End of A Decade: The Films That Made the Cut

By Mevolent Iscariot IV

It’s never a bad time to watch movies, and this decade has been no different for the world of film. It’s been a time full of triumphs and failures, franchise resurrections and destructions. So I thought that I’d kick off my “End of a Decade” series with the films that defined my decade. As a reminder and quick disclaimer though, this is in no way a definitive list, or a ranked list. I am not a professional critic and I try my best to not paint myself as such. Furthermore, this is based on films that I’ve seen and not merely read about, so while there might be a lack of super artsy films or super trendy films, I hope there’s still something interesting for you to check out before the year is done.

 

The Grand Budapest Hotel

This movie came out a while before I became an absolute Wes Anderson nerd and as such it completely flew over my head thanks to my rather limited tastes at the time. However had I known, I would have been the first through that cinema to sit down and be immersed in his craft. Anderson is an auteur, and nothing less. He is able to tell a story in so many different ways that it’s an absolute pleasure to watch every moment of it. With snappy dialogue and a solid cast including long-time collaborator Edward Norton and the darling Ralph Fiennes. Ultimately, the movie is a tale about friendship and the trials and tribulations that come with it. Bittersweet, hilarious and at times, rather tragic it was a film that deserved an Oscar and one that I actually regret not seeing sooner.

Blade Runner 2049

I am a sci-fi nerd, and my sci-fi credentials are only growing stronger, a fact I’m immensely proud of. With that said, it’s rather embarrassing for me to say I had never heard of Denis Villeneuve before, although I had watched Sicario before. I also only had vague memories of the original Blade Runner movie when I heard the sequel was coming out. Luckily, I refused to be bested and read the novel it was based on, ultimately deciding that I loved the novel enough to watch Blade Runner 2049 during its premiere with some other nerds. To say I was blown away would be an understatement; I was almost shaken to my core. Blade Runner 2049 was a movie that focussed more on atmosphere than on pure spectacle, although that is present in hefty amounts.

Beyond the gorgeous shots, the return of Harrison Ford and the introduction of Ryan Gosling as a deeply endearing protagonist, Villeneuve does something rather frightening. He gives us a main character who, in essence, does not matter. And if you haven’t watched the film, I won’t be spoiling it for you, but for those of us who have, I have no doubt in my mind that all the twists and turns were worth it in the end.

Avengers: Infinity War

 

Marvel Studios’ AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR..Thanos (Josh Brolin)..Photo: Film Frame..©Marvel Studios 2018

Seemingly out of the blue, Marvel crafted a cinematic universe the likes of which had never been seen before. Since then there have been attempts to match it. There has been Universal’s Monsterverse, DC’s Extended Universe and Sony’s attempt at a Spiderverse. None have come close and for good reason after all. Marvel perfected the formula for movie enjoyability, and that ensured that even mediocre movies would be fun to watch. But Infinity War was a different beast altogether, and one that brought together over a decade’s worth of superhero continuity. Sure, we would be missing a few key players like the X-Men, the Fantastic Four and Inhumans but the beauty of that is the level of attachment we had with our small group of characters.

So in the end, we’re left with a gripping movie, and one not afraid to kill as many people as they could(even if it wasn’t permanent). And that’s probably the primary reason I rate Infinity War that much higher than Endgame, it had an amazing villain, loss and the fracturing of the greatest assembly of heroes. And the beginning of Endgame perfectly exemplifies Infinity War’s greatest asset. Thanos winning so hard that he resigns himself to life as a farmer and eventual death. Had Endgame not reset all of the damn deaths, perhaps it would be here instead of Infinity War, but as it stands, it’s Infinity War that sits atop the peak of superhero films and shared universes.

Parasite

Bong Joon-Ho officially entered my sights when I finally watched Snowpiercer earlier this year, an experience that left me pleasantly surprised. Being the n00b of Korean cinema and culture that I am, I was pretty excited to watch Parasite and managed to catch it on one of the final days that it screened here. I was impressed, disturbed, but most of all, questioning the entirety of the film. While I, of course, praised its cinematography and the parallel shots used to mirror the two families, I often found myself in the shoes of our protagonist’s family. “Would I be immoral for doing this”, or, “if it’s for survival, it’s not so bad.” At the end of the day, I was left with multiple ethical questions to answer, some of which I’m still pondering today.

But Joon-Ho manages to give the audience, especially Western ones, a good look into general class division, as well as Korean culture and economics (at a cursory glance, naturally). This makes it easier for everyone to relate to and understand the two families and the actions they take during the film. A solid drama with a good shake of bitter tragedy, Parasite is a movie hell-bent on delivering a dreaded message we hear loud and clear, even if we don’t want to.

