Friday, August 11, 2017
So, Brandon's blogging again, eh?
Let's do this.
It's already August. How has 2017 been so far?
The crank in me says disappointing as usual.
Here's what I've seen and at least a sentence about each.
Ranked:
1) Get Out
I'm surprised that this one has stuck with me as the most impressive film of the year so far. I had problems with it coming out of it (mostly with the finale, that it moved to the broadly comic instead of staying the course of the horrific; maybe the alternate ending on the DVD will solve this problem for me?), but a discussion with my friend Ben (not MIA film club Ben) convinced me of the deep darkness of this film, that it is truly great.
2) War for the Planet of the Apes
This was my most anticipated film of the year. It was satisfying, but I was disappointed that there was no extravagantly wild set piece to match apes on horses on the Golden Gate Bridge or apes on tanks driving through a wall of flames. Instead, we get a weak avalanche of whiteness. Dawn is my favorite of the trilogy.
3) The Beguiled
This went to the Cinema Saver. I knew it wouldn't play for longer than a week so decided to catch it on a Monday afternoon, 4 something showing. I was the only one in the theater. The Beguiled delivers what it promises, a houseful of women/girls beguiled by a stranger, longing for change and any sort of good news, ready to believe the best in anyone. I only regret that it gets a bit explicit in its sexiness toward the end. If it weren't for that, it'd be a wonderful film to share with my older daughters.
4) Baby Driver
This one has already cooled in my mind. It was a fun trip, exhilarating for much of its run time, but I'm not sure that there's much to return to. I actually wish that there were more surface pleasure to it instead of a stretching for deep meaningfulness. It doesn't quite work as endlessly replayable music video or as serious thinkpiece.
5) Logan
Logan is supposed to be the end (telos) of the superhero movie, such a movie matured. I can't remember much about it. Except for the scene of the good family taking in Wolvie and Prof X and paying for it. And I guess that middle sequence alone makes this one worth thinking about.
6) Girlfriend's Day
Bob Odenkirk delivers a satisfying, if slight, comedy with a silly plot.
7) Okja
I lost interest after the pig was kidnapped. It was a bit of a slog to get through the second half of this.
8) Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2
I remember being entertained by this. But it's a slick, corporate product even if it's aching to be otherwise.
9) Spider-Man: Homecoming
There were a few good moments, but as a Spidey fan for as long as I can remember, I was sorely disappointed. Spider-Man turns into Iron Man, Jr. in this movie. And that's only the beginning of the problems here.
10) Cars 3
It's a good kids' movie. It lost me when it gave an extended flashback at the end highlighting the themes of mentor/mentee that were already obvious throughout. I hate flashbacks that treat the audience like idiots.
11) Wonder Woman
I don't get the love for this one at all. It's another superhero slog.
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I liked the first ten minutes of Logan. I also liked the father/son banter between him and prof x. otherwise, boring business as usual. it's unfathomably stupid for paid critics to pat themselves on the back for regarding this as a "modern western" as though a: this is remotely relevant or b: that's some kind of compliment.
ReplyDeleteI also had a rough time with most of Okja, though the opening scenes with the little girl and the pig were really great. I will always be in awe of Jake G's performance. It's next level horseshit. Swinton's wasn't much better imo. The final scene was effective for me. It damn well better be.
I didn't care much for Get Out, mostly for the same reasons you seemed to lose interest.
I was going to do a mid year reckoning post but it was too much so i'll just lazily leave it here. i saw the following a had the following thoughts and feelings:
ReplyDeleteKong: Skull Island - worthless. i think i might have dug the nod to Cannibal Holocaust. The two leads are awful and bring the already shitty movie down every time they speak.
Get Out: Great idea that jumbles its final act, which really needs to be pulled off.
Blackcoat's Daughter: More antiseptic "new wave indie horror" from A24. bleak, boring, and immediately declared a classic by built in A24 fans.
The Belko Experiment: cubical comedy horror where miserable office workers are forced to either kill or have their heads explode. The drones act accordingly with little surprises in store. James Gunn wrote it. that's not a personal draw for me. Greg McClean directed it, which is why I watched it. It's fun, lean, mean, but ultimately I didn't care.
Dunkirk- Nolan without the gab, though it can't help but gab when it really ought to have have kept quiet. the plane scenes are the draw, everything else is honestly pretty boring per Nolan usual.
47 Meters Down- I gave up on it.
Beauty and the Beast- I hate myself for watching this.
Split- I liked the line about those who suffer inheriting the earth. I can't believe M Night deliberately handicaps his own material with painfully unfunny characters (rapping kid in The Visit, multiple personality kid here).
Life- better than Alien Covenant. Still shitty.
Alien Covenant- Two good scenes, both involving graphic violence.
The Lost City of Z- when it's good it's great but there are more than enough scenes that felt like they were part of a much lesser film. one of my favorites in a very bad year thus far.
I counted Split and Lost City of Z as 2016 films. Both were disappointments with some good moments.
ReplyDeleteThis year does seem to be particularly bad so far. I haven't been paying attention to the festival circuits from either last year or this one. Maybe we have a few good imports heading our way sometime soon.
Brandon, on Logan, Ignatiy is still one of our best critics. I appreciated his take on Logan: http://www.avclub.com/article/cross-its-side-logan-gets-religion-251473
ReplyDelete