I Like Movies

There have been quite a few movies recently about movies, or people's love of movies. Last year gave us Spielberg's self indulgent "The Fabelmans;" "5-25-77;" was  Patrick Read Johnson's film obsessed story; the grotesque mess of "Babylon;" and "Empire of Light." It's never enough to stand around screaming "I Like Movies;" you need to care about the characters who are doing the screaming. Which brings me to Chandler Levack's wonderful film, "I Like Movies." Set in the early part of the 2000s, its central character is Lawrence (played by Isaiah Lehtinen). Lawrence LOVES movies and wants to go to NYU for film studies but has no money. So he gets a job at his local Blockbuster-style video store where he can wax poetically about Todd Solondz's "Happiness" or Paul Thomas Anderson's "Punch Drunk Love." We care about Lawrence but at times we might not even like him very much - he is down right mean to his best friend Matt. However, Lawrence leans heavily into the spectrum.- his socialize awareness is horribly lacking, plus he comes with lots of heavy baggage and a slightly overprotective mother. As a result, we sympathize with him - Lawrence feels real, fully 3D and it speaks to the quality of Chandler Levack's writing. Lawrence's boss at the video store, Alana (Romina D'Ugo) is also damaged goods and Romina D'Ugo gives us a great performance. I really liked this Canadian film - it makes fun of Canadian film! If you like movies, then please go check out "I Like Movies" in a Canadian theatre near you.

All Quiet on the Western Front

So this was the last Oscar nominated film I had to watch in the Best Picture category. I saved it to the end because I was dreading to watch it. I didn't like "1917" and I didn't care for "Dunkirk." That and I had seen the original film and read the novel in high school. I was convinced it would be a waste of my time and it would bore me for the almost two an half hour runtime. I was so wrong. If I had seen it last year, it would have been on my top ten list of best films of 2022. Have you looked at the paintings of Rembrandt? Edward Berger, the film's director has delivered a visual masterpiece - each shot is a work of art, its own Rembrandt if you will. It's a stunning film. With the pointless invasion of Ukraine happening right now, this feels every so relevant. 17 million people died in World War I - for what? The absurdities, the unfounded patriotism built on propaganda and lies, and the brutality of war are all on full display here as we follow Paul (Felix Kammerer) through battle after brutal battle. The film is grizzly and gorgeous. I was captivated for its entirety. Easily one of the best films of 2022. Catch this film now streaming on Netflix. 

Infinity Pool

While you could argue "Infinity Pool" has flaws, it has stuck with me. It's directed by Brandon Cronenberg, son of David Cronenberg. He seems to be carrying on his father's legacy of the strange and grotesque but also the continued investigation of the body as it relates to identity and transformation (think of David's works like "Dead Ringers," "The Fly," Rabid," and "M. Butterfly") . So what is Brandon's film all about? A couple, James (Alexander Skarsgård) and Em (Cleopatra Coleman) go on holiday to an unnamed foreign country. There they meet a flirtatious Gabi (Mia Goth) and Alban (Jalil Lespert). After a friendship has loosely formed, Gabi and Alban convince James and Em to leave the heavily guarded compound of the resort for a picnic by the ocean. Lots of wine is consumed and on the way back, in the dark, James runs over and kills a local farmer - they flee without calling the police. The next day James is arrested - his punishment, death, at the hands of the farmer's son. However the police give James an option: for a good sum of money, the police will clone James and let his new doppelganger take the fall for him. Then things get really strange. It's like "Fantasy Island" crossed with "The White Lotus." Once again, Mia Goth ("X" and "Pearl") gives a standout performance. Catch this tropical therapy session from hell in rep theatres or on streaming services.