mateuszmiter Reviews

Perfect Days (2023)

A love letter to everyday's gifts

[8/10 · 12 March 2024]

It takes a peace of mind to appreciate a lot of Wim Wenders' work, and Perfect Days is no different.

The latest movie from legendary director tells a story of Hirayama, a public toilet cleaner in Tokyo, played by Koji Yakusho. He reads books, listens to some terrific classic rock music on his way to and from work, waters his plants, photographs the nature and enjoys lunches in a park. See, there are no extraordinary things about Hirayama's life, but Perfect Days proves it's not a bad thing at all. Quite contrary, actually.

Despite working in a job many would consider belittling, Hirayama is happier than ever. Thanks to some superb acting coming from Koji Yakusho, the character's peace of mind and happiness is visible in subtle gestures. He smiles when he visits the same place over and over for dinner, or when he can enjoy a ride through Tokyo on his bike.

Sometimes, Hirayama stumbles upon unexpected things, like his family members' unusual visits, or meeting a stranger in the city. This creates ripples in his daily routines, yet, with admirable bravery, he welcomes them and also enjoys them.

This doesn't mean there is no depth to Hirayama's character. Throughout the movie, breadcrumbs are left over, mostly thanks to aforementioned encounters. They point out his potential loneliness or regret over the lack of strong relationship with his family. But, these storylines are never finished, let alone properly picked up, with the movie leading us to focus back on Hirayama's daily life essentially.

And that's fine. These offscreen stories give Hirayama human depth. Everyone has their own unfinished businesses and worries. Everyone's got something to do, somewhere to be, and so on. Everyone has made some mistakes in life.

Each of us also has our own routine, which we overlook yet so often.

Perfect Days reminds us to cherish the simple things in life every once in a while. We get so disconnected with the reality due to social media nowadays. But, Hirayama, who doesn't even own a smartphone, reminds us of what's important--appreciating every day's struggles and blessings alike.

This movie reminded me of my childhood. I was one of the lucky ones to have little to no worries when growing up, and was able to cherish the nature and innocence of my age. Each time Hirayama was on the screen, I felt that same nostalgic feeling. The refreshing smell of spring's breeze through the windows, the sound of trees moving, reading books to bed on peaceful evenings. I hope it makes you feel the same.

All of Us Strangers (2023)

Grief and loneliness that lives within us

[8/10 · 26 February 2024]

There are certain movies that are too heavy to objectively rate and look back on. For me, All of Us Strangers is that kind of film.

The story follows Adam, played by terrific Andrew Scott, who's in his forties, living alone in a freshly-built block in London, indulging himself in his loneliness. One night, he's visited by Harry, played by brilliant Paul Mescal, and the two start a relationship, in which both open up about their insecurities. It turns out, Adam's main source of anxiety is not being able to get over grief after his parents' death 30 years earlier.

Adam writes screenplays for movies, and it turns out, All of Us Strangers seems like one of his screenplays, because he regularly visits his parents. He talks with them about his everyday life, struggles, and what has changed in these 30 years.

Now, I'm lucky enough to have both parents alive and well. Still, due to how excellent the dialogue, narration, and acting is in All of Us Strangers, I was still devastated. I can't recall when was the last time I shed so many tears during a film.

Imagine a person so lost in grief and loneliness they talk to their dead family members and acting as if their fantasies were true. All of Us Strangers brings these kinds of images alive to a great effect. Fortunately, the movie is also more than only an emotional blow. It hardly loses its narration, even when the tempo accelerates in certain moments, and the border between what's real and fiction seems to vanish.

And the acting. I won't ever understand how Andrew Scott wasn't nominated for an award for his depiction of Adam. His range in this movie is just unmatched. A lot of positives can also be said about Paul Mescal, or Adam's parents, who are played by Claire Foy and Jamie Bell, but they're a background to Scott's brilliance on the screen.

It's tough to think of a story about grief and loneliness without emotional baggage. All of Us Strangers, despite its emotional overload, delivers a solid, stunning, and tough story about people who are lost. More importantly, it's a story about a lot of us, too afraid to talk about our inner battles, running away to imaginary scenarios. A truly superb film.

The Zone of Interest (2023)

Promising idea, bleak execution

[4/10 · 26 February 2024]

Jonathan Glazer embarks on a bold adventure of showing the tragedy of the Holocaust in a subtle way. To do so, he focuses on Hoss family, whose head, Rudolf, happens to be the overseer of Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. The idea itself of taking a subtle approach is intriguing, but it doesn't stick the landing.

There's not much that can be said about the story due to the whole concept of the movie. Hoss family are living an idyllic kind of life, with their fence practically being the wall of Auschwitz-Birkenau camp. The elusive sounds of violence can be heard throughout the movie, with the characters never reacting to them, enjoying their splendors as if nothing was wrong. Because for them, or at least for the adults of the family, they are living a dream.

On its own, seeing these kinds of haunting images has enormous potential to deliver a terrific story about the Nazis. Such lens is truly unique, especially for this genre, which seems to be releasing new movies each year. Yet, despite a fresh idea, The Zone of Interest failed to keep me interested for the majority of its almost two-hour run.

Both the story and characters are bleak and stand still. There isn't any evolution, while frames itself look like something taken out of movie inspired by Wes Anderson. You can't put any of the actors in the spotlight, because the movie doesn't give them time and space to shine.

