I didn't know about Sparks before I watched this movie, and I left impressed with their resilience, uniqueness, and style. So I guess in that way, this film was a success.
I was so excited to see Edgar Wright tackle a documentary with his trademark frenetic energy, editorial flair, and sense of humor, but overall this felt surprisingly paint-by-numbers. There's hints of authorship at the beginning and end, but the vast majority of this journey through the career of Sparks…
Lightyear is probably the Pixar film that steps the most outside of their typical comfort zone, both in terms of genre and narrative. But Pixar's comfort zone is unique among their contemporaries, so unfortunately that makes Lightyear feel generic rather than groundbreaking.
I just don't really have much to say about it, honestly. The connection to Toy Story is barely there - mostly limited to some quotes lifted from the movies, and the character of Buzz feels like it doesn't…
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Probably the odd duck of the Before series, in a way that's original and thoughtful. The first films follow a similar structure - wander around a European city as Jesse and Celine fall in love. It's not something they're controlling - it's more something that's happening to them. And to us, as we get to know them.
At first glance, Before Midnight is more of the same. We're still in Europe. We're still wandering with this couple - married several…
Lost in Translation is about a feeling. The feeling of being alone, even surrounded. The feeling of being out of place in a country that you don't understand. The feeling of thousands of distractions beckoning, while you choose to sit in your room. The movie is sympathetic, not judging. It understands that you don't need to be lazy, or jobless, or single to be completely alone.
The magic of Lost in Translation comes when two very different people, in two…
