mybadtakes

[mybadtakes]

You Were Never Really Here

This movie is so damn good. Wow. It has shot up my list of favourite movies. So well directed and written by Lynne Ramsay, fantastic performances and despite a dark subject matter, its feels completely full of life. I recommend this to anyone. Just fantastic.

[mybadtakes]

Tyrannosaur (2011)

There's a lot of good things in this movie; I think its well directed and well written by Paddy Considine, I think the performances are all fantastic and the characters are all well rounded.

But damn is this movie incredibly hard to watch. The dark subject matters of grief, loss, abuse and more are front and centre of this film.

There is some fleeting moments of joy but all in all its pretty hard going. I highly doubt that I would ever watch this movie again honestly, and I don't think I can really recommend it to anyone.

[mybadtakes]

Crash (1996)

I decided to watch this after I had seen Titane and so many had compared it to this. And holy shit wow, I thought Titane was a polarizing movie. This kinda blows it out of the water.

I don't even know if I love it or hate it yet. I probably love it. I think I need to rewatch it in the future. There is just so much to unpack in this that watching it just once is doing yourself no favours.

I haven't really stopped thinking about the movie since it finished. Its just so much to swallow. I think I need some time before revisiting it to fully formulate my thoughts.

It's eternally fascinating but I don't even know who I would recommended it to.

[mybadtakes]

Another Round (2020)

Probably the best movie of 2020? I of course haven't seen everything in 2020 but I'd be surprised if there was something much better.

Its such a perfect movie about drinking culture in the 21st century. I watched it and despite the fact that it's about drinking in Denmark, I saw so many parallels with drinking here in New Zealand. Especially the opening sequence.

It critiques the culture of binge drinking yet it does not necessarily vilify or make drinking seem evil entirely. It has a perfect balance of understanding the devastation and the joy that drinking can bring.

I think its an essential watch for anyone who binge drinks, especially those of my generation.

[mybadtakes]

In the Mood for Love (2000)

Kinda overrated. There is so much style with the lighting, cinematography, music and direction while completely lacking in emotional substance. Although its just under 100 minutes long, it felt like a drag. I didn't really care for the romance and I didn't see the political commentary under it like I've read others have.

---------Spoilers for this and for portrait of a lady on fire ahead--------

I think a good comparison with this movie is Portrait of a Lady on Fire. They aren't carbon copies but they have very distinct similarities. They are both about a doomed romance, they both (supposedly) have an emotional core, they both have a social/political commentary underneath and they both have a coda that shows how close both parties were to seeing each other again but didn't.

The difference is that Portrait to me is held together by a relationship that I was completely believable. I was invested and I was devastated when it inevitably came to an end. Which also benefits the social commentary on the male/female gaze so that it doesn't get in the way of the emotional core yet complements the movie upon further inspection.

In Portrait you know consciously that the end was inevitable but you were convinced by their love for each other that you forgot that the end was coming.

In the Mood for Love just kinda felt cold. The visuals were striking, the performances strong and the direction was stylish. But I just didn't believe in the central romance to care when the coda arrived. Unlike in Portrait where I was in pieces as the last 10 minutes unfolded.

In the Mood for Love also loses itself in the last part in Cambodia, I just thought it so jarring compared to the rest of the movie.

Maybe I need to rewatch it in the future with a different perspective cause clearly I am in the minority here but I just didn't get it this time.

[mybadtakes]

Sorcerer (1977)

WOW! what a movie. The movie's slow pace first act makes up for the anxiety inducing, tense and unforgiving last two acts of the movie. Did not avert my eyes once. Roy Schneider gives maybe his best performance. It is unforgiving and unrelenting once they are on the road.

Highly recommended for someone if they want to get their blood pumping.

[mybadtakes]

Skyfall (2012)

Is this movie really that good? I don't get it. There's a lot of people saying its the best bond or at least the best Daniel Craig bond but honestly really didn't enjoy it.

Clearly the best thing in this movie is Javier Bardem, his intro is brilliant and his character is relatively well written. The last act of the movie looks cool visually but it's kind of confusing and a mess.

Daniel Craig does the best that he can with his character. I think there's a lot that could have been done with questioning whether bond is fit to be back on the field. But it just felt like an incidental thing, he still seemed like a superhero. That's kind of where my compliments end.

The whole hacking parts are laugh out loud stupid. I have a very surface level understanding of coding and hacking but even I know how ridiculous some of this stuff is. The jargon Ben Wishaw is made to say about the Cyber Security SQL Injection Decryption Interference blah blah blah is just ridiculous. If I hear another "he's in the mainframe" kind of line in a movie, I'm walking out.

