Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  Lady of Burlesque 1943

  ★★ Watched 14 Aug 2023

  So my queen can't sing. She can still dance...sorta. A former Ziegfeld Girl, Ms. Stanwyck does the splits in a saucy little number that's far and away the highlight of this otherwise sluggish murder mystery. Wellman directed with uncharacteristically low energy: the second half is taken up by several interminable police interrogation scenes which Wellman shoots with basic camera setups and static blocking. Best to see this as a dry run for the much stronger WESTWARD THE WOMEN.

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  49th Parallel 1941

  ★★★½ Watched 09 Jul 2023

  Goddamn Nazis.

Popular reviews

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  The Crimson Kimono 1959

  ★★★½ Watched 08 Apr 2020

  Pea Brain: You call this noir? It’s a dopey police procedural, lacking in tension and style, with a last-second revelation that makes absolutely no sense. For my money, this is the weakest entry in Criterion Channel’s Columbia Noir series.

  Normal Brain: Look, the whodunnit is a let down, but it’s a fascinating historical document on representation. How many movies of that era feature an Asian-American co-lead? How many explore the “just how American are you” question at the root of…

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  France 2021

  ★★★½ Watched 07 Jan 2022 1

  First 30 mins (a zippy satire of French TV journalism, told via conventional editing and coverage shots): Hey, this is fun! Are we sure Bruno Dumont directed this?

  Next 70 mins (moves into a study of depression, with longer takes and more stylized camera angles (e.g., shooting France crying from the point of view of a steering wheel)): Wow, Léa Seydoux is absolutely crushing this, and Dumont's direction--his command of rhythm and the carefully chosen stylistic flourishes--is on point. Has he finally put it all together?

  Last 30 mins (starting with France's return to TV): Oh merde, c'est vraiment un film de Bruno Dumont.