Favorite films

Recent reviews

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  Inland Empire 2006

  ★★★★½ Rewatched 17 Feb 2025 3

  The darkest of Lynch's dreams (signalled by the stunning title-card: black text on a black background, scarcely illuminated enough to parse), and also his most pure, unfiltered work of artistic expression in long-form film, almost making it feel more of a piece with his painting or visual art work. While Mulholland Drive may be a more perfect object, the highs of this are arguably higher—the final 30 or so minutes reach a level of emotional transcendence that's only made more…

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  The Brutalist 2024

  ★★½ Watched 01 Feb 2025 2

  Corbet's films no longer come across as a desperate plea to be taken seriously as an arthouse auteur, but now play as though he has fully bought in on the idea that he's already a peer of someone like Scorsese, with the ability to make major American epics. I don't admonish the ambition—it's being met with widespread approval anyway, so my scepticism means little—and it's always fun when something announces itself with such grandiosity... I can only lament my disappointment in the mismatch between the bombastic presentation and the pedestrian nature of the film itself.

Popular reviews

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  Helvetica 2007

  ★★★★ Rewatched 25 Aug 2020

  Probably not the most original or useful observation, but the documentary Helvetica does resemble the typeface Helvetica in some ways.

  It's clear and easy to comprehend, it's conventional (using talking heads as its primary technique), it's very balanced (we hear from both the fans and the haters), you couldn't say there are any serifs here at just 80 minutes, and it's serious but has just enough edge to make it slightly cheeky.

  And my general feeling towards both is similar…

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  Dark Glasses 2022

  ★★ Watched 06 May 2022 3

  This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.