The visual hacking where the computer literally displays what the hack supposedly is doing is insulting. It's like the filmmakers think the audience is not smart enough to follow along with the dialog so here are some pictures for you to look at. Wow look its taking over the mainframe!!! Ahh its okay because the computer rotated the dial to align with the other one so we know who's hacking us or whatever. So fucking stupid.

There are plot holes that you could sail a container ship through. Why in god's name does the guy in the shootout at the start need this one specific bullet that only he and two other people in the world use? Literally the plot stops dead there if the guy just picked up bullets from a walmart in texas and not have to worry about background checks.

The bond movies I swear are some crown funded british propoganda to show how great the country is. It's said like three different times how Bond just loves his country. Every bond villain must have some sort of generic European accent. (This is more of a problem in No Time to Die) And there's always some shit about britain always prospers.

The more I think about this movie the more annoyed I am with it.

[mybadtakes]

The Green Knight (2021)

This movie is fucking fantastic. A properly done Arthurian legend told with a lot of style and love.

It's "sidequest" stories are all unique and incredibly gripping and mysterious. It has horror, romance, mystery and comedy bundled into one film.

Visually the film is absolutely breathtaking, I only wish I had seen it in the cinema.

The performances are all wonderful. Dev Patel is perfectly cast but when is he not, he can do anything. The music is magical.

The final act of the movie is done absolutely perfectly with a brilliantly clever ending.

I absolutely loved this movie.

[mybadtakes]

Don't Look Up (2021)

This movie was kind of a mixed bag to be frank. I think there is a lot of good but it does have some annoying part in it.

I kind of love how blunt the allegory of the comet is. I mean of course its about climate change. I guess you could say its about the pandemic but it was written and I think shot before the pandemic even started. I think its approach to over-exaggerating the response to the comet appropriate.

But honestly I wish I had seen another director not Adam McKay on this. Not that I don't think McKay is great, I really really like The Big Short. I just wonder if someone like Yorgos Lanthimos was leading this. I kind of wish it had the dead pan absurdity of The Lobster. Or even Boots Riley who directed Sorry to bother you.

The performances are kind of all over the place. Clearly the best two are Cate Blanchett and Mark Rylance. They are both really well done caricatures of the overly friendly talk show host and the Steve Jobs-esque business mogul. I think DiCaprio is also good but he does do the thing he always does in all his role which is have an outburst of loud angry rage that we've seen him do many times before.

Additionally, I think tho whole thing between DiCaprio and Blanchett's characters was sort of stupid and really annoying.

And on the other hand I kind of thought Jennifer Lawrence was underwhelming. I didn't really believe her character at all, and I like the way her character was written. Timothee Chalamet plays the same character he plays in every movie hes in so you know what to expect.

Ariana Grande and Kid Cudi were funny... sometimes. Ron Perlman is funny... sometimes. There's a cameo that I did find hilarious of someone that's dressed to look kind of like current day ringo. But honestly, most of the rest of the cast could have been done away with and nothing would have been lost. I think McKay just wanted to stuff as many of his celebrity friends as possible.

One thing I will say however as a huge positive is the final act is incredibly well done. It kind of made up for a lot of the problems the movie has.

So all in all it was kinda fun. If you've seen the trailer, you know exactly what you're gonna get, and you know exactly where the story is going to go. But just because its very predictable doesn't mean that the final act can be executed well and I think it did it brilliantly.

[mybadtakes]

The Godfather Parts 1-3 (1972, 1974, 1990)

I mean what is there to say about this movie that hasn't already been said. Amazing performances, impeccable directing, timeless music and one of the best character arcs in cinema.

I think if there is anything to say is that Part 3 is probably a bit over-hated. Though it is clearly the weakest of the three namely due to some things dragging on for a little long and performances not being as good as the first two. I think it still has an emotional climax that hits you really hard in the gut in a way that the two others don't.

Part 1 and 2 however is clearly timeless masterpieces, there is no question about it. I think anyone could argue whether one is better than the other and still be right, but for me I'm leaning slightly more towards the first. Maybe my choice could change upon a second viewing.

[mybadtakes]

Spencer (2021)

As much as I admire about this movie, it didn't work for me in the same way I've heard it work for a lot of people. Maybe it doesn't help that I barely know anything about Diana given that she passed 5 years before I was born.

To begin with, I think the music is phenomenal. Johnny Greenwood is probably my favourite composer in film today and always expect great things from whatever movie he works on.

I think Kristen Stewart's performance is pretty great. She clearly put a lot of work into the voice and the posture of Diana and it pays off with great success.

I really thought the themes of tradition taking precedence over change very compelling and one that I've always found intriguing.

