Malcolm1980's 2023 Film Review Thread

[malcolm1980]

1/27

Beware of a Holy Whore (Rainer Werner Fassbinder) **1/2 - A cast of a film is stuck in a Spanish hotel as they await for funding before they could begin shooting. In the meantime, they engage in various sexual intrigues and challenging power dynamics. This honestly feels like a darker, more cynical Day for Night. It's bit a trial to sit through because even though the ensemble cast is composed of terrific actors doing what they do best, their characters can be quite unpleasant and not always interestingly so. This is a film by director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, whom I'm usually a fan of I'm normally a huge fan of, however, Ttis is not one of my personal favorites of his. I would probably rank this as a mid-lower-tier Fassbinder at best. There are still interesting stuff here for fans and completists of his work.

[malcolm1980]

1/28

Wildcat (Trevor Beck Frost/Melissa Lesh) ***1/2 - A young British soldier with P.T.S.D. and depression volunteer at a wild animal rescue center at the Amazon rainforest where he fosters an orphaned baby ocelot. This is both a nature documentary and a serious look on the issue of P.T.S.D. and depression among soldiers. As you watch the film, you get invested almost equally in both human and animal as he helps rehabilitate the orphaned cat, you can sort of tell that this act is actually saving BOTH their lives and it's fascinating to watch. It is also quite emotional. You really get invested in both of them getting better. This is one of the better documentaries of the year.

A Man Called Otto (Marc Forster) *** - This is the second adaptation of the book and the American remake of the Swedish film A Man Called Ove, the latter of which I saw recently. The plot is the same: A misanthropic widower planning to join his wife gets his life turned upside down when a young family moves in next door. I personally thought the original Swedish film was fine. Nothing special. This one is pretty much the same which is the best thing I can say about it. The performances are what makes it watchable. Although I think Tom Hanks is a bit miscast in the title role, he's still effective. Mariana Trevino is the standout though. She is terrific and actually lifts the material. I hope she gets more roles after this. All in all, it's far from great but one can do a lot worse.

Christine (John Carpenter) **1/2 - Based on a work by Stephen King, this is about a high school kid who acquires a haunted killer car. This was directed by John Carpenter and if anyone can make the inherently silly concept of a haunted killer car credible and scary on the screen, it's him....and he did it, sort of, well, at least partially successful. He does manage to get some gnarly moments and a few scares here and there. But this was the director of some of the greatest horror films ever made. So by comparison, this unfortunately pales despite some really good special effects involving that car. All in all, he made it watchable but miles away from his very best.

[malcolm1980]

1/29

The Mad Fox (Tomu Uchida) **** - After the court astrologer and his lover dies, a court fortune teller goes into a journey that takes him into unexpected places. All I can say about this film is WOW! (Yes, all caps, with an exclamation point). The way the story unfolds, you can almost never guess where it's going to go and it will surprise you and it is also achingly beautiful. Despite the darkness of the story, the colors are vivid and the film is shot and staged with a bizarre combination of a pop-up book and a kabuki drama. It is such a unique and surprising experience watching this film. Believe me, it's something you will not forget. Highly recommended.

Never Say Never Again (Irvin Kershner) *** - An aging James Bond is called into action after SPECTRE steals an arsenal of nuclear weapons. This is Sean Connery's last performance as James Bond and it is a non-Albert Broccoli adaptation so it's technically "unofficial". It is also pretty much a remake of Thunderball. But the film is unique enough that it stands up on its own. It's still an enjoyable action picture with some truly great villains (I have to say I really dig Max Von Sydow's version of Blofield) and some solid action set pieces and despite the absence of the theme, it still feels like classic James Bond in its blend of action and campiness. Far from the best but a must-see for obvious reasons.

[malcolm1980]

1/30

TÁR (Todd Field) **** - A world-renowned female conductor preparing for a live performance recording of Mahler's Fifth Symphony as well as the release of her autobiography has her life turned upside-down when allegations from her past surfaces. Wow. Just wow. To put it quite simply, this is indeed one of the best films of the year. I was expecting it to be good but not this good. Yes, Cate Blanchett is astounding in her vivid, very lived-in performance of this unforgettable larger-than-life character but the film itself is a marvel. In his 16 year absence from filmmaking, Todd Field has upped his directorial game by a lot, crafting this epic yet intimate character study. The way he handles the difficult subject matter of cancel culture and the like is quite nuanced and wisely allows the audience to make up their own minds. I shall be thinking about this film for a while. A truly remarkable piece of work.

[malcolm1980]

1/31

My Grandmother (Kote Mikaberidze) *** - After losing his job, a pen-pushing bureaucrat tries to get another job by getting a letter of recommendation from his "grandmother". This is a strange, absurdist Soviet era (Georgia, in particular) silent workplace comedy. It has to be seen to be believed. It may not work entirely for certain audiences since a lot of the humor seem to be specific to that time, place and culture. But there are still parts that are quite funny and it's fascinating to see what the people of this particular time and place found funny. Some of the satire still holds up and the film goes into all sorts of surprising directions. So, yeah, it's definitely something to watch.

[malcolm1980]

2/1

A House Made of Splinters (Simon Lereng Wilmont) *** - This recently Oscar-nominated documentary chronicles a home for children with parents who are unable or unwilling to take care of them whether it's due to alcoholism, abuse, violence or any other circumstances....in the Ukraine just before the full-scale war. So, yeah, this is pretty heavy viewing. Hearing the individual stories of the children will just break your heart and there are moments where it sometimes feels uncomfortable to watch because it feels borderline voyeuristic. But there are moments of hope and humanity which balances it out a bit. But, yes, some people will find this rough viewing especially if you're a parent.