Sure, the main focus of the Zone of Interest is on the sound and noises in the background, which is underlined in the first minute of the movie. But, these noises don't stand out for longer than half an hour. When mixed with the dull rest of the movie, they are just forgettable.

There are moments where characters and moments not related to the story appear. Without spoiling them, at first they seem pointless, but they actually blend in really nicely with the overall motive of the movie.

Still, The Zone of Interest was nothing more than a boring experience for me. Maybe it's the fact I'm Polish, and I've been taught about World War 2 and the Holocaust since the first grade, and know my fair share about it and its tragedies. Maybe I had my expectations too high after seeing all major outlets sell it as a groundbreaking movie. Maybe it was both.

The Iron Claw (2023)

Boys don't cry, but this story forces you to

[8/10 · 6 February 2024]

It's never easy to tell true tragic stories with proper respect to its characters. While The Iron Claw has some minor flaws, it delivers its punches with a heartbreaking effect.

The movie follows the story of Von Erich family, which was prominent in the history of wrestling, but the film itself focuses mostly on the 1980s. It's almost ironic that a movie about such predefined, almost rigged sport, can create such a powerful tale, but The Iron Claw does it in a spectacular fashion.

Back in the 80s, Kevin (Zac Efron), David (Harris Dickinson), Kerry (Jeremy Allen White), and Mike (Stanley Simons) are rising in the ranks of national sports and wrestling.

The main conductor behind their successes is their committed father Fritz (Holt McCallany), who successfully transforms their sons into true stars of the sport. However, his motivation is to finally realize dreams he failed to make come true, and we are quickly shown how toxic his relationship with his sons actually is. He ranks them and forces them to compete with each other for his approval. He doesn't take their emotions into consideration, and hardly seems to have any himself. He's certainly a type of person who would today be named abusive. Unfortunately, his inhuman boundaries and tunnel vision he successfully passed onto his sons quickly orchestrate tragic events.

At first, the movie feels like a fairy tale come true. Every Von Erich is living a good life, even Mike, who, despite lacking musculature for being a professional wrestler, has his own passions which seem to give him direction in life. Everyone is having fun, and even Fritz's toxic persona takes the back seat. That is until one of the sons experiences an accident, and the domino effect starts taking place.

This domino effect is called the "Von Erich curse," at least by Zac Efron's Kevin, who's the lead of the movie. We experience most of the story through his eyes, and that is an emotional lens, full of heartbreaks, powerlessness, and despair. But, Efron does a terrific job of displaying the powerful emotions in a character's that's at the start emotionless, because he was never taught much about them in the first place. He wasn't given an easy task, but exceeded expectations, which should earn him an Oscar nomination.

The rest of the cast is also decent, though, they're not given that much time and screenplay to work with. Therefore, the likes of Jeremy Allen White are hardly given their five minutes in the spotlight to even try to catch our attention. But, on the other hand, if you wanted to see this story from end to finish, Kevin was the only reasonable choice.

A few nitpicks can be said about the movie, while a few of its aspects don't really stand out. But it goes without saying, The Iron Claw's emotional baggage is something that stays with you for a long time, especially if you're a brother yourself. As the oldest brother of three, you can believe me.

It's a tale of family tragedy. After each tragic event, you're left in tears, wondering how could they possibly endure and move forward. Yet, they somehow do, but another tragedy is just around the corner. By the end of the movie, even Efron's Kevin also starts to shed tears, despite being taught that boys don't cry. But at that point, he's accompanied by the entire theater.

Poor Things (2023)

Groundbreaking on many fronts, but not captivating

[7/10 · 24 January 2024]

Cinema audiences have got used to being stunned by Yorgos Lanthimos movies, both story-wise and scenography-wise. As expected, Poor Things delivers on both fronts, though, its screenplay is a bit underwhelming.

Bella Baxter, played by brilliant Emma Stone, is an odd case of an infant mind locked in an adult woman's body. However, she has the ability to learn stuff remarkably fast, and her language develops rapidly after she's overlooked by a young professor. But, her curiosity cannot be limited to her father, or rather god-in-law's Godwin, played by stunning Willem Defoe, mansion in black and white London. Like every child, she wants to see and experience the world, and she's given a chance by Duncan Wedderburn, played by witty and coquettish Mark Ruffalo.

She doesn't hesitate and embarks on a trip around Europe, visiting Lisbon, Alexandria, and Paris. But, more importantly, she goes on a journey of self-discovery.

Both Godwin and Mark Ruffalo are trying to mold Bella to their own liking, and they're not the only ones in this movie who are trying to do so. Yet, she resists all their effort, and writes her own path, which, especially during the European voyage, consists mostly of wild sex, described by Bella as "furious jumping." This jumping is the main aspect in the movie's humor and Bella's independence.

But, the screenplay itself didn't grow on me. Sure, the jokes work, and a lot of the film's humor comes from extraordinary performances of the main cast. But, portraying women's path to liberation mostly through sex is a formula that, at this point, feels predictable and overused. Is this really the best we can do?

Still, Poor Things delivers on so many other fronts, it's impossible to put it in a bad light overall.

The scenography is phenomenal, with every frame looking like taken straight out from a Victorian postcard with a sprinkle of Cyberpunk-ish dystopia. The soundtrack stunningly accompanies Bella throughout her impulsive journey. And it allows just underlines marvellous performances from both Stone and Defoe. Even Wedderburn, who was a stereotypical, Victorian era douchebag, was charming and captivating.

