![]() I'll never forget going to see Lord of the Rings: Return of the King in theaters with my siblings. The magic I experienced that day has stuck with me for my lifetime. Since then there's only been a handful of movies that have impacted my life the same way. Dune Part II is one of those movies. I saw it in theaters three time and just recently rewatched it at home once again. As Owen Wilson would say, "wow." This movie is magical. We open with Princess Irulan writing about and digesting the brutal destruction of House Atreides. She invites us to consider the weight of her father's silence and bring us closer to understanding the boiling rage in Paul's heart, whom picks up where the Princess leaves off. Villeneuve immediately delivers a heart pounding action sequence that delivers. As if to say, THANK YOU for believing in this project. It was worth the wait. The first hour of the film is one great scene after another. Jessica becoming the reverend mother, the harvester attack, Paul becoming fedaykin, and the worm ride... one of the best made scenes in a long, long time. We then take a dark turn into the Harkonnen world and meet Feyd Rautha (Butler). We get Léa Seydoux's sultry performance as Lady Margot. If I were to say anything negative about this film it is that after this point, the film takes a break from being awesome. We'd reached such a high point in the film in just sixty minutes - it's natural, but noticeable. Perhaps if the film was given a longer runtime they could have converted the middle 40 minutes from just plot progression to real meaty substance. Alas, this is a production of monstrous size and a considerably weird IP for Hollywood to bank on. It is understandable that they wanted to keep the runtime less than three hours. I have so much to say but let me try and keep this short. Rebecca Ferguson and Javier Bardem give two of my favorite performances of the year. The soundtrack for this film is on fire and elevates every scene and gives me goosebumps. I love it dearly and will continue to rewatch this as much as I rewatch Lord of the Rings.
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![]() Don't call her Anora! She goes by Ani and she found herself a rich boy. He might be on the spectrum, but he's got a nice smile and lots of cash. They get married in Las Vegas the way young and free souls do. They spend evenings in his mansion smoking weed, playing PlayStation, having sex. Director Sean Baker (Florida Project) always captures moments so relatable you can place yourself in the scene. He presents the world as it is and therefore this wonderful but shallow reality comes crashing down as expected. Baker crafts one of the best scenes of the year with the help of the incredibly talented cast led by Mikey Madison (Ani) diverting the story into a gut wrenchingly funny yet shockingly raw struggle between Ani and the suspicious associates of Ivan's parents. While arguably long-winded the 2nd act of the film has the biggest laughs as Garnick, Igor, and Ani get drug around searching for Ivan. Garnicks pain and Igor's awkwardness service as extended jokes while Ani fights tooth and nail to keep her cinderella lifestyle in grasp. Her bravery and passion through this hopeless and potentially dangerous adventure make Ani hard not to love. And by the end you'll want to give her a big hug. This reminded me very much of 2019's dizzying Uncut Gems, which I also loved, except Anora has much more charm than Howard. However both will keep you in your seat long after the credits with your jaw dropped. ![]() "My Brother, what do you know about war?" Conclave's first scene shows us the procedure of now dead Pope's body being bagged, put in an ambulance, and driven off down a bumpy road. It's all very - normal. You'd think the Pope would get some special treatment but he doesn't. This is the first way Conclave humanizes the high level catholic elders, the cardinals, whom this film is all about. It's easy to forget that behind the pomp and circumstance these are just people, and the entertainment value stems deeply from the behind-the-scenes lens of a process shrouded in mystery. We come to understand the motives, manipulation, and meaning behind the fancy clothes and it's all performed by a wonderful cast working with a finely tuned script. I was instantly gripped by Ralph Fiennes who perhaps gives his career best as Cardinal Lawrence - the dean of the College of Cardinals and close friend of the recently deceased pope. He struggles to preside over the Conclave as dark ambitions are brought to light, while also struggling with his own faith and doubts. Alongside Fiennes is a powerhouse cast and all deserve recognition. The movies cinematics are also gorgeously understated. Its easy to miss all the craftmanship this film employs while sucked into it's thrilling story. To cap it all off this movie released right before the 24' election and the parallels of the political wars being waged hit home for me down to the films final twist. |
AuthorTheFilmInformer is a collection of movie reviews ranging from the 1950's classics to 2021 releases. Written and organized for easy viewing by Joshua Dzindzio. Also, please visit The Film Informer on YouTube for video reviews and Oscar news. Categories |