Expected a feature-length version of the "Just a Girl" fight scene from Captain Marvel mixed with the overbearing fourth-wall breaks and cringe-inducing snarky humor of Deadpool, but was delighted to find that, while there's still plenty of fight scenes underscored by themes of empowerment and winking humor, it's all far more organic. My biggest knock against it is that the narrative plays out at a breakneck speed and doesn't really grant much time to develop the characters or their relationships…

In my short entry for Dunkirk, I wrote that it "would have been more suspenseful if the editing choices didn't consistently break the tension." 1917 an unfortunate overcorrection. I'm not at all opposed to "one-take gimmicks" (I love Victoria, a single-take film which doesn't even use hidden cuts, and plenty of my favorites of the past couple decades feature extreme long takes), and the material seems perfect for it here, so I should prefer this to Dunkirk in theory, but…

I mostly avoid rewatching movies, even my favorites, because at a certain point, I can't passively enjoy the movie anymore, I'm subconsciously analyzing it on an academic level (likely residual conditioning from film school). Not that I'd care to put it to the test, but Certified Copy feels exempt from this result of my broken brain. Every time I watch it, it's as if I'm on this emotional and psychological journey with the characters for the first time. I pick…

Starts off strong, effectively creating tension through fantastic cinematography and notably sharp editing/pacing, but once the table has been properly set, it's a gradual nosedive to the perplexing finale. The acting is undeniably committed and the child actors are pitch-perfect, but the exaggerated, go-for-broke lead performances teeter into overkill and would have been more effective if reigned in a bit. Also, the frequent attempts at humor, though sometimes successful, completely undercut the unnerving tone. It felt like Peele wasn't confident…

It’s impossible to go into a film without preconceptions. You can avoid trailers and reviews, mute words on twitter, and try to go in with an open mind, but as the lights dim, you’ve got a general idea of what you’re about to watch and some level of hope or expectation of how you’ll feel about it. Joker even more so, since it’s based on a massively popular character that’s already had numerous depictions in the past decade alone. Beyond…