All that is great but the movie just didn't really leave an imprint on me. That's probably because (although she probably is as important as everyone says she is) I don't really care for Diana. So the movie just was that little bit distant for me emotionally that I just could find a way in.

If you remember and loved Diana, I think you will find it a lot more rewarding than I did.

[mybadtakes]

Titane (2021)

This film is a visceral experience. It grips you and it never lets go and I really really loved it. The more I think about the movie the more I love it.

It covers contemporary themes of gender-fluidity to cyberpunk themes of what it means to be human and all the way to humanistic themes of love. Images from the movie absolutely stick in your mind for days after, for better or for worse.

This movie is 100% not for everyone. I've seen it with 5 different people, 2 of them loved it and 3 of them hated it. If you're into movies that push your taste to the extreme and doesn't hold back, this could be one for you.

Also watch this in the cinema if you can. The experience of watching it with others and they are reacting to every key moment with you is far more rewarding than alone.

[mybadtakes]

The Lighthouse (2019)

This film was absolutely mad. Mad in the best sense of the word. The movie grabs you and doesn't let go, but all you want to do is get off the damn island. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe are brilliant but of course they were, they can't seem to do a bad performance.

There are images in the movie that stick with you for days after and the sound design is absolutely haunting in it. If there's a fault in the movie for me is that its sometimes a bit too mad and leaves you completely befuddled. I think some people would appreciate it more than me but I found it a bit much.

Still a very worthwhile watch tho, even just for the performances. I'm excited for Robert Eggers next work.

[mybadtakes]

Petite Maman (2021)

This movie is perfect and I cannot recommend it enough. I've seen it twice and I'm tempted to watch it in cinemas again one more time. I smiled, laughed and wept throughout the movie.

I cannot listen to the song that plays when they are on the boat without tears building up. In fact I can't even think about the movie for too long without welling up.

Its a flawless film, masterfully directed by Celine Sciamma. I already thought Portrait of a Lady on Fire was one of the greatest movies I had ever seen but Celine Sciamma outdid herself by making this masterpiece.

Tears are building in my eyes just writing about this.

[mybadtakes]

House (S1-S6.5)

A lot of this show is fun. But a whole lot is filler. I think you only really need to watch season 1 to get the idea of what the rest of the show is essentially repeat of the same format.

>Cold open to random citizen collapsing and they are either out cold or seizing. Or they find a weird lump somewhere on their body. (dramatic music)

>Intro theme

>House meeting room "oh this is actually really simple they must have ABC, go test for thringybongy hullabaloo and give him ibuprofen"

> House chatting with Cuddy or Wilson.

> Team member runs to House "omg his blood pressure is rising/dropping" or "omg he is causing some scene in room please come" (dramatic music)

> They run to room

> "omg House you never see your patients"

> "well this symptom must mean he can't have ABC" (dramatic music)

> Insert witty House one liner every 2 minutes.

A couple repeats of the last 7 lines until:

> House is talking to Cuddy/Wilson/Someone else.

> Someone says "pencil"

> Dolly into close up of House's face (dramatic music)

> *says nothing*

> Leaves

> Bursts into room

> "you, patient are big idiot. You said that you were doing your homework so you must be holding a pencil which means the carbon from the pencil tip must have entered blood stream of papercut that we didn't think was severe and it caused you to faint"

> "so it wasn't ABC"

> "oh no it actually was ABC but it was hiding until pencil came along and woke it up."

> "omg thank you god for saving me"

> "god isn't real your whole life is a lie go get a real life and leave me alone"

>roll credits

Some of it can be creative and fun but more often than not its repetitive. I watch it cause its pretty good for a show to put on the second monitor while you play a casual game or something. Otherwise, ehhhhhhhh. You might like it. Maybe just find the good episode from the IMDB ratings, otherwise you can avoid the rest.

[mybadtakes]

The Seventh Seal

TThe Seventh Seal is Ingmar Bergman's most well known movie and often regarded as his best. It is about a knight and his squire returning from a holy crusade where the night encounters death. He offers death a game of chess to spare his life if he wins, or to take his life if he loses.

I think the is one of the greatest movies I have seen since Portrait of a Lady on Fire. It is near perfect and the more I think about it the more I love it. It grapples with existentialism and nihilism perfectly and it does feel like its trying to force its own answer to meaninglessness down your throat.

It is a wholly life affirming and wonderful film. Go watch it, the rest of this post is gonna be spoilers so be warned. GO WATCH IT, ITS REALLY GOOD.

********************SPOILERS WARNING***********************

The movie isn't about the game of chess, but as cliche as it sounds, it's a movie about life. Max Von Sydow's character of Antonius Block returns from what he thought was a just crusade finds himself questioning his religion and belief in god. He does everything he can to find the truth and for god to present himself to the knight.

