I’m on the record as being among the rare cinephiles who find Wes Anderson’s style too twee, his films too ineffectual, to really hit as intended. So, it speaks to just how excellent The Royal Tenenbaums is that I not only can abide by Wes Anderson’s sensibility for the length of it but actually enjoy it.
Continue reading “2017 Movie #129: The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)”
David Lynch may be America’s premier modern surrealist. His films embrace a dream logic, the kind that makes sense from squinting distance, but defies closer examination. He uses this lens to explore themes that interest him, often interested in deconstructing Americana and exploring subjects like infidelity.
So, naturally, when Mulholland Drive does exactly that, to brilliant effect.
I don’t know that I could even count how many times I’ve seen this series – it’s that good. As a fantasy nut, my personal strategy is to watch the incredibly long extended editions, even though I know that the edited theatrical release versions are probably superior films. Whichever way you choose, there’s no question that this series is one of the most epic, expansive, ambitious in film history. Peter Jackson’s attention to bringing almost every detail from the books to life is incomparable, and the decisions of what parts of the book to cut are almost unanimously good ones. In The Fellowship of the Ring, particularly, there’s a lot to be set up, and aside from an expository monologue to start the film, most of the setup is established rather elegantly.
Continue reading “2017 Movie #10: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)”
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