By: Henry J. Fromage –
This week was my first working from home, so as the days bleed into nights back into days, I’m gettin’ some film watchin’ done.
99. The Gentlemen
It’s refreshing to see Guy Ritchie return to gangsters and deep cockney accents after flirting largely unsuccessfully with blockbuster filmmaking (although I’m afraid Aladdin has been an encouragement to him). Anyway, if The Gentlemen doesn’t quite reach the heights of a Snatch, it’s still a quick-witted, vulgar, violent, and highly entertaining crime romp. Special kudos to Colin Farrell, who steals every scene he’s in. Three Beers.
100. The Way Back
You wouldn’t be alone in attributing Ben Affleck’s deep commitment to his performance as a tortured high functioning alcoholic former high school basketball star asked to step in as head coach for his alma mater to his past troubles. And there may be something that, but nonetheless those calling this possibly his best performance aren’t far off- he’s riveting, and Gavin O’Connor directs with muscular intensity and a eye for realistic, lived-in detail. Two Beers.
101. Lost Girls
This film is based on the true story of a mother who refused to rest until she found her missing daughter, or at least what happened to her. As she does so her persistence uncovers the existence of a serial killer of lost girls- Craigslist call-girls, run-aways, and others to clearly beneath the notice of the law. Amy Ryan is great, even if the film doesn’t always take the more intriguing, less conventional directs it maybe could have. Three Beers.
102. Way Down East
The one big takeaway I had from this 2.5 hour silent melodrama is that it’s clear why Myrna Loy was such a star in her time. She emotes realistically and magnetically even while almost the entirety of the rest of the cast is playing to the rafters. Perhaps this is one of the very earliest melodramas, coming from early blockbuster king D.W. Griffith, and should be credited for that. But that doesn’t change the fact that the tropes and basic plot of this one have ossified completely in the 100 years since it debuted. Four Beers.
103. Tiger King
The Netflix sensation du jour (one we dearly need) is this episodic documentary about crime and striving in the world of American exotic animal private zoos, all of which appear to be run by absolute crazy people. The insanity of these peoples’ backstories, predilections, and no holds barred throw-downs truly is a sight to see. Two Beers.
104. Boy
Taika Waititi’s second film and precursor to his breakout What We Do in the Shadows shows his style coalescing around a New Zealand set story of a young boy with an ex-con father who he gradually begins to understand is far from the mythic figure he built up in his imagination. Whimsical and bittersweet. Two Beers.
105. Jojo Rabbit
After watching Boy it was time to revisit Waititi’s latest, which only grows in my estimation upon rewatching. The pathos particularly seemed to hit harder this time even though I knew what was coming, but it’s still an overall joy. Long live Yorki, who just can’t die, apparently. Two Beers.