I understand where people's love is coming from. Poor Things does a lot of things astonishingly well, actually, and saying it exceeds expectations in a couple of aspects might be an understatement. But, after a bizarre premise on many fronts, story-wise it wasn't so surprising as I hoped.

The Boy and the Heron (2023)

Promising and real story that loses itself as it goes on

[5/10 · 23 January 2024]

The Boy and the Heron, like every Miyazaki movie, holds such a promise at the start. Mahito is struggling with immense grief after losing his mother in a bombing of Tokyo. The world around him, including his father, has moved on, but as you can imagine, the boy finds it hard to do so.

He and his father relocate to a village outside Tokyo, where they live with Mahito's new mother-in-law, which happens to be his mother's sister. His father is continuously more busy, which is understandable, as he works in a military factory during a war. Mahito also can't adjust to a new school, where he quickly gets in a fight, and even beats himself afterward to stay at home.

With his world turned upside down, it's all but surprising that Mahito isn't dealing well with mental health, his traumas and emotions. Like many kids, he escapes to the world of imagination with the help of a new yet surprising friend, the Heron. After befriending the mystical creature, Mahito is drained into the world of dreams and fantasies, that is somehow strongly tied to the real one.

The Boy and the Heron is one of Miyazaki's most-anticipated movies, and likely his last film. As such, it makes perfect sense for the director to put in many more personal nuisances than we would have expected from him. The Boy and the Heron is a story about grief, coming to terms with certain things in life, and the fact that everything will, eventually, pass.

Despite the wonderful premise, the narration sets up an impossible to keep at pace, and the amount of new characters, symbols, and ideas is just overwhelming. Its bizarre world is interesting enough to keep you intrigued about what comes next, but what follows rarely meets your expectations and makes much sense. Ultimately, the movie fails to deliver the emotional punch it intended, and leaves you wanting more, but simultaneously, exhausted after its two-hour runtime.

Anatomy of a Fall (2023)

A murder mystery for you to solve

[7/10 · 14 January 2024]

Sandra Voyter, brilliantly played by Sandra Hüller, lives with her husband Samuel and their son Daniel in southern France. One day, after shutting down an interview early due to Samuel's noise while renovating the attic, Sandra is left alone with her husband at home, with their blind son going for a long walk. His return is marked by horror, as he and Snoop (their dog) discover the dead body of Samuel outside the house, as if he dropped out of the window from the attic.

That's where the story begins. Police quickly arrives, trying to deduct what just happened. Due to unusual circumstances, Sandra almost immediately becomes the only suspect, and as such, lawyers up as she tries to prove it was a suicide.

The plot itself quickly poses strong hypotheses. Why would a woman possibly murder her husband if she's the only one around him at the moment and doesn't have an alibi? But, then, on the other side, how couldn't she hear a possible suicide happening right outside her house? At first glance these questions seem almost bizarre, but, they in fact aren't.

Anatomy of a Fall is a hypnotizing murder and court drama. The first half of the movie focuses on leads, relationships, and possible scenarios, while the second one mostly happens in court. Its two-and-half-hour rundown allow Hüller and the rest of the cast to deliver some of the best acting of their careers.

Hüller's effort in the role of Sandra is simply iconic and one of the best I've seen in the past few years. It takes inhuman strength to face trial and at the same time trying to keep your life together, including raising your traumatized son. To play such a convoluted role so stunningly is just award-worthy.

Don't get me wrong, though, as the film doesn't only shine in its acting. Anatomy of a Fall is a movie with terrific screenplay. In the end, it's a true art to write a murder mystery story and to keep proper pacing, not give too much away too quickly, and to keep us confused until the movie's very end. And while we are eventually given the answer to the story's main question, "did she do it?" I believe it's not a definite one.

Without getting into spoilers, the movie dives so much into the complexity of its main characters and their relationship with each other, it achieves what a proper murder mystery film should. It provokes the viewers to come up with their own theories. When the court finally makes its decision by the end of the movie, I believe everyone has their right to agree or disagree with it, with breadcrumbs behind each theory laid out in the movie.

Although, it's not faultless. Some side plot points in Anatomy of a Fall feel unnecessary. They try to add some nuisance to a few characters, and while some are in dire need of it, others already have enough on their plate.

A lot of movies can have either stunning acting or incredible writing. But if you combine them both, you are often rewarded with a masterpiece. Anatomy of a Fall has some weak points that could be possibly trimmed down. But it's a simple case where the film's greatest moments and features outshine its minor flaws.

Saltburn (2023)

Revolting journey through an exaggerated world

[7/10 · 9 January 2024]

A scholarship student, Oliver Quick arrives at Oxford at the beginning of the film, and quite immediately it is underlined how he feels different from other students. Instead of shiny toys and loads of money hedonistically spent on alcohol and partying, Oliver seems rather shy. But, that changes when he meets a wealthy student named Felix. Quite rapidly both form a strong relationship, and Felix invites Oliver to his family home in Saltburn.

It's where everything starts to go down. A quirky and unsurprising so far relationship seems to grow at rapid pace, surrounded by even weirder vibes from other family members. If Felix is a personification of a handsome, rich student, then his family is a bookish example of a group so rich, they constructed their own world in which they live in. With time, Oliver starts his own crusade against the family, which takes many wild turns in its two hours runtime.

