Women Talking

Women Talking (Sarah Polley, 2022)

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Rating: Q=7, P=6 / Can't Get Enough

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

Drama, Religion, Based on True Story, Complex Relationships

I don't know how it would feel to grow up and live isolated and away from other people, perspectives, and ideas. To only know one, extreme way of life where being a woman meant your voice and thoughts don't matter and have no place. But I know this is the reality for many. I can't imagine the turmoil and trauma of being brutally and repeatedly attacked by men you raised and love. And worse, seeing your children also be attacked. Women Talking is a powerful film. It shows us that strength comes from discussion, conflict, and reasoning. It shows us that challenges can be overcome, it just takes the strength to act. From strength comes solidarity. And, most importantly, from solidarity comes hope.

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Licorice Pizza

Licorice Pizza (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2021)

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

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

1970s, Comedy, Coming of Age

Licorice Pizza is a hilarious, meandering romp. I love stories that don't really have a plot, that are just views into the lives of people. I really like Gary--young, charming, and enterprising. And I like awkward, goofy Alana. It's fun to escape into their entrepreneurial world of the San Fernando valley in 1973, full of celebrities and trends and all walks of life. A very different kind of film for Paul Thomas Anderson, but still so great. Plus Bradley Cooper's cameo is magic and amazing.

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Belfast

Belfast (Kenneth Brannagh, 2021)

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Rating: Q=6, P=5 / Average OJ

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

1960's, Northern Ireland, Politics, Coming of Age, Memoir

What a beautiful memoir from Kenneth Brannagh. This is a film about childhood, about family, about the importance of place impacting your identity. It is also a film about violence and trauma and grappling with the hardest decision: stay in the place you know and love or be safe. I also loved how Brannagh showed the escape of the movie theater and how much those themes and stories of westerns stayed in the young Buddy's mind. Wonderful performances by Judi Dench and newcomer Jude Hill.

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Nightmare Alley

Nightmare Alley (Guillermo del Toro, 2022)

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Rating: Q=5, P=4 / Average OJ

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

1930's-40's, Thriller, Psychological, Carnival

Guillermo del Toro has made an interesting adaptation of  Nightmare Alley, perhaps staying closer to the story of the novel, but somehow the film just didn't grab me like the classic film noir version from 1947. Perhaps it was because the slow burn was less convincing and the horror aspects pulled me away from the psychological madness. I wasn't as captivated by the setting nor by the acting. Nightmare Alley of 1947 felt succinct and complete--fully formed from start to finish, with subtle moments throughout signaling the mentalist's downfall. This version just feels bumpy (the story felt a little rushed and disjointed) and, at times, overdoing it. But the artistry was superb! And I did like the ending just a little better--so fitting. 

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The Power of the Dog

The Power of the Dog (Jane Campion, 2021)

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Rating: Q=8, P=7 / Obsession

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

Western setting, Complex Relationships, Psychological, Thriller

Eerie, beautiful, depressing, and especially unnerving, The Power of the Dog is magnificent filmmaking that left me thinking about the story and its meanings for days after watching. In graduate school I studied coming of age and masculinity in film, so I was especially captivated by this story. The center and soul of The Power of the Dog is masculinity--what it is and was, what it should be or shouldn't be. It's also about change and loss, about the death of a certain way of life and a life that can't be authentic. Nothing is simple about these characters or their story. Who is good? Who is bad? Who is right? Who is wrong? It changes more than once. It also appears to be a Western, at first, but only because it is set in Montana on a ranch. It appears to be a romance, at times, but it certainly isn't. And the atmosphere and tension that builds throughout the film--aided by some absolutely brilliant score and cinematography--makes it a thriller without most of the usual thriller trappings. I love The Power of the Dog because it is complex, perhaps a bit confusing, deliberately ambiguous, and relentlessly unsettling. Just like humans and our societies. Powerful and captivating.

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Oscar Dash 2022: The Nominations

It's that time of year again...Oscar Dash 2022! I am not determined to watch all the films before the big event on March 27, like I have been in the past. I still have films from last year I haven't watched. But I do hope to watch all of these eventually! I guess I've just been more interested in other genres and shows in these past few years. But, here are the nominees for best picture:

Belfast

CODA

Don't Look Up

Drive My Car

Dune

King Richard

Licorice Pizza

Nightmare Alley

The Power of the Dog

West Side Story