Log: week 8 / 2025
You can think of this as a slightly more frivolous take on Jia's cinema. Because lo and behold, this film was produced by the man himself. China's struggle with modernization is a popular theme (especially if you're keeping to the arthouse side of China's cinematic output), this film doesn't have a whole lot to add to it though. There are some decent scenes and the cinematography is proper, but it's clear from the start that the film's heart lies with the older/rural point of view, while everything related to urbanization is shown as cold and heartless. It's not a terrible film, but I'm done with the themes of this film, especially when it's just about reiterating the same old stance.Read all
A lovely drama with genuine moments of greatness, but just a bit too long and predictable to be a real favorite. If you love rural Japan, sunny seaside settings, and a portion of sanguine drama then this film will be right up your alley, but there are better ones that offer more or less the exact same payoff. Yukino Kishii is an absolute treasure though. She has a lovely air about her, which fits in perfectly with the rest of the film. The Japanese countryside is gorgeous, the presentation is lush and it's one of those films that feels like you're taking a mini-vacation from your couch. Lovely, but lacking that little extra to make it truly special.Read all
Fun, but a little inconsistent. I like a good disaster/apocalypse flick, and Survive handles its key scenes pretty well. What I don't like are the "humanity is its own worst enemy" storylines, and sadly there's a bit too much of that here, which makes the middle part of the film less exciting. Considering the limited budget the film looks decent and the build-up of dread is effective. The performances are good enough and the start and finish are entertaining genre fun. I wish the film had found a way to keep the middle part fully engaging, but that has more to do with personal preference. Not bad.Read all
Han Han's career is spiraling. This somewhat unnecessary sequel fails to add anything to the original. On the contrary, the runtime is overly long and the first half felt weak and uninspired. The second part of the film manages to balance things out, but this is the weakest Han I've watched so far. The comedy is tame and not very funny, and the direction is very low-key, putting the focus on a narrative that is generic at best. The rally scenes are good though, which is why the latter half of the film is at least worth persevering. I doubt it'll happen, but I hope Han will return to his roots sooner rather than later.Read all
Woody Allen embracing classic cinema. It's no surprise then that this film is a fan favorite among cinephiles. And sure enough, the premise is pretty entertaining, but unless you're a huge fan of the classics (30s and 40s cinema in particular) there's not enough here to make this an overwhelming success. The tone is light and the runtime is short. It's a pretty easy watch and it's good for a little chuckle left and right, it's just that I don't share Allen's love for old movies. If the romance had been a bit more engaging (the chemistry between Farrow and Daniels is limited) this could've been better, but it's certainly not a terrible film.Read all
What could've been a dire and neorealist drama is transformed into an energetic and lively tragedy by Asia Argento, who combined her lead performance with duties behind the camera. It's an impressive film with some tough scenes and dark moments, but not without a shimmer of hope. Argento's direction is strong, as is her performance. The rest of the cast is solid too, the drama is pointed and the runtime is perfect. The stacking of various dramatic twists in the second half did hamper my enjoyment a little and the surreal intermezzos could've been a tad tighter, but it's an interesting film regardless. It's just not one of my absolute favorites anymore.Read all
Fujii's latest is a police procedural with a few nice twists and an impeccable presentation. Fujii's magic is once again present, but the plot is a bit more generic compared to his past couple of films. That makes it slightly less interesting, but if you like his previous work then you won't be too disappointed. The setup felt familiar and the the reveals were nothing too shocking. The performances are solid, the cinematography is slick, and though a bit long the film never lags. It's another solid entry in Fujii's quickly expanding (and widely available) oeuvre, but it lacks that little extra sparkle to make it truly stand out.Read all
Japan loves a good taboo, and since tattoos are still looked down upon it's no surprise that you'll see them do a solid tattoo-based film from time to time. This is one of their low-budget efforts, but director Sato is a peculiar man and he knows how to deliver on a shoestring budget. As long as you like a stylized genre flick that is. The story is basic, but the performances are decent and the sets are interesting. There's a fetish-like quality that almost pushes the film into horror territory, but it's a bit too soft to earn that label. High art this is not, but if you like something off the beaten path and you appreciate stylistic trickery that hides a limited budget, this is a neat little find.Read all
Josee, the Tiger and the Fish
A cute little drama with some heart-warming and poignant scenes scattered throughout, but the second time around I was a little less taken by the presentation. The drama is potent enough and the performances are solid, it just looks a bit plain compared to similar films from that era. It's nice to see a sensitive topic like this handled with the right mix of respect and bravery. It's never too soft and sentimental, but it isn't needlessly evocative either. A slightly shorter runtime and a bit more attention to the cinematography would've elevated it further, but fans of Japanese dramas won't be disappointed.Read all
This made me think of Silent Hill and The Superdeep. It's the kind of genre movie I appreciate. Horror mixed with a bit of fantasy and unafraid things top it off with plenty of original lore. Sure enough, there are some big clichés here (which I won't spoil), but Derrickson and his crew made absolutely sure this wasn't just core genre filler. The introduction is a bit slow (though it's not particularly boring) and the ending could've been better, but the best bits are when our dynamic duo enters the gorge. Some cool sights there and a few scenes that put me on the edge of my seat. Teller and Taylor-Joy are good as always, so I've got nothing to complain about. Good genre fun.Read all
A nifty little genre film. The setup seemed simple enough and the first half hour or so is a little tepid. But once the invasion begins, Duffield sprinkles tiny details around that have considerable impact, making this film a lot more unpredictable than I initially imagined. That's when the real fun starts. The presentation is slick, the pacing (outside of the lengthy intro) and runtime are perfect, and the genre elements are tightly executed. There were even some neat details that I missed (like there being no dialogue at all) and the finale is on point. Duffield is proving himself an interesting genre director who takes familiar concepts and adds his own spin to them. Pretty cool film.Read all
Very much on-brand for Shiraishi. He sure loves toying with the fake documentary genre, often throwing himself in there to make it even more realistic. There are other familiar faces here, but don't expect his usual horror antics. While the plot revolves around Shiraishi making horror documentaries, this is more grounded (and abusive) terror. The film's a bit too long for its own good, but once the madness starts it's a fun ride and Shiraishi takes it in some unexpected directions. That is, as long as you don't need this to be a traditional horror flick. A good and solid addition to his oeuvre, not one of his best works, but fans will no doubt appreciate it.Read all
I didn't care for the first two films, so it wasn't a big surprise that this third one had little to add to the franchise. It's just more of the same: gaudy action mixed with a horrendous sense of humor. At least they kept it a little bit shorter than part 2, though it still greatly overstays its welcome. Sonic is as characterless as he is in the games, the only issue is that they made a big effort here to fix it. It didn't work. Carrey is annoying as Robotnik, the new villain is dull (just Sonic with a different color palette) and the comedy writers' attempts to do 90s comedy for children are painful to watch. It's time to pull the plug on this franchise.Read all