How to Train Your Dragon 2

How to Train Your Dragon was an interesting film that admittedly made me a little curious about the world of Berk and its dragons. But I never gave it much thought after that and it faded into my memory. But the sequel, How to Train Your Dragon 2 did what the first movie couldn’t do. It made me a fan. I was in love with everything from the premise to the character conflicts to the villain. But most importantly, I was in love with the score by John Powell, who had worked on a multitude of other works. It perfectly accented the turmoil that was present in the film, and it was riveting to feel that emotion well up inside of me in a way that very few films have done before.

While it didn’t have stiff competition from other animated flicks in the year of its release, it set itself apart as a film that could be watched by both children and adults. It encapsulated both the heroes journey and coming of age tale, mirroring them in dragon and rider, and making for a highly enjoyable watch.

Mad Max: Fury Road

Tom Hardy is in my top 10 actors of all times for his ability to play a wide variety of roles as well as emote incredibly well. Look no further than 2013’s Locke from director Steven Knight which had Hardy as the sole character on screen. However, Locke fails to make the cut simply because it’s not nearly good enough in all areas and is more of a speciality film for the niche film enthusiasts. Fury Road is a balls-to-the-wall high octane testosterone trip through the desert with a star-studded cast and George Miller at the helm to continue his vision for the post-apocalyptic nightmare world its set in. It’s a pure action fantasy dream that was made possible thanks to an amazing blend of special and practical effects, stunning cinematography, and great performances.

One thing I’ve always argued with people about is the fact that it’s shallow and nothing more than a jet-fueled mess. But I beg to disagree. The film does an amazing job of developing its characters, creating its setting and fleshing them out without a large number of words. And when there is a monologue, it feels even more impactful because of this. We can see the state of the world, we understand what’s at stake and we don’t need backstories or obvious dialogue to let us know what our protagonists are fighting for. The world of Mad Max: Fury Road is fire, blood and motor oil, and it shows that brilliantly with some amazing gems for those who keep their eyes open for long enough.

Hereditary

Hereditary broke me. There, I said it. It did to me what all the slashers and found footage films couldn’t do. Come to terms with family trauma and cyclical abuse, the kind of grime that exists in every family. After watching it, I was much more appreciative of the family I had.

Ari Aster is a relative newcomer to the horror scene, and this film made waves and did things most Western films were avoiding for one reason or other. It’s a slow burn, that’s for sure, but once the match is lit, the game is on, and the emotional torment you have to go through is heart-breaking. And that’s especially true because of Toni Collette’s harrowing performance as a mother of two and faithful wife. I heard her soul-wrenching scream in my dreams for a good while after the film, and thinking back on it, it’s not surprising why I did.

Logan

If Avengers: Endgame was the rallying cry of a cinematic universe at the height of its power, Logan was the quiet requiem of a franchise that chose how it wanted to die. Not with a bang but a shudder, and maybe a promise of hope. By the time Logan premiered, Hugh Jackman had been playing our clawed friend for 17 years. A massive amount of time for any actor playing a recurring role. And while not every X-men film was a gigantic success, Jackman himself couldn’t play him forever. He is ageing, and so are we, and it was all too clear to see sometimes. Perhaps we all knew it couldn’t go on forever, but when Logan was announced with that heart-breaking song by Johnny Cash playing in the background of the trailer, my heart broke and I knew I had to go see Logan’s final stand.

What we got was a superhero film uninhibited by so the restrictions of family-friendly corporate superhero cinema. Logan was dark, gritty, bittersweet and the perfect send-off for Jackman. It seemed to deal with the concept of passing on the torch to the next generation with more grace than most could manage while grappling with the internal conflict of keeping something you love alive or laying it to rest with as much care as is possible. It would be a disservice to not mention Dafne Keen’s strong performance as Logan’s charge, and it was this along with Jackman’s performance that solidified the passing of the torch on. Stories will move on, but the memories will never truly die.

Logan is a beautiful film without a doubt, and it’s made even more beautiful by the note it ends on. It leaves everything with the hope that something greater rises from the ashes, no matter how long it takes.

10 Cloverfield Lane

A vastly different film from its predecessor Cloverfield, this movie shows just how effective horror can be the longer the audience is left in the dark. More psychological than anything, this movie appealed to all of my tastes with a nefariously small cast and a tiny set to work in, the fear sets in deep in our hearts from the get-go. With so little to go on, it’s pretty fun to jump at shadows, until you realise how sinister things become. It’s the true definition of from the frying pan and into the fire, but it’s also something more than that. Is it worth it to face the fire when you don’t know what else is in the frying pan?

