Since the invention of film, there have only been five movies that were rated the most passionate, the most pure.
This one left them all behind.
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Whiplash 2014
Crotchety jazz teacher has his students all a-quaver in this note-perfect musical thriller that doesn’t let up for a minim; there really is no time to breve!
Brilliant writing that would not work without Simmons’ ability to keep you believing there’s a human being under the Full Metal Jacket drill sergeant exterior, or Teller’s carefully pitched, obsessive wannabe musical great, whom at times you want to shake (you’re saying THAT to Supergirl, man!) and at times you want to cheer…
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The Hurricane 1999
I can forgive its bio-piccyness - the first half oozes turn of the century, slightly safe, Sunday evening biopic (guard with a heart, sneering idiot racist cop, expected plot-beats) - because of Washington’s outstanding turn as the wrongly accused, eponymous boxer…
…for me the film really kicks in once Lesra meets the heinously incarcerated Carter, their scenes having memorable emotional power - Deakins’ camera keeping us feeling as much in the dark as the characters…
…the final courtroom scene, to its credit, is not over-egged, though still draws a tear, Jewison’s classy direction allowing My Man Denz to shine.
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The Killer 2023
Heaven knows I’m miserable now…
…though there are moments of Fincher flair - and I love the way he won’t be rushed in his storytelling - this entirely tension-free film has no point, no purpose, no arc - I know he tells us he stands for nothing, but surely the film is not supposed to feel anonymous? - even the Reznor/Ross soundtrack feels oddly uninspired as cod-philosophising charisma vacuum Fassbender give us no reason to care for his plight, nor…
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Oppenheimer 2023
Not quite as blown away as so many on here…
…it’s truly a visual feast, Murphy is great and weaving the structure to create a dramatic, political sting in the tail is a nice touch, as is the sequential use of black & white…
…that said, it’s unnecessarily long, contains the most awkwardly chucklesome Sanskrit sex scene this year - this is no Bechdel pleaser! - and the extraordinary roster of star cameos really distract from the drama - oh look,…
