My 2024/5 season film list

[todd-parker]

Seed of the Sacred Fig B

Such a riveting film. Went in not knowing much about the film other than it had to be made in secret so I was unprepared for the story it was about to present. The inclusion of the real cell phone recordings was a powerful touch. Definitely recommend this one.

Read that the director was sentenced to 8 years in prison after the release of this film and had to eventually flee Iran.

This wave of Iranian filmmakers--Farhadi, Panahi, Rasolouf--are fearless.

The movie itself had greatness in its sights, IMO, but the turn toward women-in-peril thriller in the last third was unwise. At the very least, there was a bit more nuts-and-bolts story work that needed to be done, if that's the way it was headed. For instance...

Spoiler

There was no suggestion before the end that the father was a physical threat. When he was chasing them at the end, I kept thinking, what exactly happens if he catches them? More intense bickering? The movie needed to establish that he was capable of real violence, if it wanted him to become a life and death menace.

Also, what was the daughter's motivation to steal the gun in the first place?

That said, this is clearly not the kind of movie where you can reshoot based on audience reaction in test screenings, so maybe a grading curve is warranted. So maybe B+?

Actually risking your life to make a movie definitely deserves a bump in the rating.

Spoiler

I didn't really have a problem with the last act of the movie. The dad was in a desperate spot at that point. Paranoia had dug in deep (like that fig tree seed, ahem) and his life was probably cooked whether he got the gun back or not. Now his family had seemingly turned against him and were effectively sentencing him to death. Regarding the violence, the car chase and threatening the people from the gas station showed that it was on the table. Plus, sentencing dozens of people to death on a daily basis at your job might take its toll on your judgement

As for the daughter, my issue wasn't her so much taking the gun (she had seen all the footage of the police reaction to the demonstrators and her own friend was shot in the face) but how she knew about its existence in the first place. And why were they so reluctant to give the gun back? If it was because they were angry with his participation as an investigator for the regime, then that also might support his actions in the last part of the film.

[3dender]

Dune 2: A+
Gladiator 2: D
I Saw the TV Glow: B

Still wanna see: I'm Still Here.

Don't wanna see: Emilia Perez, Conclave, Anora, Brutalist

Maybe will see but probably won't like: Complete Unknown

Maybe will see and probably would like: Nosferatu

Just saw "A Real Pain" and I'll give it a B+... engaging throughout and great performances all around but one of the few movies I've seen in recent years that felt too short... could have used a few more scenes to engage with the emotional turmoil that both of them are experiencing (and would make their last scene in the airport feel more impactful).

[otcboy]

[/quote]
Just saw "A Real Pain" and I'll give it a B+... engaging throughout and great performances all around but one of the few movies I've seen in recent years that felt too short... could have used a few more scenes to engage with the emotional turmoil that both of them are experiencing (and would make their last scene in the airport feel more impactful).
[/quote]

I really liked "A Real Pain", but some parts of it were so uncomfortable to watch (and supposed to be), I was okay with the length.