Along with my new motto please enjoy my new weekly roundup format…
This, as you can tell, has been a week of much deliberation for me. There were two days this week where I just could not find myself at the keyboard and I can’t really tell why. The reason why I made my reassessment was due to this fact. I have been pushing myself for so long to write and be this great writer who tries to objectively express his feelings on a topic that is solely about a subjective medium. Well I just couldn’t think of anything to write about and couldn’t find it in me to fill another day with a simple video share — as if this is Tumblr or something.
But moving away from my personal diary moments, here’s my week’s viewings:
THE INTOUCHABLES (2012)
This is one of the most heartfelt loving comedies I’ve seen in a while. I almost want to compare it to The Sessions (which I saw at TIFF) as it deals with people being employed to help a disabled man function better but the nature of the relationship between patient and carer is so much more than any dollar value. This is the embodiment of true empathy as the patient is able to get what they want the most, which is to be treated as a person first and a patient last. Also Omar Sy is a fantasticly charismatic actor who could make reading Dostoevsky interesting, because after two paragraphs he would throw it out the window and start dancing to Earth, Wind and Fire.
COSMOPOLIS (2012)
Dear God!!! David Cronenberg is a man who I’ve lost all semblance of understanding of as of now. He has been the face of the weird genre filmmakers for me for so long and I’ve loved him for that. I enjoy the yearly reminder of The Fly and Videodrome and even his later forays into some more dark grounded drama like A History of Violence, Eastern Promises and A Dangerous Method. This film however is a medley of uninteresting and unintelligible monologues where I fell Robert Pattinson and whoever happens to be in the room/car with him at the time never seem to know they’re actually talking to another person. The film makes little to no sense and anyone who was really paying attention after half an hour I applaud for having the resilience to do so.
THE TWILIGHT SAGA – BREAKING DAWN – PART I (2011)
Talking about empty and vapid films here’s one that instead of trying to confuse the viewer with talking about a series of topics as Cosmopolis does, this film is all about the empty stares that we can muster between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. We’re almost done with having to talk about this franchise and I for one cannot wait for another decade to pass for someone to reboot it so the internet can have something as easy a target as this to collectively despise in such great ways.
SKYFALL (2012)
Sam Mendes decided to make the sexiest looking Bond films to date — and I’m not even talking about the women or 007 himself. Such great action and amazing visuals makes me feel like not even talking about how interesting a plot he puts together. Go read my full review.
THE INVISIBLE WAR (2012)
While I don’t feel the need to make the subject matter of this documentary feel unimportant or unworthy of discussion, I feel that the film failed in presenting it’s information in a compelling manner. The movie moves forward at a pace that snails could surpass and instead of trying to engage us as an audience it shouts at us with so many talking head interviews that you’re almost lost in the despair.
APT (2006)
Korean horror!!!! Remember when I said that horror movies were bad? Well that rule applies to Korea (the home of awesome action/revenge films) too. I stopped caring when blood went up. I know it’s symbolic but honestly let’s not talk about this one.
THE FILMS I REWATCHED
In completing my James Bond Marathon just in time before heading out to the cinema to see Skyfall (mentioned above), I sneaked in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace and I don’t believe my opinion of either was changed. Casino Royale remains a great re-introduction to Bond in this new Bourne existing universe and Quantum of Solace is a vapid action film that has one of the worst Bond girls, yes worse than Halle Berry doling out Yo Momma jokes, ever. Glad they shifted away from that single trilogy narrative for Skyfall.
Also I revisited a pair of Martin Scorsese films, unbeknownst that it was his birthday coming up. I rewatched Goodfellas and Taxi Driver. I still love Taxi Driver more, it’s definitely in my top 5 favourite films of his, but Goodfellas seemed a lot more visually defined to me this time around. I guess more than two decades into his trade he had a lot more tricks up his sleeve in 1990, but Henry Hill is no Travis Bickle.
Bernie rounds out the films I saw this week and the results are well documented on last week’s podcast, go give it a listen.
My count has been updated to 211 First time watches (117 from 2012); 118 Rewatches; 329 Total Films