Favorite films

Recent reviews

• 

  Oldboy 2003

  ★★★★ Watched 23 Feb 2025

  love is love

• 

  Y Tu Mamá También 2001

  ★★★★ Watched 07 Jan 2025

  The boys were very convincing boys. To the point where I think it might be skewing my judgement of Luisa. I know I'm not all in on her self actualization arc but I don't know why. Could also be her portrayal/writing.

  I thought the most compelling parts invited characters beyond the three main ones. All the wide shots of locals when they were passing through neighborhoods, their interactions with animals, that guy who gave Julio a hat. Tact and well-toned.

  Cinematography and style blends observational docs with narrative really well, long hh shots and also the way the camera and VOG integrate local history and policy.

Popular reviews

• 

  Barbie 2023

  ★★★½ Watched 19 Jul 2023

  I think this film is a brilliant study on reimagining and redirection. The obnoxious setting and wardrobe, the lengthy marketing, and the chosen clips for the trailer were all carefully curated to deliver the plasticity of what is to come, thereby forcing viewers to expect less of the film or at least associate it with more artificial themes. Then, the movie was able to use the shock effect on viewers to greater effect its subversion. 

  Fell off a bit in its development of the ken war to music video sequence as it lacked clarity and motivation.

• 

  Portrait of a Lady on Fire 2019

  ★★★★★ Watched 15 Mar 2022

  Gays and gaze

  The lover’s choice v. the poet’s choice, choosing a memory is sometimes better than the alternative. I loved the parallel with Marianne & Heloise and Orpheus and Eurydice's story—I thought it was really well done and set the scene for a heartbreaking moment when Heloise says tourne toi and her and Marianne look at each other for the last time. Also especially bc the majority of the film they’re in vouvoyer so the switch to tu feels a…

Following