Widows (2018) - More than your typical heist film, more like a crime epic. All around great performances and hard edged direction from McQueen pull off the job here easily. And yet, greatness seems to be in reach but just barely missed. There are a lot of subplots which add depth and texture to the characters and the world, but the payoffs make one question why so much time was spent in different areas. I feel like this film either needed to be a lot longer, or trimmed a bit shorter. Either way, like I said, it works. B+
Amelie (2001) - I always appreciate a film with an aggressively specific and unique sense of style. However, there’s always a risk there. With this, the film’s quirkiness oscillates between enjoyable and somewhat grating. Thankfully, moreso the former. B
Sabrina (1995) - While I appreciate the classy/classic approach this film took, it does beg the question of why it even needed to be made if was barely modernizing the story in its retelling of the 50s original. There’s nothing bad here, and it all pretty pleasantly told, but it’s just kinda whatever in comparison when the biggest reason why the original is a must-watch is missing (Hepburn, naturally). B-
Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindewald (2018) - As if doubling-down on the worst aspects of its predecessor - pointless world-building, excessive sequel set-up - weren’t enough, Rowling and co. have also added all new problems - over-abundance of inconsequential characters, inert motivations, complete lack of forward momentum, etc. Honestly it would be a lot easier for me to list everything that isn’t wrong with this movie… uh there’s, well… maybe “easy” was the wrong word to use. In all seriousness, the visuals are nice, even if the cinematographic look applied makes everything seem drab and lifeless. I’ll also say that most of the actors seem to be trying their best, which I guess is all you could ask for. D
The Ballad of Buster Scruggs (2018) - As much as I love the Coen brothers, I’ve always felt like I clicked more with their dramas than their straight comedies, so while I was excited for this, think it’d be the latter I didn’t know how much I’d like it. Turns out it’s much more in the vein of my favorite Coen work - primarily dramatic but with a strong sense of dark humor (though ironically my favorite chapter is the most comedic). Here they present their own idiosyncratic take on How the West Was Won, with all the amusing misanthropy one has come to expect from them. Gorgeous vistas (courtesy of the reliable Bruno Delbonnel) and wonderful performances abound, and while not every chapter is as easily enjoyable as the next, they all serve to paint the Coen’s horrifying (yet oddly beautiful) portrait of the wild west. B+
Green Book (2018) - A story about an endlessly interesting man, almost completely squandered by focusing the perspective on his driver, who’s essentially just a cartoon character. There’s potential for something really compelling here, examining the intersections between race, class, and culture, but the filmmakers have decided to portray things in the most pedestrian and inoffensive way possible. C+
Othello (1951) - I’ve never read Othello, and while Shakespeare tends to be better understood by watching it performed, that might not be the case with this film, where one must keep up with Welles flying through the narrative almost as quickly as his actors tear through the dialogue. Still, Welles’s dynamic, ahead-of-its-time style is a always exciting to watch. B
Naqoyqatsi (2002) - Starts strong but ultimately fails to live up to its predecessors, primarily due to its reliance on CGI and stock footage. Whereas Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi were able to present the world from a different perspective with their original footage, Reggio has to use editing and post processing techniques to make his point, which is far less successful. Yo Yo Ma is a fine addition to the soundtrack, but on the whole, Glass’s music is far less hypnotic than is necessary for this film to completely work. B-