This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
When I teach theme, I tell my students to pay attention to motifs: repeated symbols or ideas in the story that can help them figure out what message the writer is trying to convey. This is a lot easier to do when you've already read (or watched) something, because you can focus less on the plot details and what's going to happen next, and instead think about craft and how an author is able to tell their story.
I picked…
"How can one live without his ghosts?"
One of the most unique films I've ever experienced. A fascinating exploration of memory and history that somehow manages to be both incredibly specific (to the city of Winnipeg and Guy Maddin), but also relatable and universal.
Half a star each for the snake puppet, skateboard/blow-up doll/bazooka scene, and "I love soul food" guy.
I'm really glad the trailer and poster didn't spoil everything. I wonder how well it'll hold up on subsequent watches, but this time I had a ton of fun.
I spent way too long trying to figure out what I knew Sergey from only to realize he was freaking Wickham just seconds before Rupert Friend's name popped up in the credits.
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
There's a disconnect between the "rules" espoused by the voice over and what the protagonist actually does, which is occasionally humorous but mostly made me think he's just...not that great at his job? The sound design really struck me, but only because - what with The Smiths playing, the frequent narration, and the ambient noise - there was SO MUCH of it.
I loved this. It's not a word-for-word adaptation of the novel, but I thought it was hilarious and weird and anachronistic and delightful.