The second time Antonius encounters Death, he confesses his anger and fear that god isn't there. And asks Death for any secret and he does not tell. Later when the night finally loses the chess game to death, all he asks of death is his secrets what he knows of god. Death does not tell him, not because he does not want to tell Antonius but because he himself does not know.

That may seem like a nihilistic and dark movie but the Seventh Seal is anything but nihilistic. Yes it does cover the existentialist nihilism of the unknown that I am all too familiar with but its a movie that does not wallow in the fear of nihilism. Instead I celebrates the beauty and joy of what life can present for itself.

All Antonius seems to do is ponder the existence of god but all that does is make him more fearful and nihilistic. But what makes him happy are the friends that he makes, its listening to them, sing, or play music. Until eventually his is finally confronted by death who is going to take him away, he cries out to got to be merciful and god does not answer.

But the person who does answer is his wife, and his friends who surround him. Not because purpose in god is not real, but because the purpose in life need not be real if you are surrounded by your friends and those you love.

(There's a lot more the analyse and to pick apart but I'm lazy and this is an oversimplification)

As someone and moody and nihilistic as myself, this movie blew me away and made me look at life differently. I love this movie to bits. I loved every moment of it. I can't stop thinking about it.

[mybadtakes]

Queen's Gambit

Queens Gambit is a show written by a man about a woman's struggle through growing to be a great chess grandmaster. Thats essentially the core issue with the movie. It's a movie written about women's struggle yet fundamentally is written by someone who has no clue about the gravitas of actually being a woman.

I fucking hate this series. The series itself isn't awful or unwatchable, it is just unbelievable benign and uninspired. Its just that everyone seems to revere it as the greatest tv show in recent years when it just isn't.

I almost have nothing positive to say about it to be honest. If I have anything nice it say, I guess the performances are solid. They are not mind blowing or special in anyway, but they all lie somewhere between average and engaging. Also Anya Taylor Joy is pretty so that's nice.

Anyway to everything that's wrong about this fucking show. Lets start with the emotional impact. I just did not fucking care about anything that Beth Harmon had to go through. I wasn't shocked, I didn't cry (i can cry really easily), and I was no where near invested enough to care if she won the next chess match or not. I watched the whole fucking show with this look on my face :| .

Next, the show is unbelievably tone deaf and has a blatant misunderstanding/misjudgment of what it was like to actually be a woman in a male dominated field. Especially before the 2000s. For example, Bobby Fischer himself (of whom the series is at least partly inspired by) said in an interview and I quote; "They’re all weak, all women. They’re stupid compared to men. They shouldn’t play chess, you know. They’re like beginners. They lose every single game against a man.". So the man the show is partly inspired by himself rarely if ever gave women a second thought as intellectually capable to playing chess.

In another example, there have been chess players who have quit entirely when they lost to a woman. So why does it seem so inconsequential that when she wins games against arrogant and annoying men in tournaments they basically either fall in love with her or thinks shes the second coming of Christ. I have come up with two reasons for this. The first is that this is an alternate reality where sexism is not that severe. The second is that she is just that much better than everyone else at chess where everyone instantly become enamoured by her skills that they suddenly stop being arrogant and annoying.

Problem with the first reason. If the sexism in this universe is not a severe as it is in reality, its completely closing itself off and pretending that the issue doesn't exist. Whether from the set and costume design or the attention to detail of the chess games, the show clearly tries to be as close to reality as possible. So is the show just turning a blind eye? Maybe, probably.

Problem with the second reason. If her skills are just that amazing and she is just THAT better than everyone else, what does that really imply about the intention of the show. Does that mean that the only way a woman can evade sexism is to literally be out-of-this-world brilliant. So the onus is on the women to be that great? No dismantling of the system which is built for the rich and powerful who just so happen to be vast majority male? Its actually the duty of the women to save themselves? Sure.

Anyways less of the philosophical and social problems with the show, more on the storytelling. The show has no risk. At no point in the show I actually thought that anything bad would happen. At every turn of the story I did not feel there was any weight to anything. I just felt like a completely passive observer, incapable to even being engaged in it.

In conclusion, I sincerely believe the Queen's Gambit is a completely overrated piece of trash. There is no philosophical insight to be learnt, there is nothing interesting it is making a comment on and it is no where near entertaining enough to be worthwhile. A show about women's struggle in a world which is geared against them is adapted by a man from a book also written by a man.

I'm still baffled by this shows popularity. The only people who watched and liked this show are either chess fanatics or they voted for Hilary over Sanders because #girlboss.