lbellist

lbellist

Favorite films

  • Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters
  • The Third Man
  • Miller's Crossing
  • Hard Boiled

Recent activity

All
  • The Day of the Jackal

    ★★★½

  • A Zed & Two Noughts

    ★★★★½

  • The Wrong Man

    ★★★

  • Die Hard

    ★★★★

Recent reviews

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  • The Wrong Man

    The Wrong Man

    ★★★

    One of my least favorite Hitchcock movies so far, because everything about the plot and characterization was so contrived to make you say "wow, he doesn't deserve this and it could happen to me." Too pat.

    On the other hand I am amazed at how the camera, blocking, and sound design can wring genuine horror out of seemingly dull moments from a story perspective. Truly a master at work.

    The title card resolving everything after the totally bleak ending was ludicrous. I wonder if the studio demanded it.

  • Noah

    Noah

    ★★½

    Sort of stilted and weirdly paced and tedious, but you have to admire the vision.

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  • Conclave

    Conclave

    ★★★½

    I'm a big Robert Harris fan so I was predisposed to like this but it leaned a bit too hard on banal platitudes in a bid for emotional heft that it didn't quite earn. Looked great, though.

  • Den of Thieves

    Den of Thieves

    ★★★

    Hard to enjoy because of how evil LASD gangs are in real life but pretty cool Heat-style action.