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Verdens verste menneske (2021)
You're a Good Person
The Worst Person in the World portrays a somewhat lost woman's search for love and meaning. The protagonist has a disinterested and emotionally absent father and perhaps this tidbit explains the lack of commitment to a career path or mate. It may explain her longing for something that she just can't seem to find -- she is perpetually unsatisfied. This is a movie about a person who is waiting for life to happen while failing to see that it's happening under her nose.
There is a part where the ex-boyfriend comments that the protagonist is a "good person". Sure, she is not horrible. She is not intentionally cruel but she is self-involved. She is not especially good. She doesn't seem to see outside of her own experience until something significant happens. I enjoyed the film for the scenery, the pacing, the acting.
Feral Love (2018)
Wonderful little slice of life movie
Dorian Rence saves cats and she is a professional musician in the New York Philharmonic. Thoroughly enjoyed this movie that interwove stories of Dorian's life -- her family, her music, stories of the symphony, and her love and support of cats. Gorgeous music throughout.
BMF: The Rise and Fall of a Hip-Hop Drug Empire (2012)
A lot of heart
Child of a drug-addicted mother makes it to Moorehouse College and then makes a perilous decision to run drugs and cash cross-country. Entertaining for the drug-running story and inspiring for the story of Jabari, who has a lot of heart. Wishing him, his brother, and the rest of his family all of the best.
American Factory (2019)
Most poignant part of this movie
The most telling part of this movie is when the Chairman states that he misses the frogs and insects of his youth and ruminates over whether he is part of the problem. Half of all terrestrial animals in China have disappeared. In North America we also have species decline. We are polluting ourselves to death. Of course the Chairman is a small contributor to the destruction of the environment. American and Chinese -- we are all going down together and we are all to blame.
Run While You Can (2017)
Vanity Project or Altruism?
Sam Fox, a 24-year-old Yale graduate attempts to break the PCT speed record to raise money for Parkinson's research. Sam's declaration that he's doing it for his mom, who has Parkinson's disease doesn't seem completely sincere . Mostly, it seems that his quest to beat the speed record is an exercise in ego. You get the feeling that it's very important for Sam Fox to be a "beast" and the "best". It's important for Sam to complete challenges and "goals" that haven't been accomplished by other men. It's obvious in this film that Fox identifies with accomplishments.
This speed record attempt took place in 2011. Fast forward to 2020 and perhaps Sam has more maturity and introspection. During the quest to beat the record Sam is irritable and mean to his hired help/friends who cook, drive, and manage social media for Sam along the route. Of course this is a grueling task. Of course there is going to be moodiness and frustration and anger, yet you get the feeling that Sam is not such a nice guy to be around. When he fails in his mind, and his ego is bruised, he doesn't know what to do with these feelings and lashes out at the people who are helping him and disses others who have surpassed him. It's obvious he can't handle that he's not winning in his mind. Sam's father enters the film and there is evidence that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. These guys have specific ideas about what it takes to be a "man".
Sam's ego trip is contrasted with Scott Williamson, an experienced thru-hiker who holds a PCT speed record. Williamson is on the trail at the same time and days and then eventually weeks ahead of Fox. At the start, Fox believes he will catch and pass William. When that goal becomes impossible Fox changes his tune and states he never intended to break the record. This is ridiculous and not true. Fox would have been cast in a more human and respectable light if he exhibited some honesty. Scott Williamson is an interesting guy with a harrowing story. He is calm and introspective and his motivations differ from Fox's. Fox craves notoriety. Williamson hikes for the beauty of nature and because he can.
I watched this film because I am intrigued by athletic feats, and especially interested in endeavors that take place in the outdoors. I appreciate the beautiful scenery and the story of Sam Fox, even if he was young, cocky, and self-involved. He did raise money and he has this amazing experience of hiking the PCT that he can carry with him forever.
Mum (2016)
Is This a Joke?
I subscribed to BritBox to watch this show. I'm a fan of Lesley Manville and I read good reviews. This show was frustrating because every character apart from Cathy and Michael seemed like caricatures. You could say that Reg, the father-in-law, was also a more realistic character. The rest were made to be idiots without any self-awareness.
I kept scratching my head at how Cathy could have such a doofus son. Jason and Lisa are not teenagers and are going on 27. At first I was wondering if this was some sort of artistic device -- to contrast Cathy's grace and awareness with the rest of the blind bunch. Sure, people are airheads in real-life. People can be desperate and snobbish and self-loathing, and all the rest. However people are more complex in real life. There are little glimpses of complexity but not much.
Also, the theme song is dreadful. It's one of the most annoying songs of all time.
