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Reviews
First Reformed (2017)
First Reformed (2018) - A Study of a Pastor's Depression
The opening shot of the film will make you stay a bit longer, with it's vivid and bleak cinematography the film will hunt you and will creep to your skin until it reaches your fears and nightmares. A piece about the study of a pastor's depression on this crucial and not environmental friendly world we created today. Every frame in the film is great to look at it paints a beautiful, yet doomed sceneries. It opens up a character that we rarely talk or meet in real life which is the pastor. In this film we explore their own insight in this world.
First Reformed is about a pastor of a small church in upstate New York who spirals out of control after a soul-shaking encounter with an unstable environmental activist and his pregnant wife. Her husband wants to kill their baby, because he doesn't want his child to experience the end of the world that is bound to happen because of climate change. His wife played by Amanda Seyfried asks help from Reverend Ernst Toller played by Ethan Hawke to cure her husband's depression, but as he goes deeper to the relationship of this couple his mind is getting eaten by their beliefs.
The pacing of the film is the only thing I am concerned about because I did not like it for this kind of genre film which tells a hunting tale. It shows static shots which makes the film slow, and with the mix of its pacing it gets boring in the middle. I wish there's more intense editing moments like in the third act of the film. The cinematography is the best part of the film because it really paints the the whole feel of the church and its people. The use of silence and minimal sound scoring is great because it makes you immerse to the characters.
There's no doubt that Ethan Hawke is the star of this film. He conveys the whole attitude of a pastor who is private and secretive in his nature. He gives a compelling performance with the character, he let's us in his mind. In the other hand, Amanda Seyfried is believable as a housewife, her star power did not shine on this film which is great because it is needed for her role as someone who is just a suburban housewife. She have complete control with her character.
The film tackles a great issue about environment which asks the question are we doing anything to save this planet or we need a little more push or an unforgiving one to open our eyes.The film is flawed with its storytelling pacing, but the whole concept is well-thought of and the casting is on point. First Reformed did not reach my expectations, but there are still brave and amazing moments in the film that will make you wish it was re-edited with more intensity which it lacks.
BuyBust (2018)
BuyBust (2018) - The Inhumane World of Drugs
The altered world of Erik Matti's BuyBust is visually stunning and thought provoking, hitting on President Duterte's drug on war in the Philippines. Two years in the making, but kind of lacks truth on its depiction of the lower class people. That two years is put too much on the visual and aesthetics action sequences of the film. In the Philippines action films is not getting produce that much because of budget issues, but this year we are lucky to have Buy Bust. It is still worth the wait.
BuyBust is about an anti-drug enforcement agency that stages a massive drug bust in the slums of Manila. It tackles the issues about extrajudicial killings during Duterte's drug on war. It shows those people who gets affected with it. It asks the question "Is it the system or Is it us?". Obviously, the film is pure fiction it is not really showcasing what's happening, but a theory or an exaggerated fictionalized world. This situation can or may happen, but not yet. The downside of the film is its underdeveloped characters specifically the PDEA squad. The killings don't matter at all because you don't know these people and you cannot feel them. There are particular scenes that can be more heartfelt and memorable if the characters were just flesh out a bit, like the relationship of Alda (Sheenly Gener) and Bernie (Victor Neri) who are married to each other their death should have been a tearjerker sequence.
The lower class people who is in the middle of the crossfire is not humanized, they become a tool or a visual style for the director. We cannot see what do they really want - is it war or to fix the system? It's unclear because of their contradicting actions.
BuyBust was good, but it should have been better. I understand the intention and choice of director Erik Matti to make the film an hour long non-stop action sequences, like blue-printed from Mad Max: Furry Road, but as the story progress it gets lost in the action, but the third act saves the film. I like BuyBust more when it's silent and talkie, rather than its action scenes.
Le samouraï (1967)
Le Samourai (1967) - A Slow Burn and Edgy French Film-Noir
European films are known for the French New Wave style of filmmaking where they break the rules, especially in the editing room. The jump cuts originated from them, they cut their films without following the rules set upon by the Hollywood filmmakers which is suppose to be like this - establishing shot to know the location then medium to go closer to the characters, and then close-up for the dialogues. I have seen many old French films who disregards these techniques, but I was surprised to see this in Le Samourai a crime film starring Alain Delon about a professional hit man named Jeff Costello. Viewing this in the 21st century days of filmmaking I have to say it is beyond its time. It doesn't only have that Hollywood film-noir style, but it has the contemporary indie filmmaking of today which is slow-burn and edgy.
