Powell and Pressburger exercise movie magic in top form to riff elements of a Midsummer Night’s Dream into a WW2 pilot’s survivor story. The opening scene has a great romantic charm, unfortunately it gets a little too bogged down in big concepts to give the central love story its due. Ultimately it feels ambitious but a little ungrounded. Still a Matter of Life and Death is a parade of mesmerizing Pure Cinema. Don’t miss it.
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Nickel Boys 2024
The elliptical POV lends a dream-like (or memory-like) quality. The subjectivity feels like a natural evolution of the long over-the-shoulder shots in Elephant, but with a much less alienating impact. Though it borders on abstract its transcendental impact dawns on you without spoon feeding, so the emotional experience feels earned.
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American Movie 1999
A true testament to the durability of the American dream in the 20th century and the amount of love I have for dudes who say dude.
Seen on the new Blu-ray from Sony Pictures Classics, solo
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