As I wrote in my 8 1/2 review, I have never made a movie but have always been inspired by movies about the creative process and the industry in a broad sense.
Why is that? Where does the allure of movies come from? Is it intrinsic in their shots, their writing, or their stories? Is it the actors, their charisma and personalities? Is it all just a product of the robotic Hollywood machine, commodified and marketed to our exact wants…
I feel like I'm finding tons of new things to appreciate with every Tarkovsky watch, especially with this one of Stalker. I was in a tough headspace at the time, and the thing that really spoke to me this time around was the movie's use of sound. The slow pace and limited dialogue allow every sound to be heard much clearer: the rustling of grass, the birds flapping their wings, or the running water (a really poetic use of symbolism).…
All We Imagine as Light is a synthesis of many things I've come to appreciate more and more as I've developed my film taste, combining many different stories and styles with incredible depth. It beautifully combines the focus on the characters and their locations, which not only highlights their connections to the place they live, but highlights their distance from them as well. The first half is set on the bustling streets of Mumbai, with people and things everywhere you…
Close Encounters seems to be built on the power of the unknown. Exploring this concept isn't really done through conventional plot or characters, as that would make the unknown...known. So, the cast in Close Encounters aren't the least bit usual and that both makes it really unique and slightly frustrating to watch them. Spielberg builds tension well using all sorts of different angles and sound designs to hint at the magnitude of the potential danger approaching. Ironically, because we don't…
Anatomy of a Fall is such an interesting, personal deconstruction of familial relationships, legal systems, and even our impulses as human beings. Courtroom dramas are always fascinating to me because there's always discussion of one's motivation for committing a heinous crime; whether the defendant is innocent or guilty, there is always the lingering question of "why", as much as "how" or "who." Like the characters in the story, Anatomy of a Fall constantly plays with audience expectations by introducing new…
This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.
Tar is one of those movies that left me and my parents with so much to think about long after it ended. It also helps that even amid some tense difficult scenes this was an absolute blast to watch. Every moment and move that Cate Blanchett delivers as Lydia Tar makes these scenes so riveting even for over 2 and a half hours.
To me, Tar is a movie all about power. Lydia Tar, an extremely accomplished orchestra conductor, obtained…
