Saturday, July 4, 2020
Her (2013)
Boy meets girl, girl leaves boy. Boy meets AI, AI outgrows humanity. (And physical matter, adopting a nonphysical processing platform. Whatever that means. “Matter” includes mass and energy, so I don’t see how such a platform could exist in this universe. It’s magic suspension of disbelief.)
Her stars Joaquin Phoenix in perhaps his most unrecognizable role. He could be anybody, going through the motions of the character’s life, feeling things, and whining. The character whines quite a bit, and the performance is so perfect that it is no different from watching a real-life sad sack cry about problems that are not your problems.
In terms of science, the film is lacking. In terms of watchability, it’s pretty good.
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Evangelion 3.0: あすかばあちゃん かわいいです~~~ (2012)
Is Evangelion 3.0 the new Citizen Kane (1941)? Perhaps. While I won’t go into the details of Kane’s connection with Japanese leather philosophy, it is clear that badass robot pilot Shinji Ikari, who has to be 60+ years old in this installment but looks 14 thanks to magic pink slime, is the embodiment of post-apocalyptic robot power fantasy.
I am a big believer in blind devotion to popular anime brands. This isn’t a bad movie, because it’s a Neon Genesis Evangelion movie. Don’t stop the series now! Give me more!
Sunday, June 28, 2020
The Bourne Identity (2002)
Most everyone has seen The Bourne Identity. It’s pretty much required viewing. Still, the action-heavy studio-mandated reshoots are worth a quick mention.
“Additional photography” is a euphemism for some slob at the studio deciding a movie isn’t dumb enough. This could have been a near-perfect film, but there is so much indulgence in unrealistic situations that the movie must be appreciated piecemeal. Hopefully, the audience watches the good parts and forgets about the parts that drag.
Friday, June 26, 2020
Revenge (2017)
Revenge is a “revenge” film. It can be compared to the seminal I Spit on Your Grave (1978), but a more accurate comparison would be to Kill Bill: Volume 1 (2003). With its stylish cinematography and unrelenting exploitation atmosphere, Revenge delivers the promised goods topped with a generous helping of blood.
The film builds its tension slowly and only becomes shoot-em-up schlock in the final sequence. This is perfect pacing for sci-fi fans, and it’s no surprise considering Fargeat previously made a sci-fi short called Reality+ (2014).
Love & Pop (1998)
Love & Pop is a film about how a few aimless schoolgirls respond to escort clients. Contrary to certain beliefs, it’s not really about anything else.
Anno Hideaki’s first live-action feature, the film echoes the director’s prior experience with animated productions. The style is so striking that it almost prompts criticism for its frenetic editing and postmodernist shot-on-MiniDV camerawork. However, over the course of the film, the frenzy subsides into calm. It has the same emotional arc as most other Anno productions, something that feels authentic.