nolantondreau

nolantondreau

a notebook for the movies I watch and a way to better remember my reactions to them

Favorite films

  • GoodFellas
  • Phantom Thread
  • No Country for Old Men
  • Inception

Recent activity

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  • Paris Je T'aime

    ★★★

  • The Last King of Scotland

    ★★★★

  • The Sting

    ★★★

  • Anora

    ★★★★

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  • Anora

    Anora

    ★★★★

    A chaotic creation. With elements of sadness, fear and hilarity. Much funnier than I was anticipating, especially within the excitable banter. Very strong performances from Mikey Madison and Yura Borisov. Her learning that much Russian is highly commendable and Yura’s quiet, subtle, and nuanced character was of one of the more interesting and ultimately likable.

  • American Fiction

    American Fiction

    ★★★½

    Hilariously and cleverly constructed. Could serve as a visual depiction of the book “The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.” The less Monk tries, the more success he sees. The more he leans into the thing he finds most ridiculous, the more he’s humbled, albeit flabbergasted, by his own opinions and their seeming reality.

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  • There Will Be Blood

    There Will Be Blood

    ★★★★½

    Sharp. Distinct. DDL is deserving of all accolades received here. These things are given. 

    The constant, bubbling tension which is building under the surface — showcased especially in form of the string score that plays throughout.

    The cinematography is purposeful and creative, though not my absolute favorite. It’s okay: the story, the performances, the directing — top tier. 

    A poignant portrait of greed manifested as Daniel Plainview. Paul Dano deserves his flowers as well. He acted amongst one of the best to do it, and really did more than just hold his own.

  • Incendies

    Incendies

    ★★★★★

    Denis has BEEN doing this. This is definitely not a light watch, it’s rather horrifying in fact. Harrowing. Riddled with some of the saddest and most tumultuous experiences imaginable. Centering around Christian and Islamic war — It’s the realities of the world in which the main characters are staged in.

    All that said, I believe this is some of Denis’s best work, though certainly not among the most popular, it contains one of the most well-earned plot twists that I’ve seen in some time. If you’re a fan of Denis, this is a must see.

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