The world and story of Saltburn quickly becomes too abstract and over the top, but maybe that's the point. Emerald Fennell swiftly handles the horror and comedy elements of the movie, which provides a fascinating spectacle. You are terrified for a few moments, only to laugh it off shortly after, which makes you question Saltburn's reality and meaning even more. Although, it's fair to say some scenes play out in the truly oddest and most graphic fashion, often stealing the spotlight.

Certain scenes in Saltburn are uncomfortable to watch, to say the least. On top of that, they sometimes happen without a warning, bringing an even bigger confusion to the viewers, who as a result, by the end of the movie, find it hard to name their feelings about it. I was originally one of them, and it surely takes a while to get your mind over Fennell's newest story.

Besides being just gross at times, Saltburn does have its other flaws. Characters feel a bit too stereotypical, and it doesn't feel like the movie introduces anything new to the genre. The main character of Oliver, despite being stunningly played by Barry Keoghan, feels quite blank. His motive isn't as crystal clear as we would have wanted. The writing itself, like I mentioned, is controversial. Mixed together, Saltburn becomes a movie that may have tried to bite off more than it could chew.

But it doesn't mean it doesn't have a good side. A couple of shots in this movie had my jaw drop to the floor, even though I had to pick it up after a few scenes. Additionally, while Keoghan definitely steals the show, other actors including Jacob Elordi, Rosamund Pike, and Richard E. Grant also bring solid performances.

One of the final scenes of the movie includes Keoghan doing a celebratory, ecstatic dance in Saltburn after his achievements. I believe one of such achievements was messing with our minds as well. Do I think Saltburn is a good movie? I'm not entirely sure. Do I think it's worth watching and recommending? Certainly so.

Wonka (2023)

A jovial ride.

[7/10 · 3 January 2024]

Wonka is a definition of a feel-good movie. I've entered it with completely no expectations on the second day of Christmas, and it was a perfect ending to the festive season.

Don't get me wrong, Wonka doesn't discover any new ground, nor do its characters deliver spectacular performances. Timothée Chalamet is a perfect fit for a young, wonky Wonka (forgive me the pun). He's charming, fun, full of warmth, and actually sings well. He just fits the goofy role, like everybody in the cast.

What stood out for me in Wonka was the film's songs. I don't know, maybe I'm just a sucker for musicals, but I can't recall humming so many songs from the previous iterations of the franchise. They're truly cheerful and stay in your head days after you leave the cinema. Oh, and Hugh Grant singing Oompa Loompa is just straight up living rent free in my head ever since.

Another thing worth noting on its own are the movies' costumes. Warner Bros really outdid themselves on this one, and the team behind them deserves a recognition in awards.

Wonka marketing team knew releasing the movie in December is a bullseye. In a period so overloaded with shopping, running errands, and overstuffing yourself with Christmas food, it was an ideal ending to the festive season to myself personally--and I'm certain for lots of other folks as well.

Manodrome (2023)

A decent yet interesting take on toxic masulinity

[5/10 · 21 November 2023]

Manodrome is an entertaining take on the toxic masculinity. Jesse Eisenberg alongside Adrien Brody and Odessa Young deliver stellar performances, though, the movie takes so many wild turns by the end, it loses some credibility and could even make you laugh, like it did for me.

The idea was there, and the direction was also promising. For the first half of the movie, I could feel what Ralphie, the main character, was going through. The frustration was crystal clear, and Jesse fantastically portrayed a person trying to handle it by himself. Yet, at one point, the density of dramatic scenes and explosive, reckless actions taken by him turned out to just be too much.

Although I must say, while Manodrome didn't exactly work for me, it kept me engaged until the end, thanks to a stellar mix of great acting, music, and cold, almost raw shots.

On top of that, it's a movie that provoked the most different reactions to it. I experienced it at a movie festival in Wroclaw, and during the whole event, no other film sparked so many different opinions. That is why, even though I felt it was decent personally, I think it should be seen if you have the chance.

The Creator (2023)

A flawed breath of fresh air in AI genre

[6/10 · 5 October 2023]

While AI has been a hot topic in 2023 for many reasons, it's not a new concept in cinema. Blade Runner and Terminator are beloved franchises that depict haunting (yet different) visions of the future where artificial intelligence has become more advanced. Therefore, it's almost impossible to have high expectations for the genre's new entries, though, The Creator delivers a fresh and intriguing take on it.

Director Gareth Edwards goes in an entirely different direction than most movies and series in which AI is the main topic. Yes, the movie takes place on Earth in a distant future. Yes, AI has transcended to become so intelligent it may threaten mankind. But it doesn't have to, and by the end of the movie, we ask ourselves-does it really?

The Creator has two leads with Gemma Chan playing Maya, a pregnant wife to John David Washington's Joshua, a former soldier. While Chan's performance is solid, it's quite forgettable due to the fact that Washington is on the screen for the vast majority of the movie. And he has his moments.

We meet Joshua at a truly low point in his life, living a rather uneventful life in somewhat post-apocalyptic Los Angeles. AI robots are banned in the U. S., but they're a part of everyday life in Asia, which is what the American government wants to abolish, for a theoretically good reason. The idea of fighting AI itself is uninteresting to Joshua, given he's done it already in the past. But, an element of personal connections and relationships draws him into the fray. Joshua gets involved, even more so than he'd expected to at first.

