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I’ve been watching some festive movies at the cinema, to get me in the Christmas spirit.
A film centred around three key protagonists, I found the dialogues between them fascinating, the philosophical conversations stimulating.
The direction was functional but not outstanding, shot in black and white which complemented the thematic explorations of the work.
An anthropological study of individuals within their environment and the complexities of love.
The main takeaway I got, was that the bourgeoisie live empty lives and possess a stubbornness toward making the right choices.
The psychology of love is not so easy to decipher, no matter how many intellectual discourses.
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The conclusion to the Harry Potter saga. It was entertaining, but due to consisting mainly of (albeit well executed) action scenes, rarely felt emotionally impactful - save for the Snape revelation.
Similar to the original Star Wars trilogy, there are the good guys and the bad guys, the main protagonist realises the good guys aren’t to be trusted either, but by the end restores “order” again.
This series had a very similar concept, which can be seen as an allegory…
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★★★ Rewatched 20 Nov 2024
This was better than I remembered. Delving into the psychology of the central trio with their friendship put to the test - this wasn’t simply the film dedicating a section to watch some relatable antics in between the action, but a core part of the main story.
The course they faced took a toll and taking the time to properly explore these changing dynamics brought a necessary gravitas, where moments of tension were balanced with levity throughout.
Aided by creative…
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Back when these films first released, The Half-Blood Prince was my least favourite. How surprised to find myself 30 minutes in really digging it.
The slower pace meant someone told the editor not to cut so often and I was treated to some fun gliding camerawork reminiscent of the third entry. There was a lot more care taken in the style, not only for the dialogue scenes but also the fight sequences.
All this to say, while I enjoyed the…
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Quite an achievement, for 2 hours and 20 minutes of story to feel rushed. This wasn’t helped by the choppy quick cut editing - particularly egregious during the action sequences.
While I did enjoy the visual flair and set design, so much happened plot-wise without having much impact as it skipped past each moment as quickly as it could. When showing this dark and magical world, it became a problem that I wasn’t able to really take it in.
What…
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★★★ Rewatched 17 Nov 2024
I loved that this was essentially setpieces and teen drama the movie. Following on from The Prisoner of Azkaban, this effort felt very different as it plunged the audience into the scariest tournament imaginable.
I have to give credit to the director, who brought a more grounded and realist approach to the fantasy, as the audience was planted with the characters looking up at the magnitude of each deadly challenge they faced.
The action was much improved over the previous films…
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★★★ Rewatched 16 Nov 2024
Here it is, the one everyone says is the best of the bunch. Well… I wouldn’t be surprised if it ends up my favourite too.
Compared to the previous two entries, the screenplay was much stronger. The character arcs, the narrative throughlines, how it all weaved together.
The pacing really worked here, slowing down at the right times to allow for character growth, plot development and to take in the moment.
This was elevated by some wonderful direction, moody atmospheres…
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Continuing my rewatch of the series, the second entry felt very similar to the first, almost copying it beat for beat. Some of the scenes were unnecessary, which made it a drag to watch.
Fortunately, there were aspects in which The Chamber of Secrets improved over its predecessor. The camerawork was a lot more dynamic, as well as the use of music and sound design. The plot was more developed and the final showdown was pretty memorable.
I would have…
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I have decided to rewatch all the Harry Potter movies, as a celebration of bleaching my hair blonde - like my favourite character Luna Lovegood. (It will take five 2hr30min movies before I see her, but still.)
These films were my childhood and I wanted to revisit them out of curiosity to see if they held up and generally felt in the mood to enter the wizarding world.
What an immense production, I was spellbound by the sheer scale -…
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★★★ Rewatched 23 Oct 2024
This will surely go down as a foundational work of Western animation.
Yes, it could have done with the abstract poeticism of a Fantasia, or the evocative suggestive storytelling of a Studio Ghibli production.
However, as a sendoff from Dreamworks (the final film to be animated entirely in-house) this was a triumph.
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This may have surpassed Fantasia as my favourite animated film from the US.
EDIT: Upon reflection, I might like Fantasia more.
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★★★★★ Rewatched 13 Oct 2024
I’m noticing that a lot of people who didn’t like the approach of The Substance, was because instead of glorifying the commodification of women’s bodies the movie satirised it.
A phenomenal effort which will surely transcend such liberal tendencies where people project their own misogyny onto the work.
With how similarly the narrative was structured like The Shining, someone needs to make The Substance Forwards and Backwards.
I will be shocked if a better film is released this decade!
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