Buster Keaton once said “A comedian does funny things. A good comedian does things funny” While Buster is certainly doing outright hilarious things in this film, it’s easy to see how he applies this philosophy in the film’s, albeit few, spacious moments. He’s always at least mildly amusing, for example, the scene where he sits with his girlfriend. His boyish charm adds cuteness and romantic awkwardness to this scene, while his gestures add humor and character to this sweet scene.…
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Fortunella 1958
I meant to review this much earlier when I was reviewing Fellini films and making my video on him, but unfortunately I forgot which seems to be this film's defining trait.
The film has essentially been reduced to a fun fact, in it's most notable aspect, that Nino Rota recycled a couple excerpts of his score from this film and updated it for "The Godfather" which is why that composition was disqualified for the Academy Award at the last minute.…
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How to Have Sex 2023
Sometimes I go out and wander at night. I'll head downtown and walk past towering buildings through bustling streets, alone. A glimmering hole in the wall with a beckoning neon sign might catch my attention and I walk past it many times while deciding if I want to go in. Sometimes I don't, other times I do. I'll sit down somewhere, occasionally I'll order a drink. I'm hesitant to drink if I'm driving, also I don't want to wake up…
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Perfect Days 2023
Too many of us go to the movies looking for an escape. Our lives are drab or painful, therefore we seek to live out some fantasy in an alternate world. We want to be a superhero, a noir detective, or a criminal who gets away with the take. Characters in films are, more often than not, significantly more interesting than us, even if they’re not good guys. Films such as “Taxi Driver” “Fight Club” “Clockwork Orange” “American Psycho” “Saltburn” “The…
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Rope 1948
Alfred Hitchcock’s methodical takedown of ethical philosophy, or rather, the toxic individuals who twist ideals around to service their own personal advantage. I’m no longer eager about philosophy as I used to be, despite the fact I do still admire plenty of thinkers and their contributions, but the whole scene started becoming stale to me as too many philosophers would make nihilistic assertations on life, but when it came to providing a solution they would simply shrug cynically muttering “We’re…
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Sometimes I Think About Dying 2023
My 4th film I've seen at the wonderful Beverly Theater, my local arthouse venue.
If one word best describes "Sometimes I Think About Dying" it's "awkward". Sometimes this contributes to the film's subdued sense of humor, other times it creates an uneasy atmosphere of indeciseveness, stemming from our protagonist, Fran. Played by Daisy Ridley, Fran is the poster child for shy, quiet introverts. As a socially awkward loser myself, I immediately grappled onto Fran and was with her, emotionally, during…
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Breathless 1960
Life imitating cinema, cinema imitating life, or life and cinema imitating each other?
My video on Jean-Luc Godard out now: youtu.be/xLX559ShDUw?si=3kFdnJ2BsHgcjqgE
By 1960, the majority of the world population had been around for at least as long as the movies have. To say that movies were a fad of the 20th century is an understatement, they were a worldwide phenomenon, and individuals young and old couldn’t imagine their lives without them. What made the invention of cinema so resonant though?…
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The Idol 2015
Due to the tragic genocide happening in Palestine right now, I decided to check out a Palestinian film itself. Now "The Idol" isn't exactly a gritty social realist film. It does address issues that Palestinians have faced for decades in passing comments and background details, yet the the film falls more in line with a feel good success story. (And if you read my last review maybe that's a good thing)The plot can become rather saccharine and contrived, however maybe…
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When the Cat Comes 1963
Nobody makes movies like Czech Slovakia.
Not too long ago, I fell into a depressive slump. I’m out of this phase for the most part, although not completely, but it was a tough hole to crawl out of given how my routine had contributed to it. This depression was brought on by me being constantly exposed to so much negative news and attitudes of the world. I was researching a lot of left-leaning political material at the time, constantly hearing…
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American Fiction 2023
"American Fiction" brings the discourse surrounding black representation and inserts it into the very medium that often contains these negative portrayals. Thelonious "Monk" Elison struggles with an issue, I've personally thought about, but have been hesitant to go into detail with anyone considering that I'm a white man. Monk is disgruntled with how media (from both white and black artists) seems to pigeonhole black characters in stereotypical roles and profit off of this pandering. Even stories with good intention fail…
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Poor Things 2023
As a longtime admirer of the Frankenstein lore, I love seeing the same concept played out in a completely different tone. Tethered to themes of human nature, “Poor Things” diverts from a horror tragedy about regrets and monstrosity, and instead gives us a fantasy comedy of self-discovery and newfound independence. “Poor Things” perhaps has more in common with Pinocchio than it does Frankenstein. The setting was reminiscent of Jules Verne and reminded me more specifically of the films of Karel…