Letterboxd — Your life in film

Absolutely beautiful score.

Drifting between internal family dramas and the horrific realities of war, this tale of three generations of one family feels firmly lodged in the real, harsh world. The build towards WWII in the latter part of the film is slow and all the more powerful for it, although three hours does perhaps feel a little too long. Also, why the need for Ralph Fiennes to play the figurehead of all three generations? It's the one distraction from what is otherwise one family's deeply engaging story.

This review reportedly contains spoilers. I can handle the truth.

A read of the film's premise threatens to inflict the audience with over-the-top Hollywood theatrics, yet it happily manages to avoid anything of the sort. In fact, the film's realism is its strongest point, from the all-too-realistic scenarios, to its conscious effort to treat all characters equally, rather than create unnecessary heroes.

The Big Lebowski is one of those rare films that gets better with every showing. Literally every single time, the charm of this movie reminds viewers that this is the Coen Brothers at their best.

An appalling film, which manages to ruin a story that — in different hands — might have proven to offer genuine terror. Instead, the peril is more comedic than anything, as is Mark Wahlberg's performance: he somehow manages to look confused throughout. The Happening's only real appeal is its YouTube-ready daftness, including one scene in which Wahlberg talks to a plant.

Lynch at his absolute best: dark, disturbing, and brain-meltingly deep, there are unanswered questions aplenty, but hints are dropped more generously than the likes of Mulholland Drive or Inland Empire. An incredible score from (regular Lynch wingman) Angelo Badalamenti and Barry Adamson — with notable pieces contributed by Trent Reznor, along with songs from Marilyn Manson, Lou Reed, Rammstein, and The Smashing Pumpkins — drench this masterpiece thick with an ominous, foreboding atmosphere. Superb.