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Dune: Part Two (2024)
Villeneuve's Dune is shaping up to be Gen Z's Lord of the Rings
Movie was good, a little less well-paced compared to Part One but never boring. The performances improved since the last one, especially Timothee Chalamet as Paul, he really grows into the role here. Zendaya also gets to actually act and have a character as Chani, as opposed to the few minutes of screentime she got in the last one (and most of the time she might as well have been in a perfume commercial, no dialogue just walking through the desert in slow motion lol). Florence Pugh is excellent as Princess Irulan, though I thought some of her costumes looked a little too similar to Jessica's in the first film. Perhaps that was intentional. Rebecca Ferguson as Jessica remains the weakest of the cast but I liked her better here. I was afraid Christopher Walken would phone in his performance as the Emperor, but he does well and brings a commanding presence. I wasn't completely sold on Austin Butler as the psychotic Feyd Rautha; it doesn't help that he still has some of his Elvis voice. Other standout performances include Javier Bardem as Stilgar providing some comic relief, Lea Seydoux, who makes the most of her few minutes of screentime, and a surprise cameo of Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia in a vision of the future. They made a few changes from the book, some of which made sense (months pass instead of years, Paul and Chani do not have an infant son who is killed during the Harkonnen attack, Alia is not born yet) and others which left me scratching my head (Jessica is the daughter of Baron Harkonnen, making Paul his grandson? Why? How does that affect the plot in any meaningful way?). Overall it was a good watch but a lot to take in at once.
The Professor and the Madman (2019)
An engaging film that bears the scars of a troubled production
This movie could've been good.
The acting is fantastic from the leads, the other players are all very competent. The writing is decent, if a little wordy at times (a movie about the creation of the dictionary is too wordy? Ha!). It is beautifully shot and tells an interesting story based on true events. I had no idea the origins of the English dictionary were so remarkable, nor could I have ever imagined that this story could be adapted into a dramatic and engaging movie.
It's just so unfortunate that the production was clearly troubled and the director/producer wound up disowning the project. The result is a film that is disjointed, with scenes that feel like they were tacked on by a studio mandate. For instance, there is an implied sexual relationship between Sean Penn's Madman and the widow of the man he killed, played by Natalie Dormer. It was so obvious that the scene implying their relationship was consummated was done in post and wasn't in the original script. Even if it was supposed to be a hallucination, it felt extremely out of place and just didn't work.
I feel so sorry for this film, because it feels like it was so close to being genuinely great. We don't know what exactly went on behind the scenes, but the problems must've been severe. The movie bears the scars of its troubled production.
The Last Duel (2021)
Well produced but boring
This is a very good looking and well acted movie. Where it suffers is in the screenplay structure and pacing, and the too recognizable casting of Matt Damon and Ben Affleck. It's a very slow, dull movie, especially for its length, and the manner of showing all three major viewpoints (by showing the same events three times with only slight differences in how they play out) got old fast. Damon and Affleck deliver decent performances, but these two modern actors were awkwardly placed in the Middle Ages and it took me out of the film. Their roles would've been better played by character actors rather than famous stars.
The character Marguerite played by Jodie Comer fell flat for me. I don't think this was a result of her performance, but of the way she is written. She is constantly portrayed as either extremely bland or a victim throughout the film. Some may say this is intentional, but it really rubbed me the wrong way. Her alleged assault is the central incident on which the film's action hinges - why shouldn't she be an interesting or likeable character? I was reminded of the excellent The Story of Temple Drake, another movie revolving around a rape, and how much more vibrant and compelling that character was. You really rooted for her. Here, Marguerite is just another faceless medieval noblewoman, easily exchangeable for any other. Even when she is proven innocent at the end of the duel, with her rapist dead, she shows little emotion beyond perhaps relief that she will not be burned at the stake. She doesn't emerge victorious, nor does she show the necessary strength of character which must have compelled this real historical woman to risk her life for justice.
The film is pretty to look at and Adam Driver was fantastic as Jacques Le Gris, but it isn't Ridley Scott's best nor would I really recommend it.
Shattered (2022)
Not good, could've been better
Admittedly I watched this because I like Cameron Monaghan. I didn't hate this movie, though that may be because I was warned by a friend that it wasn't very good. With my expectations lowered, it felt like it wasn't that bad.
