2022: noteworthy movies watched
I've been using Letterboxd since spring 2019, initially importing old viewing history from Netflix and other streamers alongside filling in some more memorable watches. When I joined I was struggling to watch films all the way through and had lost my way with them - it got me back on track! The community is great and the design of the website/app mostly great. Since then I have been watching a couple of films a week usually, a massive increase in focus.
Turns out that after a couple of years of doing that you can actually have an opinion on things and so I started writing βreviewsβ in 2021 (I think only one) so as of 2022 I will archive some of my reviews here for posterity. I am excluding snarky one-liners that only really belong on Letterboxd. These are hardly critical notes but a few might sneak in and hopefully will improve over time.
Spree
2020 β β β Watched 05 Jan 2022
You need to put your remote away when watching this so you donβt accidentally keep trying to hide UX that is in the film π This made me very uneasy. Impressive
Bo Burnham: Words, Words, Words
2010 β β Watched 20 Jan 2022
2 stars from 31 year old me but the like is from 19 year old me (ok and maybe the 31 year old me).
Starting from the beginning as a big fan of Make Happy and Inside and finding a remarkable encapsulation of my life and experiences.
Minding the Gap
2018 β β β β β Watched 02 Mar 2022
Inspirational documentary filmmaking and a devastating but hopeful watch. Watched on BBC iPlayer and bought the blu ray immediately after for a rewatch + commentaries etc.
2012
2009 β β β Watched 14 Apr 2022
Dare I say this film has aged quite well? Or at least was ahead of its time... This was my first watch, in March 2022 and the billionaire side of things, well, it's actually quite plausible now, Bezos and Zuck were just innocent little single-figure billionaires when this film was made but now they have so much wealth they could probably actually spend the money on those ships.
Still, I can't quite get my head around how this film see-saws between a meaningful scene and then utter stupidity. Between actual catastrophic destruction and then peaceful relaxation, over and over again. Poor Cusack is just so lost, relating this to High Fidelity is an amusing thought exercise.
It was more than a little sad to see the An-225 with such a starring role given the events of 2022. I will admit to being a little disappointed that they didn't draw out the engine failures for longer. They lost 2 and I thought - wow this must be why they have chosen the An-225, so we can all scream about engine failure a further 4 times even after 2! But no, it went from 2 failures to all failed. Perhaps that would have just made the film too long ;-)
It's a really fun watch if you aren't taking it seriously. The level of green screen and modelling etc, it's not hard understand how the acting doesn't quite line up with the severity of the situations - "now just imaging you are flying through the opening up earths crust"... "uhh?" ... "yeah we need a bit more from you drama wise" ... mouth opens a little wider in horror ... "is that good enough?" ... ".... yeah fuck it."
The King of Staten Island
2020 β β β β Watched 28 Apr 2022
Oh my god this film would have been traumatic to watch in June 2020. It still is a bit π¦
Enjoyed seeing Action Bronson in this but the ER scene was frustrating.
The Thief, His Wife and the Canoe
2022 β β β β Watched 02 May 2022
Honestly so impressed by how this wraps up. I wasnβt really enjoying it to start with but it was fun and intriguing enough to keep me hooked but the final episode takes such a dark and real turn it was spot on.
Spy Kids
2001 - Added 15 Jun 2022
Tried to watch this to see what I could remember from watching it as an 11 year old. Had to quit after not that long as it was simply boring - perhaps not surprising. Someone tell me if the later parts are worth it, I'm not sure it is.
Also, the mum spy's computer being made of a cosmetics tray where the dad spy's computer is, well, a computer is LOL crappy - I felt Carla Gugino's sigh in a visceral way after she had to deal with that!
The New Kid
2015 β β β β Watched 10 Jul 2022
What a delightful film. Really good, natural acting all round and a fun (if perhaps a little familiar) storyline.
Not that the detail mattered too much but I couldn't quite place it time period wise, as a kid of the mid 2000s it was nostalgic often, especially with glimpses of XP on the school computers but equally I feel I saw a smartphone at one point. Other than that though there is no smartphone use I noticed which tied it in more to my childhood than 2015.
Yesterday
2019 β β Β½ Watched 25 Oct 2022
I enjoyed thinking about how this would play out in reality but overallβ¦ too many βinterruptionβ jokes. I kinda enjoyed the Ed Sheeran parts/jokes/(LA) music industry belittling.
Antz
1998 β β Β½ Watched 20 Nov 2022
Iβve seen this film before β¦β¦ when I was about 9. Kinda disturbing. I liked the beginning bit that could have been any WA movie and the ending when you get the lovely context of a dirty corner of Central Park. Finally, that skyline shot - artistic license and all - is awesome.
Live Free or Die Hard
2007 β β β Watched 10 Dec 2022
Flip phones were great. Great action Good level of crown vics.
Hunter Killer
2018 β β β β Rewatched 18 Dec 2022
Really enjoyed this again on second watch. Surprised but not at the average rating but personally think itβs underrated for sure. Visuals are fantastic, English speaking Russians disappointing and some dubious behaviour by the sailors (ie. inaccurate) but can be overlooked for the thrill and the plot. I think the stress expressed by the crew from actually being at war/being shot at is palpable and well done.
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