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ndenquelectric
Reviews
Beast (2017)
Undeserved Dread
Thriller? Psychological? The movie is just a stylized romance flick with hints of a family drama. Nothing psychological or thrilling about it. Just because the soundtrack has cello and can bank on the dissonant does not mean that there is a deserved sense of dread.
There fails be an engaging introduction to provide a sense of mystery that doesn't feel like a cop out to actual plot or storyline, otherwise we just kind of see cheap tricks to fool the viewers into a more suspenseful state than the actiion or dialogue dictates.
There is a lack of motivation to this relationship between the main characters and therefore it feels flawed and unreal.
There are two scenes that seem genuinely motivated within the world they have created here, otherwise the whole thing feels over engineered and forced. Without giving us the proper information as viewers it makes it impossible to enjoy the ride of the movie, and I get that there was suppose to be a mystery wrapped up in here but that really comes second when all you want is for the movie to end so you can see what happens. Also a few reactions in there where I almost burst out laughing (obviously not what they were going for).
Predictable, the movie could end one of three ways and of course it ended the third way, which actually was obviously the first way. Hmmmmm...
Skip this one.
You Were Never Really Here (2017)
Incredulous Filmmaking
This film is a metaphorical journey. For those of you that just saw an angry man seeking vengeance for a missing girl let me enlighten you.
This film digs deep using visual metaphors. It's not just a movie about a man, his mother, and the girl he saves but is actually about a down-in-the-gutter dog becoming the good boy we all know he is.
Joaquin Phoenix plays the physical manifestation of a dog, bearded and scruffy he seems to be on an everlasting journey to be redeemed, petted, and taken for a walk. It is a story about finding your owner.
The story starts out with Joaquin digging in the dirt, ruining the flower beds. There are a lot of flashbacks to when he was a young puppy, having to deal with the torment of his owners, and abusive father, a reluctant mother.
Joaquin needs the comfort of all domesticated animals but has trouble achieving it. He suffers from a Pomeranian complex that has him working against his natural hound instincts to sniff out the truth and drag those in danger to safety while, like a wolf, digging deep into the throats of those that seem malevolent.
The hammer represents a choke chain collar, used to hold him back, create a shield for him in these stressful situations, perhaps a trick used by his owners.
The film is beautifully shot and edited even more wonderfully because, as with a dog's natural instinct to attack, we cannot hold Joaquin responsible for his actions which is why we never see the violence head-on, just as an aftermath "it was my instinct i'm sorry I pissed on the carpet and dug holes in the new couch."
Finally Joaquin comes face to face with his owner (in the film portrayed by his mother) who dies and it is up to him to bury her in the lake, as would a dog bury a bone, to be fondly remembered and visited later. And just as a dog shakes himself off after emerging from the water Joaquin has that dense curly beard which holds no moisture.
Finally he realizes that he is not defined by who takes care of him (anyone can look after a stray animal) and he emerges from within those puppy dog eyes to become protector of his new owner, represented by a young girl in the midst of unthinkable trouble yet it is her who finally gives Joaquin the recognition that he deserves.
He is, in fact, a good boy.
Okay movie, excellent film.