Matthew’s Letterboxd Watchlist
8 ½
A film I should have seen a long time ago this gets referenced so often. I really enjoyed the way the visuals are interesting and the performances feel so natural, but even more I loved the interplay of languages. A number of languages happening throughout, wordplay, interesting fast-paced dialogue… it really helped make this a gripping film.
Dirty Computer
Janelle Monae’s emotion picture to support her latest album is intriguing. The core totalitarian future is heavily reminiscent of other films we’ve seen, and the minor narrative shown doesn’t really offer much. But that’s then coupled with some amazing songs and dream-like cutaways to deliver videos for the songs. Somehow, it works.
Morvern Callar
Watching more of Lynne Ramsay’s earlier films and I was pleased to find something else from Samantha Morton too. It’s a bit more quiet than I’d normally watch, but the core was oddly satisfying.
I Am Love
I feel like every time I see Tilda Swinton in something she impresses me more. In this she’s an Russian matriarch of an Italian family, and spends one conversation pretending she can’t understand the people talking English. A thoroughly enticing film with good performances.
The Protaganists
A really unusual film, effectively a naturalistic behind the scenes making of a documentary whilst also being the documentary itself. The end piece wasn’t as gripping as it could be, but I appreciate the idea.
Red Lights
Sigourney Weaver as a paranormal investigator sounded great. And it is good, but the ending let this film down by giving up its core tenet.
This Is the Life
Less of a documentary and more of a retrospective, I hadn’t heard of the Good Life club before and I think by the end I was pleased to know its story.
Tokyo Story
Japanese dramas about ordinary people are always fascinating without being melodramatic. This is a really well delivered film about the change of generations and the way post-war Japan was already pushing everyone towards cities.
A Streetcar Named Desire
I knew some of the story already but had never actually seen Streetcar. Dramatic, tense, but ultimately sad. Definitely also needs changes for a better delivery now.
The Last Man on Earth
Vincent Price in a story I hear is based on I Am Legend. But it’s not good. It’s so poorly done it’s hard to buy into though.
The Red Shoes
I loved this so much. It loses a bit because it forgets that it’s supposed to be about people on stage rather than presented as a movie. But the story was good, the dancing was phenomenal, and you really felt the desire in everyone to be seen or heard on a stage.
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
I watched this as a random selection of a potentially good film from 1988, and I was still blown away by how good the film was. It was incredibly funny, and I loved how the ridiculous elements were countered by some very human moments.
Moonlight
This has been on the list all year and I’m glad I finally got around to watching it. Not quite as amazing as I had heard, and I can see what they’re doing with the final shot but I think it perhaps robs some of the emotion from the moment before.
Tamara Drewe
This seemed like a great Saturday night film, which it almost was, until the main character does something that we found utterly unbelievable and very disappointing, which derailed the rest of the film.
The Hurt Locker
I loved Jeremy Renner’s intensity in this film. The rest of the cast don’t quite get to his level, and I think the film spends a while not sure whose story it’s going to be (which is baffling because the ending definitely shows you whose story it has been). But a good and gripping film without being either pro or anti-war.
Suspiria
Seeing this available on MUBI I had to watch it. The remake looks interesting, and this is another film where I can understand why it’s such a favourite – the visual and auditory elements are really striking throughout and bombard the viewer. But the story is pretty thin and most of the characters are pretty poorly written.
Platoon
As dramatic and tense as this was I ended up feeling a bit annoyed that for everything we go through it tries to sneak in some sort of Hollywood ending. It wants to utterly denounce the war but for me doesn’t go far enough to do that because it doesn’t vilify the pro-war elements enough.
You Were Never Really Here
I think I need to watch this more than once to really take it in. On first viewing I came away unfulfilled because there is so little here, but I think it is a film that with familiarity you’ll see and take more from it.
Miracle on 34th Street (1947)
The ambiguity over whether Kris really is Father Christmas or not is what keeps this film going. But there are now so many elements that do not work that this is not the film I think it once was. That said, the performance from Maureen O’Hara alongside the incredibly good writing for Doris really do help keep it going.
Recommendation
My recommendation must be Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. I utterly did not expect it to be as funny as it was, and to do slapstick/farcical comedy as well as it does. Coupled with some interesting characters and non-stop pace I loved every moment of this film