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Leave the World Behind (2023)
Remarkable End of the World Drama
1st of all the Casting is superb, Ali and Roberts lead the film flawlessly (you gotta love their dance scene, stuck between so much tension). And the newcomers for sure have what it takes to become the future big Stars in the upcoming years. Last but not least Bacon with 2 scenes proves he is still a great Actor: his role Danny seems a shy hommage to his role in Tremors: which happens in Alabama, but Danny's Cowboys cap reveals he is Texan. Only once the thought, "what would Spielberg / Shyamalan / Peele have done with this material?" came to my mind: and just after it did, the Director rose to the challenge, with a style of his own. The soundtrack is cool, including the "Friends" theme song in another context than expected.
Crimson Tide (1995)
Near flawless Tony Scott flick
The Adrenaline thrills are back every time you revisit Crimson Tide: Pentagon Propaganda at its best. CT never feels dated, and even last year's TOP GUN: MAVERICK seems to have emulated its successful formula of never showing the Enemy's perspective. Hanging out with the Good Guys exclusively and avoiding to portrait US foes as dumb savages, definitely works! The Acting by Hackman, Washington, and Secondary Actors Mortensen and Gandolfini is perfection. Which makes you wonder why on Earth the 1996 Oscars did nominate Crimson Tide in 3 technical categories, but not its Actors, nor its amazing Hans Zimmer's soundtrack?
And I say near flawless, because the editor made a basic mistake of lazy editing: the 1st 2 times the Black Actor that previously played the chauffeur in THE BODYGUARD is shown on screen, we get the same shot of him sitting down as someone is holding his shoulder... But hey, everything else is so good that I do strongly recommend you board USS ALABAMA Submarine for the 1st, or 10th time!
Zapata - El sueño del héroe (2004)
Brief Recipe for enjoying it
(As you pay hommage to COMO AGUA PARA CHOCOLATE):
1. Previously enjoy CALZONZÍN INSPECTOR (1974).
2. As you still hold its parody tone, do not take Arau seriously: as you just presenced he is mostly a Comedian, not a Historian.
3. The Spanish title means "The Dream of the Hero", so expect
it to be dreamlike.
4. Watch it for Entertainment, such as Lucero showing a nipple, and Ochoa playing himself. Then write yourself a To Do Note to consult History Books later, to quench your thirst of being properly taught.
5. And last but not least, do not pay attention to the terrible special effects, and even worse editing: it will take your apetite away.
Post Tenebras Lux (2012)
On a big screen it does hold up
The 1st time I viewed PTL, was during the film's PREMIERE in the 2012 SITGES FILM FESTIVAL: it did hold up, but it does not in a small screen (of say, a Library TV set). Regardless PTL is a visually stunning film, the violence towards 3 dogs, is very uncomfortable to presence: perhaps is Reygadas' method to invite the audience to reflect, why violence towards animals is way more unacceptable than violence towards a human, or later on, towards trees.
If I'm wrong, is Reygadas mix like this for you to feel satisfied when, Spoiler Alert, the rich kid that attacked Dog 1, gets shot? The problem is that, personally I could not care more for the human characters than for the animal characters: because the good guy is meh, and the bad guy is meh. Sure, the documentary feeling that non-Actors provide, could be the reason. Only 2 songs are the soundtrack, by Neil Young and Luis Miguel: both played live, doomed to not excel, just like the non Actors unperform. Do stay for the last dialogue, its double entendre is the Film's best contribution.
¡Que viva México! (2023)
The devil's biggest trick is to make us believe that it does not exist": Baudelaire
Behind all the false victimhood that Estrada programmed to promote his pamphlet, to generate morbidity and thus aspire to achieve what the war pamphlet TOP GUN: MAVERICK did achieve (get people back to the theaters), you will find the same Mexican devil, trying to make us believe that the PRI does not exist inside the 4T, and that Andrés - who was a civil servant in De la Madrid's term - and his disguised PRI/PAN/PRD dinosaur buddies are nothing but a purified product. When in fact the biggest achievement so far inside the 4T, is the economical experiment by PAN/MORENA's brilliant former Economy Secretary Tatiana Clouthier. The super peso and Gasoline controled price, prove the Economy's Evolution. Well, Estrada missed the opportunity to talk about this evolution, instead of making the same jokes that reinforce stereotypes.
So many years betting on those devils, has the consequence that the Estrada ritualistic chiles/churros have gone bad, and no longer fit in the Mexicans that survive south of the Rio Grande: us who resist going to the US as gardeners/domestic workers/nannies, or have already been there, done that; us who will not sell our property so the Real Estate Cartel + AIRBNB + the usual bad guys, disguised as 4T purified products, have any profit on our watch; us who do not receive "maiceadas" from the US Embassy, or "remesas" from the Mojados, which have emboldened US Embassy AND Mojados alike to believe that they are the new owners of Mexico. Could that be the audience Estrada is talking to, US Diplomats and Mojados, so that they proceed sending their "maiceadas" and "remesas"? That would explain the disconnection between the audience and the pamphlet. Estrada's next movie could be the reaction to this movie, I bet it would be much more fun. But something tells me Estrada's sport is not about evolution. More than an Artist, he is an Artesano: 1 product with lots of copies. Just what happens in Politics vs. An Artist that makes every piece unique. The current president that Estrada/Alcázar have programmed the audience to love since LA LEY DE HERODES, doesn't believe in Cinema, but hey: it's all about the Economy.