That dread remains ever-present no matter how good things look as the film progresses. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, John Goodman and John Gallagher Jr. all deliver great performances and it’s this that really drives the film home for me. If you have to watch a Cloverfield film, I’d go for this one, hands down.

Moonrise Kingdom

Ok, another Wes Anderson film, but it’s the last one, promise. This is a weird film, and one that I’m not too accustomed to watching. A coming of age story that deals with discovering love as an outsider. It’s a whole beast of a narrative, juggling from the main characters, Suzy and Sam, and their families, one a traditional home and the other, a group of boy scouts. Their resolve to run away from home and live their own lives is as hilarious as it is touching, especially if you’ve been in a similar rage at your family, which I’m sure most of us have. Watching Sam use his surprisingly well-honed survival skills while Suzy brings a host of sentimental, but ultimately useless items. It feels like a couple’s road trip, with all the appropriate nagging, and hiccups ensuing.

I found it touching, but light-hearted, and a nice little distraction from a lot of the other heavier stuff I was watching around that time. It’s in no way simple though, so be ready for amazing exchanges and snippets of dialogue from legends like Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Tilda Swinton to name a few.

Rango

 

Rango, Rango, Rango, what can I say about this gorgeous film that you may or may not have heard before? Well, it’s directed by Gore Verbinski, the director of Pirates of the Caribbean, and it stars Johnny Depp as the lead. It’s a great Western that plays a lot on the strengths of the Western as well as some funny tropes that are painfully overplayed, all while delivering its own unique take. This movie actually won an Academy award in 2011, the first non-Disney or Pixar film to win it since 2006, and the only one to win until Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse won it in 2018.

Although it’s painted as kid’s movie, it’s a little more than that, providing genre commentary and references to popular Westerns in an incredibly fun way. I love it when movies don’t treat kids like total fucking idiots, Not only because they’re smarter than that but because they open up the kid to critically learning and appreciating even kids movies, instead of consuming all the 2-bit trash that releases all the time. Go give Rango a try. Even if you don’t find it deep or moving, you’ll have a pretty good time nonetheless.

 

Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World

Every decade has it’s cult films and Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World was one of the first for the 2010s. Michael Cera is the insanely likeable, but still scummy Scott Pilgrim, on a mission to defeat the evil exes to get with the girl. It sounds incredibly corny, and it is, but it’s accented by a musical score that matches really well with scenes as well as some catchy hits that stay in your head a little longer than you’d like. The plot and story are fun, but it’s the visuals, cinematography and comedy that really got to me. From transitions to cheeky videogame-esque special effects, it felt like we were secretly mashing the buttons to hit the combos as Scott conquered each evil ex.

Edgar Wright is no stranger to comedy. In fact, I’d argue that you’d recognise an Edgar Wright film after a few minutes due to his unmistakable style of visual comedy. You might have heard of Hot Fuzz, Shaun of the Dead and The World’s End, all with their own distinct style of visual comedy. Telling jokes…without telling jokes. But showing them. It’s hard to explain since I’m not really big on comedy, but you’ll have to give me the benefit of the doubt on this one.

The Raid

I hadn’t had a martial arts obsession since halfway through primary school, and like many other things, I grew out of it. Martial arts movies just didn’t do it for me, and since primarily Chinese and American martial arts films were all but the norm for me, I didn’t hear about The Raid until late in highschool. And let me tell you, this film reinvigorated my passion for the art of the fight. Directed by Gareth Evans and starring Indonesian actor Iko Uwais as the leading role, this Indonesian movie bared its fangs at its competitors and showed us that it could carry a hell of a punch. It’s brutal, it’s gripping and it leaves you with a sense of desperation I haven’t felt in many action movies.

Overwhelming odds? Check. Stoic protagonist? Check. But Uwais is what makes the film truly a treat. As a choreographer, stuntman and martial artist, his scenes had this impact that had me wincing at every crunch, every hit and every fall. It’s more engaging than I expected and it harkens back to Jackie Chan’s early days filming incredibly dangerous scenes himself. If you’re a fan of watching people brutalise each other in a strangely beautiful way, watch The Raid.

 

These are in no way the only amazing films I watched this year, as there are many others that blew me away but couldn’t make it onto this list such as Joker and the Irishman. But I’ve had way longer to ponder over the films I’ve mentioned here, so I feel more content recommending them. Hopefully, you’ve seen most of them before, but if you haven’t then it’s never too late to check them out.

