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DayeValentijn
Reviews
Anatomie d'une chute (2023)
I would like to highlight...
... the performance of the child actor: Milo Machado Graner. All the other actors were brilliant and amazing in their own ways, especially Sandra Hüller and Swann Arlaud. However, due to the demanding nature of the task at hand, Graner did superbly. He never phones it in. It's a calibre I've never witnessed before to this degree from a child actor. Surely I haven't seen all the classics and films in the world to make such a statement as there is still so much left for me to watch. Regardless, Graner's performance gives me so much confidence in proclaiming the following statement: this is the best performance I've witnessed from a child actor (ever?). There is mastery exhibited both in the quiet moments and dialogue-heavy scenes. Just from his body language, things can be inferred and implied. Graner is subtle as much as he is unsubtle. It's quite hard to put it into words, which is a sign of something great. You feel things that words cannot describe. That's art.
As for the film itself, I think it's pretty good. I was expecting something more due to the critical buzz and its success at Cannes, so I can't say I wasn't a little disappointed. I feel like the movie was a bit too long and/or slow, which I usually don't feel if the plot and narrative is as gripping that the film presents (I'm a fan of courtroom dramas). I think the film wants you to be second-guessing the characters' actions and motivations, which is a clear choice by the director and that is fine. However, personally I would've liked it to be more critical of the French legal system with a clearer voice. What Anatomy of a Fall boils down to is the law vs truth in the face of a tumultuous marriage between two writers.
Rating might go up on a rewatch but doubt I'll be watching it anytime again soon due to the pacing.
Also: loved the instrumental that plays on repeat in the beginning hahah.
Past Lives (2023)
I feel like...
... a celebrity stan wanting to ship two people so hard despite reality telling me otherwise because I indeed do not possess the ability to bend people's actions to my own will. Therefore, I find myself empty - a void inside me having lived a Korean-Canadian woman's life for less than two hours who has been yearning for an obsolete affection from a childhood friend.
People believe in therapy. But I believe in making an autobiographical film that deals with your sincerest experiences in order to move on and live a freer life. That's what I believe in.
Also, the score reminded me of Gustavo Santaolalla's work on The Last of Us. Just wanted to point that out. Definitely a positive.
The Flash (2023)
Type of film you can watch when...
... you're really bored and/or ill. Seriously, reserve this film for an off day.
I was feeling tired and restless the other day so I wanted to watch something easy to distract my mind. I saw this as I was scrolling through HBO Max and to be honest: it's a fun movie. Admittedly, I was also eager to watch it due to the infamously horrendous VFX effects, which did not disappoint. Despite the lead actor's incidents in real life and the production issues, I think it turned out to be a fun flick with Miller putting in a funny and engaged performance. Also, maybe I'm a sucker for time travel films - specifically segments where characters have to deal with the fresh odd situations that they find themselves in - but I think this was done decently with the characters that they had at their disposal. Obviously it feels like it is restrained by its locked casting potential as it would've been a much greater film if the whole Justice League were fully committed. Overall though: flawed but fun.
Trois couleurs: Bleu (1993)
Well-made but...
... kinda boring. Well-made, well-acted and well-shot. The score and the colour grading were good too. But kinda boring as I had a hard time leaving myself invested after 30 mins. It starts off well with an interesting premise but as I was already familiar with the director's style, I thus sensed the pace of the film in the forthcoming hour, wherein I felt my disinterest growing slowly as I was nearing the end. I think it's a type of film that either 1) you tell yourself that you like because it's critically acclaimed or 2) because you missed all the important details and must give it 2-3 more watches. Either or both of these things can be true, however this review reflects my first viewing of the film based on my level of enjoyment. Perhaps if I rewatch it in the future my opinion will change.
Watch "La double vie de Véronique" (1991) instead at first! I think it's a pretty good introduction to the director as it's an amazing film.
Arcane: League of Legends (2021)
Amazing animation, decent watch
Pretty decent. Kinda boring with episodes 3-6. Final 3 eps are *epic* and it's a good set up for the next season.
