White Noise (Noah Baumbach, 2022): 2.5/5

Baumbach's most ambitious and technically impressive film, but lacks the emotional impact of his best work. Essentially had the inverse experience I had with the book - I loved the first third of the novel and found the rest a little overwrought. But for film, the second and third parts translate the best. If only Netflix had some mechanism by which it could do long-form, episodic storytelling, instead of cramming a complicated, multilayered plot into a feature-length film.

Weird: The Al Yankovic Story (Eric Appel, 2022): 2.5/5

Extremely on brand with the classic Weird Al humor, in its barrage of jest and its self-aware parody of the genre and the layers of idiocy.

Woman of the Year (George Stevens, 1942): 2/5

I strive not to judge old movies by contemporary mores but sometimes it's just so damn YEESH. In her Criterion essay, Stephanie Zacharek makes a heroic effort to pin the film's entire problem on its reshot final scene, which is admittedly peak noxious. But I can't agree that Tess' humiliating, ludicrous struggle to make her husband breakfast (guffaw, she knows 26 languages but can't figure out a toaster!) represents a betrayal of all that precedes it. From frame one, Woman of the Year is plainly terrified by the notion of a strong, ambitious, accomplished, independent woman, and stacks the deck in Sam's favor accordingly; rather than have both parties gravitate toward the center, it makes him increasingly noble and her increasingly callous, culminating in their respectively tender and opportunistic treatment of the Greek refugee (a development that briefly looked as if it might introduce some genuine, sorely-needed complexity). This movie is firmly dedicated to knocking Tess down to size, punishing her for being exceptional, and I'm afraid it mostly just feels kinda gross to me.

The Estate (Dean Craig, 2022): 2/5

Sputters out a few laughs from a committed cast of heavyweights, but mostly an incredulous, puerile misfire using a 90s sitcom script that's stretched out to 90 minutes.

Till (Chinoye Chukwu, 2022): 3/5

About what you would expect. Horrific historical drama that's solidly told and anchored by a terrific performance from Deadwyler. Movie is by the numbers but still an engrossing, inspiring watch.

Armageddon Time (James Gray, 2022): 3/5

Despite Jeremy Strong sounding like Ray Romano, and the race themes feeling a bit undercooked (wished they focused on Johnny more), Armageddon Time is a solid coming of age drama, with James Gray putting in good work as director/writer, and strong performances. There’s a clear disdain here for the way the world is — the way it’s always been and continues to be. That being said though, the labeling of it as “white guilt: the movie” unfortunately feels pretty apt more often than not. It comes off pretty pedantic, making sort of basic observations. The very conventional structure and form allow Gray to find some touching moments of dramatic force, but the lack of a more adventurous hand also makes the film feel a bit lukewarm.

The Beatles: Get Back (Peter Jackson, 2021): 5/5

We’ve seen The Beatles play music before, but we’ve never hung out with them like this, spied on their creative process like this. So unbelievably special. Wish we had one of these for each of their albums.

Elton John Live: Farewell from Dodger Stadium (Paul Dugdale, 2022): 4/5

So goodbye yellow brick road

Where the dogs of society howl

You can't plant me in your penthouse

I'm going back to my plough

Back to the howling old owl in the woods

Hunting the horny back toad

Oh, I've finally decided my future lies

Beyond the yellow brick road

Play It as It Lays (Frank Perry, 1972): 2.5/5

Once upon a time in Hollywood I guess. Pretty dull. Someone should remake.

Auto Focus (Paul Schrader, 2002): 2.5/5

No! Men do not gotta have fun! Denormalize men enjoying things!

Head Over Heels (Mark Waters, 2001): 0.5/5

More like head over heels down a flight of stairs after sitting through this!

rewatched Jaws (Stephen Spielberg, 1975): 4.5/5

Might be best-paced movie ever made. This is as nearly as perfect and ruthless a machine as the great white itself, devoid of a single inessential moment. In fact, its only real weakness is that it's about a shark (SPOILER!). In a way, I feel kinda sorry for Bruce—he's not doing anything "wrong," hasn't deliberately chosen a path of unrighteousness. He just took a wrong turn, and while the film does its best to make him seem unusually voracious and vindictive, the hunt to kill him is still, at bottom, economically motivated. (As Hooper points out, the easiest solution is for everyone to stay out of the water for a few weeks, thereby depriving him of a food supply. It's not like there are sea lions around.)

UFO (Ryan Eslinger, 2018): 1.5/5

Gillian Anderson in a movie about a UFO, sign me up I said. This is kind of like Villeneuve's Arrival, but with math and no alien contact, plus one awful wig. (Poor, poor Gillian.) There was one point where Gillian Anderson went to scratch her head and I thought she was going to pull the wig off. Was the most intense moment of the film for me.

Alice Adams (George Stevens, 1935): 3/5

Great Hepburn performance, but it could really use RKO Cukor touch.

