1. Star Wars: The Last Jedi
There are any number of nonsense criticisms of this film, most of which are summed up nicely in this article: https://bittergertrude.com/2018/01/04/why-so-many-men-hate-the-last-jedi-but-cant-agree-on-why/
But among the not obviously sexist criticisms, the most common is that the Canto Bight (aka Casino World) sequence is unnecessary, to the point that the entire thing could be cut out of the film. Of course, the same could be said for many cinematic set pieces (the entire asteroid chase from The Empire Strikes Back, for one), but only if we reduce the film to nothing more than a sequence of events. If we include character development, theme, message, and world-building in our analysis of storytelling, the Canto Bight sequence becomes essential.
This film inherits a gaping storytelling hole from the previous entry, The Force Awakens. Canto Bight fills that by showing us what the conflict between First Order and Resistance looks like from the outside, and giving us a taste of what the world was like before The Force Awakens. In the middle of the action, Rose and Finn look out at the racetrack, and Rose talks about how she and her sister grew up among the poor and oppressed, while the rich people, like those in the casino behind them, exploited them. Rose was born after the Empire fell, she grew up under the New Republic. Yet her and her class suffered horrifically. This scene explains why Leia’s plan fails.
Leia’s whole plan during the movie is to keep as many Resistance fighters alive as possible while they escape to a base where they can call for help. She expects that the allies of the New Republic will come to their aid. But no one comes. The reason is there in Canto Bight. The natural allies of the Resistance are busy with their own struggles. And more importantly, the New Republic never helped them. It wasn’t some relative utopia of peace and prosperity, just because the Empire was defeated; in the New Republic, the suffering of the masses went unheard. Leia is counting on allies, but she wasn’t enough of an ally herself.
That’s when we can read the new trilogy as a catalogue of failures (and redemptions) of the heroes of the old. Han’s failure as a father. Luke’s failure as a teacher. And Leia’s failure as a leader. Sadly, we won’t get to see her redemptive arc.
2. Personal Shopper
There’s a lengthy sequence in this film that is just Kristen Stewart, by herself, texting someone, and it’s riveting. It helps that the person she’s texting is either a ghost, a murderer, her twin brother, a stalker/prankster, or all of the above. This movie is haunting in the best way. In the same way that Rose’s last line in The Last Jedi is a clear and simple statement of what the movie is all about, Maureen’s last line works the same here, a beautiful summation of the whole story. This is a film that allows for multiple interpretations; viewers who prefer certainty shouldn’t get their hopes up. In that sense, similar to filmmaker Olivier Assayas’ previous, Clouds of Sils Maria, which you may recall from my 2014 list.
3. Cold Hell
(Trailer includes violent images)
This movie keeps surprising me, after I finished it. I originally had it around #7 on this list, then #4. The only thing that keeps it going higher is a bit of over the top sexualized violence in the beginning, and the way it’s intercut with another scene. It’s an important part of the story, about a serial killer who’s motivation (like most) is misogyny, but it’s a bit much for an opening, and not especially consistent with the rest of the film. If you like Game of Thrones, it’s nothing you haven’t seen.
As to the film itself, imagine a typical slasher movie where the “final girl”, instead of running from the implacable stalker and screaming at an uncaring world, turns and chases him down on foot and pummels him with her bare hands. If that’s a movie you want to see, watch this ASAP. If that sounds dumb, move right along.
As to the film itself, imagine a typical slasher movie where the “final girl”, instead of running from the implacable stalker and screaming at an uncaring world, turns and chases him down on foot and pummels him with her bare hands. If that’s a movie you want to see, watch this ASAP. If that sounds dumb, move right along.
4. This is Not What I Expected
One man’s obsession with a perfectly prepared bowl of instant noodles. Takeshi Kaneshiro gives a brilliant performance as he sits, holding the noodles an inch from his mouth, staring intently at the second hand on his watch, waiting for the exact moment of al dente. There’s a lot more to this movie, but that bit has really stuck with me.
5. Dearest Sister
A fairly bleak exploration of greed as a primary human motivator, as everyone is stealing from both above and below. Nok leaves her poor village to stay with her rich cousin, Ana, in the city. Nok steals some cash from Ana and uses it to buy a lottery ticket, using numbers Ana whispers while in the fits of ghostly possession. Nok is stealing from Ana (both the cash and the numbers), and also ‘stealing’ from her family back home, who were expecting her to send money back to them. Instead, Nok becomes intoxicated with being able to buy things for the first time in her life. Ana’s own wealth comes from her white husband, who is using a UN grant to build a solar power plant. But he’s scamming the UN by using cheaper parts than specified, and also cheating the locals, who will never collect on this clean power. Meanwhile, Nok is robbed of her ill-gotten gains by Ana’s servants, etc.
An eerie ghost story is the backdrop for this tale of woe, with very effective low-budget effects. This film was the official selection for Best Foreign Film from Laos. Looking forward to more from Mattie Do.
An eerie ghost story is the backdrop for this tale of woe, with very effective low-budget effects. This film was the official selection for Best Foreign Film from Laos. Looking forward to more from Mattie Do.
6. The Little Hours
7. Girls Trip
8. Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story
9. Princess Cyd
10. Lady Bird
