Friday, February 13, 2026
Celluloid
Friday, January 30, 2026
Good Morning
Friday, January 23, 2026
The Italian Straw Hat
Friday, January 9, 2026
Movie Crazy
Friday, April 18, 2025
The Suitor
Friday, April 1, 2022
What Happened Was . . .
A date.
A get together.
Both parties unsure what to do.
It's their first romantic conversation in a while.
Good impressions sought.
Along with good food.
They both work at a law firm but aren't in possession of law degrees, their crafty assistance still essential no doubt to the smooth flowing distilled jurisprudence.
Jackie (Karen Sillas) likes Michael's (Tom Noonan) sense of humour and the way he proceeds with a lighthearted touch, no stilted airs or predetermined fussiness generally complicating his reliable work.
She's straight up and borderline daring as she honestly shares pastimes and preferences, with little interest in codes or concealments she genuinely delivers the dependable goods.
But she simultaneously doesn't disseminate emphatic criticisms and dissonant avowals, perhaps not wishing to spoil the evening with ornery uptight imperious outbursts.
Perhaps also she's just sincerely curious and realizes you learn more by embracing interest, or at least may generate something prolonged or won't have to keep meeting new people quite so often.
He's uncertain as to how to proceed since he's suddenly encountered direct honest innocence, and isn't used to unceremoniously sharing honest thoughts and open revelations.
The suppressed yet cognizant snob deep within is overwhelmed by the freeflowing gratitude, and he begins to feel somewhat humble and suddenly re-evaluates his bold declarations.
He also starts telling the truth and feels rather embarrassed as he awkwardly does so, but she's worried she's somehow upset him, he's somewhat blind to the catch he's found.
What Happened Was . . . thoughtfully examines insecurity as it engages in unscripted exploration, suddenly abounding with practical material to realistically characterize imaginative fluctuations.
They're both unprepared for reality but she's a little more willing to experiment.
A perfect film if you're worried about dating.
Or would perhaps rather never abandon the single life.
Friday, March 3, 2017
Toni Erdmann
Maren Ade's Toni Erdmann addresses such potential by placing a loveable creative comic within a corporate crucible, his goal, to cheer up his successful yet sad daughter, who's living the high life yet shovelling the coal.
She's none too impressed, but dad (Peter Simonischek) keeps showing back up equipped with alternative personality.
She can't deny that he's funny.
Nor that he radiates goodwill.
But it's not really a comedic film, not really a drama either, Toni Erdmann's more like a brilliant presentation of the seriously awkward which patiently and articulately synthesizes different lifestyles to hilariously and sensibly simplify choice.
Films that are almost three hours long which cleverly clasp your attention the whole way through are a rare treat, especially ones which realistically examine so many different aspects of the human predicament without directly moralizing, judiciously justifying scenario after scenario instead which simultaneously intensify while lightening lives lost and lounging.
Material taken on the road.
There's a chill extended shot which builds Erdmann's character early on. He's sitting next to an elegant stone wall which resembles aspects of a wild ocean that's been thoughtfully tamed.
Throughout the film he playfully interjects harmless doses of character to sharply strung financially volatile vectors, character which appears wild at first, but he does so with such well-timed respectful controlled im/precision that nothing ever wantonly swerves out of control.
Chaotic stability critically conditioned.
The script reflexively blends hierarchical configurations with nimble finesse and stressed out soul.
The last 25 minutes are so freakin' good.
Tuesday, July 28, 2015
Réalité
Resisting closure.
Residual repose.
I think this is how Quentin Dupieux approached Réalité.
I'm probably wrong.
Often in bizarre films concerned with the pointless mundane aspects of existence there are still some exceptionally peculiar hooks that pull you in to consider attaching the cult classification to their inanities.
These aspects, while present in Rubber and Wrong, are largely absent from Réalité, it's hopelessly unconcerned.
Its firm contempt for any kind of interlinking commonality, for any kind of rapport with films other than those I've already mentioned, is bold and risky if not rash and burdensome.
Unfortunately, while this bold risk takes a rebellious stand, the hooks that made Rubber and Wrong so commendable are missing in action, and although it's possible that Quentin Dupieux is comically ripping himself off, thinking, I'll make this as obtuse as possible just to see if my reputation can still guarantee unconditional applause, there's nothing really present in the film that would make me want to see it again.
Unless there's a Quentin Dupieux night being held somewhere.
At which point I would give it another shot.