A few notes before I begin:
- First, a declaration. By
this time next week I will have seen those damned Hunger Games films all the kids are yappin’ about. Now that I’ve
stated that publicly, I feel more confident I will actually follow through with
it.
- Feedback is always greatly appreciated.
- I’m really proud of myself
for using the phrase “hunky dory” in one of these reviews. Just thought you
should know.
Now, some reviews of movies I’ve
watched in between episodes of Gilmore
Girls.
Force Majeure (Ruben
Ostlund)
A
well-off Swedish family are vacationing at a skiing resort in the French Alps.
Everything’s all hunky-dory, and the family seems to be getting along well. Then,
while eating lunch on the patio of a mountain restaurant, they hear the sound
of explosions and avalanche begins. The father, Tomas, assures his wife, Ebba,
and their kids that it’s controlled, and ski resorts do this all the time. But
then the snow rolls closer and closer, and it begins to seem like this
avalanche may not be intentional.
Understandably,
everybody freaks out. Tomas grabs his gloves and his phone, then runs for
cover, abandoning his family. A cloud of snow envelopes the restaurant, but it
quickly becomes clear that they are not in danger. Everybody returns to their
meals, including Tomas, who sits down with his family as though nothing has
happened.
This
scene lasts only a few minutes, but, as you’d expect, it has significant
consequences, and Tomas only makes things worse when he denies running away at
all. Of course, Tomas is a coward, but director Ruben Ostlund isn’t interested
in spending two hours mocking Tomas for failing to protect his family. Instead,
he uses the incident to investigate gender roles in our society, based on the
simple question of “what would you do?” The rift the incident leaves in the
family forces both Tomas and Ebba to confront their roles within the family,
and the damage it has caused even begins to infect their friends. It’s all done
with a wicked sense of humor that induces as many cringes as it does laughs.
Force Majeure
is one of the best films of the year, but not the sort I recommend seeing with
loved ones. It’s a provocative film that forces us to confront how we would react
when facing a crisis, and the answers may not be pretty. See it, but see it
alone.
Rating: 4/5
It boggles my mind that this film has been receiving so
much acclaim. Sure, the animation’s nice, but it’s in service of a story that
combines every tired trope we’ve seen in every Disney movie and every Marvel movie from the last
five years into a film we’ve all seen many times before. Seriously, someone
please explain to me the appeal of this. Frozen
had similar issues, but it had some catchy tunes and a few neat ideas to make
up for what it lacked in originality. What does this have?
Rating: 1/5
I’ve only seen a handful of films from Studio Ghibli, the
acclaimed Japanese animation company, but it’s still no surprise that their new
movie, The Tale of Princess Kaguya,
is the most jaw-droppingly gorgeous film I’ve seen all year. Every shot is
absolutely breath-taking, but don’t let the pretty images fool you. It made be
told with pretty colors, but there’s a powerful sadness at the core of Princess Kaguya. Its joyful opening
scenes quickly give way to scenes of longing and regret, and by the time we
reach the film’s final act, what lingers is a profound sense of loss. One
moment in particular, where Princess Kaguya encounters an old friend, is among
the most devastating scenes I’ve seen in a film all year. The film has pacing
issues, and, at 137 minutes, it’s a little too long, but, even a week after I
saw it, its emotional power still stings.
Rating: 3.5/5
Anyway
that’s all for now. I’ll hopefully have something to say about those Hunger Games by next week. Happy
Thanksgiving.
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