CORPUS CHRISTI - ★★★★
My movie watching energy has been surprisingly low during this lockdown so far, but I didn’t want to miss the window to rent the Polish convict priest movie through one of my local theater’s “virtual screening room,” and holy shit this movie is singlehandedly gonna get me back in the game. Cinema is good, I remember now!
Full review, no major plot spoilers, and here’s where you can also rent it and help out an independent theater
WENDY & LUCY - ★★★
MEEK’S CUTOFF - ★★★★
Since I couldn’t watch my beautiful cow this March as I had been so looking forward to (I will see you when the theaters reopen, First Cow!), decided to just catch up on all the Kelly Reichardt films on Kanopy. I’ve now seen Certain Women, Wendy & Lucy, and Meek’s Cutoff, and have liked each more than the last, as it turns out!
AND THEN WE DANCED - ★★★★★
I had to run to the bathroom at one point and was in despair because I did not want to miss a Single Moment of the heartfelt & alive gay Georgian dancing movie. Why did I have so much of that very golden pinot gris! Anyway pairs well with being wine-drunk, if myself and also the delightfully vocal girl behind me who gasped with joy when a plate of Georgian dumplings appeared onscreen are ANY indication.
Full review, reveals the whole shape of things though I tried to refrain from too many individual spoilery details—and I also discussed Portrait of a Lady on Fire at some length again, in a similar manner. I’m so so sorry I keep writing these relatively revealing reviews of not-readily-available queer international films, sometimes even at the same time! Here is a good trailer for each if you just want to get a more glancing idea of what they’re about, and if they happen to be playing in your area too right now, I love them both very much, very recommended.
THE THING - ★★★★
“Wait—are you talking about John Carpenter’s 1982 ‘The Thing’ starring Kurt Russell” - everyone, consistently, who joined the conversation I’d sprung at work the next day
Full review of John Carpenter’s 1982 THE THING starring Kurt Russell!
Alright now I can finally post this and officially start the new year:
1. Parasite
2. Portrait of a Lady on Fire
3. A Hidden Life
4. Apollo 11
5. The Lighthouse
6. High Life
7. The Souvenir
8. Knives Out
9. Atlantics
10. Hustlers
and the Special Grand Jury Prize for Cats – for Achievement in the Unthinkable
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE - ★★★★★
A WORK OF ART. Intelligent, beautiful, and tenderly considered.
ATLANTICS - ★★★★
Like something between Claire Denis and A Girl Walks Home Alone At Night—hoo boy I dug this ghostly Senegalese love story a whole lot!
It’s on Netflix, big Recommended Watch, so much so that I deliberately wrote it up with no plot spoilers so I could just pitch it to everyone.