[malcolm1980]

2/2

The Stranger (Satyajit Ray) **** - A middle-class Indian family of three receives a letter from a man claiming to be a long-lost uncle and that he would be staying with them for a while. Not sure if he's the real deal, they hesitantly oblige. This is director Satyajit Ray's final film. A filmmaker's final film are usually far from their best works. Not in this case. This is a fantastic piece of work. This quiet drama is riveting and thought-provoking. This being Ray's last film, it seems like he is giving us glimpses of his heart and soul as well. This is top-tier Satyajit Ray and is an absolute essential among his works. Highly recommended.

[malcolm1980]

2/3

Till (Chinonye Chukwu) *** - This film is about Mamie Till-Mobley, the mother of the 14 year old African American boy Emmett Till who was lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman and her fight for justice and civil rights. Yes, this film is quite compelling because of two reasons: the story itself is quite compelling and Danielle Deadwyler's truly outstanding performance. Basically, this is True Story Biopic Movie 101, hitting all the familiar narrative beats and all the familiar tropes. It doesn't really break new ground in that point in a filmmaking perspective despite being well-made otherwise. But, yeah, Danielle Deadwyler truly is a revelation in this movie and she is the reason the see it.

Night Train (Jerzy Kawalerowicz) ***1/2 - A mysterious man inadvertently has to share a single-gender train compartment with a woman on a night train, all the while the woman's spurned lover tries to win her back. Then the police come and report that one of them may be a murderer. This is a Czech film and the version I saw on YouTube has some really badly translated subtitles but I was still captivated at what was going on. The film is a mystery wrapped in an enigma and as it goes along, layer upon layer of it is unwrapped. Is it a thriller? A noir? A whodunit? A romance? Who knows? Where it goes will genuinely surprise you. I'd like to see this with better subtitles someday. Anyway, this is a nice gem of a film worth seeking out.

[malcolm1980]

2/4

All I Desire (Douglas Sirk) ***1/2 - A woman returns to her family she abandoned years prior while pursued a career as an actress. This causes from friction and complications. The worst thing I can say about this film is that it is, at best, sort of an upper mid-tier film from Douglas Sirk. But it's still a great piece of work. Barbara Stanwyck is, as usual, outstanding in the role of a mother who is trying to reconnect with her estranged family. In the wrong hands, this would be a cheesy soap opera but Douglas Sirk turns it into an emotionally compelling drama. It may not be in the upper-echelons of Sirk's work but I would still say it's an essential watch nevertheless.

Babylon (Damien Chazelle) **** - This film chronicles the sex and drug-fueled world of the Golden Age of Hollywood from the mid-1920's through the early 1930's as it slowly transitions from silent pictures to talkies, all through the eyes of an idealistic Mexican immigrant and a young aspiring movie starlet. There is no denying that this is probably writer-director Damien Chazelle's most ambitious and risky project, a real big swing. The result is a film that is understandably divisive with its big ideas and often outrageous and shocking content. And I have to say: I kind of loved it. I found this to be a funny, wild, riveting ride into the dark, often demented and decadent world of show biz. Yes, it's long. Maybe a bit too long but I think it uses its long running time very well. I acknowledge it's flawed, there are moments where I think Chazelle bit off more than he could chew but the overall film is a bold piece of filmmaking that I won't soon forget and would love to see again. Yes, I'm on the "love" side of this one.

The Great Muppet Caper (Jim Henson) ***1/2 - Kermit the Frog and Fozzie are journalists who get caught up on a jewel heist where Miss Piggy becomes the fall pig (?) for a group of jewel thieves. First of all, I can't believe I haven't seen this since I've seen most other Muppet movies (or maybe I have but I don't remember it?) I have to say, this might be the best Muppet movie of them all, even better than the first one. All the songs are overall stronger. The jokes are better and funnier. The set pieces are more impressive. The story is more cohesive yet still retains the sketch and meta quality of the first one. It is overall a great Muppet adventure that's fun from beginning to end which showcases why I, along with millions of others, love the Muppets to this day and why Jim Henson is a genius.

[malcolm1980]

2/5


Knock at the Cabin (M. Night Shyamalan) *** - Four mysterious intruders invade the vacation house of a same-sex family, asking them to make a sacrifice in order to prevent the Apocalypse. This is the latest from writer-director M. Night Shyamalan who of course has a reputation for being very hit-and-miss to put it kindly. I would say this is kind of a hit. It does not reach the heights of breakout successes but this one is mostly effective. I think he is at his best doing these small, low-to-mid-budget but high-concept horror-thrillers very akin to The Twilight Zone. The script, as per usual, isn't perfect but the performances of the ensemble cast especially Dave Bautista (who is further proving himself to be the best of all the pro-wrestlers-turned-actors) more than make up for it. It's far from a masterpiece but it's solid enough for a recommendation.

Lover Come Back (Delbert Mann) ***1/2 - A woman working for an advertising agency finds out that a potential client was stolen from her by a rival ad man and she's determined to get back at him by trying to steal one his clients. This is one of those Rock Hudson-Doris Day romantic comedies and I have to say, it is really, really funny and a lot of fun to watch with the funny twists and turns the story goes (Knowing Rock Hudson is gay in real life actually adds another layer of humor to the proceedings in these films). Hudson and Day have great on-screen chemistry and Tony Randall provides wonderful support. The film kind of fumbles the end a bit but otherwise, this film is a comedic delight all around. Highly recommended.