 

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker Review-An Attempt Was Made

By Mevolent Iscariot IV

 

***Spoilers ahead***

A lot of people predicted how bad this film would be since the leaks surfaced a few weeks ago. Amidst all rumours of reshoots and tension on set, one thing stood out: the leaked plot. And boy was it bad, and comically so to boot. But reading a leaked plot and watching a movie are two different things entirely, so as a long-time Star Wars fan, I hauled myself to the first screening of the movie. My expectations weren’t high and I couldn’t see a way for the franchise to dig itself out of this slump, at least in the realm of cinema. While Star Wars has made a few good steps forward with The Mandalorian and improvements to Battlefront 2, it’s taken far too many steps backwards. So I’ll try and give my opinion on the final film in the Rey saga because, despite its title, it does nothing to build on the Skywalker mythos.

Let’s dive right in.

Plot and Writing

Finally, more interaction between these two

Taking place after the destruction of the Rebe-I mean, Resistance, Rey has resumed her Jedi training under Leia. The Resistance is in a tight spot, with no reinforcements and a growing First Order to fight against. While she battles with her own inner turmoil, Kylo Ren is pursuing a lead on Emperor Palpatine who was thought to be dead after the destruction of the Second Death Star. After finding him, Palpatine promises him his throne as the true ruler of the Sith, along with a fresh fleet of Star Destroyers that will rain hell and fury on the galaxy. The only catch is that he has to kill Rey, who is the last Jedi and the only real threat to his power. From there, we embark on a treasure hunt essentially, to find the homeworld of the Sith and destroy Palpatine and the fleet he has under his command. Poe, C-3PO, BB-8, Finn and Chewbacca accompany Rey as they follow the trail Luke was on. They meet some old allies, make a few new ones and Rey discovers that she is, in fact, Emperor Palpatine’s granddaughter *gasp*. After dealing with this revelation, she meets Ren in the ruins of the Death Star where they have a final confrontation. Just as Kylo is about to strike her down, he is…force touched by Leia, I think? This provides Rey with enough of an opening to mortally wound him, however, she realises the sacrifice Leia has made and heals Kylo, who is now Ben Solo once more.

Not a bad duel, but far from the best

After some encouragement from ol’ daddy-o Han, Ben hightails after Rey while Poe and Finn step up as the new generals of the Resistance and launch one last-ditch attempt to destroy the Sith fleet, all while hoping that aid arrives from the rest of the galaxy. Finally. two battles occur, one in the skies above the Sith planet, Exegol, and one below the surface as Rey and Ben attempt to kill the Emperor. Palpatine does not mind death, as he believes that if he is struck down his spirit, and every other Siths will pass into Rey, and the Sith will never die. But after being confronted by both Kylo and Rey, he decides to just suck them dry (their force essence, not, well yeah), and become stronger than he ever was. Strong enough to single-handedly deal massive damage to the Resistance fleets. But after an all too silly anime moment of hearing the Jedi of the past, Rey enters the Avatar state and kills Palpatine with his own lightning, finally vanquishing the Sith and ending their reign once and for all. Unfortunately, this leaves her dead, but only for a brief while since Ben transfers his essence over to Rey and takes her place, reviving her and redeeming himself. In the end, Rey travels to Luke’s home on Tattoine, burying his and Leia’s lightsabers and taking the name Skywalker, while gazing at the twin suns, much like Luke did not too long ago.

Hells, wrong movie

Now that we’ve got out of the way, let’s discuss if you couldn’t tell I was rolling my eyes throughout the whole movie. But let’s start with the things I did like. The gang is finally together. This was meant to be the dream team all along, Poe, Rey and Finn, teaming up and using their skills in tandem to achieve their goals. It completely stumps me as to why they kept them separated for so long because now that the final film is here, it still feels like watching strangers, even if they did do an admirable job. But the feeling wasn’t present in me. We had three films to see the chemistry between Luke, Han and Leia, and understand their motives and goals. So even when Luke left for Bespin it felt justified. Finn’s wild goose chase with Rose did nothing for his character, and Poe was basically on his own for the whole film. But that aside it did feel like watching three good friends on an adventure, if only slightly.

So much wasted potential…

Kylo’s scenes were also pretty good, although he had to work with a less than adequate script. It was hard to see the inner conflict in him like we did in the first and even second film, but it was refreshing to see him assert himself and finally show his power. Like when he disciplined an admiral early on a-la-Vader, or when he taunted Rey about her past to bring her closer to the dark side. In the end, maybe his redemption arc would have worked way better if it wasn’t so hamfisted and Rey focussed. I also honestly would have loved to see more of the Knights of Ren but they were ultimately useless. Completely, and utterly useless. And it sucks because, like I said, we had two whole films before this to work on things like this. It would have added so much more character dynamic to Kylo to see him leading these troops and interacting with them instead of just berating Hux every time they’re on screen together. But of course, the film just tries to fulfil every missed opportunity and mistake made by bringing in characters from the Sequels (Like Lando) and giving characters like the Knights some screentime.

