This got a surprise nomination that this year's Oscars for Best International Feature. Watching it, I can definitely see why. Yes, going by the synopsis you can definitely see where this film is going. It's formulaic. It's just a different milieu. But you won't care. The best way I can describe it is a comforting warm hug. It will make you smile and even tear up in a few places. It doesn't break any new ground but if you want a nice, comforting, well-made film, you will be more than satisfied by this one.

[malcolm1980]

2/13

Drive My Car (Ryusuke Hamaguchi) **** - After experiencing a tragedy, a theater actor-director is commissioned to direct a production of Uncle Vanya and forms a bond with the young woman assigned to drive him around. Wow. To put it quite simply, an astonishing piece of work. It is a beautiful cinematic meditation on grief, art and life which I've never seen done better. The film, yes, it's a bit of a slow burn but it really sneaks up on you. Despite the fact that, yes, it's three hours long and mostly talking, I'm not lying when I say the time just flies by. And by the time one of the last scenes arrive, the emotion will just hit you like a ton of bricks. I was at a loss for words. It is a deep, profound work of art and of course, one of the best films of 2021. This is an absolute essential.

Classe Tous Risques (Claude Sautet) *** - A wanted man pulls off a heist and tries to escape back into France with his wife and children. Of course, things don't go always as planned. This film was released during the height of the French New Wave and got lost in the shuffle. But thankfully, it was eventually rediscovered and it is a pretty solid heist/crime drama. Lino Ventura is terrific in the lead but Jean Paul Belmondo (this is a belated tribute watch to him as he passed away a few months ago) almost steals the film as one of his accomplices. Even though I personally prefer Jean-Pierre Melville and Jules Dassin, this is still a pretty good entry in the genre and not at all a bad watch.

Summer of Soul (...or When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson) ***1/2 - In 1969, the same summer as Woodstock, the Harlem Cultural Festival, an assemblage of a who's who of African-American musical acts happened. But despite it being filmed, the footage was never released...until now. The footage is interspersed with interviews from artists who participated and people who were there, bringing you a full picture of the historical context and the importance of this event. Apart from being informative, this film features some superb concert footage and performances from Stevie Wonder to Gladys Knight and the Pips, Nina Simone, etc. That alone makes this documentary worth seeing. It is a beautiful celebration of African-American culture and at the same time a reminder that some of the issues tackled by the musicians, artists and speakers in this event is still relevant to this day.

[malcolm1980]

2/14

History of Ha (Lav Diaz) *** - It's 1957. Then Philippine president Ramon Magsaysay was killed in a plane crash. A ventriloquist with his dummy returns to his hometown to marry his sweetheart. When he finds that she has married another to settle a debt, he goes on a journey with a nun, a prostitute and a teenage boy. This is the latest from writer-director Lav Diaz. He dropped it on YouTube for free on Valentine's Day. Since I have some free time at work, no date to speak of and I'm able to find four and a half hours to kill (actually on the short-ish side for Lav), might as well check it out. As usual, this is a long, heavy film. Although I do get the sense that Lav Diaz is starting to repeat himself by revisiting similar themes again and again, I believe he's justified in doing so to get his message across (especially since elections are fast approaching). Though I think this is far from his best work, it is still worth a look.

[malcolm1980]

2/17

Macario (Roberto Gavaldon) ***1/2 - After his wish to be able to eat one whole turkey by himself during the Day of the Dead, a poor peasant meets three apparitions: God, the Devil and Death. Each one asking to share his turkey, he refuses all except Death who gives him healing powers as a reward. This of course comes with complications. This is an adaptation of a B. Traven story. Even though the story is rather fantastical and there are some fantastic visuals here, the film still plants itself on the ground of its stark realism. The Day of the Dead motif gives the film that quality and makes the magic realism of the piece work. It features a great performance by the lead actor, Ignacio Lopez Tarso. This is a classic of Mexican cinema.