On his military yet personal quest Joshua meets Alphie-an AI child who's supposed to be a weapon. But, at least for a while, it's just a child, that's capable of showing human emotions, curiosity, and anger.

Edwards manages to put AI in an entirely different basket than the narrations we've heard of in the past couple of years. Instead of job-cutting and potentially life-threatening tools to improve everyone's lives, this time AI is shown in a good light. The director makes us question all of our science fiction stereotypes and asks-can a computer, a robotically developed being, have human-like feelings?

It's an idea explored brilliantly by many directors in the past, with Blade Runner being the primary example of it. Unfortunately, The Creator doesn't leave you with the same numb feelings as Ridley Scott's franchise, mostly due to the fact that its climax isn't so well-executed, and the story itself has a few plot holes and a bunch of nitpick potential. These often force you to zone out of the story. While these flaws could be overlooked on their own, together they are just too glaring, especially story-wise.

Still, you can't help but feel attached to the characters to some extent, and you're asking yourself the same question as everyone else when leaving the cinema-maybe the AI dilemma isn't so black and white as we generally thought? Perhaps, humanity is the bad guy here.

Past Lives (2023)

A stunning spectacle about childhood love and moving on in life

[10/10 · 6 September 2023]

Past Lives is a story of three characters-Nora (Greta Lee), Hae Sung (Teo Yoo) and Arthur (John Magaro). All of them are connected in a way somewhat familiar to the romance genre. Nora and Arthur are married, but their life drastically shakes upon the arrival of the former's childhood sweetheart, Hae Sung.

The movie is a story of love long lost, but not forgotten. Nora seems to have moved on and built a life she always dreamt of. She's a scene writer in New York, happily married to Arthur, achieving her childhood dreams. Hae Sung lives in Seoul, being on the other end. He struggles in his personal life and career, but her spark for Nora keeps on living.

Nora and Hae Sung reconnect 12 years after she left Seoul via Skype. At first, the chemistry is unmatched, and it builds towards a cozy and warm relationship, though, none of them can see each other in person. As time goes on and expectations meet harsh reality, they are forced to break contact. The internet connection starts to falter, some calls end up not being answered, being symbols of how both start to distance themselves from each other due to life kicking in. Unable to do anything, their tough-to-label relationship remains broken, until Hae Sung visits New York 12 years later.

After his arrival, the two reconnect, much to Arthur's doubts about his and Nora's marriage that Hae Sung's visit lay upon them. Still, Nora and Hae Sung's chemistry is so unmatched, that viewers remain absorbed until the end. The movie's long pauses, awkward dialogues, and spectacular acting, especially from Greta Lee, make it all feel way too real-and too familiar as well.

Director Celine Song secured her cinema debut with Past Lives, and it's an entry worth every applause. She created a movie with so much soul, though, it's no surprise given her past. Song herself found herself in a similar situation in the past, when her Korean childhood friend visited her while she was living in New York, married to her husband Justin Kuritzkes.

And, I believe, it's also a situation and cobweb of feelings many of us found ourselves in our lives, which is why Past Lives punches you like a boxer in his prime. There have been many Noras, Hae Sungs, and Arthurs in our world.

Nora and Hae Sung find themselves playing the same tune but on different strings. Hae Sung hasn't moved on with his life as much as he'd like to, being "way too Korean," as Nora states. His love for Nora, or rather Na Young, which is what she was named in South Korea, is the reason he visited New York. Nora, on the other hand, seems to be over it, but the feelings are unburied once she and Hae Sung reconnect, despite Arthur's worries.

Past Lives keeps it real. As much as we'd love for something major to happen, some things to be said, we-much like the movie's characters-are left in a blizzard of ambiguous feelings, without answers, finding it hard to keep ourselves together.

It seems inappropriate to call Past Lives a love story. It's rather a tale of "what ifs" facing the unstoppable forces which are life itself. Would they be a perfect couple if Na Young hadn't left? Could it be changed if they had given themselves more patience in their online friendship? Everyone can answer these, but the answer will never be the same.

The reason why Celine Song's entry to filmmaking is so effective and right to the bone is because its mirage story is a mirror. Everyone knows how to have their first love, and some have certainly experienced losing someone who they would call true love. Or, maybe, they found themselves in Nora or Arthur's seats.

The complexity of love is a major reason is one of the main reasons behind its beauty and strength. Yet, as Past Lives showcases, it's not always as simple as it seems, even if we consider it to be perfect at some times.

Song sucks us up to an incredibly slow but stunning journey. Carried by Lee's award-worthy performance, The Grizzly's duo (Christopher Bear, Daniel Rossen) ambient soundtrack, and detailed yet not overwhelming shots, it's a ride we don't want to end, even though it sometimes hits too close to the chest.

When Nora and Hae Sung first meet after their 24-year-old parting, one of the first things Nora says to him is "Woah." These were also my first words upon leaving the theater, and cross my mind every time I think of Past Lives. By all means, Woah.

Stonewalling (2022)

A stunningly good yet daunting picture

[8/10 · 28 August 2023]

Stonewalling begins with a shot of Chinese students, including Lynn (Honggui Yao), taking part in a glamorous party in 2019, where they discuss their plans for the future, like moving to the U. K. for a much better, luxurious life.