More set decoration than anything else really

The dialogue isn’t too bad, and it looks like Star Wars decided on the good ol’ Marvel formula. Some humour woven in here and there to get a giggle out of everyone and make the movie a bit more fun to watch. And that at least made me feel somewhat better when watching it, after all, I couldn’t take the movie seriously. There were times when a serious moment was playing out and then giggles and laughs would erupt from a few people in the crowd. Even during Rey and Kylo’s kiss, there were some audible groans around me. I think it shows the disconnect between the fans and the filmmaker, especially with them shoehorning Finn’s confession after building up his thing with Rose. But ultimately the biggest disconnect was the attempt at bringing Palpatine back as the final boss after failing miserably with Snoke. The writing team didn’t have the guts to make the fight against Rey and Kylo final so they appealed to nostalgia to get everyone curious and hyped. With multiple books, movies and comics delving into the infamous Emperor, it makes the very plot of this movie fall apart. But I think there are deeper reasons for why this movie failed to save Star Wars, and I’ll dive into that in the next section.

Palpatine, The Force, And Why The Film Fell Flat

One of the underlying plot points in the film is the return of Palpatine. In the original trilogy, we were quite happily teased with the mysticism of the force, the Jedi and the Sith, and other events like the Clone Wars. In the prequels, a lot of that mysticism was revealed to mixed reception, however, it opened a look into the world of the Old Republic and the traditions and historic events that made the world of Star Wars, Star Wars. With that came a lot of established fact alongside theory and speculation, such as the nature of lightsaber colours, the use of force abilities, and the different positions in both orders. We learnt why there were only ever two true Sith at any one time, and why there were thousands of Jedi at some point. Most importantly though, we learnt how each of the main characters took their ancient teachings and used them, such as Obi Wan’s mastering of Soresu after Qui Gon’s death, or Quinlan Vos returning from the dark side out of love, something the Jedi strictly forbade. And even in Legends, we saw how those teachings changed and evolved, the Sith Rule of Two becoming the Sith Rule of One, and Luke’s new Jedi Order having to start from scratch.

Darth Bane and his apprentice Zannah from Legends continuity

Darth Sideous became the Sith who inherited the will of his masters before him, not in spirit but in teaching. The Sith hoarded knowledge jealously, only accepting the purely strong. Of course, there were reasons for taking apprentices, such as Palpatine choosing Anakin because of his raw force ability and despite him being the so-called “chosen one”, something made a little more possible thanks to his trip to Mortis. I’m sure had Dooku killed Anakin above Coruscant he would have adjusted his plans. In Star Wars: The Force Unleashed we see Palpatine offering Galen Marek a spot at his side if he kills Vader and his rebel friends. So the idea that Palpatine would merely sit and wait for a granddaughter who might not be nearly as corrupted or powerful as Palpatine seems incredibly spurious. There was also the revelation that Palpatine had “created” Snoke who was his puppet all along, despite Snoke being physically inept. While Palpatine knew that no blade could match the power of the force, he knew how useful a blade could be. I don’t see why he wouldn’t just corrupt Ben himself, especially when he would be way more impressionable and vulnerable.

Source: Star Wars Dark Empire

While a true Star Wars fan would dissect all of the canonical conflicts and loose points, (such as force ghosts manipulating the living world), the main point is this; in this film, Palpatine is an idiot. In the Sequels, we saw him as the dark overlord who only revealed his hand in person when the axe was falling over the neck of his victims. In the Prequels he was an all-knowing and all-powerful manipulator who put all the pieces into motion before taking his enemies by storm, leaving no loose ends and no weak links. In this trilogy, he’s an old fool who lets his enemies surprise him before being defeated by a far weaker opponent than his former eternal nemesis. This ultimately leads to a film that becomes frustrating for old-school fans and confusing for people who just got introduced to the franchise. It’s one thing to have a new vision (albeit one that’s poorly executed) like with the Last Jedi, and another to pull one of cinema’s greatest villains out of his hyperdrive grave in an attempt to save a franchise that was handled poorly.

