Over the past two weeks I have been watching a lot of movies. I have attempted to rank them.
Ex Machina. A great take on the risks of artificial intelligence. Amazingly well executed with a slim but phenomenal cast, perfect use of effects, and unexpected yet useful twists. What a debut by director Alex Garland.
Kingdom of Heaven. The theatrical release has a meager 39% score on Rotten Tomatoes, but I watched the Director’s Cut, which has been described as the most substantial Director’s Cut of all time. This meant the movie was over 3 hours long but I did not find that to be a problem. A fictionalized biopic set in the Crusades, this movie was full of rich characters and compelling conflict. Orlando Bloom was surprisingly good, not great, in the lead role but those around him easily pick up the slack. I think this is Ridley Scott’s best movie.
Incendies. Woof. This movie was disturbing. I can’t remember the last time I watched a subtitled movie but this was worth it. Before the big twist is explained, a main character has a very sudden gasp. And that gasp stuck with me for a while. This was a very interesting take on painful forgiveness.
The Elephant Man. David Lynch was born to direct this movie. I was just in awe of John Hurt and Anthony Hopkins in this one. A really powerful and uplifting film. My favorite part was the plot line in which head nurse Mrs. Mothershead gets Dr. Treves doubting whether he is really helping John Merrick or just making him a different sort of circus act.
Blue Ruin. In this movie, the main character attempts to avenge his parents’ murder from many years ago but there are no flashbacks to bog the story down. They very lightly give you the minimum details you need to figure out what happened. If Ex Machina showed what’s possible with 4 actors, Blue Ruin shows what’s possible in 90 minutes. I will say I found this movie very depressing.
Annihilation. The second film directed by Garland (Ex Machina) this was a fine movie but it didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Natalie Portman did a great job in the lead role, but the rest of the cast wasn’t very memorable. The climax scene absolutely nailed being creepy in a unique manner (I loved that music). Worth seeing but watch any of the above first.
Under The Skin. This was easily the strangest movie of the bunch. I enjoyed the ending and I think director Jonathan Glazer largely accomplished what he was going for (an observation of human life from the perspective of an alien). But too many shots went on uncomfortably long with little payoff.
What movies should I add to my future viewing queue?