Another Month, Another set of the Best Movies I saw that month:
Bodies Bodies Bodies- Murder mystery mansion film with a Gen Z satire twist- pays homage a bit to 'And Then There Were None' which is one of my favourite whodunits. Because of that in part its a really good film including social deduction elements thrown in as everyone starts turning on each other. Pasts and current anxieties come out as the film goes on leaving you on edge. Great cast; A24 delivers again.
Insomnia (2002)- Another watch of an early Nolan film along with Memento. Psychological Thriller set in Alaska where two LAPD Detectives try to solve a murder. The setting meaning that the sun doesn't set makes for intriguing 'night' scenes. Really good story filled with twists and suspense throughout. Al Pacino in the lead is excellent as the decorated, but insomnia ridden cop, Robin Williams meanwhile excels in a very against type performance from him. Hillary Swank is great in support.
House of Sand and Fog- Women loses her home due to an error. A father trying a final gamble to maintain the keeping up of appearances (a fog over his true life) towards his family ends up getting the house aiming to make a profit. Turns into a battle over the house with tragic consequences. Great film about what happens when someone loses their security of their home (the sand of how quickly things can fall apart) after losing everything else and when another is trying desperately to provide security for theirs. Leads to two complex and tragic characters. Acting wise- they delivered some excellent performances.
Godzilla Minus One- Been ages since I've seen a Monster/Kaiju film- especially Godzilla, but to describe this film- Id say its excellent. Manages to both make Godzilla a fearful and terrifying antagonist while also telling an excellent human story about survivors guilt, finding purpose in your life and also post-war aftermath on civilians. Compelling storyline and also characters that you get invested in as they struggle both against Godzilla and themselves all make for an awesome film.
Lost in Translation- Brilliant film watching two people- a fading movie star suffering a mid-life crisis and a college graduate anxious about her future and marriage. Excellently covers the feelings of two people feeling lost in their lives at different stages of their lives and their struggle to respond to that as well as the theme of culture shock via been in Tokyo. When they end up discovering their similar situations it makes for some thoughtful interactions. Not a conventional romance film, but it is a fantastic heartfelt one- credit to Bill Murray in a more serious role as well as Scarlett Johansson.
The Edge of Tomorrow- Time loop films tend to be a good time and this sci-fi action does it greatly as you watch Tom Cruise try to figure out how to defeat alien invaders while stuck in a time loop. Action is great, enjoyable cast throughout ranging from the leads Cruise and Emily Blunt to the more supporting cast members like Brendan Gleeson. Overall has a really good story too- enjoyed this a lot.
The Devil Wears Prada- ''Florals? For Spring? Groundbreaking!'' Meryl Streep was fantastic in this as the frosty editor in chief of the fashion magazine Runway- a brilliant performance. The rest of the cast are good too (I wish Stanley Tucci was in it a little bit more), but Streep's performance is the star piece of what is a very good movie about the fashion industry and how ruthless it can be.