Failure Among the Leaders

In recent years Star Wars has garnered a bad reputation among fans for their abrasive comments and downright attacks against fans. Loyal fans who spend their hard earned money on cinema tickets and merchandise even after 40 years. That doesn’t mean that filmmakers and writers should bend over backwards to satiate fans. The Prequel Trilogy was highly polarising for a long time, but fans could accept their differences and move forward for the sake of their beloved franchise. This led to some amazing things like The Force Unleashed and The Clone Wars series. But once Kathleen Kennedy became head of Disney Star Wars, there have been so many gaffes and failures on the part of the management that it has irreversibly tarnished Star Wars image, especially at a crucial time where a new generation might become attached to the iconic space opera. No one was on the same page, and it was clear from the get-go, with Abrams creating a fanservice-filled movie followed by Johnson’s attempt at subversion and Abrams return to save a dying ship. It was as if the upper echelons at Disney forgot all the Legends stories and leaps forward made in the past few decades. And there are tons of video essays breaking down how bad these films are whether it’s as a whole or certain elements within them. Not everything can be a win, but when you regress so far backwards, it can only be called a failure.

I’ll roast them another time

And maybe that’s what the corporate elite over at Disney forgot. Star Wars was meant to be a mythos, and that’s the way it was always meant to be. A collection of tales spread out across a galaxy in a whimsical past age. Much like how 40K evolved passed it’s Rogue Trader days and created hundreds of unique tales both good and bad, Star Wars was reaching that level of interwoven mythos from multiple fronts. Instead, the corporate wheel knew that the surest way to rake in the sweet cash was to stoke the flames of nostalgia without making any progress. By pushing agenda and inflating the ego of singular creators over a fully realised story, they have inadvertently damned themselves. And honestly, good riddance too. Although I don’t hate Kathleen Kennedy as a producer, I think she’s worked on some amazing films, Dave Filoni should have been the head of Lucasfilm Creative after Lucas took a step down, period. Nonetheless, I hope this is a wakeup call for the gaudy suits up there. They might make their billion, but the toys won’t sell, the theme parks will empty out and the torch won’t be passed down.

Final Thoughts

Source

I bury my beloved Star Wars with a heavy heart today. And I really do love Star Wars, despite how toxic I may be called, or how many ists and isms are thrown my way, I don’t think I’ll ever stop loving it. But this was one of the very very few times I finished a Star Wars film and felt absolutely nothing. I doubt I’m the only one either. The claps in the cinema after the credits rolled were painfully absent, and the pang of mediocrity was in the air. More than anything, I’m painfully disappointed, not in spending my money but in holding on to hope for so long. I suppose this is how Star Wars dies, with a sad whimper. Despite this upset though, we do have a few things to look forward to in the coming decade as concerns the realm of sci-fi. A Dune adaptation, hopefully a continuation of The Mandalorian and the return of Seth Macfarlane’s The Orville. But let’s not put our hopes up for any groundbreaking Star Wars films just yet. Perhaps it needs this break. I know I would.

A fanservice-y mess rife with story conflicts, inconsistent storytelling and character destruction, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker becomes my least favourite Star Wars film of all time. More disappointed than angry, I give it a solemn

4.5/10

If you liked this review I’d appreciate a like and a share to spread the word. I write purely for fun and nothing helps more than letting more people know about it. And if you want me to cover a specific topic or piece of media, leave a comment down below.

Five Amazing Movies You Have To Watch

When does a movie become art? After all, art in it’s most fundamental form has existed long before we stopped our hunter-gatherer lifestyles to form small communities that would blossom into burgeoning civilisations. Art can be loosely defined as our creative expression, usually through visual or auditory means, valued for its intrinsic beauty and emotional value. For the average moviegoer, any film that leaves feelings of joy after you leave the cinema may be considered “art”, but with the sheer volume of D-list soulless cash grabs it’s easy enough to be caught up in the consumer lifestyle and miss out on a lot of beautiful works of cinematic art.

The definition may differ from person to person, however, I’ll try to include as many of my own indicators for what I think makes a movie artistic and not merely enjoyable.

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox holds a special place in my heart, not only for its exceptional voice acting or its fluid and lively stop-motion. I think it truly captures the spirit of its director, Wes Anderson, turning an otherwise simple children’s book into a story about the bachelor’s transformation into a family man, the struggles of raising a child, and a loss of meaning in one’s self. At the most surface level, the film becomes a fun kid or family film that almost everyone can relate to. At a deeper level, it touches on multiple thematic and philosophical questions that most people have felt, but never understood, or have experienced and can relate to. But more than anything for me, it shows how much of an auteur Wes Anderson can be. He takes the film and wraps it in his own style before spitting it back at us. On first impressions, it seems like we got the short a straw, perhaps a generic run-of-the-mill film with no soul and substance.

