Log: week 16 / 2025
A harrowing trip following a dad on a mission to find his son in war territory. He infiltrates the country, takes on a different religion, and joins the fight, hoping to find information about the whereabouts of his son. It's a powerful setup that is bound to turn a few heads, but it's not quite as immersive as it could've been. The film focuses a bit too much on narration, not enough on the experience itself. The pressure and danger aren't quite tangible enough, the presentation is somewhat basic, and the plot is predictable. Performances are strong though, and the film held my attention rather easily, I just needed a bit more.Read all
A decent enough sci-fi flick, but the premise was a bit generic and the presentation a tad lazy. It's not that I didn't appreciate the washed-out/sepia colors, but it lacked some refinement, and it was clear that it was a quick fix to cover up for the limited budget. Other than that, this is good genre fare. The performances are good enough, the mystery elements are effective, and even though the world-building was quite minimal, it suited the setting. If you like yourself a bit of post-apocalyptic sci-fi, this is a film that ticks all the boxes. It just doesn't go above and beyond to stand out.Read all
Reminiscent of that French animated series from the 80s about the human body. Cells at Work is exactly how you'd imagine the Japanese would turn that series into a live-action film. It's goofy, colorful, weird, and most importantly, it's very entertaining. But a little too uneven and/or childish to be a true favorite. It's the tokusatsu elements that didn't quite do it for me, but other than that, I had a lot of fun seeing all the usual problems with the human body translated to a fantasy live-action setting. Things get a bit grimmer near the finale, which was also a plus. Overall though, this is light and creative entertainment.Read all
Not a live-action adaptation of the infamous anime, instead, you get an action brawler with ever-so-light fantastical elements. Director Tanaka does his best to add a little spice, but he doesn't quite succeed. It's better than your average action B-flick, but it's not as unique as it could've been. The mythical elements are fun, but don't really affect the film that much. The action is decent, but it's a bit basic, especially after the more ambitious brawlers Japan has been putting out these past few years. The result is proper entertainment, good filler, and a nice time, but not the most memorable film.Read all
A touching drama about a young girl struggling to survive. Hiranami's been around for a while, but this is only his first film I've watched. He has a knack for drama, that much is clear, but it's a popular genre with countless entries each year, and Search Light didn't do quite enough to stand out. There's nothing really wrong with it though. The performances are strong, the emotional core is on point, and the runtime is perfect. There is no fat to trim, there are several dramatic highlights, and the ending is perfection. It's a lovely little film, it just lacks something to make it truly special.Read all
One of Jarmusch's best ones, but not as good as I remembered it to be. Murray's ultradry performance is what makes this film stand out, but the presentation is what let it down for me the second time around. It's a bit too barebones and drab, a slightly more stylized rendition would've made a big difference. Murray's a treat, and the mix of drama and comedy is on point. The rest of the cast is solid too, the road movie structure works well, and there are some memorable encounters. The score's a bit of a bummer though, and the cinematography is dire at best. Overall, it's good, just not good enough for my list of personal favorites.Read all
A weird film to go in completely blank. It feels like you're missing half of the lore, while the other half is like a mix of elements that don't necessarily belong together. Some scenes look awesome, other scenes look dirt cheap. The actors are terrible, but the story is kinda fun. It's a mess, but when I learned this is a Thai video game adaptation, things started to make sense. No, the execution isn't perfect, but the crew was dedicated and there are some genuinely cool elements here. I liked how they committed to the wild fantasy bits, even though they didn't really have the budget or skills to do it properly. The result was pretty fun, but fair warning, it is quite uneven.Read all
Air wants you to cheer for branding and marketing people. Can a film be any more American? This is the rather dull and bland story of the partnership between Nike and Michael Jordan, which led to the iconic shoe. A film of underdogs making it big and living the American dream. Go Nike (they sure needed some positivity right now)! Damon and the rest of the cast do a decent job, but the direction is rather dire, and the overly sentimental approach made it tough to buy the action story. I guess this is better when you can appreciate the 80s/basketball nostalgia. Other than that, this was one huge 110-minute marketing campaign for Nike.Read all
This is one for the fans of Mad God and Junk Head, only a bit more rudimentary. Tom Thumb is starting to show its age, which isn't necessarily a big problem for stop-motion films, but the impact was difficult to ignore. The film still oozes charm and creativity, it's just that the animation is a tad basic. There's not much in the way of dialogue or obvious lore. It's left to the viewer to distill what the hell is going on. The second half felt a bit less inspired, and while the film is quite short at 60 minutes, I felt my attention slipping. But people who love weird and creative fantasy should give it a go, it's still a unique little film.Read all
Ogigami's latest is another pleasant film, but I'd be lying if I said I don't miss the heights of her earlier work. Ogigami made a name with a fun mix of witty comedy and heartfelt drama, the former has been missing from her films for a while now. And while her dramas are nice, they don't compete with the best in the genre. There are some quirkier moments, but they're never overtly funny. The plight of an artist struggling with his art is a little blasé, and the runtime's a bit long. Luckily, the performances are strong, there are some touching moments, and the drama never weighs the rest of the film down. It's a good film, but it's not one of her best.Read all
Anderson's latest fantasy epic. I wasn't the biggest fan of the setting, the mix of post-apocalyptic wasteland and witches and werewolves didn't really do it for me, but Anderson made the most out of it. This hyperstylized film won't be for everyone, but at least the man committed to the film. The performances aren't that great and the lore feels unfinished, but the visuals are pretty extra and don't let up at any point in the film. The pacing is solid, there's enough variation in the settings, and there are some decent action scenes scattered throughout. Not his best film, but good fun.Read all
A noir that leans heavily into its dramatic undercurrents. It's still presented as a noir, the often squarish and forced acting included, which isn't the best combo for a film that tries to have an emotional core. The introduction was promising, things went downhill quickly after that. I haven't seen too many classics lately, and I'm starting to feel the withdrawal, but then noirs were never my favorite classics to begin with (possibly only trumped by westerns). Borzage made an effort to give the film some extra polish, but it just didn't do much for me, as nothing stuck.Read all