Malcolm1980's 2024 Review Thread

[malcolm1980]

2/5

Kiss the Blood Off My Hands (Norman Foster) ***1/2 - An army veteran with PTSD kills a man in a bar and while he was being chased by the police, he bumps into a woman whom he eventually falls in love with. I have to say, I picked this movie off the Criterion Channel because I liked the title. But as turns out, it's terrific discovery as well. Burt Lancaster and Joan Fontaine both give excellent performances as the troubled G.I. and the woman he falls for respectively. It is one of earliest films to directly deal with the issue of PTSD among people who have served in war and what it can do to a person's mind. The film is unexpectedly brutal as well and quite twisty. This should definitely be on more people's radars.

[malcolm1980]

2/7

Mr. Vampire (Ricky Lau) ***1/2 - A rich man wishes to re-bury his father to get better luck in his businesses and this triggers a series of supernatural events involving vampires and predatory ghosts. This is such a fun movie. It is a horror-martial arts-comedy and does all three of its genres very well. It is scary. It is funny. It's got impressive and thrilling fight scenes. This is a great choice for Chinese New Year this week. I watched this alone in my office computer but I do advise on seeing this with a group of people or in theaters if you can. The film is such a hoot with all of its surprises both scary and silly that seeing it with an audience would enhance and add to the experience of watching this movie. It is that fun. Highly recommended.

[malcolm1980]

2/9


Lisa Frankenstein (Zelda Williams) *** - A sullen teenage girl whose mother has been murdered gets obsessed with a dead musician in an abandoned cemetery then after lightning strikes, this dead musician comes to life. This teen comedy take on the Frankenstein story doesn't always work. While Diablo Cody's script has a lot of good ideas, concepts and jokes, it really needed another pass. But writer-director Zelda Williams does have a distinctive voice and filmmaking talent and potential and embraces the crazy, darkly comedic concepts which make this film actually fun to watch. The cast is also strong. While Kathryn Newton and Cole Sprouse nail their roles, I think Carla Gugino and Liza Soberano almost steal the film as the titular character's step-family. So overall, not a great film but a solid horror teen comedy worth checking out

Suzhou River (Lou Ye) ***1/2 - A small-time crook stumbles upon a woman who looks exactly like his long-lost lover. This is a really interesting little film I stumbled upon MUBI. It feels like a down and dirty version of a Wong Kar Wai film combined with a little De Palma (or even Hitchcock). It's a romance film with noir elements that intoxicates you even though the setting is dark, dirty and lurid with imagery you won't soon forget. I have to say this was far less graphic and explicit than I was expecting but there it enveloped with atmospheric eroticism all throughout which makes it even more effective. Definitely a film not to be overlooked. I need to see more of director Lou Ye's work too.

[malcolm1980]

2/10


Mean Girls (Samantha Jayne/Arturo Perez Jr.) *** - This is the film version of the stage musical adaptation of the 2004 teen comedy where a homeschooled teenage girl goes to public school for the first time and becomes involved with the most feared and popular girl in school. I personally liked the original a lot. I'm not too familiar with the Broadway musical since I'm not a big fan of turning popular films into stage musicals so I have no opinion on how good an adaptation of the stage musical this is. I found it largely unnecessary with most of the songs being just okay. However, it was still entertaining and there were a few good laughs (Tina Fey's brand of humor remains intact) plus the cast is really good. Overall, it's inoffensive and should please the fans of the stage musical.

Lightning Strikes Twice (King Vidor) *** - An actress vacationing at a dude ranch falls for a man who has just been acquitted of killing his wife. This is a pretty effective but somewhat standard film noir and murder mystery where you just keep on guessing whether or not he "did it", so to speak. Unfortunately, the big twist and reveal and the way they handled and executed was just a tad disappointing. Director King Vidor has done better work. The cast is very good though especially Mercedes McCambridge, who is always good and always makes almost any film she is starring in worth seeing. So I am giving a mild recommendation to anyone who's a fan of the genre or of the cast.

[malcolm1980]

2/11


Suncoast (Laura Chinn) ***1/2 - This is a semi-autobiographical coming-of-age drama about a teenage girl befriending a right-to-life activist during the Terri Schiavo controversy and trying to have fun after helping to care for her terminally ill brother. The film pretty much follows all the tropes of what you would expect in a coming-of-age teen drama. What makes this special however is the excellent cast. Nico Parker (daughter of Thandiwe Newton, inherited her mother's acting chops, I must say), Laura Linney and Woody Harrelson all give awards-worthy performances that lift the material up and makes this film more than worth watching. While the film is set during the Terri Schiavo case, it doesn't preach one way or another but instead just focuses on individuals and characters which was a wise choice. So it's a solid indie drama that's worth your time.

