A perfect time to duck into the air conditioning to see new movies by Yorgos Lanthimos and Jeff Nichols, plus a lower-key indie gem about on-stage and off-stage drama.
Ugh, I want to see all three of these, but I will probably have to prioritize only one for theatrical viewing this weekend. I’ve been a Jeff Nichols fan since practically the beginning. Of these, does The Bikeriders most demand to be seen on the big screen?
Lovely review of Ghostlight. It does a great job of steering clear of overt melodrama or sitcom level humor. Instead it finds this weird avenue in between that’s rh effective. It also has some wonderful things to say about the role of art in everyday existence, and how “success” is defined. Definitely one of my favorites from this year.
UPDATE: am definitely in the "just OK' camp for BIKERIDERS, aKa "Vroomfellas". It looked nice, and was well-acted, but I feel that the themes have been done better by Marty. Saw it with one other person in the theater at a very late night showing, and left at 12:40 in the morning going through an empty theater/parking garage, which might have been more entertaining than the movie itself.
GHOSTLIGHT, however, was fantastic, and not just because it's Waukegan set. It's smaller in scope than DRIVE MY CAR yet just as moving (and also funny too, in a way that DRIVE MY CAR isn't) in its depiction of processing grief through theater. Also did not realize Keith Kupferer is the "Things Are Worse Than Ever!" guy from THE DARK KNIGHT! (you can see him in the crowd about seven seconds into this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8bL9dvB168)
Saw KINDS OF KINDNESS last night. I was on board for most of it, but the last story lost me at times. I wonder if this would have been more successful as a diptych rather than a triptych.
I loved Ghostlight's simple story and the performances knocked me flat. But there was something about the tidiness of the script, the coincidental way that Dan's grief maps perfectly onto Romeo and Juliet depending on which part he's playing first as Lord Capulet then as Romeo . . . I don't know, it took me out a couple times. There's also the dual betrayals of Sharon, first in keeping the play a secret and then sandbagging the deposition. These are big deals, and maybe I forgive too hard, but she took some lumps!
Ugh, I want to see all three of these, but I will probably have to prioritize only one for theatrical viewing this weekend. I’ve been a Jeff Nichols fan since practically the beginning. Of these, does The Bikeriders most demand to be seen on the big screen?
The Bikeriders looks good, but both times I've seen the trailer in a theater people laughed when the title was revealed.
"The Bikeriders zooms into theaters tonight." I hope you both are happy with yourselves for that one.
Scott innocent.
Lovely review of Ghostlight. It does a great job of steering clear of overt melodrama or sitcom level humor. Instead it finds this weird avenue in between that’s rh effective. It also has some wonderful things to say about the role of art in everyday existence, and how “success” is defined. Definitely one of my favorites from this year.
No comment about Tom Hardy's accent? Come now fellows. You're reviewers. We need to know what it's like to hear that for 2 hours
Return to Dogtooth and Killing of a Sacred Deer now has me excited
Yeah, it's one for the sickos.
BIKERIDERS looks OK but I'm more excited to see it for the NOSFERATU trailer...
UPDATE: am definitely in the "just OK' camp for BIKERIDERS, aKa "Vroomfellas". It looked nice, and was well-acted, but I feel that the themes have been done better by Marty. Saw it with one other person in the theater at a very late night showing, and left at 12:40 in the morning going through an empty theater/parking garage, which might have been more entertaining than the movie itself.
GHOSTLIGHT, however, was fantastic, and not just because it's Waukegan set. It's smaller in scope than DRIVE MY CAR yet just as moving (and also funny too, in a way that DRIVE MY CAR isn't) in its depiction of processing grief through theater. Also did not realize Keith Kupferer is the "Things Are Worse Than Ever!" guy from THE DARK KNIGHT! (you can see him in the crowd about seven seconds into this clip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C8bL9dvB168)
Saw KINDS OF KINDNESS last night. I was on board for most of it, but the last story lost me at times. I wonder if this would have been more successful as a diptych rather than a triptych.
I loved Ghostlight's simple story and the performances knocked me flat. But there was something about the tidiness of the script, the coincidental way that Dan's grief maps perfectly onto Romeo and Juliet depending on which part he's playing first as Lord Capulet then as Romeo . . . I don't know, it took me out a couple times. There's also the dual betrayals of Sharon, first in keeping the play a secret and then sandbagging the deposition. These are big deals, and maybe I forgive too hard, but she took some lumps!