triumphantly nuanced. a reverse spin on Yi Yi, and shares much with 3-Iron. meditative films like this often get lost in the abstract by not speaking enough of what they want to say, but this is incredibly clear with very few words. everything clicks even if it isn't truly definitive til its end.
Hana-bi does so many difficult things perfectly without declaring much effort. this film would usually be dressed as a drama or thriller, and it wears a skin…
not just a coming of age film, but a coming of life film. Poor Things is one of those films where every last idea is presented in such an elegant and simplistic way that each rings clearly true. it repeats that misery is unavoidable by human nature, but that all that matters is you don't become complacent and complicit. it's incredibly easy to find satisfaction in doing so—particularly the deeper you go—but it's impossible to find happiness there.
i'm the…
Let me preface this by saying that never before has a film offended me. In general, really almost nothing does. But this managed to do it. Somehow it found a way.
The three genres slapped onto this are "Mystery, Thriller, and Drama." Let's briefly look at these. For mystery, within about 20 minutes it's broadcasted that the solution is either A or B. There's not wiggle room on that. It's either A or B. It doesn't matter at any point…
Alex Garland read a book with an eternally metamorphosing slime monster that is impossible for humans to comprehend, which has pages and pages of description and fascinating complexities, and decided, "Actually, I think it'd be better if there was a bear instead." Annihilation taught me that Alex Garland is either a hack or has the worst subjective taste in the universe.
This is not a case of "well the book is better." Garland had to have read the book and…
