Apocalypto (2006, dir. Mel Gibson): I hated the gratuitous, almost pornographic way Gibson showed violence in The Passion and I'm no fonder of it here. This film isn't irredeemable but it needed a different director and screenwriter - one who gave even a single shit about historical accuracy.
Lucía (1968, dir. Humberto Solás): This film performs the rare feat of telling three stories and having none of them feel like an afterthought. It also conveys its story and themes in a way that feels very accessible even to someone like me, who knows very little about Cuban history.
Strange Days (1995, dir. Kathryn Bigalow): Extremely 90s near-future sci fi thriller. It's a lot of fun, and I especially appreciate that Ralph Fiennes is kind of a goofy guy and not the typical stone cold badass we see in these films. There's also an optimism present despite all the grit and horror, which honestly feels more dated than any other aspect of this film.
Rosetta (1999, dir. Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne): Rosetta is prickly, stubborn, painfully aware of the injustices she faces and unendingly hard-working. The camera matches her uneasy energy, making for a powerful, if more than a bit depressing, character piece.
Sherman's March (1985, dir. Ross McElwee): Honestly, the 160 minutes kinda flew by. McElwee is extremely self-involved but in a way that's vulnerable and interesting to watch, and he importantly knows when to let other people take the spotlight. Charleen, you are a star.
The Leopard (1963, dir. Luchino Visconti): I wasn't super feeling this during the first half (I wasn't a fan of Senso so maybe I was just biased) but something clicked into place for me eventually. What fully sold me on the film was Burt Lancaster's monologue about Sicilians at around the two hour mark, and fortunately there was still an hour to go after that. What can I say, I really like Burt Lancaster.
The Time to Live and the Time to Die (1985, dir. Hou Hsiao-hsien): Couldn't stop comparing this to A Brighter Summer Day in my head, which is not fair and also not in this film's favor. There was a lot here to love, though. And now I miss my grandma :(
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