Malcolm1980's 2024 Review Thread

[malcolm1980]

I completely forgot I was supposed to make a new thread for the new year. LOL.

1/3

Beyond Utopia (Madeleine Gavin) ***1/2 - This film documents North Korean defectors trying to escape the country focusing on a pastor who specializes in helping them and a mother who wants to be reunited with her son. I’m still not home. I’m on a 12 hour layover in Hong Kong and on the way there, the plane had this movie so I decided to make it my first film of 2024. And what a first film! There are moments in this film which are riddled with suspense when you see actual footage of defectors trying to escape that rival or even surpasses suspenseful moments in narrative features. I know quite a bit about the situation in North Korea but that doesn’t make this film any less fascinating or compelling to me. This is a superb piece of work and one of my favorite documentaries of the year. Highly recommended if you can find it.

[malcolm1980]

1/4

Dumb Money (Craig Gillespie) *** - Based on a non-fiction book, this film depicts the GameStop stock short squeezing incident which took Wall Street and various billionaire hedge fund managers by surprise and became a viral phenomenon. I heard about this incident on Twitter like everyone else. I have very limited knowledge about stocks and finance and stuff like that but I understood enough of it that I had to laugh at what happened. I wasn't sure if there was a movie there but lo and behold, they did make a movie. Plus I've already seen the documentary so what does a narrative film have to offer? Quite a bit, as it turns out. This is an enjoyable satirical film with a fun ensemble. Though I don't think it says anything particularly new, it is still interesting story. I saw this on the plane on the way home and thank goodness it wasn't edited.

Maestro (Bradley Cooper) *** - This is the film on the life of composer, musician and conductor Leonard Bernstein focusing both on his professional life and his relationship with his wife, Felicia Montealegre. While one is tempted to simply dismiss this as just another Oscar-bait biopic, there's still lots of admire in this film. Bradley Cooper's second outing as a filmmaker proves that he's got the talent. He infuses more style here than his previous film. Of course Cooper and Carey Mulligan's performances are impeccable (although I can see how some people think they're over-stylized). But even then, I think this film is better in individual scenes rather than as a whole. There are certainly great moments and scenes throughout the film but as working as whole I don't think the film's unique structure works completely. Overall, it's a good but not great film.

The Long Haul (Ken Hughes) *** - An American ex-GI becomes truck driver to support his wife and child but then gets blackmailed by a smuggler. This is a British noir film that I think is fairly standard. But it is worth taking a look because of the fantastic performances of both Victor Mature in the lead role and Diana Dors who plays quite possibly the most complex (not to mention beautiful) femme fatales. This is British-made so it plays out quite differently and contains some elements not found in American film noirs. Overall, this is a solid entry to the genre that would make for a good watch for both serious and casual fans of the genre.

[malcolm1980]

1/5

Society of the Snow (J.A. Bayona) ***1/2 - This film tells the true story of the 1972 airline disaster where a plane carrying a Uruguayan rugby team crashed into the Andes and how the survivors persevered. This was made into a film before, the Hollywood film Alive which I haven't seen. Do I need to see it since this version is a near masterpiece? This is a thrilling and harrowing survival thriller. The fact that none of the fine ensemble of actors are recognizable as names gives this an added layer of realism. J.A. Bayona is more or less and hit or miss director for me but all his strengths as a director is evident here and this may be his best work to date. Everything here is firing in all cylinders, the sound, the cinematography and of course Michael Giacchino's beautiful score. So, yeah, this is an excellent picture.

[malcolm1980]

1/6


GomBurZa (Pepe Diokno) *** - During the Philippine Spanish colonial era, three Filipino Catholic priests, Frs. Gomes, Burgos and Zamora (hence, GomBurZa) were unjustly executed by the Spanish government. This helped kickstart the Philippine Revolution to overthrow their Spanish colonists. This film is their story. This film is certainly admirable. The film actually brings history to life to doesn't feel like a history lesson for the most part and the script also has layers of nuance in it. The direction and the performances are on point. Cedrick Juan, in particular, is unforgettable as Fr. Burgos (his final scene is unforgettable). But the film for me doesn't quite reach the heights it should have had. So this is a very good film but falls short of greatness, at least for me.

Firefly (Zig Dulay) ***1/2 - A young boy goes on a road trip to visit the places his recently deceased mother told him about in bedtime stories. I loved this movie. I found myself almost tearing up in several places. Perhaps it's because I have a close relationship with my mother similar to the boy in the story (though she is still with us). This is a lovely, warm film which kind of reminds me of a Hirokazu Kore-eda film, but more whimsical. Lead child performer Euwenn Mikael gives a lovely performance and so does Alessandra de Rossi and Epy Quizon. I can definitely see why this one won Best Picture at the Metro Manila Film Festival. The film is an extremely well-crafted cinematic version of a warm hug. I can why some people would resist but if you just let the film be, it actually feels pretty nice. This turned out one of my favorite Filipino films of 2023.