But a few minutes into the film, it’s plain to see that that, is not the case. Every character has their own flairs and perks, and there are so many details packed into every frame. The film is meticulously crafted, it looks *cough cough* fantastic, and the dialogue is as sharp as can be. If you’ve seen The Grand Budapest Hotel or Isle of Dogs, you know how great Wes Anderson is at making dialogue that might have you physically turning your head, and Fantastic Mr. Fox is no different. What I guess I’m trying to say is, the film drips with style. When you watch an Anderson film, you know its and Anderson film. And I feel like that might be lacking nowadays, in an age where movies are sticking tightly to formulas that have worked in the past all in an effort to maximise profits. This film is for the slightly crafty, somewhat curious individual, but it will probably surprise you if all you do is take it at face value.

Parasite

From the director of Snowpiercer, Bong Joon-ho, we get this masterpiece, a double entendre menace that like it’s predecessor sheds light on classism, societal struggles and modern anxiety. A drama that quickly devolves into a thriller with all the hints of a tragedy and a superbly acted film carrying all the momentum of multiple Oscars nominations. Parasite creates a stark contrast between the lucky and hardworking idyllic upper-class family, one with its own set of unique problems living in apparent bliss, with a family using everything it has to get through every day.

I think something that makes Parasite both riveting and excruciating to get through is the equal parts sympathy and revulsion. Our protagonists are using their wit, guile and will to survive. In order to even live, they have to make a plan so ludicrous that it plays out like a spy movie. But the lives of those that they’ve affected are irreparably changed and negatively affected, which makes us question ourselves. Do we support them, or not? Does doing everything to survive in an environment that is seemingly opposed to ur very existence so wrong? How far are we allowed to let class inequality go before it’s too much? Are some people fated to a life they had no part in choosing? Parasite makes us think about all of this and more while we watch it. And through the soundtrack, through the great shots, it was the writing that really made this movie stand out for me.

Akira

We often think of Sci-Fi as this tiny bubble consisting of Star Wars, maybe Star Trek and the occasional reboot, remake, or big budget release. Most people don’t have a huge grasp on hard sci-fi vs soft sci-fi either, and I can’t blame them. It’s an incredibly difficult thing to grasp, and there’s only a handful of sci-fi media responsible for bringing sci-fi to the fore. Akira, is one of those pieces of media. Directed by Katsuhiro Otomo and based on his 1982 Manga of the same name, Akira introduces us to the concept of Neo Tokyo. A concept that has been reimagined, parodied and of course referenced more times than you think. It led way to the popularity of anime in the west, the establishment of Japanese Cyberpunk as its own sub genre within sci-fi and I’ve seen its hold on everything from movies to hip-hop.

I think Akira is a work of art for two reasons. Firstly, it’s art style, music direction and animation. By the 80s, many people most likely still thought that all animation was for kids, whether in the West or East. Akira, with its dark symphonic soundtrack, unsettling characters and dark colour palette made it easy for adults to feel unsettled. Which all culminates in the climax that is Tetsuo’s transformation, a pitiful but nonetheless horrific show of bodily ruin. Just from a few stills, everyone can recognise Akira(although they often mistake Tetsuo for Akira much like Link for Zelda) and that’s thanks to the amazing art direction. A spiky haired Tetsuo, Kaneda holding that BFG or landscapes of Neo Tokyo. They’re all scenes that are both poignant incredibly breathtaking, and I doubt many people back then had seen anything like it.

the second reason is, of course, the cultural impact the movie had on the rest of the world. It almost single-handedly started a revolution, inspiring influential creators from the East and West, something few works of fiction have achieved on such a large scale. It led way to a sweeping movement that resonates throughout pop culture. People were shown not only that animation could be highly profitable for both people in the East and West, but that adults could drive the industry in ways previously unthought of. That you didn’t need toy sales and merch to bring home profits. That if you made something good, something that would resonate with people, it would be relevant for decades to come. Akira is a film that you have to watch, if only once. Whether you get it or not, well, that’s up to you, but it’ll sure as hell burn a hole in your brain and might just leave you wondering what you’ve been missing out on this whole time.

Dunkirk

An interesting film to say the least, I was tempted to choose a more memorable, or rather, well-known war movie. Perhaps Apocalypse Now or Fullmetal Jacket, although those films could have whole articles written on them, as they already have. Instead, I chose Christopher Nolan’s Dunkirk because it plays on one strength in particular.  Silence. Now, that’s not to say it doesn’t have any other redeeming qualities. in fact, it’s definitely in my top 5 greatest war films of all time(as of writing this), but let me discuss how the element of silence weaves its way throughout the rest of the other elements.

