Cinematographic

The bare blocks of cinema. Reading people’s comments in YouTube and Letterboxd is the best. Recently in class we were told about how Kubelka said that we expect to not understand a scientific text since we’re not familiar with the language and context, but we expect to understand every art piece. That part where it’s just black and no sound, boy that’s the stuff.

This is great, his second movie after Güeros and it is still very good. Ruizpalacios seems to be having so much fun making his movies is catching. It definitely made me wanna get up and shoot a movie with friends. A nice entry into the heist/criminal genre, both gripping and really fun. All the distancing effects don’t necessarily detach you from te story, instead they fit well with the theme of the movie and get you thinking about cinema and fiction. Too bad it didn’t get as much notice, I think YouTube should’ve made a better job advertising it.  

This made me very aware of the possibility of making a movie without a camera. It definitely creates a special feeling, something very tactile and I even remember it as having crazy sounds even when it’s totally silent. Love it when the long leaves seem to be going up, also made me very aware of the actual film. 

A nice tale with some beautiful technicolory colors. Very theatrical, I’m not really familiar with kabuki but apparently this is it. Although the performances and morality seem quite distant from me, once you accept them you’re in for the ride. The sets are impressive too. I’m not sure if stuff like this actually happened in ancient Japan but man that’s messed up. 

Ouch. Pretty cool for an early short film. Apparently it has something to do with the vietnam war times. Still feels very visceral and the music is great. 

I guess a very current topic but the movie feels kinda rushed and isn’t quite consistent. Yes it has a basic premise relating Stone’s work with current alternative new media but doesn’t really take it much further. A couple of shocking facts but not so memorable. Definitely continues to cement my refusal to watch any mainstream news outlets and is nice to know some people are committed to a more moral treatment of the news.

Varda meets digital cinema. Its amazing to see how a new medium directly affects a filmmaker and Varda embraces it sincerely and playfully. Besides this the movie also explores the motif of the gleaners from every angle: history, politics, painting, cinema and modern life. A great personal and essay-like movie with all the honesty and curiosity Varda’s point of view always brings. 

It’s impressive that this is Malle’s first movie. A well achieved noirish thriller around a couple of spies. Very stylish, specially the first half. Moreau is great and thou the second slower part of the movie isn’t as captivating, she definitely carries it with her performance.

Zhangke explores the real life issue surrounding the titular Three Gorges Dam, through two alternate stories of people coming back to look for their old lives, now sunken as is their village. The cinematography and editing is slow allowing the characters to move through the wreckage of the city being demolished for new floodings, their bodies always contrasted with the buildings in ruins which sometimes seem very literally alien. All throughout people continue to survive with any odd jobs available. Though they eventually reunite with the people they were looking for, there is something that remains lost and irretrievable. 

As always Akerman deals with loneliness, romantic love and women in a patriarcal society from a queer point of view. The pase and her own performance help to set the tone and the claustrophobia and aimlessness of loneliness. The sex scene is shot from a distance and is slightly awkward. The result is a feeling of realness and honesty which differs greatly from other depictions of lesbian sex shot by men, that appear to be more aesthetically related to mainstream porn depictions than reality. 

Incredibly fun and entertaining. A great police story with an even better political and current critique. It’s self aware and straight to the point but still very good. You wouldn’t think this was made by an older filmmaker as it fits perfectly with other contemporary movies. After enjoying and laughing for almost the whole movie, in the last 3 minutes I was almost in tears. I’d love Roma to win the Oscars and I know it’s a better movie, but as a political statement (which I think is what the Oscars are mainly about) this movie should win best picture as a fuck you to Trump and Kompany. 

Very sensible portrait of a woman through the people that crossed paths with her. A great middle ground between Varda’s fiction and documentaries with her narration and the character’s interviews. It’s amazing that we see her as society does through so many perspectives, but still the movie never judges her. Very powerful and devastating. Also love how she appears from the sea. 

I didn’t know a movie about astronauts could be this boring. This made Armstrong look like the less charismatic person in the world (and the moon). It’s full of cliches, Foy does a good job but still I couldn’t care less. The look was nice but I hate the way it was shot with this handheld and many times subjective camera. The very last scene was probably the best one. I’d rather watch The Right Stuff any day. Also this poster is way better, who chose the flarey one?

This movie is too cool. I had only seen Holy Motors before but now I definitely see where that came from. A super stylized and modern sort of romantic film noir, in the best way. You can definitely tell Carax is a huge cinephile, and along with the cast creates a very energetic and young movie. Very 80s too. Lavant’s physicality is amazing and I can tell some scenes will stay in my mind for a long time.

A trip from the warmer eastern european countryside to a cold crowded russian city. Akerman’s camera drifts through the landscape and people freely contrasting places, people and classes. The train station travel is amazing, but so are all the rest. Surely a slow movie but you can just get lost too in these spaces among the people. 

A sort of modern film noir in the world of journalism. Full of cynic, manipulative and generally unlikeable men who will do anything for success. A critique of capitalism that continues to influence movies today. It’s great that the woman at the center of it all, that begins as a pawn without agency, turns the game on the men. Performances are great and so is the cinematography. Reminded of Night and the City with the wormy lead trying desperately to make everyone happy.