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White Sands (1992)
Worth a watch
Some typical 90s racist tropes, that scene with Sam J and the suitcase made me laugh. Overall well made and entertaining enough, though I would have enjoyed it much more a few decades ago.
Tenet (2020)
The last christopher nolan film I ever want to see
Nolan attempts to outdo himself, because that's what everyone expects. In the case of Tenet he's created a film that can't hold water, much less create intrigue. I asked for a refund and I don't think another viewing will make it easier to appreciate this movie.
Capone (2020)
Criminally Underrated
Trank does a fantastic job of bringing Capone's last year to life. At first glance the plot would seem boring, as very little is actually happening. However it's sometimes challenging to identify which scenes are hallucinated, which fits well with the subjective experience of dementia. Overall the acting and production quality are top notch. It's a real movie in the sense that it was intended to have a greater effect than simply removing money from the viewer's pocket. Most movies these days don't meet this standard and therefore aren't worth watching.
Perpetual Grace, LTD (2019)
words don't begin with numbers
A good hit of sir ben kingsley, behrani with some don logan mixed in
Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)
Terminator 6
Another politically correct tentpole installment. Nothing to see here. This is a far cry from T2.
The Outsider (2018)
An action movie for intelligent people
This is the very definition of a movie which features lots of violence without being about violence. This stands in stark contrast to flesh fests like Logan (2017) and The Old Guard (2020) which really don't have anything else going for them. Somehow those movies made more money though, so perhaps my perspective on what makes a movie enjoyable is part of a minority.
Uncut Gems (2019)
Either you get it or you don't
The Safdie brothers have made a new genre out of personal mayhem. Howard Ratner is a loser determined to show the world that he's a winner, which makes you wonder about the nature of winning. This movie isn't shallow at all, in fact the final scene is kind of brilliant.
Ad Astra (2019)
A movie that takes place in space but really isn't about space travel.
A robust plot paired with ample production design yields an engrossing portrait of the mental challenges of space travel. For a movie to focus so intensely on this aspect is to leverage the full potential of scifi to explore experiential territory which is otherwise unreachable. How to quantify the psychological costs of continued scientific progress? Why are some of us coping with these costs better than others? Ad Astra is not what it appears to be.
The Jesus Rolls (2019)
Glad I didn't read the reviews
This is enjoyable to watch even if it is pointless. Jesus Quintana is a character with multi-dimensional creepiness, deserving of a film like this to achieve the fullest expression.
Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
watchable
I appreciated the scene with the sandworm swallow as Poe utters the phrase "last jump, possibly forever". This was clearly a reference to the following year's Dune release, upon which the Star Wars narrative was built. It's as if the writers were saying "yes this is going to suck, but look on the bright side".
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
A tasteful rendition
When I saw BR 2049 in theaters for the third time, I sat next to a man who (during the movie) explained that Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets was a more enjoyable sci-fi experience and that BR 2049 was too long. He clearly wasn't stupid, he simply had different tastes and expectations.
For me however, Blade Runner has always represented the pinnacle of Sci Fi: so thoroughly encasing the viewer in a tastefully altered reality as to provoke specific questions about real life. In this respect, the sequel does not disappoint.
The King (2019)
As good as a movie gets
I don't watch many movies anymore, owing partially to the onslaught of big-budget drivel that is presently stupefying the public. But this is not to say that I dislike movies! Few of the movies I do watch are so good as to warrant a review , but The King is one of them.
I'd rate as a 10 in each of these categories: plot, acting, score, screenplay, cinematography.
The Beach Bum (2019)
I didn't understand the appeal of poetry until i saw this
All the contradictions of life, isn't it what we truly strive toward from the moment of our birth? It stands in stark contrast from the uniformity that's enforced by modern civil institutions.
If art is novelty, then Harmony Korrine is most certainly an artist. This movie is more tame than his earlier work.
First Reformed (2017)
A movie you'll only be able to watch once, but which will hold your attention completely.
I haven't been so captivated by cinematography since The Revenant, not so intrigued by a screenplay since Nightcrawler or so delighted with directorial style since Blade Runner 2049. I've added Paul Schrader to my personal list of most esteemed filmmakers. This is a masterpiece.
Vice (2018)
read the review by bastille-852-731547
I just saw this documentary in theaters. The "Shockingly Bad Dick Cheney Biopic/Mockumentary" review perfectly articulates what I'm feeling now.
The Cable Guy (1996)
Probably the most important movie Jim Carrey has done
Comparing the old Standup Jim Carrey to the new Enlightened Jim Carrey, you can see a hint of his thinking while he made that transition in roles like The Cable Guy.
Clearly he put a lot of thought into what someone would be like if they spent most of their youth in front of a screen, and through his acting he subtly begs us to ask ourselves what the world would be like with more people like The Cable Guy in it. And what can we personally do to prevent that from becoming reality?
Miami Vice (2006)
Michael Mann at his best
I've seen Heat several times, but honestly there's much more going on in Miami Vice. When Mann understands his subject matter well, the result is highly engrossing. This is how I explain why Blackhat was such a disaster, and why I'm looking forward to his upcoming Tony Accardo/Sam Giancana biopic.
Anon (2018)
Futuristic, not fantastic
Lots of people sitting with blank expressions, bland elevator music, robotic sex scenes. Niccol really went to some trouble to depict how boring real life will be when everyone prefers to live online.
Sicario: Day of the Soldado (2018)
political fodder
If you need more justification for your pre-existing bigotry, you'll benefit from watching this tasteless ripoff of Dennis Villeneuve's 2015 thriller. It's as if the screenplay was designed for children to be able to follow along. There's also a lot of senseless violence that doesn't really say anything other than "people are animals".