Absolutely stellar, a triumphant follow-up to the 2021 now-classic. This is near-unanimously the best realized adaptation of Dune. The creative decisions Denis took with Part One and Two pay off dividends, especially in advancing one of the core themes of the novel. So many wonderful story and visual details to note: Javier Bardem satisfyingly nails Stilgar’s transformation from comic relief mentor to steadfast zealot. Zendaya’s Chani standing her ground though conflicted emotionally. Rebecca Ferguson Jessica taking a cautious but eventually fervent…
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Strange Way of Life 2023
In the not-so-grand scheme of “salsa Westerns”, this was a nice pico de gallo. 🐓 Classic Almodóvar. Extraña forma de vida is a tease for something that seems like it could have been much more, but by the end credits, I was happy the straightforward story didn’t overstay its welcome. 🤠
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The Iron Claw 2023
The Iron Claw is an absolute triumph. A well-paced cautionary tale about parental influence, sibling rivalry, and the dangers of the professional wrestling business. But also an immensely moving portrait, with deeply affecting genuine story beats focused on fatherhood and brotherhood. Almost undeniably Zac Efron's greatest acting achievement. Maura Tierney and Lily James really stepped it up in the second half.
Now I need to go watch everything director Sean Durkin has ever made now. Mátyás Erdély also on track…
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Saltburn 2023
Turns out “transgression” is great TikTok fodder. A lot of buzz but barely any bite, extravagantly produced and acted, but frankly the pacing felt like a drag. Saltburn will live on as the Gen Z talk of the town, a viral sensation like the forgettable Bird Box or Red Notice that came before it—which is a bit sad because I do think Barry Keoghan and Jacob Elordi are great. Director Emerald Fennell wears so many influences on her sleeves, and arguably all of the influences did more for me than Saltburn did. As she best describes, it’s "Barry Lyndon meets indie sleaze."
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Jailer 2023
Really enjoyed this third time around. This is surely Nelson’s best film, Anirudh’s most unique soundtrack work, inarguably the top-raking Tamil film in the box office, but deservedly, this might be the best one of the year. The screenplay is such a strong balance of dark humor and poignancy. A great movie-within-a-movie distraction with the Blast Mohan bits.
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Leo 2023
Not nearly as smart as its predecessor Vikram, but overall, Leo delivers on being bloody sweet—emphasis on “bloody”.
With his sixth outing, director Lokesh Kanagaraj really knocks it out of the park with his signature approach to Tamil hyperviolence; the fight scenes are fantastically choreographed. It bothers me then that the film is filled with so much glaringly obvious CGI—the car chase sequence perhaps the biggest offender. For a film with such solid fight choreo, practical effects would have done…
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Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One 2023
So many (perhaps too many?) Dutch angles! Should have shot all the motorbike sequences in Innsbrook in IMAX—it would have made the show stopping jump all the more potent. Dead Reckoning was so much fun, but also a slog or at the same time? A lot of globetrotting over a MacGuffin, but every locale was shot so well. Cruise’s insanity and commitment to the art is even more palpable here.
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Crazy, Stupid, Love. 2011
There’s still a timeless “classic” vibe to Crazy, Stupid, Love. in a way—probably just the fact that it was an inescapable very-2010s ensemble film. The Robbie storyline makes zero sense, by the way.
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Spiral: From the Book of Saw 2021
Perhaps the most predictable of the Saw canon, but I love how concise and self-contained the film is—it’s a solid entry point, an appetizer for those who may be Saw-curious. Although Chris Rock and Samuel L Jackson are basically playing themselves, their characters really provide the most heart to this film—albeit through cheesy father-son flashbacks. Even though Spiral is so bluntly trying to make a statement about current-day police immorality, I still enjoy so many of the aesthetic aspects of this movie.
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Matt Rife: Walking Red Flag 2023
Miami is genuinely insane—the amount of crazy material this audience espouses is unbelievable. Matt Rife deftly juggles through most of it, roasting attendees without ever belittling them. The obnoxiousness of the crowd and the TikTok-motivated editing here may put some people off, but I can’t help but laud Rife’s quick-witted talent. He’s undeniably hard working,—earnest, crass, but tactful.
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Barbie 2023
Barbie is about the product but it also is the product. Power couple Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig layer it with just enough musings about existentialism without drowning in it nor claiming anything too assertive. It’s all so lightweight in the end. The titular doll and its company have had so much legitimate criticism lobbed their way over the decades, but Greta almost gracefully dodges any real scrutiny on the matter. Will Ferrell’s character is blatantly Mattel cashing in on them…