3 Films

Since this blog sometimes discusses films, I will mention three that I saw recently.

Lincoln

This was a breezy and entertaining.  But it gave me no lasting impression.  As with any Spielberg movie, it lacked depth.  I have never liked Spielberg.  To me, he makes summer, popcorn movies that have never resonated with me.  This movie was more of the same.

2001: A Space Odyssey

I usually do not watch older movies, but this is a classic and I figured I should give it a try.  It is wonderful.  It leaves me contemplating the monolith and its meaning for human evolution.  The ending is vague, which prompts more thought.  The special effects must have been dazzling for its time.  Sparse dialogue and little action is my kind of movie.

The Loneliest Planet

Superb movie about relationships and the moments that define us.  Little dialogue and little action, set against a trek through the Caucasus Mountains, it is an exploration of the human condition.  A reviewer had this to say:

"If I describe Julia Loktev's second feature, The Loneliest Planet, as having some of the absolutely best shots of people walking that I have ever seen in a motion picture, I fancy that I have both demonstrated what is the general shape of the movie's appeal, while also demonstrating why that appeal is undoubtedly limited to a tiny and self-selecting audience. Nevertheless, we exist, we folks for whom "the shots of people walking in this movie are extraordinary" is absolutely a statement of sincere, downright enthusiastic praise, and not a joke about art cinema's anti-narrative content. And for us, The Loneliest Planet is cause for celebration."

A movie about what it means to exist, with people navigating their issues in their relationship, along with the societal expectations of gender roles, the parameters of love, and the reconciliation of their disappointment over their failed expectations of the other - that is my kind of movie.