What I'll actually be reviewing will depend on what I end up getting to in a given week. The bulk of that's going to end up being movies, since movies are the culture that I interact with most consistently: they take at-most three hours a piece, and with stuff like Netflix and the library, they're easy to get in large quantities at little cost. Those reviews will probably be adaptations (or straight-up copy-paste affairs) of my blurbs from my Letterboxd account, where I usually log my watching. You're welcome to peruse that profile; what I'll be doing here is curating what I think are my most interesting encounters. As for the rest of the media, I'll still be reading books, listening to albums, watching TV, etc., but since those generally take me longer to process than a movie, they probably won't crop up as frequently. Case-in-point: this first week, which has four movie reviews, one album review, and nothing else.
Anyway, I don't anticipate any of these reviews being amazing or mind-blowing or life-changing. It's just my way of getting some writing done on this blog every week. Guess we'll see what happens. As always, please don't hesitate to share your opinions about anything here! Onward!
Movies
It at first seems like the boring wannabe version of Zero Dark Thirty before becoming a subversion of the boring wannabe version of Zero Dark Thirty. Honestly, I probably need to give it another viewing--the last forty-ish minutes add so much interesting texture to the psychology and philosophy of the film that it might prompt a reevaluation of that opening 2/3. But for now, I'm calling this only 1/3 of a good film, though it's a darn good 1/3. Grade: B
The Coens' most religious film since A Serious Man, which is a very, very good thing. Although the ending makes an attempt at waving away the metaphysics as so much existential ephemera, there's such an emotional depth to Josh Brolin's lead performance (the best of his career, I'd say) that I'd say the overall take on religion is less the smart-alecky sneer you might expect and more of a melancholy "would that it were so simple." But don't come for the religion—it's really just one flavor to relish in what is also in turns a deft political farce, a hysterical screwball comedy, and an excited recreation of classical Hollywood fluff. It really is funny, I promise. Grade: A-
There are moments here that are some of the most well-observed in recent coming-of-age movie history. And then there are some moments that are absolutely horrifying—call me a prude, but I'm dubious of the premise that teen cocaine habits and a series of terrible hookups are so simply boiled down to stepping stones on the path to becoming a better person. Still, kudos on this film for the forthright, compassionate take on teenaged female sexuality, not to mention how Bel Powley delivers what is without a doubt one of the finest performances of 2015. So overall, I'll call it a win. Grade: B
This movie is like 75 percent training montage, which means that it's at least 75 percent awesome. I'll admit to finding the opening act a little tedious, but once you get to Shaolin, it's all gravy. Plus, you can't argue too much with a film in which the villain meets his demise via headbutt to the groin. Grade: A-
* * *
Music
Outside of the vicious opener and best-in-show song "The Answer," the songwriting is not quite as punchy as this post-punk band's exciting debut. In return, though, the band is exploring some of the more interesting corners of their sound, delving deep into the noisier, even metal fringes that made their debut a bit more interesting than your garden-variety post-punk revival. This sophomore release is a slower, stranger, more meditative record, and that's cool. I like Siouxsie and the Banshees and Sunn O))) in about equal measure, meaning that I'm only familiar with one album of theirs apiece. Good stuff. Grade: B+
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