Thoughts on Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017) is not a coming of age story, despite what its promotional materials say, which is why Richard Brody can have a field day trashing the contradictions and superficialities of the film; rather, it’s a return to the classic superhero secret identity plot, in which keeping the identity secret is the major conflict. Ever since Tony “save-the-world-with-technology-and-has-never-read-Heidegger” Stark (Robert Downey, Jr.) outed himself at the end of Iron Man (2008), the Marvel Cinematic Universe has been lacking this most traditional of superhero narrative elements. Well, now it’s got it. And because Peter Parker (Tom Holland) is a kid, the film gets to incorporate that most annoying of kid movie tropes, the Cassandra who’s right about everything but listened to by nobody. Thus, because it’s a return to generic form, skin-deep characterization is not a letdown but just baked into the pudding.

Thoughts on Badlands (1973)

There really isn’t much that hasn’t been said about Terrence Malick’s amazing debut feature, Badlands (1973), which basically made the careers of everyone whose name was attached to it. I just wanted to point y’all toward this oral history of the production process, a record of the first time Malick and his idiosyncrasies were unleashed on the filmmaking industry.

Thoughts on Andrei Rublev (Andrey Rublyov / Андрей Рублёв 1966/2016)

I won’t deny it: Tarkovsky’s classic put me to sleep (full stomach, stuffy room, subtitles—you get the idea). But one thing about Andrei Rublev (Andrey Rublyov / Андрей Рублёв 1966/2016) stayed with me after I awoke.

Thoughts on Zootopia (2016)

My first thoughts on finishing Zootopia (2016; early 2016—timing is key) were about the same as Matt Zoller Seitz’s over at the Roger Ebert website; in his review, after praising the animation (that train sequence!) and voice acting (shout out to Jenny Slate’s Dawn Bellwether!), he points out that although the film’s message is that people shouldn’t be taken at face value according to the broad, superficial categories they belong to, most of the gags in the film do precisely that. But then I remembered what George Clooney says to Anna Kendrick in Up in the Air (2009): “I’m like my mother: I stereotype. It’s faster.”

Thoughts on Kate Plays Christine (2016)

A case of docudrama as moral entrapment.

Thoughts on a Couple of Times Richard Brody Hits the Nail on the Head: War Machine (2017) and Colossal (2016)

The extremely well-read (and well-screened) and cerebrrally articulate Richard Brody, who’s also a Jean-Luc Godard expert, is often led by his vast knowledge of films and experience in watching them to proffer up a major head-scratcher of a review—his take on Boyhood (2014) is a good example. It’s probably precisely because he’s seen so many films that his taste has become so refined, as the legendary Pauline Kael observed could happen (in section X) all the way back in 1969. But credit where credit’s due: He absolutely, positively, indubitably nails two recent films.

Thoughts on Bridge of Spies (2015)

Trying to make sense of this film split into two tonally incongruous parts.

Thoughts on A Silent Voice (Eiga Koe no Katachi / 聲の形 2016, aka The Shape of Voice)

Some thoughts on this award-winning film about a deaf-mute girl, bullying, guilt, and reconciliation, taken from a discussion I had at the anime review site That Just Figures!.