Rather than focussing on the Battle of Dunkirk, the film instead focusses on the Evacuation of Dunkirk, a truly heroic event which saw over 300,000 troops rescued in a little over a week(seriously, read about it). The heroes in the film are the unseen captains of the naval ships being assailed by Stuka dive bombers as they frantically try to get their people out of hell. It was the invisible nurses, doctors and field medics trying desperately to save as many men as they could, even though there was absolutely no guarantee the were getting back home. It was the brave RAF bombers flying over the Channel to fight back the seemingly endless. But more than anything, it was the cres of all those fishing vessels, risking battleships, submarines, fighters and bad weather all to save as many men as they could. And so in this lack of enemy engagement, in this quiet before the storm, the effects of silence kick in. The crunch of boots on gravel, the whistling of the bombs before they drop, heavy breathing of our panicked characters. It can all seem overwhelming when our senses aren’t constantly being assailed by the shouts of burly men as they fire off twin machine guns into a hoard of screaming enemies while explosions sound off in the distance. And all of this leads to the next parts.

Fear and Scope. First, let’s talk about scope. Dunkirk does its damnedest to make sure we don’t latch onto one character. In that sense, even though we don’t get to go on a long emotional journey, we get to see what war is really about. A series of interconnected stories and tragedies. Heroes and unwitting fools on both sides. From commanders to lowly foot soldiers, no one is immune to despair, defeat or even ill luck. Once the bullets start flying, it’s one big organised free-for-all. Operation Dynamo allows the viewer to understand just how massive an undertaking the whole thing was. Focussing on one person’s perspective wouldn’t have done justice to the hundreds of thousands that were stuck in Dunkirk, and it sure as hell wouldn’t have done it for all the many heroes and lost lads on that shore far from home. But in focussing on that scope, by incorporating that silence and removing the “central hero” figure, Dunkirk creates an element of fear. After removing all the elements that make up the modern war film and showing us just how terrifying one minute on the front lines can be with some bomb whistling, we feel scared. Some of the soldiers look far too young and pretty to be facing down bullets every day. War is indiscriminate, and after only a few minutes in, we see just how fast and easy it is to lose one’s life.

There’s no Rambo, and the cavalry isn’t going to bomb all the Germans out of the trenches and buildings. No, what the men were looking for was a miracle, one that shouldn’t have happened but did.

Rebel Without a Cause

I won’t say much about this one, mainly because I’m still getting a hang of watching and reviewing old flicks. After all, there was no CGI, and practical effects had a long way to go still. People talked different and held different views and opinions. For some people, it can be hard to see exactly why this movie stands the test of time. Well, it manages to capture something that almost everyone can relate to despite the differences in era. The Spirit of Rebellion. Like The Wild Ones, Rebel Without a Cause highlighted key issues within American Society, and the distress affecting so many teenagers at the time. The family unit as it had always been known was shifting and breaking down. Kids were getting way more freedom, ideas were being exchanged rapidly. So when the devilishly handsome(and talented) James Dean talks back to his parents not merely because he wants to but because he feels like there’s something so inexplicably wrong with everything, we relate to him. At that time, the family unit seemed to be breaking down, gangs were being formed and people seemed to be at a loss. And it was this nihilistic loss, this sort-of, disregard for the rules that was beginning to creep into American society. Gone were the hunky-dory days of old, it was now time to break shit.

Interestingly enough, the movie, which by today’s standards is incredibly tame, was censored and outright banned in some countries. It was even given an X-Rating(rated R) in Britain and had to be smuggled into Spain. Perhaps, if anything, it was a highlight of teenage nihilism. A nihilism and outburst that would spread forth, expand and root itself in teenage subculture for ages to come. Perhaps that’s why so many adults were vehemently opposed to it. I still say that it was because they were utter prudes, unwilling to accept the changing times and people.

Honourable Mentions

The Godfather

Francis Ford Coppola’s seminal gangster film that set the Corleone family as an immortal staple of crime cinema, it’s a movie that almost everyone has heard of, if not watched. Needless to say, it’s only an honourable mention because I would need far more time to tackle this 3-hour behemoth, but if you’ve missed it, or are too scared to dig into it, well…do it you coward.

American Psycho

A movie that has been open to interpretation since the first wave of moviegoers saw it, it’s a bitter look into yuppie culture and the rat race that was the finals to upper-class elitism. Watch it if you don’t mind a smattering of gore and ultra-violence with your satirical horror.

Donnie Darko

This movie made me think. It was one of the first movies I decided to watch during this year’s one-film-a-day challenge, but it spurred me on for a good while. It’s also one of Jake Gyllenhaal’s best performances. I’d say go for it, and uh, don’t be scared of the bunny.

 

**If you like lists like this, let me know in the comments. If there’s anything specific you’d like me to write about, don’t hesitate to ask, and if there’s something you disagree with, I’m all ears. thanks for reading