The Northman

The Northman (Robert Eggers, 2022)

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Rating: Q=8, P=8 / Obsession

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=4, Scale 3=4, Scale 4=4

Action, Adventure, Vikings, Dark Ages, Based on Shakespeare

WOW. Robert Eggers has done something truly amazing. This is the most immersive and realistic film I've ever seen depicting the Dark Ages, and specifically the Vikings. Every moment of this film is both beautiful and disturbing. And finally a film that shows the reasons behind the violence--the culture, myth, rites and traditions. Yes, it is bloody and gruesome, but I felt like I understood why.

Such expansive and also intimate cinematography! The natural lighting is simply breathtaking--the glow of firelight in the great hall, the eerie moonlight in the forest, the sprays of lava. I've always thought that directors sometimes don't realize the enormous effect that lighting can have on their film. Eggers knew. Each scene feels so real. This is a film worth watching again for the artistry alone. But the acting and story makes it even more worthwhile.

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Nightmare Alley (1947)

Nightmare Alley (1947)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

Scale 1=3, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=2

Film Noir, Carnival, Crime, Thriller

I can't believe I hadn't seen this film before--really? A film noir that escaped me when I was in film school? Well, I was compelled to watch this original before I saw the new remake that got so many award nominations.

This film wasn't a huge success at the time it was released but it has since become a classic. The lighting, editing, dialogue--all of it works so well at pushing you along and building up the suspense. Not a lot actually happens in this film--subtle things, slow build--but that works. At the end you are left with such a bittersweet and solemn feeling. A timeless story.

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Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore

Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore (David Yates, 2022)

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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough

Scale 1=4, Scale 2=3, Scale 3=3, Scale 4=3

Fantasy, Magic, Adventure, Complex Relationships

I truly enjoyed this film, but that should not be surprising based on how much I've enjoyed all the other films and stories in this universe. The first and second parts of this collection I think were much stronger and stand on their own better, but this one is still fun and answers more questions. At times, the urgency of Grindelwald's menace doesn't seem emphasized quite as much as it should be after what happened in part two, but the mysteriousness and back story of Albus Dumbledore makes up for it. That being said, this film doesn't make any sense without having seen the first two films. But the visuals and adventuring would probably still be exciting. The overall atmosphere here is somber. And I like that, given the nature of what's going on in the story. Mads Mikkelsen, Jude Law, and Eddie Redmayne are all so good.

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