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The Zone of Interest 2023
Well, it's a couple of days on and I still can't get this out of my head. The boldness of the last few minutes, totally left-field yet also utterly effective and illuminating. It is the opposite of a hectoring, preachy film but somehow leaves the viewer with no option but to think deeply, and urgently, about how what they have just seen relates to them. Terrifying and essential.
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Poor Things 2023
The problem with a film like this, where everything -- performances, dialogue, blocking, sets, even the camera lenses -- is off-kilter, is that it's hard to connect very much with any of it. It also thinks it's much funnier than it is, which was tough given how much the comedy of some of his other films worked for me.
The film does have some interesting things to say, especially about how we might respond to a world of systemic cruelty…Translated from by
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My Feral Heart 2016
A perfectly serviceable drama with good performances, but could have benefitted from a bit more focus. Ultimately the 'feral' animal element didn't add anything of value for me, and indeed it distracted from the more interesting (and better executed) themes of independence, disability and finding purpose.
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Godzilla Minus One 2023
I went into this knowing nothing about it, which made the fact that it's essentially a straight period drama (punctuated by Godzilla action) all the more surprising. I was surprised again when I got home and read about the film's budget -- the quality of the sets, effects and general production values give no sense at all of a low-budget film.
The film does an impressive job of exploring themes of national rebuilding, survivor's guilt, shame, and the value we place on human life, while *still* being an engaging monster movie. Recommended, even if you have minimal or zero interest in Godzilla.Translated from by