The jokes about the 4T ("para caer bien") are well thought. I suppose Estrada has already seen where the tendency will continue, and when the day comes when he is asked of the future scandals inside the 4T, he will be able to present his pamphlet, because its biggest achievement is to second the motion started by Violeta Nuñez, regarding Canada owning so much land that goes undeclared in maps. Estrada used to be the radiographist of Mexico, and now he needs to be transferred to the Postcard department.
But hey, it's just a movie and it is not a disaster that Estrada's postcards no longer work as a business. It does inspire folks to express themselves of the experience: and as long as the films of Iñárritu/Del Toro/Franco/Escalante/Cuarón continue to triumph at international festivals, Estrada's reprogramming is expendable.
Top Gun: Maverick (2022)
A necessary Military Commercial
BruckheImer is back! Very cool to see the Don Simpson / Jerry Bruckheimer intro again.
I am an American (in the correct sense of the word, as in everyone born in the American Continent), from Mexico City. I grew up watching Pentagon/CIA films and as a Former Film Student I must say: I was moved and excited with this programming about redemption, without having a USA passport, or a visa. In Mexico we don't have a National equivalent programming, almost as if it was forbidden: Mexican Programmers are seduced by Hollywood with Dollars and Oscars.
The USA is the world Police we need, who else will discourage Chinese from further future Biological Warfare?
The unnamed enemy in TOP GUN: MAVERICK, evokes the invisible enemy that has taken down by 2023: 6,805,186 humans. Communist China has got their hands so dirty, that German Guilt must be at record lows. Let's hope this necessary Military commercial, eventually rallies the USA to teach a Geopolitical lesson to China. Where is Harry S. Truman's spirit in the 21st Century? It could be in Joe BIden: let's wait and see.
Your Honor (2020)
Watch it for Season 1 Finale
I can't think of a more obvious example out there, of lazy writers, doing Copy/Paste 3 times: Detective Dog solves the case twice, in front of the same group of friends partying at Judge Desiato's home, in different days. There is a 3rd party with the same folks, in a Restaurant for a change, minus "Detective Dog". It made me think of something that happens in Theater: using the same scenery to take advantage as much possible. These Script patterns show lazy writing, and something much closer to Bureaucracy, than Art. Now, Bryan Cranston does deliver, and is able to shake Heisenberg off, as he becomes another Southerner breaking to the dark side (switching Albuquerque for New Orleans, and Chemistry Expert for Law Expert). And Season 1 FInale is worth the wait. You can tell the writing is much more inspired for the occasion, and the instant karma (or "10 Episode karma?) will feel satisfying to those (Spoiler Alert) Reviewers hating Adam. As Ledger's Joker would put it: "it's all part of the plan..." Now about the Villains, I suggest not expecting to find outstanding villains as in BB: Jimmy Baxter doesn't even come even to Tuco, Gus Fring, Hector Salamanca, Don Heladio.. perhaps Baxter and his 1st Son are in the level of the Nazis, that you just don't give a sh... For example, Jimmy Baxter killing his parrot with a golf club, or stabbing a grapefruit? Give me a break.
The Offer (2022)
Matthew Goode is phenomenal as Robert Evans
As for any other GODFATHER fan, Mr. Ruddy's experience producing the film is a joyride to watch. The recreation of the Era is as good as Tarantino's in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Matthew Goode nails it as Bob Evans, Juno Temple's character is endearing, Giovanni Ribisi's evolution as a Capo is his best role so far, Nora Arnezeder is super hot as Françoise, and overall the original team players are very well cast. Sure, Miles Teller plays himself but it works: you are too busy enjoying everybody else's take, to actually mind. The soundtrack is good, even though you keep on waiting for a closer reference to Nino Rota's Masterpiece.
The only flaw I believe grows old after 4 Episodes (which in real life might just have happened like that, over and over), is the dynamics of:
"someone has an idea/pitches the idea to a Superior/Superior is amazed with the idea/next scene another Superior gets super pissed off of the idea", times infinity.
Compliments to all the team, for sure I will proceed watching Chapters 5 to 10.
Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
The James Cameron 'Moby Dick' Hommage
2026: A Fifa World Cup is coming to Canada/USA/Mexico. And 4 years in advance, James Cameron does his job bringing to the New Generation, a story of Moby Dick proportions. While he's at it, he evolves Film technology, hence Movie Experience, and makes what Cinema does best: enforce concepts/ "hey, star people ain't that bad, look at their cool weapons. They are packed with money, backed up by bankers, and will always come back as their technology keeps getting better and better"/ James Cameron surfing with the geopolitical and evolutionary times, as he revisits Abyss, Alien, Terminator, and I must say his take on Spielberg's Jaws, has a very satisfying outcome. Thank you James Cameron for rooting for nature and natives: let's wish folks from all cultures and political ideas, get the message.