BP Movie Journal 6/5/15

Steven says:

The Humbling: 2/10 – Not too much to like here. Even though I’m someone who believes that every person’s sexuality is fluid and not concrete, it is annoying to see another film that treats a character’s lesbianism as nothing more than a rebellious phase; an eccentric quirk that a girl will drop as soon as she meets a great man. If a film is going to even attempt this kind of plot, the man at least has to be interesting but unfortunately later-day Pacino just isn’t. Pacino can still be quite good (see Manglehorn) but this is one of those times.

Violet & Daisy: 7/10 – This is my idea of a fun popcorn flick. Completely inconsequential, with more style than substance, but with enough flair and good performances that it is pleasant throughout. James Gandolfini is his usual great self, playing a man completely ready to die on his own terms. He really is one of the finest actors of all times. He never plays just one emotion; there are always layers upon layers of meaning behind everything he does.

Mommy: 8/10 – Had I seen this last year it would have definitely made my top 10 list. If someone wrote out or explained the things Dolan does in this film (the shifting aspect ratio, the extended montages set to pop songs, etc.) I would have been skeptical and maybe even cynical going in. But somehow Dolan has a way of pulling it all off as I was completely engrossed from beginning to end. I’m not a big crier but I was definitely tearing up at multiple moments of beauty throughout (I completely missed one of the changes in the aspect ratio as I was fully hooked into the story).

Blue is the Warmest Color: 8/10 – It took me far too long to see this and I loved it just as much as I expect to. Unlike The Humbling, this film handles the fluidity of sexuality and love with so much more honesty. There are times when Adèle Exarchopoulos’s character has sex with men but it never feels like a cheat. It isn’t some reversion to her true self but is instead an example of the passion for something different that can arise from the sameness and insecurity of a long-time love. While I don’t think the criticisms about the film observing this romance from a male perspective are completely unfounded (and I will say the sex scenes probably didn’t need to be as long as they are), I thought it was a really beautiful and heartbreaking love story.