Could have been just a gimmick - the genre is riddled with it. The ghost gaze, unpacked in a series of unbroken shots. It’s quite bit more than that, thankfully. Firstly because Soderbergh is gifted and experienced, and understands the limits of formal invention: he knows to keep the film short, to choreograph camera moves with empathy for the audience, and to break the rules when he needs to. Secondly because the script is good, right down to that killer ending, when the viewer realises they’re not watching a genre film after all. Kudos to you, Koepp!
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Rogue Male 1976
A fascinating glimpse into that time just before Hitler invaded Poland, when Great Britain’s policy was to appease the Nazis. Topical.
I’d just finished reading the novel, a Bourne-like thriller about a British aristocrat evading a Nazi manhunt after his unsuccessful attempt to assassinate the Führer. Widely considered to be a classic thriller of 20th century literature, it’s remarkable for having being written in 1939.
The adaptation is effective - if dated and not always thrilling - ditching some of the misogyny, and leaning into Peter O’Toole’s upper-class hero persona. Like a lot of British films from the period it’s about class above all else.
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Civil War 2024
Reading reviews and comments about Civil War is a little confusing. Did we see the same film? Maybe we are confused by the movie’s blockbuster look and feel (starting with its marketing). Many seem to be assessing it against another version of the film that only exists vaguely in their mind: the film they thought they were going to see, or maybe hoped they were going to see. It’s far from perfect, but can we let it be its own…
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