What I watched: September 2023

Meet Doug:

I am not sure what happened in this short musical short film, but I know that I liked it. The abstract, loose stories revolve around Doug and his friends, hanging around, rapping, playing football, eating overpriced sandwiches from the shady café… oh and being bothered by a celestial being trying to kill Doug. This is a film lacking in clarity but in a very purposeful way, the story is not really that important. The approach to this short story is somewhat like an extended music video, where the visuals are more important. Luckily here, the visuals and the music are wonderfully creative and engaging. A great short watch!

3/5

The Squid and the Whale:

An interesting look into the progression of Noah Baumbach’s career. In this debut there are a lot of rough edges and clunky delivery, but there is still a very distinct style that he develops further in later efforts. The dry humour and monotone delivery of lines takes some adjusting to here and it does not help that the characters are unbelievably unlikeable. Baumbach had clearly not figured out his style fully, but the early sign of his talent is very evident here. The final moments of the film go a long way to redeeming certain characters and bringing the story to a close. This final scene is particularly interesting to see considering how he develops these themes in his later work. The fact that this is based on his childhood adds a level of intrigue here and goes a long way to explaining why Noah Baumbach addresses the themes he does in his work.

3.5/5

Last Night in Soho

What a bitterly disappointing watch. I may not be as big of a fan of Edgar Wright’s work as others, but I appreciate his style and ability to deliver an entertaining watch. This is not something he managed here. This was an utterly bizarre effort with some seriously questionable choices. It feels like Wright had an idea based solely on the aesthetic of 1960s Soho… and that was it. The plot is thin and aimless for most of the time and the twist is borderline offensive and goes against the message the film had been seemingly conveying up until that point. The violence against women is trivialised and at times almost glamorised. Anya Taylor Joy’s character is completely wasted, and all other characters are unbelievably surface level. The visions of the past plot point feels gimmicky, underdeveloped and gets annoying very quickly. On top of that, the 60s London aesthetic, the only thing going for this film, is mostly confined to the same bar and utterly wasted. A huge swing and a miss from Edgar Wright here.

1.5/5

The Nice Guys

I love comedy movie Ryan Gosling. He has such wonderful comedic timing and delivery, it’s a crime he has not done that many comedies. His chemistry with straight guy Russell Crowe is fantastic and they bounce off each other so well, the jokes flow constantly it feels so sharp. The film elevates itself by using the comedy to explore themes of grief, identity, purpose, and loneliness. The film understands its place in the zeitgeist and embraces the quirks and silliness so well that it is such a blast watching it. Do yourself a favour and watch this one!

4/5

Drive My Car

What a beautiful film. This had been in my watchlist for a while due to the acclaim surrounding it, but at 3 hours long, I knew I had to wait to the right time that I could fully engage in the story. Mubi removing from their catalogue forced my hand and I am so glad they did. The shared grief of the two characters and its complicated place in their emotional spectrum is explored so vividly and carefully. The regret, the shame, the sadness, the loneliness, all these contributing factors to the two characters and their shared comfort in each other is explored from within that gorgeous red Saab. The rare pops of colour contrast with what is a bleak and miserable story, and the hope and comfort that radiates from within the vehicle becomes more evident with each passing scene in it. This is a slow burn of a film but well worth the investment of time. A fantastic piece of cinema.

4.5/5

The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar

Wes Anderson was born to adapt Roald Dahl stories. The quirky and zany characters align perfectly with Anderson’s style, and you can feel the love and admiration emanating through the screen. Anderson’s faithful adaption of this short story is fantastic, and the narration fits perfectly into the story in such a unique way. Anderson’s recent aesthetic and almost stage show like sets are present again here, perfectly suiting this style of filmmaking. The story is tight and engaging and Anderson finds a way to bring his dry humour to Dahl’s original story despite how faithfully it is adapted. I have not seen a film made in this way and cannot wait to check out the other short stories that are in the anthology.

4/5