Tyler and David discuss the movies and TV shows they’ve been watching, including:
Movies TANGERINE EUROPA REPORT
GOOD TIME
THE KILLING OF A SACRED DEER
JUMANJI: WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE
MOTHER!
THE SANTA CLAUSE
VICTORIA & ABDUL DARKEST HOUR
LAST FLAG FLYING
THE MUPPET CHRISTMAS CAROL
WONDERSTRUCK
LOVE ACTUALLY
THE STUFF
LADY BIRD
Q
IRON MAN 3
WONDER
THE SEVEN YEAR ITCH
After disagreeing with a number of opinions in the last movie journal, I’m going to have to agree with a number of opinions here.
Victoria & Abdul sucks and is borderline offensive (it also treats its comic relief like garbage). Wonderstruck is not without its merits, but doesn’t amount to much. Last Flag Flying is middle tier Linklater, with some really beautiful things to say, but an incredibly annoying performance by Cranston. The Seven Year Itch is one of the worst Billy Wilder movies (and it pains me to say that, given he is my favorite director).
I try to avoid using the word “pretentious” to describe movies. After all, an ambitious failure is usually far more enjoyable than a half-assed success. That being said, Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! is a pretentious failure, and maybe my least favorite movie of the year. The movie has no idea how to effectively use symbolism, and instead decides to punish its audience with some serious bullshit.
Lady Bird is good, but I cannot for the life of me understand why it has gotten such insane levels of acclaim. I agree 100% with your assessments of it.
On to a couple of disagreements:
There is a certain “quirky” disconnected way people interact with each other in The Killing of a Sacred Deer that is reminiscent of some of Lanthimos’ other movies. However, unlike in say, The Lobster (which takes place in a clearly dystopian/alternative world), there doesn’t seem to be any reason to justify characters acting the way that they do. Both Dogtooth and The Lobster have plots that justify people communicating in awkward, emotionless ways. The Killing of a Sacred Deer, however, does not. It feels like Lanthimos playing out his quirky style without any substance to back it up.
I think I fall somewhere between Tyler and David with regard to Darkest Hour. Beautiful art and set direction. However, Joe Wright lacks the kind of restraint that this movie needs. The directorial flourishes and flashy style made it often feel like a cartoon, reducing the gravitas of the political situation at hand. That being said, the subway scene was great.
You guys should talk more about MoviePass! I wouldn’t have been able to comment on so many of the films y’all saw if not for it.
I don’t understand why the Search Party characters are lumped together as “hipsters.” I can see it with Alia Shawkat and John Early’s characters in certain ways. But in what universe are John Reynolds’ repressed, buttoned-up office drone, or Meredith Hagner’s ditzy, upper crust, high fashion-obsessed, aspiring Hollywood starlet, considered hipsters? they’re certainly Millennials (not that that’s a criticism)…would be better labeled “Millennial Hitchcock” and whatnot. In any case I agree, it’s a great show and one of the best I’ve seen this year
After disagreeing with a number of opinions in the last movie journal, I’m going to have to agree with a number of opinions here.
Victoria & Abdul sucks and is borderline offensive (it also treats its comic relief like garbage). Wonderstruck is not without its merits, but doesn’t amount to much. Last Flag Flying is middle tier Linklater, with some really beautiful things to say, but an incredibly annoying performance by Cranston. The Seven Year Itch is one of the worst Billy Wilder movies (and it pains me to say that, given he is my favorite director).
I try to avoid using the word “pretentious” to describe movies. After all, an ambitious failure is usually far more enjoyable than a half-assed success. That being said, Darren Aronofsky’s Mother! is a pretentious failure, and maybe my least favorite movie of the year. The movie has no idea how to effectively use symbolism, and instead decides to punish its audience with some serious bullshit.
Lady Bird is good, but I cannot for the life of me understand why it has gotten such insane levels of acclaim. I agree 100% with your assessments of it.
On to a couple of disagreements:
There is a certain “quirky” disconnected way people interact with each other in The Killing of a Sacred Deer that is reminiscent of some of Lanthimos’ other movies. However, unlike in say, The Lobster (which takes place in a clearly dystopian/alternative world), there doesn’t seem to be any reason to justify characters acting the way that they do. Both Dogtooth and The Lobster have plots that justify people communicating in awkward, emotionless ways. The Killing of a Sacred Deer, however, does not. It feels like Lanthimos playing out his quirky style without any substance to back it up.
I think I fall somewhere between Tyler and David with regard to Darkest Hour. Beautiful art and set direction. However, Joe Wright lacks the kind of restraint that this movie needs. The directorial flourishes and flashy style made it often feel like a cartoon, reducing the gravitas of the political situation at hand. That being said, the subway scene was great.
You guys should talk more about MoviePass! I wouldn’t have been able to comment on so many of the films y’all saw if not for it.
I don’t understand why the Search Party characters are lumped together as “hipsters.” I can see it with Alia Shawkat and John Early’s characters in certain ways. But in what universe are John Reynolds’ repressed, buttoned-up office drone, or Meredith Hagner’s ditzy, upper crust, high fashion-obsessed, aspiring Hollywood starlet, considered hipsters? they’re certainly Millennials (not that that’s a criticism)…would be better labeled “Millennial Hitchcock” and whatnot. In any case I agree, it’s a great show and one of the best I’ve seen this year
I agree, I liked Lady Bird, it was fine, but nowhere near my top ten of the year, I like Greta Gerwig, LOVE Saoirse Ronan, and Lady Bird was fine.