The Patchwork Girl of Oz (J. Farrell McDonald) *** - After their respective loved ones get accidentally stupefied by the titular character, three young people must journey to look for the antidote. Yes, this is NOT an adaptation of that familiar tale of Dorothy and Toto. It is however personally produced by the author himself L. Frank Baum and is a story in roughly the same universe. It's an early silent film but it's got some visuals that could rival Georges Melies. The story isn't as enchanting as it could be but again, the visuals and the special effects make up for it. It's not quite a masterpiece but an interesting piece of cinema history.

[malcolm1980]

2/12

Hotel Rwanda (Terry George) ***1/2 - This is the remarkable true story of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager in Kigali, Rwanda who saved the lives of more than 1200 people during the Rwandan genocide by sheltering them at the hotel and bribing military officers. This is another one of those major, high profile films I never gotten around to seeing, that is until now. It is hard not to be swept up by this truly dark period in recent history and the film manages to be all at once harrowing, suspenseful and eye-opening while not being to graphically violent. Modern audiences may criticize this film since it's written and directed by white people but to their credit, they did not craft a white savior film which they could've easily done. Don Cheadle and Sophie Okenedo are outstanding. Though it's not a transcendent classic, it is still very good, solid drama.

[malcolm1980]

2/14

Waterloo Bridge (Mervyn LeRoy) ***1/2 - A military officer and a ballet dancer meet during an air raid on the titular bridge. Then they fall in love but the realities of the harshness of life during war threaten to tear them apart. I saw this film and currently writing this review on Valentine's Day since I thought it'd be appropriate to see a romantic film today (but since it's also Ash Wednesday, I opted for a serious and dark one). It's Vivien Leigh's follow up to Gone With The Wind and she matches and perhaps even surpasses her performance in that film in this one. She is outstanding (and not to mention heartbreaking) as a ballet dancer turned sex worker (though they never really explicitly say it). She makes this film a must-see. It may induce tears. Highly recommended.

[malcolm1980]

2/16

Birth (Jonathan Glazer) ***1/2 - Ten years after her husband dies, a woman who is just about to get remarried is approached by a 10 year old boy claiming to be her reincarnated husband. Since Jonathan Glazer has an acclaimed Oscar-nominated film out in the world right now (which I still haven't seen due to lack of access), I thought I'd go back to the only one I haven't seen and the only one that has gotten mixed to negative reviews (and controversy on some uncomfortable scenes involving a child). It has since undergone somewhat of re-evaluation and watching it with fresh eyes, it is an intriguing mystery/romance with give you plenty of things to contemplate and chew on during and after viewing it. Nicole Kidman is, of course, outstanding and sells the entire thing. Extra points for Harris Savides' beautiful cinematography and Alexander Desplat's outstanding score. This film is yet one more reason why Jonathan Glazer is a major cinematic voice.

[malcolm1980]

2/17


Poor Things (Yorgos Lanthimos) **** - A young woman who's been brought back to life by a deformed scientist through a brain transplant from her unborn child decides to go off with lawyer to experience the world. This is simply a superb film. It is wonderfully strange and quirky and visually eye-popping and a riveting experience. It is funny, erotic and thought provoking. I have to say the hype is real about Emma Stone's performance. The physicality, the life and emotion she brings to to her unique dialogue was just a joy to watch. The supporting performances are also great. Much has been said about Dafoe and Ruffalo but I do want to single out Ramy Youssef who actually grounds the film with his normalcy and decency in his character. It is not quite my #1 film of the year but it will most like end up in my Top 10.

Victory (Maurice Tourneur) *** - A man living in isolation falls for a woman during one of his trips to civilization and she decides to go off with him. Then he's followed by two men who also want her. This is a silent film based on a novel by Joseph Conrad, yes, that Joseph Conrad. Just based on the film, it is a lot less darker than what I was expecting but there's still a lingering darkness which makes me think, maybe the book is darker. It only runs a little over an hour but it does pack some punch. Lon Chaney contributes a nice villainous performance. But overall, I wouldn't consider it one of the silent greats but pretty solid overall.

[malcolm1980]

2/18

The Sign of the Ram (John Sturges) *** - A paraplegic woman manipulates the relationships of the people around her resulting in tragic consequences. If there's one reason for you to try and see this film, it is Susan Peters. She gives a spectacular performance in the central role of the devious woman in the wheelchair. It is never a one-dimensional villainous performance but a very full-bodied one where you understand where she's coming from and why she does the things she does. She makes this film worth seeing. The film itself though doesn't quite reach the heights of classic status but it's still a pretty solid film noir that's more female-focused than most. Check it out when you can. It's on the Criterion Channel.