Lynn's boyfriend is very much one of the main participants of the gathering, though, his girlfriend seems rather uninterested and quickly leaves due to pain in her breasts.

During the party, it is said that everyone should take life as it comes. This poetic, almost motivational speech paints a perfect contrast with what's about to happen next.

Lynn and her boyfriend live together in a life where they don't have many complaints in terms of money. He paid for Lynn's English lessons and college, so they will be able to leave the country in the future. Still, Lynn doesn't seem satisfied with the state of her life, and doesn't seem to have much control of it, though, it changes when she discovers her unwanted pregnancy.

Despite her boyfriend wanting to have Lynn undergo an abortion, the pretty, young woman sees an opportunity to finally take action, motivated by her mother's financial problems. She's presented with an option to give birth and give up the baby to another family, to which her mother owes money. She accepts the offer, however, being pregnant doesn't stop her from working tirelessly to earn some money.

Stonewalling is a movie with many themes, and its two-and-a-half-hour run allows them to grow and prevail. But it's not a movie with a racing tempo. It's rather a slow journey that pains the viewers with each next shot.

While pregnant. Lynn enlists herself in a company that offers women's bodies as surrogates to rich families, while also helping her parents in owning a limping pharmacy clinic. Suddenly, the environment changes from lavish apartments in Changsha to dreadful, gray pictures of Chinese suburbs. The movie's beautiful, detailed, and almost flooded with different items, yet, they are absorbing.

This often agonizing but hypnotizing camera work blends beautifully with Honggui Yao excellent work as the movie's lead. Her emotions are often as bleak and subtle as the control the character has over her own life, but as it takes flight and accelerates, so does her work in front of the camera.

While exposing some valuable insights into Chinese suburban communities and their life, which rarely make the papers of Western media, Stonewalling also questions the unbreakable bond between a mother and her child. Can the bond be broken even if it hasn't been molded in the first place? Or is it always there from the first signs of pregnancy?

These and other themes are dancing with each other on a daunting stage, which turns even more gloom once China is struck by the first signs of COVID-19. We all lived through the pandemic and each have our own horrible memories of it. With the virus becoming a pivotal part of the movie's setting, the ongoing horror suddenly feels slightly familiar.

By the end of the movie, Lynn returns some money to his boyfriend, about which he complained throughout the two-and-a-half-hour spectacle. She intends to pay him back for English classes, with him refusing to take them as if he learned his lesson. Yet, Lynn keeps holding it in the air, insisting for him to accept, as if she also has learned her lesson, at last.

Disco Boy (2023)

Mixed with Franz Rogowski's hypnotizing delivery of Alex,

[7/10 · 9 August 2023]

Living true to its title, Disco Boy delivers a psychedelic spectacle for both eyes and ears, though, they're not enough to make this a remarkable movie. Luckily, the story lives up to the high bars and questions the structure of the modern world as we know it.

The movie follows two main characters-Aleksei and Jomo-with the primary focus being on the former. They were raised and live in vastly different parts of the world. Aleksei is Belarusian and escapes to French Foreign Legion. Jomo tries to defend the Niger Delta from foreign greedy companies which threaten his village and family.

Despite being so further apart, the characters couldn't be more similar on the inside. They are both victims of the cruelty of today's world, having gone through tough times, with little to no perspectives for a better future. But they don't give up and keep doing what they can to make improvements-Aleksei for himself, Jomo for the people around him, including his sister Udoka, who later on serves as a symbolic connection between the two main characters.

Their worlds eventually clash with each other, and the outcome is somewhat expected. However, as it's painted with neon colors and accompanied by a techno-like soundtrack, the experience is exhilarating and capturing.

There are moments where the camera is showing the picture through a night vision, underlining the dramaturgy and weight of certain decisions and scenes, possibly trying to show people in their true colors. In other moments, characters are questioning their own existence and everything around them, luring the viewers to do the same. But, heavy techno music makes you feel out of touch, similar to people currently on the screen.

Art cinema often likes to pose a lot of meaningful questions while making it not so easy to find answers for them. Director Giacomo Abbruzzese does the same thing, though, this time the movie isn't too bleak or slow to understand. It's quite the opposite, actually. Disco Boy sucks you in, offering you many intriguing layers, which mixed with Franz Rogowski's hypnotizing delivery of Alex, create a ride with no brakes.

No movie is flawless, and Disco Boy isn't an exception. Sometimes the movie feels dragged and repetitive, with some themes going in circles. Certain plots feel a bit missed as if they were added with no clear beginning and finish.

These flaws made me view the movie as rather insignificant, going over issues that were already depicted in cinema many times. Yet, the more time passes since I saw it, the more I think about it and grow to appreciate it. In my eyes, that's one of the greatest things about cinema-sticking to you like glue.

Here (I) (2023)

A simple story about us

[6/10 · 2 August 2023]

Here is likely one of the most real movies I've seen lately. Therefore, despite having an extremely slow pace and a really thin plot, its captivating storytelling and true relationships make you feel as if you were watching a true reality show, without the fireworks and unnecessary commentary.

It doesn't offer much in terms of the story itself. It's a simple tale of a simple man, Stefan, who's living an ordinary life and looking for some purpose in his everyday struggles. We know that doing so isn't as easy as it sounds, and is actually a quite complicated goal amidst all the troubles of life. The director Bas Devos knows it all too well and sticks true to the movie's concept.