[malcolm1980]

2/19


Ghostbusters: Afterlife (Jason Reitman) ** - Decades after the events of the last Ghostbusters movie, Egon Spengler's daughter and grandkids inherits an old house after his death and uncovers something supernatural is about to happen. You might as well call this Ghostbusters Fan Service Nostalgia The Movie because I feel that's all this is. I'm not completely against a direct sequel or a reboot of the Ghostbusters franchise but this film seems to overly pander on people's nostalgia for the original basically hitting every narrative beat the original had. It's a remix basically. It even has the same damn villain. Ivan Reitman recently passed so I'm glad he got to do this with his son Jason, who directs this.This will only appeal to fans who demand to be catered and are afraid of change or anything different. It's too bad because the new cast members like Mckenna Grace and Logan Kim are really good and appealing. They could've made something cool with a more creative and imaginative script.

West Side Story (Steven Spielberg) **** - When I first heard this film was being made, I thought, "Do we really need this? The 1961 film version is about as perfect as it is." But now that I've seen it, I realize, yeah, we kind of needed this. Director Steven Spielberg and writer Tony Kushner did the impossible. They captured the original spirit of the source material while at the same adding more layers and nuance to make it relevant for today (in addition to casting more actual Puerto Ricans to play Puerto Ricans). Everything here is on point: The beautiful cinematography, the fantastic staging and choreography. And the performances! Sure, Ansel Elgort is adequate (the weak link but didn't ruin the movie). But Ariana DeBose, David Alvarez, Rachel Zegler and especially Mike Faist all deliver star-making performances. Is it better than the original? No. Is it as good? Maybe. I think so. I'm glad these two exists side-by-side. I see them as like beautiful companion pieces with each other. Yep, this is one of my favorite films of the year and Spielberg's best work in almost a decade.

[malcolm1980]

2/20

Kimi (Steven Soderbergh) *** - A young, agoraphobic woman working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic as a software monitor for a smart speaker called Kimi, hears something that could be a crime being committed and then digs deeper. This latest from director Steven Soderbergh mixes elements from The Conversation and Rear Window into a modern day techno thriller and does it mostly effectively. Sure, the script is kind of by-the-numbers and you kind of know what will eventually happen but Soderbergh's stylish direction as well as Zoe Kravitz's performance keep it entertaining and engaging (extra points for Cliff Martinez's excellent score and the creative use of sound). It's not groundbreaking cinema but a fine streaming pick for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

The Funeral (Juzo Itami) ***1/2 - A patriarch of the family dies suddenly of a heart attack. It's up to his daughter and his son-in-law to arrange the funeral. The film follows everything that happens. This is a writing and directing feature debut of filmmaker Juzo Itami who made the brilliant Tampopo. This film is quite impressive because his style and his voice is pretty much evident and almost fully formed in this. Although I don't think it's quite the masterpiece like his subsequent work, it is still a funny black comedy on the different cultural and societal mores when it comes to funerals and wakes. Even though it's specifically Japanese, a lot of elements ring true for everyone. But it somehow manages to stick the landing with its poignant ending which brings it all together. Yep, an excellent film.

Watermelon Man (Melvin van Peebles) ***1/2 - An obnoxious, casually racist white man wakes up one day as a black man and soon experiences everything that comes along with it. I just found out about the existence of this film recently and I cannot believe it exists. I was kind of half-expecting some of the elements here to be problematic at this day and age and currently inappropriate...but amazingly, a lot of the humor, a lot of the themes that they tackled here hold up very, very well even in our current "politically correct" climate. And of course a lot of it is unfortunately still relevant today (which is sadly a trend on me watching 50+ year old films about racism and prejudice). But it is first and foremost, funny and that's important. You will laugh but it can also make you angry. Definitely worth checking out.

[malcolm1980]

2/23

The Eyes of Tammy Faye (Michael Showalter) **1/2 - Based on the 2000 documentary of the same name, this film is a biopic of flamboyant, colorful and scandal-plagued televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker and her equally flamboyant, colorful and turbulent life. Jessica Chastain plays Tammy Faye and nobody can deny that she really gives it her all, making her come to life once again. She's matched almost equally by Andrew Garfield, playing her equally scandal-plagued husband Jim Bakker. Both make this film quite watchable but unfortunately the film fails to do anything deeper or any different than watching the documentary (which I haven't seen but would like to) or even reading a few Wikipedia pages would've done. So all in all, watchable for the performances but don't expect anything above a conventional biopic which would've been relegated to cable in the 90's.