*Fair Warning: Spoilers are here, breaking my promise, but just this once: Day Two of ponderings (with gratitude toward @Filmspotting for helping nudge me to my current feeling for the film). My reaction and thought process about the film Past Lives has changed like phases of the moon. So it’s appropriate that today’s Super Moon… Continue reading Past Lives, Present Jives, Imbalance Thrives
Category: drama
The Eight Mountains: Rapturous Butte* (*2 syllables, long E)
Ok humor me on the title, since I just went down a rabbit hole searching for a clever mountain term. I now know the Alps are still getting taller and what a massif is…I digress… The Eight Mountains is a fabulous book written by Paolo Cognetti and was adapted to the screen by writer/director Felix… Continue reading The Eight Mountains: Rapturous Butte* (*2 syllables, long E)
Master Gardener: Suffocating the Seeds
I really wanted to love Master Gardener, Paul Schrader’s third film of the ‘man in a room trilogy’, primarily because of my polar opposite experiences of the first two. I ADORED First Reformed and was fully on board with his messaging of environmental concerns, religious hypocrisy and oppression and of course the phenomenal performances of… Continue reading Master Gardener: Suffocating the Seeds
To Leslie, Welcome to My Revised Top 10
See you later Aftersun…as much praise as has been heaped upon you, I wasn’t as moved as I was by the miracle of film called To Leslie, written by relative newbie Ryan Binaco (3rd film) and directed by another ‘youngin’ Michael Morris (Better Call Saul). The ensemble of actors are so genuine to their characters,… Continue reading To Leslie, Welcome to My Revised Top 10
Living: Many Intimate Moments
Living, a film based on a previous 1952 film by legendary cinema giant Kurosawa was written by Nobel Prize winning author Ishiguro. A creation of such origin was bound to be special and Living, while not a perfect 10, certainly contains many gorgeous moments. Realize that gorgeous doesn’t necessarily mean positive evocative emotions, as some… Continue reading Living: Many Intimate Moments
The Whale Nudges its Way into My Top Ten
If you hated Whale, consider that real things happen to real people; not pretty actors, but real people. And consider that some folks are irrevocably broken, so does that mean their story is not worthy of being told? I wrestled with where to put The Whale in my Top Ten. I had fun trying to… Continue reading The Whale Nudges its Way into My Top Ten
Hand her the Oscar: Olivia Coleman in Empire of Lights
I’ve spoken out loud to a movie screen twice this year which is the signature of a great film. First it was Bones and All and Mark Rylance’s unbelievable performance and sympathetic cannibal (yes you read that right and THAT’S what makes this incredible acting). The second movie screen exclamation was last night in total… Continue reading Hand her the Oscar: Olivia Coleman in Empire of Lights
The Cathedral: Brilliant, Haunting and Heady
Deciding to shift down from the Thanksgiving/Birthday Go Go Go, I decided to take in an at home film nominated for the 2023 Independent Spirit Awards. After all, these are the folks that acknowledged Uncut Gems, Red Rocket and Zola. The Cathedral, written and directed by Ricky D’Ambrose is a former winner at the Sarasota… Continue reading The Cathedral: Brilliant, Haunting and Heady
“Tar”red and Intrigued
If you’re new to my blog, I’ve attempted to fix the reply feature several times over and being a techno-dunce, can’t succeed. Hence, send your replies to my email (yes it’s real): irun2eatpizza@hotmail.com I really would like to hear your thoughts. While I’m itching to hear others’ opinions about Tar, I’ll be a virgin and… Continue reading “Tar”red and Intrigued
Sunshine State from 2002, Like FLA itself: Timeless Yet Flawed
John Sayles (twice nominated for Oscars in writing) wrote and directed Sunshine State and deserves accolades for the timeless subject matter: over development of land, demise of independent brick and mortars and with it the American dream, and the breakdown of the American family. The script doctor in me knows that he threw in way… Continue reading Sunshine State from 2002, Like FLA itself: Timeless Yet Flawed