Also, I don't buy Powder's transition to Jinx. Could've spent more time showing that process. She just ended up being very annoying like other hated TV characters. Overall, think this show moves at a supersonic pace. Would've been cool to develop the characters more (most interesting ones were Victor, Mel, and Vander tho).
Animation amazing ofc. Reminded me a lot of Bioshock Infinite and Dishonored, which are my frames of reference since I have played them. I probs would've enjoyed this more if I was a LoL fan tho.
Final point: the show is defooooooo overhyped, the 9.4 rating is just cos of mega fans giving it 10's. 7/10 for me.
Cowboy Bebop: Dog Star Swing (2021)
What the **** was that line?
"Sounds to me like Blackmail."
"Hmm, damn right it is because, Jet, you are Black and a male..."
This show is getting worse and worse. Although I dig Jet being a father and having a daughter to care for. That's all.
Cowboy Bebop: Cowboy Gospel (2021)
Hello again, space cowboy...
Damn, there's a lot to say about the first episode, and I feel like any of the comments I have for it will be generally applicable to the rest of the show. I'll list all the things in bullet points to avoid going off on a tangent. Firstly though, I'd like to mention that I'm fresh off the original anime (including the 2001 movie) as I finished watching them the day before writing this review, therefore I can confidently confirm that I'm not expressing anything based on nostalgia.
1. It seems like they are not attempting to do their own thing, but instead try to imitate the original anime in live-action. And the result is campy. Some other review mentioned it was more cartoony than the anime, although I'd argue the anime is not that cartoony at all apart from the fact that it's animated. Yes, the anime has typical visual hyperboles of its genre, but it still felt mature and serious enough both in its comedy and drama for it to feel, well, not cartoony. That's why even someone like me can enjoy, i.e. Someone in his early twenties. It's so camp because it lacks any editing flair, the dialogue either is out of place or delivered poorly, the casting for the side characters (e.g. The henchmen) are goofy etc. For instance, the flashback scenes with the rose are used with no subtlety because the show thinks the audience has a memory of a fish and the comprehension of an ostrich. And it has no sense of visual style that could've worked for the show - it seems like they took a note out of Zack Snyder's Army of the Dead for the bokeh. This is a shame because the production and set design in this show is great, but it's filmed so poorly with uninspired overly sharp, standard Netflix cinematography. There is potential and glimmers of quality, but it never reaches anything fully.
2. There is some bad green screen usage here, e.g. Katerina floating in space. All I'll say.
3. Believability: going back to the casting, I don't buy the relationship between Spike and Jet. I'm sorry John Cho, but you do look older than Mustafa Shakir's Jet (even though there is only a 4 year difference). In the anime, Jet was significantly older (I assume) and although not directly a father figure, he did function like one for Spike. Their dynamic worked because they went together like jigsaw puzzles. Jet would usually try to keep the hotheaded Spike in check with his deeper experience. But in the show it seems like they've just tried to capture the banter, which works okay. Also, Shakir's gruff voice for Jet sounds very forced. What works in the anime doesn't translate into the live-action, which is a golden rule one should consider for everything in the show and all else when it comes to translation of works from one medium to another.
4. The fight scenes are very lame, both in choreography and editing. Although a pretty decent casting and the best performance in the episode (which doesn't say much), I don't understand why Asimov's scene in the bar was shot in first person. Okay, I mean I understand why, but I don't understand the lack of effort. It's incredibly lazy and boring. Sure, it works to emphasise the effect of the Red Eye, but it's blah.
5. The slow motion shots between Spike and Katerina with the saxophone just don't work. It's cringeworthy. Bad translation. Bad, bad, bad.
6. Vicious is the most cartoony-looking character and that's not a good thing at all. Hopefully I'll take him seriously in later episodes.
7. The violence in this show lacks vulgarity. I'm not saying it needs to be on Tarantino levels (just using him as a threshold as he is the most well-known for portrayal of violence), but it lacks something. It's not offensive nor is it inoffensive. I'm not even sure if that makes sense, but it's just meh. It's uninteresting, I suppose.
