And... The Rest! (April 2019)

I've devised a new monthly series similar to my Trailer Round-Up posts, where I talk about all the films I watched this month that I didn't review for the blog, either because they weren't new releases or weren't part of any series I was writing. I'm only going to be talking about first-time watches, by the way. These are ordered in the order that I watched them. Thankfully, there aren't too many this month, as most of my filmic adventures were rewatches or 2019 movies. Don't worry, I won't be spoiling any of the movies here.

Hellboy (2004)


Though I've more or less opted out of seeing this year's Hellboy reboot in the face of overwhelmingly negative reviews, I was still interested to see Guillermo del Toro's take on the source material. It's rare that a writer/director is allowed so much creative freedom on a comic book movie, but the fruits of that risk (from a studio standpoint) can be seen here. Hellboy is absolutely a del Toro movie, brimming with his signature Gothic style and sense of humour. The cinematography and use of colour is far beyond what most modern comic book movies have done, and the script shines with gleeful violence (to the limits of PG-13 rating, anyway) and goofy humour reminiscent of Sam Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy. It also showcases an always-entertaining performance from Ron Perlman as the titular character, as well as complimentary supporting players like Doug Jones as the amphibian Abe Sapien. I enjoyed John Hurt's performance but thought that his character was underwritten; despite the supposedly important relationship between him and Hellboy, they share barely any scenes together. Another low point is Selma Blair. She's perhaps the actress with, emotionally, the most to do, given her flawed character, but she monotones it the whole way through. I get that she's meant to be distant but it makes her really hard to care about. The villain is also kind of cartoonish but I can forgive that given his effortlessly cool henchman (who can be seen in the above poster, on the left). Despite it's flaws, Hellboy was definitely a fun time, with a lot of auteurish style that most comic book movies don't possess. I'll definitely watch the sequel.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐


The King of Comedy (1982)


Sorry about the poor quality of the above poster. This isn't really a well-known movie so I had trouble finding a landscape poster. Anyway, this was a movie directed by Martin Scorsese. It came pretty soon after Taxi Driver and Raging Bull and flopped at the box office, with critics not being especially impressed either. It's grown in stature since then, particularly now that it's being likened to the new Joker movie, but it is still mostly overshadowed by those two and by Scorsese's later hits like Goodfellas, Casino and The Wolf of Wall Street. I found it pretty engaging. There are a lot of effective narrative elements on show, and as a character study I think it functions pretty well and is definitely helped along by a really good performance from Scorsese regular Robert de Niro. However, I felt it hit some snags in the third act due to a lack of tension and some dodgy pacing. That didn't stop it from reaching a great climax involving a genuinely funny stand-up routine and a darkly comic mediation on who reaches fame and popularity in society, a message that feels particularly relevant today.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐


Inception (2010)


Inception is one of those movies that the Internet loves and always references, but I actually hadn't seen. Now that I have, I'm so glad that I did. Inception is intricate, layered, emotional, thought-provoking and exciting the whole way through. Add to that some awe-inspiring visual effects and a pretty great performance from Leonardo DiCaprio, and you get a great movie. Christopher Nolan loves to manipulate the passage of time in his films, to varying effect, but it works perfectly here, mining the maximum amount of tension from actions that only last a couple of seconds, because from the characters' (and therefore, the audience's) viewpoint, they take minutes to play out. It's a movie that invites conversation, and I've found myself dwelling on it in unrelated moments, having completely irrational thoughts pop up in my head because the narrative of Inception is somehow so plausible, its dream sequences weirdly relatable. The worldbuilding on show is very impressive. I think looking at Inception really emphasises how blockbusters have changed over the course of this decade, which is now coming to an end. Back in the days of 2010, an original, complex and intelligent film like this could succeed at the box office, but now, in 2019, studios rely on brand names rather than good ideas to make money. And it works.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Slumdog Millionaire (2008)


The film that won Danny Boyle his first (and to date, only) Best Director Oscar, Slumdog Millionaire also took home Best Picture that year, which was good for me because I was able to check out a film I was interested in and tick a Best Picture off the list. Probably the best thing I can say about it is that it takes risks. That poster makes it look really fluffy, but in reality it's not overly feel-good, it's gritty, and it's willing to break as many conventions as possible in its camerawork and its editing. The use of colour is pretty cool, but I'm not so sure about the overuse of Dutch tilts. As for the editing, I definitely noticed it, which is more than I can say for most movies. I don't think it was too overbearing, apart from in a couple of scenes where it made them actively confusing or just felt a bit show-offish. Narratively, it's kind of your average rags-to-riches tale (that's not a spoiler, it's in the title), albeit one with a lot more griminess than you'd expect. The explanations as to how the main character knew the answers to the Who Wants to be a Millionaire? questions were believable, though it tested my suspension of disbelief that he was somehow asked them in the same chronological order that he discovered the answers. I know it was to keep both sides of the story moving forward, but it was a little hard-to-swallow. Overall, though, it was pretty good; hardly the best Best Picture, hardly the worst.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐


Birdman: or (the Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)


Another Best Picture winner, and a more deserving one this time. Birdman is very unique, from it's camera movement (so as to make it look more like a play) to it's trippy, probably metaphorical storyline. The film takes place almost completely in and around one building, and it's a testament to the visuals on show that I didn't notice this until after I finished watching it. Even its script is structured like a play; lots of monologues, and the camerawork is mostly comprised of medium shots. The cuts are all disguised by movement. Some of them are obvious, but many took me by surprise. The film also has an acute self-awareness. Even leaving the fact that Michael Keaton is basically playing himself post-Batman (name three Michael Keaton movies between Batman Returns and this, I dare you*), the movie often references current superhero films and actors, which might date it in the long run, but for now makes it feel very timely. The film has some great performances (although Eddie Redmayne's Stephen Hawking was great in its own right, Keaton probably should have taken home Best Actor that year). The film culminates in a fantastic moment of dramatic irony that, like The King of Comedy, says a lot about what people will do to reach notoriety. In fact, that film paired with this would make a great double feature. Definitely one of the best Best Pictures I've seen.

Score: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐


Shaun of the Dead (2004)


Shaun of the Dead was a pretty funny movie. I don't think it really did anything too special, other than some unexpected hefty dramatic beats and some nice camerawork. It's definitely thoroughly entertaining throughout the first two acts, but I felt the third act ran out of steam a bit, thanks in part to one of those dramatic beats. The movie is made a lot better by Simon Pegg's panicked, realistic performance and the screenplay's fast-paced, hilarious dialogue and set-ups. A favourite moment of mine was when protagonists Shaun and Ed realise that an effective way to kill zombies is to throw vinyls at them, so they go through Shaun's record collection, sparing limited editions and albums that they actually like. I've been told that Hot Fuzz is even better than this so I'm looking forward to that.

Thanks for reading!

*Side note: I was researching Keaton's movies to see if I could back that claim up and I came across his Saturn Award nomination for Spider-Man: Homecoming, which, upon looking at the other nominees and winners for Best Supporting Actor, led me to a world of hilarity. Clark Gregg (The Avengers) winning over Javier Bardem (Skyfall)? Richard Armitage (The Hobbit) over J.K. Simmons in Whiplash? No wonder nobody takes that ceremony seriously.