Le Samourai is about Jeff Costello a hit man for hire who is tasked to kill an owner of a nightclub for the price of 2 million, but everything goes wrong when the nightclub's pianist played by Cathy Rosier sees him after the crime. The investigation happens after and Jeff Costello's alibi is strongly believed by the police because of the convincing statements of his lover who is also his accomplice, but the head of the investigation is not impressed, and after Costello's release the police still plots some investigations. The pianist who is the only witness of the crime denies the accusation that Jeff Costello is the murderer, and this leads to Jeff Costello wanting to know more about the pianist if she is hired to protect him or she has hidden affection to him. And then everything becomes a cat and mouse game.
The mise-en-scene of the film is gloomy and dark it evokes the soulless act of killing. Jeff Costello's costume has a distinct trademark and character into it. He wears a fedora hat and brown trench coat, but inside of that he's wearing a dark suit which depicts who he is inside an empty and obscure person. Almost all of the character in the film is dressed in gray and dark tone which uplifts the edginess of the film. The cinematography isn't that impressive compared to some Hitchcock films which is also released in those decades. It losses it's suspense because the cinematography is not giving us hints or clues, but it releases actions abruptly. In terms of acting everyone is greatly directed especially the protagonist played by Alain Delon, he shows a nuance and silent approach to the character which reminds me of Ryan Gosling's acting in Drive or maybe that's Gosling's spirit animal that time. Cathy Rosier is elegant and mesmerizing with her role as a pianist she manages to attract my eyes every time she comes in the scene and her skin tone makes her more unique, and her last scene in the film is memorable.
The structure of the story is very well-thought of by opening it slowly in a room apartment without nothing happening is an amusing approach making us viewers think what will be the journey of this story before it starts and it turns out to be unpredictable, and on the revelation scenes everyone will be on the edge of their seats. The denouement part of the film in the nightclub is a memorable scene and I think I will remember forever.
Le Samourai is a thrilling experience, but it lacks big and explosive moments. I feel like the film is concentrating on the nuances of the characters rather than action scenes and I think that's not bad at all. I'm just waiting for snappier moments in the film that will make me jump off my chair.
Love, Simon (2018)
Love, Simon (2018) - Teenage Drama King/Queen
Love, Simon is the movie that we are all been waiting for to be produced by a big production company because it tackles the struggles and bliss of coming out. Originally, it's a book named "Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda", gladly they changed the title into a catchier one and more story related. The movie is a typical approach to a coming of age story it doesn't have the happy go lucky style of John Hughes or the personal stories and depth of Greta Gerwig's Lady Bird, but it still manages to tell a convincing story of a teenage boy coming to terms with everyone around him while hiding his real gender identity.
Nick Robinsons is the star of this film he achieves to portray a discreet gay without being too flamboyant, even though his inner thoughts tell him to go all out. The diversity of the cast gives the film a glow and they can all act, honestly. Watching the film makes me feel nostalgic it portrays those moments that you don't know who you are yet and just laying on bed spending the days locked inside your bedroom being carefree, and the only problems are your high school secrets and crushes.
The screenplay is very interesting and I believe it's the reason it's not rottenly rated by the critics. The inciting incident of the story starts when someone posts an anonymous coming out letter on a school organization's website where every student has an account. The name of the anonymous person is BLUE. Simon got inspired with BLUE's story so he starts to contact this person via email, and they started to share their own gay stories and fantasies. Simon gets closer and closer to the anonymous person online that he decides to catch him by getting hints on their emails and looking for him around the school and town. So, Simon's idea of BLUE gets too much in his head that almost every guy he meets becomes BLUE to him, but every time the intentions of the people is revealed he gets his heartbroken.
Knowing Greg Berlanti's background he comes from television shows, and I can see his directing approach here is still for televised content it did not push the boundaries of queer films, but Love, Simon will always be remembered because of it's bravery to tell a story of a young gay man in this generation where some parents and adults are still closed minded. This film is still a triumph for the LGBT community.