During the film, Stefan stumbles across Shuxiu. At first sight, they don't really have any connections, yet, in a typical human manner, it blossoms from the simplest of things and conversations. Their relationship slowly develops throughout the film, and is both complex and simple, which is quite paradoxical, but we get it. In the end, each of us had similar interactions in our lives as well.

The movie puts a strong emphasis on visual storytelling, focusing on nature and how it springs to life despite harsh conditions. I believe it's a metaphor for Stefan and Shuxiu's relationship, which, in the face of early contradictory essence, somehow begins to work as well.

On top of that, both Stefan and Shuxiu's relationships with other people are almost too natural for cinema.

Unfortunately, Here doesn't have much else to offer besides stunning visuals that feel right to have in a story like this. It may be enough for slow cinema fans, who are keen on simple stories. I personally wanted to get hooked on it, but there wasn't enough for me to hold onto. Still, you leave the cinema pretty moved, with a tiny smile on your face, due to the movie's sweet ending, which feels as if we've lived it ourselves, at least once in our lives.

Decision to Leave (2022)

It's a crime to write such good romance

[9/10 · 2 August 2023]

Decision to Leave begins with a man failing from a steep peak, which is another case assigned to detective Hae-joon (Park Hae-il), who quickly assumes the man's wife, Seo-rae (Wei Tang) as one of his main suspects. The movie then very quickly drops tons of other information and plot twists, leaving us for the majority of it as confused and seeking answers as the main detective himself.

This structure and deadly tempo may be confusing to some people as it was for me. It's easy to get lost in all the nuisances of the investigation, especially since it feels like there are a few plot holes. Some pieces of alibi aren't that strong and could be easily tipped over. Nevertheless, the beauty of the romance between two main characters is so captivating and addicting, that you deliberately look down on these aspects and focus on the dynamic between them.

Decision to Leave is essentially mainly a romantic story of Hae-joon and Seo-rae. It's another one of love stories that have too many obstacles to ever become real and bear fruit-a concept so popular in culture, one could argue it's impossible to breathe new life into it. Yet, Park Chan-wook manages to do so.

The true essence of the movie lies in its attention to detail. For one reason, it's a crime film, so it's quite self-explanatory why the director gives them so much attention in terms of plot. But these details are also the main tool to tell a blossoming love story between Hae-joon and Seo-rae.

When watching Decision to Leave, viewers are eager to see the romance finally come alive in its full form, especially since the movie treats us with numerous minor gestures from both characters. We're practically addicted to the chemistry between the two and are rooting for a happy ending for them, though, deep down we know it's not meant to be.

Both main actors make every effort to keep us hooked, and with nostalgic, foggy scenery, we watch the film as if we were in hypnosis. It works so well we overlook the tiny holes in the script. Although the director makes sure it has a lot of breadcrumbs to pick as we watch it, though, it's impossible to do so at the first viewing, which makes a rewatch almost mandatory.

Outdoor scenery isn't the only strong point in Decision to Leave's astonishing graphic storytelling. It also presents interior scenes so well-framed, adding another reason why you stay involved until the very end.

With such unique plot, Decision to Leave is a movie flawed in a number of ways. It's simultaneously so compelling it just lives rent-free in your head and heart weeks after you've watched it, which is, frankly speaking, a notable achievement.

Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One (2023)

Cruise raises the stakes again

[9/10 · 18 July 2023]

With Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One being the seventh entry in the franchise, you'd think the bar would be impossible to raise this time around. In all previous installments, Tom Cruise has elevated the level of this series' craft countless times-in terms of action, personal stakes, and jaw-dropping stunt-making. And he did it again.

This time around, Ethan Hunt and his crew find themselves in a deadly race between world governments, and AI-controlled thugs. The goal? To destroy the mentioned AI and stop it from swaying the balance of the modern world.

Just like Thanos tried balancing the universe, Mission Impossible does so with the Hollywood micro cosmos in a way. In times filled with mediocre action and superhero productions like The Flash or Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania-which toy around with the not-so-new idea of the multiverse and numerous cheap easter eggs-Cruise and Christopher McQuarrie bet on the same odds, which are the winning ones once again.

Action cinema fans might feel like they know what they're going to see when going to watch Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. And to some extent they're right. Characters engage in suspenseful, action-packed sequences in renowned areas around the world and some incredible (and given Cruise does most of them himself, quite impossible you could say) stunts.

Still, the detail in which these have been made are ground-breaking. Even though it feels like there are few new heights to be reached in terms of action sequences, especially with the John Wick franchise doing such a spectacular job in this area as well, Mission Impossible still delivers.

The breaking point has been the levels of tension and buildup Hunt and other characters have been able to achieve in Dead Reckoning Part One. While John Wick excels in what feels like never-ending fights, Mission Impossible has found a way to introduce multiple layers of intrigue and plot twists simultaneously into single acts of each movie, especially in this one.

Dead Reckoning Part One is packed and focused on these intrigues and how they interact with each other. With such a stellar range of talented actors, many would expect the plot and purpose of each one to be too much, and to simply fail to interact with each other. Luckily, that's not the case here, and it's an admirable achievement on its own.