[malcolm1980]

1/7

No Highway (Henry King) **1/2 - An eccentric aeronautical engineer discovers a potentially deadly design flaw but could not prove it in a convincing way. I do believe the main strength of this movie are in its performances. James Stewart is channeling his Mr. Smith Goes To Washington performance. Marlene Dietrich is always fascinating to watch. Also giving a superb supporting performance is Glynis Johns as the supportive stewardess who has recently passed away and this film will serve as my personal tribute watch to her. Unfortunately, the film pretty much relies almost solely on their performances as the main glue that makes this film any compelling or interesting. A better filmmaker may have ratchet the tension a bit more since the film does have an interesting idea. So overall, it'a an okay film.

The Devil, Probably (Robert Bresson) *** - A young man has apparently committed suicide and we flashback and see how that came to be. This is a later work from director Robert Bresson and apparently at this particular stage in his career, he decides to court controversy by tackling the subject of the suicide particularly by young people. Yes, it's a dark, thought-provoking work although he will subsequently make a better one, this is still an interesting entry into his filmography since the film is somewhat more nihilistic compared to his earlier, more spiritual works. I would personally probably rank this mid-tier but still worth a look.

[malcolm1980]

1/8

Ikarie XB 1 (Jindrich Polak) ***1/2 - It's 2163. A spaceship looking for alien life is struggling with the effects of a dark star. I have never heard of this Czech science fiction film before seeing the title in the Criterion Channel. I thought it was interesting and decided to give it a watch. Wow! What a discovery. Right smack dab in the middle of the silly fun science-fiction of the '50's and '60's and the serious artfulness of 2001 and Solaris is this film since it contains a elements of both and somehow works well. It's science fiction while having a straight-forward, fun adventure narrative has elements of darkness and themes to think about along the way. The special effects are quite good as well. I would give this a hearty recommendation. Discovering previously unheard of good films are a joy, I must say.

[malcolm1980]

1/9

Thirst for Love (Koreyoshi Kurahara) ***1/2 - Shortly after her husband dies, a young widow starts having an affair with her wealthy father-in-law then starts to also obsess over their younger, handsome gardener. This is yet another happy discovery on the Criterion Channel (which is a source of a lot of them). This is an absorbing erotic melodrama where despite the fact that you would probably have mixed feelings (to say the least) on the protagonist, the film never judges her and you still find her compelling and that's a testament to the performance of actress Nobuo Nakamura who pulled off this very tricky role. The shocking ending, which will not be spoiled here, will get you thinking and talking for sure. Overall, this is a solid hidden gem of Japanese cinema which more people should check out.

[malcolm1980]

1/10

Children of a Lesser God (Randa Haines) **1/2 - A hearing English teacher gets a job in a school for deaf children then begins to have a love affair with its deaf female custodian. While I haven't seen the Broadway play this film was based on, this film adaptation has been rightly acclaimed for being one of the first mainstream depictions of deaf people as fully human beings who get horny and are flawed. So bravo to that. And yes, Marlee Matlin is indeed great and fully earned her Oscar win. But as a film being viewed through today, this feels like a fairly standard romantic drama with the deaf angle as added substance. I don't know how the Deaf community views this play/film but personally, I would give it a mild recommendation for Matlin's performance.

[malcolm1980]

1/11

The Holdovers (Alexander Payne) **** - A not-very-well-liked teacher at an bougie all-boys boarding school gets stuck looking after the "holdovers", students who have to stay in school over the Christmas holidays and forms a relationship with one of them. I have to agree with the reviews: This is indeed Alexander Payne's best work since Sideways. The premise has the potential to be this overly-sentimental, mawkish Christmas movie but instead, it is a biting, extremely well-acted, funny comedy-drama that manages to also be sweet and moving as well. Paul Giamatti, Dominic Sessa and Da'Vine Joy Randolph are all exquisite and deserving of the accolades that is being bestowed upon them. I think this is going to be a Christmas classic for people who like their holiday movies a little more adult but still want some sweetness and warmth. It's one of my favorite films of the year.

Chicago Confidential (Sidney Salkow) *** - A crime syndicate infiltrates a powerful union then frames one of the union officers for murder. This is yet another fairly standard but still entertaining and effective film noir (or B-noir). At seventy-five minutes, this is a pretty lean, straightforward procedural narrative with some interesting supporting performances from Elisha Cook and Beverly Tyler. It doesn't break new ground but it does the job. If you're a fan of film noirs and crime dramas of the era, you'll dig this one. I have to say, I'm surprised they managed to get a little racy with this one in a few scenes. So, yeah, overall, it is a solid enough watch.

[malcolm1980]

1/12

Father of the Bride (Vincente Minelli) *** - A man's life is turned upside down when he finds out his eldest child and only daughter is getting married. I have seen the Steve Martin-Nancy Meyers remake of this story and its various iterations several times (since it is a childhood favorite and Steve Martin is hilarious). I have been meaning to see the Spencer Tracy-Elizabeth Taylor-Vincente Minelli version for a while now and it's pretty good! Spencer Tracy is no Steve Martin of course but he's still funny in his own right. Elizabeth Taylor I think makes the daughter a more interesting character than the remake. As a film, it is pretty slight (I think it's mid-tier Minelli) but it's still enjoyable to watch. If you like the Steve Martin movie, I think there's value in checking out the original too.