What I watched: January 2024

Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor

Kicked off the year with a throwback to the 30s! I am fascinated by the art style of old cartoons, and this might be the highlight of the bunch. The art style is marvellous, a real treat for the eyes! The hand drawn visuals on the still backgrounds looks stunning. The images brought to life in this film are some of the best in animation and really stand the test of time. The story is just as engaging in the visuals and harks back to the classic adventure tales. An iconic character and an iconic film, one of the landmark animated pieces and a must see for all!

4/5

Priscilla

I went and watched this in and old school art deco cinema and the whole experience was fantastic, it really aided the vibe of the film and immersed me into a fantastic entry by Sofia Coppola. Coppola is one of the best filmmakers at doing a lot with a little; she was the perfect director to tell the story. This film shows the grim reality of Priscilla Presley and her existence in Graceland. More of an accessory than a partner, Sofia says so much with the empty grandeur of Graceland and loneliness of Priscilla in her day-to-day existence, contrasted with the fantasy of public outings with Elvis. Coppola pulls no punches and rightfully shows the grooming that took place here and the impact that had on Priscilla’s development. The modern soundtrack blends seamlessly into the period and is a clever way of reframing the relationship under modern day standards. Visually, of course, this film is stunning. I have more to say but I have an idea for a longer article so you will just have to wait!

4/5

How to Have Sex

A film that slipped under my radar at the end of last year but one I was desperate to see once I became aware of it. This did not disappoint in the slightest. Mia Mckenna-Bruce delivers an incredible performance, tasked with carrying so much of the storytelling on her back, she excels and really hammers home the message of the film with her facial expressions. A brutally honest exploration of sex culture and consent and coercion, particularly on these party holidays. Kickstarts a very necessary conversation on consent and the roles different parties play in these scenarios. The film very powerfully highlights all the different roles parties play in enabling this common occurrence: The coercion and plausible deniability from the assaulter, the jealous friend that does not even notice Tara’s feelings, the nice guy that enables his friend’s crimes by not calling him out or acting at all. A very well-made film that handles a difficult topic with grace and nuance.

4/5

Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse

From the pinnacle of old school animation to the benchmark for modern day film making. The first movie is one of the best superhero films of all time and this carries the baton, another excellent entry into the franchise. Animation allows for so many visual opportunities and it frustrates me how little modern-day films make use of it. Not the Spider-Verse team. This crams just about as much onto the screen as possible, this is a visual treat and I was genuinely gobsmacked at some of the set pieces n this movie. The story builds upon the multiverse theory and the fundamentals of the Spiderman character. It was an interesting and clever development, rather than telling a bog-standard superhero tale, they really utilised the potential and delivered an amazing film. This film is trippy, funny, enthralling and a treat for the eyes. This is everything I want and more from a comic book movie and I cannot wait for the second part!

4.5/5

The Boy and the Heron

Absolutely not what I expected going into this, but I am not complaining at all! You can always rely on Studio Ghibli and Miyazaki to deliver, and he certainly does here. This film keeps you guessing the entire time. About 1 hour 45 in I still had no idea where the story was going or how it was going to end. This is not a bad thing though, whilst the film takes on a lot and is very scatterbrain in its delivery, the story flows and never feels incoherent. Obviously, the film is stunning, and the fun characters are as to be expected from Studio Ghibli. Another reflective film from a director recently and I am all for it!

4/5

Poor Things

Yorgos Lanthimos gets better with every new creation, he is potentially the most exciting voice in current film making. Where to start with this? Every aspect of this movie is incredible, the visuals, the camerawork, the soundtrack, the acting; everything is outstanding. I love the fisheye lense and its contribution to framing the odd world the story takes place in. It is a frustratingly underused tool and I loved to see it thriving in this film. The set design is beautiful. In the black and white section, it is menacing and freaky, but these stunning sets really come to life once the film switches to colour, matching Bella’s development. I love Yorgos’ writing style and the blunt dialogue has never felt more fitting than this story. It is hilarious and the dialogue contributes heavily to that. Emma Stone is wonderful in this, her acting brings heart and compassion to Bella. Willem Dafoe is Willem Dafoe, incredible as usual. A special mention must go to Mark Ruffalo, he is so funny in this, an unexpected pivot from him but one I absolutely loved. Strong contender for film of the year already!

5/5

Red Rocket

I am a sucker for a middle of America, rural tale about oddballs, and this delivers this and then some! I love a film that takes a seemingly uninteresting person from the outside, but then really delves in to the life of that person head on, immersing the audience in their experiences. If you liked Uncut Gems, you would love this. Another morally questionable man doing incredibly dubious things to try and better themselves and learning absolutely nothing. This film is hilarious but has a real darkness to it, it somehow balances both perfectly. Really excited to check out some of Sean Baker’s other projects.

4/5

Blade Runner

Quick question, what on earth is the plot of this film? It is an absolute mess, yet it is amazing. The world building alone is on another level, it is so dense and beautiful. The commitment to the visuals is commendable and for the time it was made it, still hold up to this day. The plot really isn’t that important, the questions it raises are the real focus. The loss of humanity and the idea of what constitutes a living being is the focus. The film poses the question but stops short of answering it, leaving that question up to the viewer to decide. This is a fantastic film but built on fantastically with 2049.

4/5

The Lobster

After Poor Things, I felt compelled to rewatch the Lobster. I first watched this way too young when I was obsessed with Lobsters being naturally immortal (look it up bozos). At the time, the blunt delivery and dry humour went over my head. This time round I could fully appreciate how good this film is. This film brilliantly satirises relationships by stripping it down to pure absurdity. This film is wickedly funny with a wickedly dark tone. I really do not want to give too much away but do yourself a favour and watch this immediately, it is incredible!

5/5