Still, I give the show high ratings because the acting is great. I kept watching and the characters are endearing even if they are portrayed as one-note people.
The Wife (2017)
Solid movie
The Wife is everything I like in a movie: Good story, great acting, and character development.
From This Day Forward (2015)
Enlightening Family Portrait
Beautiful film that profiles filmmaker's transgender father, Trish. What struck me most about this film is that the family copes very well -- sure there were rough and conflicting times when the filmmaker and her sister were growing up, but overall a very strong and warm family who live life pretty much to the fullest. Trish states that she will probably always have unhappiness about how she can fully express and live as a woman. Regardless Trish doesn't seem to have many pity-parties -- Trish has a myriad of hobbies and passions. Trish loves her strong and kind wife and can't imagine life without her. This film has much to teach about the transgender experience, family, and life in general. Side note -- I loved the scenery of northern Michigan and outdoors.
The Tale (2018)
Important film
When a child is abused she may construct a false narrative in order to protect the self. An essay written by the filmmaker (Jennifer Fox) when she was 13-year-old resurfaces memories of a summer when she was groomed and sexually abused by a coach.
Fox, so effectively groomed, or self-protected, believed well into adulthood that the abuse was a legitimate consensual relationship. After seeing herself at the age of the abuse in photographs, and realizing she was a prepubescent child, she begins to uncover the truth of what really happened. Puberty or not, Fox was 13 and the perpetrator was in his forties.
This film is difficult to watch at times but never exploitative. Laura Dern is excellent as always. Thank you for this important film.
Krisha (2015)
Well Done
Well done effort and movie for small independent film. I saw this several months ago. Krisha has demons and a destructive past and has wreaked havoc on her family's emotional reserves for years. Krisha shows up to a holiday dinner expecting all to be well but the family has resentments and pain and cannot forget and forgive so easily. This film can be uncomfortable. This family is on the edge. The tension is palpable.
Overall great film that depicts the addict/emotionally needy and dysfunctional family well.
The Polka King (2017)
Worth watching.
I always have good intentions of going to the movies on Friday night. Inevitably fatigue from the workweek gets the best of me and I end of staying in. Polka King was my stay-at-home Friday night movie choice and I enjoyed it. Some reviews pan this movie as boring and terrible. This is a decent, entertaining movie. I knew about this story because years ago I saw the documentary, The Man Who Would Be Polka King.
I have always like Jack Black, especially his performances in Bernie and Margot at the Wedding. Maybe Black didn't exactly pin down the Polish accent perfectly but I believe the essence of Jan Lewan came across. Maybe Jack Black isn't the perfect choice to play for this particular part, but he can sing and has good comedic timing. Jason Schwarman, Jenny Slate, and Jacki Weaver were also entertaining and believable when you compare the documentary (The Man Who Would Be Polka King) to this film. I especially appreciated Jacki Weaver's comedic and frustrated performance. There were plenty of funny parts -- I got a kick every time Black's character said Bitsy Bear.
Definitely give this movie a chance if you are in the mood for a decent, entertaining movie. If you have time on your hands, it's fun to watch the documentary after.
Take This Waltz (2011)
Good, Bad, Ugly
The Good: Michelle Williams lights up the screen. She can act and she is beautiful. The cinematography and scenery is gorgeous. The set design is appealing, although unrealistic and very hipster-ish.
The Bad: I don't know why this movie is listed as a comedy on Netflix. This movie is not a comedy, although it contains two comedian actors (Sarah Silverstein and Seth Rogen). I never expected this movie to be a comedy but I'm wondering if the filmmaker intended this movie to be funny. Because it isn't. I like a long, dialogue driven indie-film as much as the next person but this film is way too long, drawn out, and pretentious. Most of the dialogue is cringe-inducing. We get that Michelle Williams' character is discontented. There are glimpses into the marriage and the dialogue flat-out tells us that she is restless and afraid. Rogen's character (the husband) is likable but lacks depth or seriousness. We don't fully understand why Michelle Williams' character is so restless and bored, or why she married Seth Rogen's character in the first place. She keeps telling her husband that she loves him, as to convince herself. She wants to do the right thing but cannot.
The Ugly: Pretentious to the core. Clumsy, weird dialogue that is laughable. Dialogue on the airplane, in the neighbor's apartment, and martini scene is so lame. Sex scenes: I'm no prude but these scenes do not fit with the rest of the movie. The beautiful set design of the house did not match the characters. The decor leads you to believe that this is where interesting characters live. The anniversary dinner scene was not believable. In this scene we are supposed to believe that Rogen's goofy character is unable or unwilling to converse, even if it's silly smalltalk.