8. It's not as snappy & flashy as the anime due to the episode length (50 minutes). This easily could've been worked out if there was more "plot" and story in the episode, but it follows the first episode of the anime ("Asteroid Blues") with some deviations (e.g. Introduction of Faye). So just imagine going from 20 to 50 minutes.
I could probably write more comments, and maybe will in the future for latter episodes, but these are some of the gripes I had with the show. Some positives are Faye's casting and performance, production and set design, and of course the music. I haven't heard anything *wow* yet besides the theme soundtrack (i.e. "Tank!"), but overall the music works.
I think it's important to mention that perhaps I would've enjoyed this episode more if I hadn't seen the anime. Because it's difficult to not criticise it in relation to the anime when watching every single scene. But even then, I'm not sure if it holds up independent of the anime.
Apologies if there are any spelling/grammar mistakes, just wrote this as a stream of consciousness without proofreading.
New Girl: Road Trip (2016)
Wtf was this?
The unfunniest episode so far. Like damn. Cringiest scene was Schmidt proclaiming that he's Schmidt multiple times. CRINGE. This show has degraded in quality after season 3.
The Matrix Revolutions (2003)
What happened?
I feel like the Wachowskis dropped the ball on this one. We didn't love the first one for its big robot/machine fight scenes. Halfway through it and it's kinda boring. The second one was decent though but sad that it's not its own thing as it is a predecessor to Revolutions. One hour left.
Update:
I finished the movie. Last big fight scene between Neo and Smith was cool but too overblown. And the weird usage of CGI was... weird.
Weakest in the trilogy. Just watch the first one, which is a 9/10 for me. Second one a 7/10. This was a 5 (a 6 if I was in a better, more fitting brainless mood for it).
Black Summer: The Lodge (2021)
This didn't need to be 58 minutes long
One of the most boring episodes of television that I've ever witnessed in history. It consists of the following things:
- An annoying little girl walking around slowly in a seemingly abandoned ski lodge;
- People having fake deep talks about life and surviving in a post-apocalyptic world.
That's literally it.
And damn what a lame way for one of the best characters to leave the show so early on - a show that is still in its nascency with its limited amount of episodes.
I forced myself to finish this. I hope the season finale makes up for it. Although it won't bring back the wasted 58 minutes of my time.
Skip.
Sexy Beasts (2021)
What are people moaning about??
Like yeah the show has pacing and editing issues, lacks any depth that it could've set with its premise, and the narrator is annoying as hell.
Having said that, how are people saying they only got hot people on the show? It's a decent mix of different people. They all just look "hot" because they're dressed nice and have make up on.
Army of the Dead (2021)
Excuse the pun but...
... this film was braindead.
I was pretty hyped for it since it was another Snyder zombie flick since his directorial debut, which I was a fan of.
Anyways, I don't think I need to go deep into its glaring issues to explain the rating . I just wanted to comment on the cinematography, which made the movie super unbearable to watch. So much bokeh. The depth of field was off the charts! Was everything shot on f/ 1.2???? Like, what's up with that, Zack?
The only argument that could justify this choice is for the blending of visual effects, although its overuse indicates something else.
Disappointed.
Mank (2020)
Uses melodies from Sam Raimi's Spider-Man
MASTERPIECE. GOOD PERFORMANCES. NICE COLOURS... not!
Possum (2018)
Did I watch a different movie?
One of the most boring "horror" movies that I have ever seen. I'm sure that the repetitiveness serves as some storytelling tool, but it just doesn't work. It's too repetitive. Also, the whole thing is too pretentious. Tries to be smarter than it claims to be.
I've never written a review for a film on here, but I felt passionately about this one so here I am.
My rating might be a bit generous. I mean, I wouldn't mind giving it a lower rating. I guess kudos for shooting it on film (or something that looks like film).
TLDR: one of the most boring films I've seen in a WHILE.