- Location
- East Sussex
As it's January, so time for fun and reminiscing, and I know a lot of people like cinema here, I'm going to start a Film of the Year thread. I think I'll also do a similar one for records.
I have three winners, in no particular order:
1. The Joker. I've read people saying it's a remake of Taxi Driver. I know what they mean...kind of. Taxi Driver would certainly have rated one of my favourite films back in the day, though whether it's still up there I'm not quite sure. The Joker is a remarkable film, not least down to JP's acting. I love the very deliberate feel of every aspect of the setting and direction. My wife appreciated it but found bits of it tough to watch. Not really a "Batman" movie, is it.
2. Little Women. Some people say "it's not a man's film". Maybe not one for the "real men" but it's certainly a film lover's film. Amazing attention to tiny detail, amazing acting, and IMHO that Greta Gerwig didn't get a Bafta nomination is the travesty of the decade. It helps if you know the story because it's definitely Gerwig's take. She also moves the time frame way more successfully than the BBC adaptation did. What has surprised me is not the critical acclaim but the box office. My local indie told me it had taken as much as the last Star Wars movie in its first week there.
3. Marriage Story. This is a harrowing and tiring film to watch. Two-and-a-quarter hours of how marriages can fall apart, and how the (American) legal system takes over divorce like a well oiled machine. It's almost as if it's an adaptation of a play. There's a very long monologue from Scarlet Johansonn early on that seems to go on forever, but I hung on every word. There's an argument between the ex-couple which escalates and degenerates into total pain, and it's painful to watch. If you are remotely discontented with your long term partner maybe don't watch it. But I think it's a great film.
I have three winners, in no particular order:
1. The Joker. I've read people saying it's a remake of Taxi Driver. I know what they mean...kind of. Taxi Driver would certainly have rated one of my favourite films back in the day, though whether it's still up there I'm not quite sure. The Joker is a remarkable film, not least down to JP's acting. I love the very deliberate feel of every aspect of the setting and direction. My wife appreciated it but found bits of it tough to watch. Not really a "Batman" movie, is it.
2. Little Women. Some people say "it's not a man's film". Maybe not one for the "real men" but it's certainly a film lover's film. Amazing attention to tiny detail, amazing acting, and IMHO that Greta Gerwig didn't get a Bafta nomination is the travesty of the decade. It helps if you know the story because it's definitely Gerwig's take. She also moves the time frame way more successfully than the BBC adaptation did. What has surprised me is not the critical acclaim but the box office. My local indie told me it had taken as much as the last Star Wars movie in its first week there.
3. Marriage Story. This is a harrowing and tiring film to watch. Two-and-a-quarter hours of how marriages can fall apart, and how the (American) legal system takes over divorce like a well oiled machine. It's almost as if it's an adaptation of a play. There's a very long monologue from Scarlet Johansonn early on that seems to go on forever, but I hung on every word. There's an argument between the ex-couple which escalates and degenerates into total pain, and it's painful to watch. If you are remotely discontented with your long term partner maybe don't watch it. But I think it's a great film.