The movie is essentially two and a half hours long and is mostly composed of such moments, which then burst out into dynamic interactions, brawls, and beautifully shot stunts. There are some moments to breathe, but they're short, and feel like intersections between one rollercoaster and another in a theme park, rather than full-time lunch breaks.

Nevertheless, it doesn't get boring, especially with additions of fresh characters such as Hayley's Atwell's Grace or the return of old ones like Vanessa Kirby's White Widow. Surely there are a bunch of nitpicks anyone could've done. But, ultimately, when Mission Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One finishes, you don't feel exhausted. You know it's been a hell of a ride, worth every second and penny.

The movie does have a proper ending rather than just being left as an open book before Part Two arrives next year. Nowadays, two-part stories struggle with that in cinema, so it's nice to see an exception.

With all their heart Cruise, McQuarrie, and the rest of the crew put into making this masterpiece, it's tough not to admire it. They've made Mission Impossible franchise an epitome of action cinema, and Dead Reckoning - Part One feels like the best entry in the franchise so far.

Although Mission Impossible might have a perfect formula for success, it'd be a shame if Dead Reckoning Part Two won't be the end of the series or at least a sendoff to the current characters.

It would be hard to watch the franchise lose its steam and become another cheap money-printing machine. And, last but not least, I believe we can all agree Hunt and Cruise finally deserve some well-earned retirement after entertaining us for 27 years. That is, naturally, if they're given a happy ending, which they deserve.

The Eight Mountains (2022)

Mountains are the ultimate metaphors for life

[9/10 · 17 July 2023]

There are certain movies in modern cinema that have an abstract length and tempo. They're often hard to describe and sometimes even tougher to sit through. At the same time, they work somewhat like a time travel machine. Suddenly, everything stops and life flashes before your eyes. Before you even realize it, you're contemplating the sense of your life and are forced to evaluate the decisions you made and the person you've become. You either love it or you hate it.

In 2021, Drive My Car by Ryusuke Hamaguchi was a pitch-perfect example of such cinema. Now, it's almost impossible not to feel similarly about The Eight Mountains by Felix Van Groeningen and Charlotte Vandermeersch.

The film follows a simple yet complex story of Pietro, who visits an almost abandoned mountain village as a child with his mother during summer. There, he meets Bruno, a boy his age who's one of the 14 citizens who have stayed following an "industrial revolution." Their lives vary on every possible level.

Pietro is a city-raised boy, with all the flashy clothes and fancy Adidas on his feet, while Bruno wears the same dirty bags and has to take care of cattle. The former is successful in school, while the second struggles to read. Yet, they form a connection that, to much of their surprise, would hold them together until the end of their lives.

At first sight, The Eight Mountains feels like an ordinary story of friendship that was lost in time, yet marks its return in an unexpected fashion as both Bruno and Pietro (now adults) find themselves building a house together. A house, that was a dream of Pietro's father, who doesn't really have a significant relationship with his son but has found an oddly, though, understandably, strong bond with Bruno instead.

The friendship between Pietro and Bruno is a feat so incredibly acted and written, with its subtlety telling us more emotions than any words could have, that it's definitely a perfect choice to have it as a main story. What does true friendship mean? And how much can it take? Does it have boundaries, and if so, can they ever be crossed? You'll find answers to these questions here. But The Eight Mountains is much more than that.

It's a tale about stepping out of your parents' shadow, yet struggling to cut away the same (often toxic) habits they had. It's about searching for your own purpose, while also trying to fulfill your parents' wishes and dreams. It's about looking for your own place in the world in light of always being the second choice among the people you know, but still coming back and finding happiness and solace with them. It's about crossing your own limits in your head but failing plenty of times along the way.

The list of themes in The Eight Mountains is definitely a lengthy one. Such cases are often a recipe for messy productions that struggle to keep viewers' attention. This time around, it's also not perfect. There are moments when you start crying, only to wipe your tears and focus again on the short but important conversations, with dramatic, almost thriller-like music suddenly playing in the background. Then you're back to crying but also holding your breath.

Yes, The Eight Mountains can be sometimes hard to keep track of. With all its emotional themes and rhythmical rollercoaster, you will find yourself confused, just like I did. Still, it does an even better job of gluing you back into the screen, not only due to the story but the monumental views it shows.

The majority of the movie takes place somewhere in Italian Alps. While I've never personally seen this part of the world, I don't need any convincing anymore to do so. The film is shot masterfully, with the camera often zooming out and transforming the main characters into a small element of the background, while the astonishing mountains take the main stage.

There aren't many moments like these in The Eight Mountains, but when they strike, they do so with full force. With an inspiration surely taken from a movie like Into the Wild (2007), it feels somewhat familiar, but it doesn't take away the pleasure and with its unusual narrow camera angle, it's certainly special.

On top of that, these mountains, cliffs, edges, and so on aren't only there to take your breath away. They're a perfect metaphor for the story. "The mountain is a way of living life. One step in front of the other, silence, time and measure," says Bruno throughout the film.

The Eight Mountains is an incredibly ambitious project which tells numerous stories, all connected to each other. Pietro's journey to self-discovery is one that won't grab everyone's attention at first sight, but those who give it a try and have some patience will certainly be rewarded with a mix of emotions. Emotions, that take your heart by storm and won't let go.

You either love or hate this kind of cinema, and I unquestionably belong to the first group. After watching The Eight Mountains, you will love it as well.