“I love him, and I hate him, and I want to be him.”
Full of emotion, comedy, and grief. A Real Pain is one of those films that is both grounded yet very powerful when carried by great writing and character performances. Kieran Culkin in particular gives a very real performance of a man with so much charisma and persona yet is also broken in many ways.
Took me a minute to fully understand where this film was going, but once I saw the direction I thought it was brilliant. As someone with physical insecurities, I found this film very profound and thought-provoking for how irrelevant physicality can be in perspective of what defines a person. Sebastian Stan gives an incredibly emotional performance.
Donnie Darko is one of those movies where you really have to sit and think after watching it. Are we watching hallucinations or is Donnie really in a tangent universe looking to save a primary universe from collapse? The different ways in which this film can be interpreted is what makes it great. Jake Gyllenhaal does a great job playing a troubled teen who is self-aware of his mental health and looking for answers. Not too many answers but just enough context to form your own opinion and take what you want from the film.
Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga is everything a prequel should be. The cinematography is on par with Fury Road and the action sequences are some of the best in film today. The story is compelling and Anya Taylor-Joy steals every scene she is in. Similar to the other Mad Max films, the set and costume design steal the show. My only criticism would be that the film does drag on a bit and could have used some editing to cut prolonged scenes. Otherwise, a great addition to the film series.
