Movies
I'm not the biggest Eggers fan, but he has a clear signature, and his films live in a universe of their own, so I'm always willing to give his latest a fair shot. As the title suggests, this is another retelling of the classic story, with more than a few nods to the silent cinema of the 20s. And the result is pretty nice. The squarish aspect ratio, the bloated runtime, and Skarsgard's cheesy accent are details I could've done without, but the cinematography is stylish, Nosferatu's character looks daunting and the cast is on point, with a special mention for Dafoe, who seems to be having the time of his life. A good film, worthy of a visit to the cinema.Read all
Eggers' choice to make this look like a classic arthouse film will no doubt please many, but I didn't appreciate the 4:3 and somewhat muddy black and white cinematography. Dafoe is great, Pattinson is not, neither is the tepid story that develops. The first half, which was actually quite light in tone, is by far the best part of the film. Not ideal for a mystery/thriller.
The Northman, a film from a director who clearly put a bit too much belief in all the praise he's been getting. The result is utterly ridiculous and kitsch, and the more serious and dramatic Eggers tried to be, the sillier and funnier his film became. It's only an inch away from parody, which would've been a much bolder and more original take to explore. The bombastic soundtrack, the horrible accents, the bland revenge plot, the over-the-top performances, the kitschy folklore. Everything is pumped to the max, but nothing impresses and the harder Eggers commits, the dizzier I got from all the eye-rolling. Points for daring to make something different, but this was just plain bad.Read all