Favorite First Viewings of July 2020
The Big Boss (1971) (dir. Lo Wei)
A phenomenal martial arts film, showcasing the talents of Bruce Lee to their coolest, bloodiest extent. The choreography is remarkable, and the direction is top-notch, with the blocking of the cast in each scene similar to a musical. Also a great critique on the inhumane treatment of workers by their bosses.
Burning Cane (2019) (dir. Phillip Michael Youmans)Ā
A directorial debut that shows enormous promise, tackling the ugliness of alcoholism, the sweaty lands of Louisiana, and the horrifying nature of overtly religious beliefs. The cinematography is astounding and the final shot is haunting.Ā
Dogville (2003) (dir. Lars von Trier)
My favorite LVT Iāve seen so far, with its wonderful minimalist set, amazing leading performance from Nicole Kidman, and a film that succeeds in showcasing how American society, despite its posturing, has not evolved in its way of thinking, and how small towns that present themselves as good are more easily to give in to murder and other atrocities.
Golden Eighties (1985) (dir. Chantal Akerman)
One of the greatest directors of all time makes a wonderful musical, channeling her familiar themes of lost love, anti-capitalism, and post-World War II anxieties intoĀ ā80s synthpop songs.Ā
Histoires dāAmerique: Food, Family, Philosophy (1989) (dir. Chantal Akerman)
A film that features Brechtian humor and several Jewish immigrants telling their stories in New York City, often with the dark, unsaid undertones that they had left their country to prevent getting killed in the Holocaust. I often think of the woman who had to leave her parents and her brother that told her that heās never going to see her again and the possibility that he made it to New York.
Hotel Monterey (1973) (dir. Chantal Akerman)
A haunting silent documentary film showcasing the exteriors and interiors of a nearly empty hotel. The patrons look like ghosts, and all of the shadows that are in each corner of the hotel make it look like there is no escape from the building itself.
Je, Tu, Il, Elle (1974) (dir. Chantal Akerman)
A film about missing an ex-lover, with loneliness aching through Akermanās narration, direction and set design. It also perfectly nails depression and being unable to create despite feeling that you need to.Ā
The Living End (1992) (dir. Gregg Araki)
My first Araki that Iāve seen. I need to see more. A beautifully shot, angry, funny, and heartbreaking road trip movie about the toxicity and dependence of the relationship between two men, as well as a scathing film showcasing how these men who suffer from AIDS are unable to receive the proper treatment they need.Ā
The Meetings of Anna (1978) (dir. Chantal Akerman)Ā
Another great Akerman movie that paints a perfect portrait of the directorās loneliness. Anna is a director who can barely hold a steady relationship or even a friendship due to her busy schedule and her own inability to commit to a romantic partner or spending time with a close friend. The last shot has broken me.Ā
Never Rarely Sometimes Always (2020) (dir. Eliza Hittman)Ā
A movie about a teenager going from Philadelphia to New York City to get an abortion, and NYC is shot like the intimidating, scary place it can be to two teenage girls who can easily get tricked and run out of money. A film with so much empathy and love for its protagonist, whose actor, Sidney Flanigan, gives a brilliant, subdued performance. I cried at the titular scene.Ā
News from Home (1977) (dir. Chantal Akerman)
Arguably, Chantal Akermanās masterpiece. A film in which she reads letters from her mother over gorgeous shots of New York City. I love the way itās filmed, she gets these gorgeous, colorful images of NYC and its people. It made me wonder if any of the people there had stories similar to that of Chantal. Did their parents write to them every day? Do their parents miss them? Akermanās motherās letters are so beautiful and caring. Despite them being mundane, sheās so caring and wants nothing but the best for her daughter. I started bawling 20 minutes in.
Palm Springs (2020) (dir. Max Barbakow)
A romance that uses its time loop setting as a perfect backdrop to show the loneliness and quitting feelings that the two main characters have succumbed to. They feel so much comfort in each other, however, and each moment that they spend together is just pure romantic movie magic. Samberg and Milioti give two of the yearās best performances and have incredible chemistry together.
