Not as excessive as its infamy suggests, this one seems quite respectful of Tina's complex perception of her own mother and their growing relationship, a binary that shapes the progression. Diana Scarwid is good, but little Mara Hobel is exceptional and matches Faye Dunaway's intensity.
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High and Low 1963
Always forceful and striking, Kurosawa integrates his love of theatrical morality plays (Gondo's house) with the streetwise flair his younger countrymen were exploring in those years.
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The Mysterious Lady 1928
The story is hard to take, but what artistry and fluidity! All at the service of a moving romanticism.
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Wild Rovers 1971
Not quite the great film I remembered, but pretty solid (if a bit too Peckinpah'ed) mix of comedic and elegiac sensibilities.
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Spider-Man: Far From Home 2019
The best of this bunch, it is actually interesting in its choice of antagonist, devices and motives. The teen comedy aspect is mostly endearing, too. Still, as in all MCU films, everything looks fake as fuck and prays at the altar of military might.
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On the Town 1949
Compared to Singin' in the Rain, this one doesn't match it in rhythmic propulsion, but surpasses it in lusty women.
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The Terminator 1984
I had never grasped the time-traversed love correspondence. I was moved. Otherwise, still a clever updating of the action flick (Cameron's militarist mindset and all).
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Citizen Kane 1941
Within the visual and rhythmic splendor, the dialogues dig deep and anchor the film in longing, irony, and loss. The final shot hit me hard this time.
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Mr. Arkadin 1955
I found Robert Arden's uncharismatic handsomeness and inexpressive eyes quite adequate for the role... and even appealing. Love the marriage of humor and grandiloquence. (Criterion version.)
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Cookie's Fortune 1999
Benign tale of good-natured southerners coexisting with zooms, pans, and fish. Maybe too benign.