This is a low budget movie which was shot in just 21 days. There have been movies made under similar circumstances which are actually good, but this is not one of them. The writing is the main issue here - it is uneven, some of the dialogue is wonky, certain details of the plot are unrealistic to the point of being laughable or make the characters seem stupid (especially the male lead, Chris Decker, who is supposed to be a self-made millionaire tech guy). It's not entirely impossible that a supposed "genius" would fall for the emotional manipulations of an evil seductress, but there needed to either be some initial hesitation shown on his part, or at the very least a scene of one of Chris' friends questioning his quick trust of Sky and him refusing to heed their warnings, as he is too smitten.
The actors each seem to have different ideas of what kind of movie they are in. Lily Krug, who plays Sky, seems to think she is in a fun slasher flick playing a gleeful psychopath. Cameron Monaghan as Chris plays the drama straight; his serious attitude toward the material make the torture scenes in particular hard to watch as he shows the intensity of the pain and suffering. John Malkovich and Frank Grillo are caught somewhere in the middle. The scenes with Malkovich in particular seemed to hint at a much better film which could've been made. Had this movie been a dark comedy, I think it would've worked. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to have a clear vision and is too messy to amount to much.
Nijinsky (1980)
Not a good biopic, not a good dance film. So what is it trying to be?
I consider this film a failure. It fails at being a good biopic about Nijinsky, as the facts are far too skewed in this telling. Part of this is because source material was sorely limited at the time, but it doesn't even match up with what was available. It fails at being a dance movie, as what little ballet is shown is unfortunately not filmed very well, with the worst offense being a choppy slow motion effect that ruins the climactic leap at the end of Spectre of the Rose. I can't fathom why the director, a former choreographer, would make such a stupid choice.
Those of you saying this film was "brave" for attempting to portray a gay romance on screen in 1980 - did we watch the same movie? The only kiss between two men in this involves a goofy and obvious gimmick with a tissue to avoid censorship, and besides that the relationship between the real Diaghilev and Nijinsky was far from romantic. It was an exploitative business transaction that quickly soured when Nijinsky decided to marry.
The film tries to cover a period of ten years in just two hours, which leads to idiotic insinuations, such as Nijinsky going mad because he sexually repressed himself, or because his brother was "insane" . The man was a schizophrenic; nothing specific actually caused his illness. The stress of not being able to find work after Diaghilev fired him for marrying Romola likely did exacerbate it along with other factors. But the fact remains that he was married to her for five years and had a child by her before he was institutionalized; saying he went crazy because of their marriage is ridiculous.
Okay, I'll throw the non-history buffs a bone. I know that most biopics play fast and loose with the truth, but this movie is just not good or enjoyable to watch even as a piece of entertainment. The acting is often melodramatic to the point of being cringe-worthy. Alan Bates as Diaghilev is good, but George de la Pena and Leslie Browne are very poorly cast as an overwrought Nijinsky and simpering Romola. The script contains a lot of really dumb moments (I laughed hysterically during the film's only "sex scene" which is soundtracked with Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring, as well as the cabin-trashing scene that is reminiscent of Tommy Wiseau's The Room), scenes which don't make a whole lot of sense, and throwaway lines which don't factor into the plot or mean anything later. Nijinsky kisses his female ballet partner (who is presented as an amalgam fulfilling the roles his partner Tamara Karsavina and his sister Bronia filled in real life) on the lips, and I guess it's supposed to be our first sign that he is trying to rebel against his nature and Diaghilev, but the scene ends awkwardly and nothing actually comes of it. So what was the point of the scene?
If you are curious about Nijinsky and the Ballet Russes and really want to see a movie version, go watch the BBC production Riot at the Rite - it's free on YouTube. Otherwise, this movie is pretty much irrelevant and I can't recommend it.
The Egyptian (1954)
Uneven pacing, made up for in atmosphere and setting
The biggest strength of this film is it's soundtrack, composed half by Alfred Newman and half by Bernard Herrmann. The acting is fairly hit-or- miss; some people may find Purdom a bore as Sinuhe, or Darvi's accent ridiculous, but everyone else does well with their parts, particularly Ustinov and Tierney. The weakest point of the movie is in it's length, plagued by slow pacing. Those looking for an adaptation of the book may be disappointed by the lighter tone, (a scene is dedicated to show that Kaptah and Thoth escaped Egypt during the fighting, whereas in the book Thoth was killed along with Merit, for instance) but overall it's a very well made film, good acting, and a majestic, sweeping score.