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A Knight's Tale (2001)
A Treasured Memory
My sister passed away in 2013. We watched this movie many times with my father growing up. It is an incredible film, really one of the best released from 2000-2009. Watch Bend It Like Beckham as well.
The world building and emotional high points, the silly jokes, the beautiful romance between Heath & Shannyn is just sensational. The use of modern songs in the soundtrack and the general irreverence for the source material is just beautiful. It's really a special gem. Please watch.
Hustlers (2019)
Transgressive Masterpiece
Very reminiscent of Paul Verhoeven's Showgirls. I think this is a really good film in disguise if you're willing to look a little deeper and appreciate some of the subtlety. For one this is one of the greatest celebrations of female sexual power ever made, it is entirely driven by the inverse of the idea of exploitation. In 99% of films strippers, prostitutes or models in the background are the faceless, voiceless anonymous subjects of exploitation and enjoyment by male characters. In Hustlers it is the male characters that are "uncharacterized". I also think there is tremendous heart to the friendships depicted, and depth to the female characters you don't often see. They turn on each other, scream, cry, manipulate and hug it out. They aren't angels or demons they're people in a way that women don't often get to be.
The film is also a surprisingly harsh critic of the 2008 financial crash and the robber baron NY elite. The film's final line I believe is "America is a strip club, you're either throwing money around or you're dancing for it." I think that is a sad and beautiful summary of late stage capitalism in America.
Finally I must also praise the filmmaking here by Lorene Scafaria. I enjoyed her previous film "Seeking a Friend for the End of the World". There are some very good shots and scenes. I think the lightning is wonderful, the contrast between dark and light. There are also a few very neat and creative moments throughout like a brief dream sequence, a brief "mute" and a subtle 4th wall break.
This film will be misunderstood and poorly judged for many years to come unfortunately. Reading some of the other user reviews is very disappointing but not surprising. You don't have to love everything you see but you should think about what you see just a little bit. See what's there when you strip off a couple layers.
Swallow (2019)
IYDLIYDGI
If you don't like it you didn't get it. And that's ok. Cinema isn't for everyone.
Underwater (2020)
Close but no Cigar
Underwater is visually appealing with really nice set & sound design and competent cinematography. Stewart & Cassel are both really good but both seem handcuffed my a poorly written script with an uneven tone. T.J. Miller is a very funny guy and I generally like him but this film could have really done without the comic relief. The other 2 members of the survival group are very forgettable. I would have liked to have seen a more straightforward adventure with Stewart & Cassel.
The creatures were ok but I think they could have gone with more of a slow burn or psychological terror approach. It is implied in the credits exposition that living in deep pressure causes unpredictable side effects. There is a scene quite deep in the film that played with this a little bit but it never came to fruition.
Overall this film reminds me of The Abyss mixed with Godzilla: King of Monsters and doesn't quite hit the mark for me because it is more of the latter than the former. Final note: PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE someone cast Kristen Stewart as Amanda Ripley in a screen adaptation of Alien: Isolation.
Velvet Buzzsaw (2019)
Heinous
Jake Gyllenhaal is outstanding, channeling a similar wide eyed and demented energy on display in his roles in Nightcrawler & Enemy. John Malkovich is also
his usual stellar self, but his screen time was seriously lacking. Velvet Buzzsaw is a very promising film but it's wild fluctuations in tone and awkward integration of the horror elements ultimately sentence the film to failure.
VB works excellently as a tongue in cheek assassination of the hollow arrogance of the contemporary art world. The concept of art causing death & devastation didn't need to be so literal. Grounded explorations of the danger of obsession are often much more effective. The film really devolves into a sort of art themed version of Final Destination.
There is no lasting message & no protagonist. An empty vessel for a couple of excellent acting performances and some nice shots.