Absolutely hilarious that this is Cronenberg's big comeback film. It's extremely "minor" in the best possible way; plot is complete nonsense, ends abruptly with nothing being resolved, apparently takes place 90% at night, clearly done out of pure love for the game. Not surprised this was based on an old script as there's very little that's particularly "prescient" here but whatever, he made Cosmopolis 10 years ago I think he's paid the theory people their due.
I've been talking a…
Robert Pattison is a genuine movie star and even though I've seen him in much better movies I honestly don't think I appreciated him enough until I saw this, both I think because he shines in an otherwise dull movie and the contrast between him in and out of the batsuit is so dramatic. He's got such a presence as Bruce Wayne and it's all just completely erased whenever he puts on the mask. I've got plenty of reservations about…
How can Americans relate to Europe? When you grow up in the historyless, cultureless suburbs, how can you relate to a place as old as Venice in any sort of meaningful way? The 15:17 to Paris is hyper-aware of the banality of tourism; Anthony Sadler's love of the selfie stick is only a (slightly) exaggerated portrayal of what every American tourist in Europe does and feels, a profound sense of surreality (my friend upon arriving in Dubrovnik: "this is a…
The erasure of ethnic and racial identities by capitalist individualism. In a recent interview, the Safdies call Howard "heir to this rich history" of Jewish materialism, the desire to rise above the historical marginalization of his community. But in embracing capitalism Howard must necessarily reject community and family connections, by becoming lost in the flow of global capital Howard becoming atomized, a narcissist in the most fundamental way. This is not a Faustian rise-and-fall, because there is no devil and…