Candy (Michael Uppendahl, 2022): 3/5

Murdering someone with an axe and not going to prison for it is pretty bad, but having that haircut is worse.

Starting a campaign to cast Melanie Lynskey in a happy marriage.

Causeway (Lila Neugebaur, 2022): 3/5

Filmmakers are often derided for their overindulgence. Lila Neugebauer may not be indulgent enough. Thankfully, Causeway is able to showcase two central performers with enough charisma and skill to cut through all that directorial restraint. In the end, this a stripped back indie drama focused on trauma, with all of the benefits and limitations that entails.

Bones and All (Luca Guadagnino, 2022): 3/5

“Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s first film to feature cannibalism since Hannibal (2001).” -IMDb trivia page for Bones and All.

Watch me eat this $4.99 Costco rotisserie chicken… bones and all

Deadfall (Christopher Coppola, 1993): 0.5/5

One of the worst movies ever. Director Christopher Coppola would appear to have called in every possible favor to get this made. Cage's truly unhinged performance must be seen to be believed. Just watch the compilation on YouTube. Essential to the Cageography.

Biutiful (AGI, 2010): 2/5

The weakest in AGI's body of work, where you think this was a directorial debut, instead of a film that comes out in the prime of his career. Suffers from a stagnant plot and underdevelopment and is totally overlong.

rewatched 21 Grams (AGI, 2003): 3/5

Totally forgot Charlotte Gainsbourg was in this. The structure of this is pretty much the only unique, impactful thing about it. Not only a gimmick but essential for the construction of the melodramatic.

rewatched Birdman or The Virtue of Ignorance (AGI, 2014): 2.5/5

A bunch of razzle-dazzle that excites in momentary, ephemeral jolts but whose culmination is starkly underwhelming.

Day For Night (Truffaut, 1973): 3/5

Too much of a straightforward love letter to moviemaking/the cinema for my taste; Assayas' take on the subject is far more incisive and thrilling in Irma Vep. Truffaut shoots for amiable, and achieves it.

Framing Britney Spears (Samantha Stark, 2021): 3/5

love that her dad's sketchy lawyer is named Andrew Wallet

Falling for Christmas (Janeen Damian, 2022): 0.5/5

Obligatory “we used to put that angel on top of the xmas tree before my wife…. before she… before she died” scene.

Amsterdam (David O. Russell, 2022): 1/5

At one point Christian Bale turns to the camera and says "wow, how could that possibly be of interest to anyone or anything." I couldn't have said it better myself.

(Also, I can't stand John David Washington - the man has exactly one facial expression.)

rewatched Tar (Todd Field, 2022): 4/5

Todd Field Todd Haynes

Being named Todd,

Putting Cate in lesbian roles

Ticket to Paradise (Ol Parker, 2022): 1/5

Such an empty, predictable, unfunny attempt at an “over a certain age” romcom. I’m convinced Julia and George just wanted a Bali vacation out of this. I’d possibly go as far as accusing this production as money laundering.

Pearl (Ti West, 2022): 3/5

Wizard of Oz, but make it extremely horny and sinister. So much better than X on every level. I’m putting it down to Mia Goth writing the screenplay this time around. The end credits is one for the ages.

BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (AGI, 2022): 2.5/5

Or, Everything Everywhere All At Once in Mexico.

There’s a scene in this where Silveiro, effectively a stand-in for Inarritu himself, speaks about how he’s grown tired of making films where he tells people what he thinks - instead he wants to show how he feels and this is essentially what Bardo is. It’s Inarritu depicting his internal thoughts through a series of sequences, some of which are fantastical, some of which feel largely unconnected to one another but as a film it ultimately feels like an existential crisis playing out over two and a half hours. As an experience, it partially works, but as an introspective piece, we get varying degrees of crafty flashes to annoyingly self indulgent moments.

Executive Suite (Robert Wise, 1953): 3/5

The CEO of a big furniture company suddenly dies of a heart attack and other SVPs are vying for his position. One of the executives (Frederic March) is mostly concerned with being efficient and making profits, while another (William Holden) wants to make high-quality furniture and take care of the company's employees. Impressive all-star cast, with other players being Barbara Stanwyck, June Allyson, Walter Pidgeon, Nina Foch, Paul Douglas, Shelley Winters, and Louis Calhern. Unfortunately, Stanwyck only has a couple of scenes here. And I don't really understand the Oscar nomination for Nina Foch.

Szamanka (Andrezj Zulawski, 1996): 0.5/5

In 1996 Andrezj Zulawski made a movie and it was this one. Watch it if you want, I guess.

The Last Metro (Louis Malle, 1980): 3/5

Curiously staid, given the subject matter. Watchable, but not urgent. Consequently, I find that I have almost nothing to say about it. Even the title alludes to something that's ultimately accorded very little weight.

See How They Run (Tom George, 2022): 2/5

A self-referential confection with nothing in the way of pathos or perspective under the surface. How did they run? Probably for about two weeks.