nfancher Reviews

Great Photo, Lovely Life (2023)

Honest and Important

[9/10 · 2 January 2024]

I am a survivor of abuse, and the family dynamic that was captured in this documentary was all too familiar to me. I also have heard stories from fellow survivors that are almost verbatim. It is wild to me just how similarly these events transpire but often they are covered up or explained away. I personally never got the same closure when confronting my abusers as the subjects did in this film. I'm encouraged and impressed that these people were able to be so transparent and vulnerable and willing to confront the truths of what happened to them, and maintain their relationships. It's my great hope that films like this are a cultural tipping point towards accountability and true justice.

Whiplash (2014)

Mr. Holland's Opus Meets Full Metal Jacket

[9/10 · 17 February 2023]

This film walks a razors edge in its depiction of a toxic, abusive authority figure. Equal parts inspiring and terrifying. The writing and acting also beautifully capture the duality in all people- even villains have a soft side and the hero that we're all rooting for has a darkness that challenges the viewer. Though I've seen this film several times in the nine years since its release, it's no less potent and engaging. The story it tells transcends music and applies to all discipline, be they artistic or otherwise, as it addresses the human condition and how our aspirations can lead to our annihilation.

Sound of Metal (2019)

A Perfect Film

[10/10 · 4 December 2020]

This movie rocked me to my core. I'm struggling to gather the words to adequately express how profoundly this film moved me. It's such a specific story, brilliantly captured and conveyed, yet it's one shared by every human that's lived. The struggle to find meaning in the madness. The peace in the chaos. Hope amidst the bleak monotony of daily life. It also trusts that the viewer has a brain and can pick up on nuance. It's subtle. It's layered. It's patient. It's perfect.

Midsommar (2019)

Wes Anderson Meets Wicker Man

[7/10 · 10 July 2019]

It's a stylish rehash of the 1973 film. It has some nice metaphors and new ideas but largely I felt that it took a few too many shortcuts, relying on shock to keep the viewer invested. I wish it would've let the tension build more organically rather than forcing it with cringe-inducing gore closeups and deformities.

A Star Is Born (2018)

Too Cautionary

[7/10 · 5 October 2018]

Let me preface this by stating that I was really excited to see this film. I'm a fan of Bradley Cooper and was stoked after seeing the trailer. The casting of Lady Gaga intrigued me, and I wondered if they could pull of what 8 Mile had accomplished. To my disappointment, they could not.

The film certainly had some brilliant moments. Bradley Cooper was phenomenal, as expected, and I thoroughly enjoyed a couple of their duets. I even cried a few times at the Cooper's depiction of the broken troubadour. But the film never closed the sale that they spent over two and a half hours pitching me.

In the end, there were just too many cliches. While I admire their attempt to go big with the story, it came off less Crazy Heart and more cautionary tale, brought to you by Live Nation. I couldn't help myself considering the irony that the industry this film is warning us about is the one that was selling us this film.

I wish they would've let the film be smaller. I wish it had been a little less calculated and, like the Gaga's new look and the trailer seemed to promise, honest.