Katgal98 Reviews

Licorice Pizza (2021)

What a pointless mess

[3/10 · 29 January 2022]

I'm a fan of Paul Thomas Anderson's films, but for me, this one just ran off the rails. It manages to be frenetic and boring all at the same time. It's a series of incidents and scenes that make little sense. No fault of the actors, but the central relationship between the two leads is nothing short of creepy. Why is this 25-year-old (or is she 28?) woman hanging out with a 15-year-old and his teenage friends? Oh, it's supposed to be all so 'freewheeling' and 'youthful', I guess. The early 70's Valley is fun to see, but the scenery is not enough to support this very weak Anderson effort.

Swan Song (I) (2021)

Heartbreaking and thought provoking

[8/10 · 21 January 2022]

Throughout this film, it's impossible not to question what we would do, personally, if faced with the decision the protagonist faces. A brilliant, subtle performance by Mahershala Ali carries this tender, emotional story, a love story of the deepest kind. No spoilers here, but this film raises questions of who we are in our essence, and tests our capacity for unselfishness. Yes, it is slow-paced but not at all dull. It's deep and meaningful.

News of the World (2020)

Poignant, beautifully shot film that resonates today

[8/10 · 24 January 2021]

This is a film that captures the tragedy and resilience of America's history through the eyes of its two protagonists, one old, one young, set against the panorama of a primitive, southwestern landscape. Texas settlers and wanderers, damaged by the Civil War that ended five years earlier, and still in the shadow of the Lost Cause, are battling the elements and one another, as Native Americans are struggling to survive. Tom Hanks plays an itinerant 'news reader', a Confederate war vet who crisscrosses the state, bringing information to isolated towns. He befriends a traumatized, twice-orphaned young girl, who only speaks Kiowa, and sets out to bring her to her only surviving relatives. Unsurprisingly, they bond, but this is grounded in emotional truth and harsh reality. The 'American dream' isn't pretty, and the seeds of today's disunity can be found in the movie's journey.

The Assistant (III) (2019)

Does anyone in this office ever smile or laugh?

[4/10 · 27 July 2020]

I've worked in several film production offices. Not one was as grim and silent as the one portrayed in this movie. In real life, the various production assistants, story editors, receptionists, and the lowest levels of employees TALK TO EACH OTHER. Crack jokes. Gossip. Schmooze about films and scripts in production. Usually, they knock it off as soon as The Boss is around - especially one as intimidating as the one portrayed (unseen) in the film, but it's never as joyless an environment as depicted here. What the director does get right is that haunting, New York loneliness, and the feeling of being the Outsider. But the one note tone doesn't help the film. Also, if we didn't have foreknowledge of the Weinstein case, we really wouldn't have a clue what is going on and would wonder if Jane is imagining it all. There's really no suspense. I assume that an actor as gifted and energetic as Julia Garner was directed to tone it down as much as possible. But the film seems to play the ending at the beginning. Rather than experiencing her gradual realization and dismay, the beginning is exactly the same as the ending.

BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Ignore the bots who wrote the really negative reviews

[8/10 · 17 November 2018]

This is a fine film, filled with wry humor as well as serious, relevant content. Spike Lee has never been one to shy away from issues. I'm appalled by the reviews that call the movie 'heavy handed.' What's more heavy handed than white supremecists marching through our streets? Lee weaves together the threads of Stallworth's insightful memoir, while heightening the drama with fictional elements. It all comes together to illustrate how far we've fallen since 2016, when Trump gave his own imprimatur to the alt right to step out of the darkness. We have a long way to go.

The Opposite Sex (1956)

Glorious costumes. The rest ill-conceived.

[4/10 · 29 May 2014]

If you just want to look at an array of stunning gowns, this will fulfill your expectations. The film isn't as boring as some of the reviews suggest and the female stars make it almost worthwhile, especially in the Reno scenes. (Is this a spoiler? Is there anyone who hasn't seen The Women?) All I could think while watching it was that June Allyson must have bought the rights as a personal vehicle, because she has all the songs, although not one of them is memorable. Why cast Ann Miller, Dolores Gray, Charlotte Greenwood, Sam Levene, and Joan Blondell and not provide them with even one number? Especially Gray and Miller. The adaptation never commits itself to being a musical, and instead sticks in a few songs (Dick Shawn has a solo?) that don't further the plot but stop it dead. The Women is actually moving at times, despite its dated cattiness, but this skates by too superficially to make you care.

Test Pilot (1938)

Smart movie, great acting

[8/10 · 10 October 2012]

I just watched this for the first time. It starts as a light romantic comedy and becomes deeper as the story evolves. The dialogue is especially well-written, fast-paced and witty. Myrna Loy's performance is a stand-out - not to slight Gable and Tracy in any way! - with nuance that grows more complex as the movie progresses. I was particularly impressed by the screenwriter's skill in developing the relationships among the three lead characters; Tracy's gradual love and respect for Loy; Gable's discovering the depth of his feelings for her; and her struggle to be the wife of a man who constantly puts himself in harm's way. It's the kind of measured (thoughtful, not boring) film that rarely gets made today, when the emphasis would be on the action scenes. Just an excellent, intelligent film all 'round.

The Tree of Life (2011)

For those who love film - and metaphysical themes

[8/10 · 16 December 2011]

This is a beautiful film, gorgeously shot and realized. The narrative is non-linear and you just have to go with its rhythms. If you do, it will fall into place. At heart it is a portrait of a family moving through what first appears to be a Utopian era - the 1950's. As the story progresses, the cracks begin to show. Even the family home seems to get smaller as the main characters grow older and the perspective of the young brothers changes. On other levels, the film questions our purpose here on earth and our relation to the universe and how tragedy challenges faith. There is religious imagery but in the end it is a spiritual film. I'm basically an atheist and at first was a bit put off by the Christian symbolism but as the film progressed, I was intensely moved by the big questions it raises. If you want your movies unchallenging, summed up and without ambiguity, this isn't for you. If you are intrigued by metaphysical themes, stunning imagery and the primal struggles of life and family, you will be moved by this film.