The second month — and first full month — of the reign of terror.
Feb ’25 Greatest Hits:
- Rogue One (2016)
- Andor (2022)
- The Red Shoes (1948)
- Picnic at Hanging Rock (1978)
- Even Flaubert’s Sentimental Education, up until the end.
Honestly, some really good shit.
Feb ’25 Misses:
- Attack of the Clones (2003)
- Set It Off (so indelibly, 1990s)
- Captain America: The Winter Dumbass (WGAF)
- The Bear [rolls eyes]
- 2012 (1995) The hoi polloi were wrong? Really?!
A Prayer to the Deity Who Blesses and Curses Us for Our Aesthetic Consumptions!
Dear Lord,
Forgive me for I have sinned.
But in my defense, I also watched some consumed some really good stuff! Maybe the good stuff makes up for the bad? Don’t Powell & Pressburger annihilate even the slightest vestiges of cultural mediocrity?!
Amen!
1 February
— György Lukács, Theory of the Novel, 10 pp.
Had started reading this in January was was baffled and enflamed. The main issue was how Lukács understands irony, since this is perhaps the primary feature of his account of the modern novel. To me it sounds a lot like a sort of Hegelian opposition. But perhaps that is the point, irony describes that opposition whereas for Hegel it is merely a moment in the process of …
Two novels to which Lukács devotes especial attention are Flaubert’s Sentimental Education and Henrik Pontoppidan’s Lucky Per. Had never even heard of Pontoppidan! Therefore, he was not real. Had heard of Sentimental Education, but I would never had bothered to read it if not for Lukács. The same for Lucky Per, the middle of which I am currently in (3/22).
— F. Schlegel, “Letter on the Novel” in Classic and Romantic German Aesthetics
— Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones (2002)
Directed by George Lucas, with a screenplay by George Lucas and Jonathan Hales, based on characters by George Lucas; starring Ewan McGregor, Natalie Portman, Hayden Christensen, Ian McDiarmid, Samuel L. Jackson, Christopher Lee, Anthony Daniels, Kenny Baker, Frank Oz, and Temuera Morrison.
I’m struck once more by the tragedy of Count Dooku. This is the one interesting character amid menagerie of facile caricatures. Of course, undeveloped. Because this movie sucks. Also, trade federation?
2 February
— NYRB on Syria
— Finished The Theory of the Novel
— Curzio Malaparte, The Skin, 10 pp.
Struggling through this book and nearly sent it back to the library.
3 February
— Set It Off (1996)
Directed by F. Gary Gray, with a screenplay by Kate Lanier and Takashi Bufford; starring Jada Pinkett Smith, Queen Latifah, Vivica A. Fox, Kimberly Elise, John C. McGinley, and Blair Underwood.
Had known of this film for many, many years. But had not seen before. Mainly because it’s not that interesting. It does possess a potentially interesting conceit — or more, backstory. But that does not a movie make.
— The Skin, 20 pp.
— Elaine Equi, The Intangibles, 20 pp.
— Gustave Flaubert, Sentimental Education, 25 pp.
Following the trail of Lukács, hoping to understand something of the latter’s celebration of the latter.
7 February
— The Truman Show (1998)
Directed by Peter Weir, with a screenplay by Andrew Niccol; starring Jim Carrey, Laura Linney, Noah Emmerich, Natascha McElhone, Holland Taylor, and Ed Harris.
I had never seen the entirety of this film and given it’s importance and the fact that it is a Peter Weir film, I suppose that’s saying something. Part of my doubt came from Jim Carrey, who, despite everything, actually has had some very effective dramatic roles. I’m not sure this is one of them. Mostly, this is the same boob that you see elsewhere.
— Star Wars: The Last Jedi (2017)
Directed by Rian Johnson, with a screenplay by Rian Johnson, based on characters by George Lucas; starring Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Andy Serkis, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Laura Dern, and Benicio del Toro.
Almost any part of the movie that had John Boyega (“Finn”) in it is horrible. The scenes where they are on the Canto Blight mission are so dreadful. Almost saved by del Toro, but even he can’t undo the stupidity of the characters of Rose and Finn.
8 February
— Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
Directed by J.J. Abrams, with a screenplay by Chris Terrio and J.J. Abrams, based on characters by George Lucas; starring Carrie Fisher, Mark Hamill, Adam Driver, Daisy Ridley, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Anthony Daniels, Naomi Ackie, Domhnall Gleeson, Richard E. Grant, Lupita Nyong’o, Keri Russell, Joonas Suotamo, Kelly Marie Tran, Ian McDiarmid, and Billy Dee Williams.
The scenes on the wrecked Deathstar in the middle of an ocean are actually really good. The rest of it … eh …
— The Beast Must Die (1953)
Directed and written by Román Viñoly Barreto with Alexis de Arancibia, based on the novel by Nicholas Blake; starring Narciso Ibáñez Menta, Laura Hidalgo, Guillermo Battaglia, and Milagros de la Vega.
The recommendation of the Criterion Collection as part of Argentinian Noir.
9 February
— The Lady Vanishes (1938)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, with a screenplay by Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder, based on the novel The Wheel Spins by Ethel Lina White; starring Margaret Lockwood, Michael Redgrave, Paul Lukas, Dame May Whitty, Cecil Parker, Naunton Wayne, and Basil Radford.
— Flaubert, 15 pp.
10 February
— Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)
Directed by Shaka King, with a screenplay by Will Berson and Shaka King, based on a story by Kenny Lucas, Keith Lucas, Will Berson, and Shaka King; starring Daniel Kaluuya, LaKeith Stanfield, Jesse Plemons, Dominique Fishback, Ashton Sanders, and Martin Sheen.
The Lucas brothers who wrote this are twins, but they also dress alike …
The story of Fred Hampton, which this film frames, is yet another sad episode in the history of federal law enforcement. He seemed like such an interesting individual as Kaluuya portrays him — just 21 years old! Would that any of us had that kind of prescience, that gravity, that power.
11-14 February
— 2012 (2009)
Directed by Roland Emmerich, with a screenplay by Roland Emmerich and Harald Kloser; starring John Cusack, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Oliver Platt, Thandiwe Newton, Danny Glover, and Woody Harrelson.
This film is pretty dumb and pointless, but the spectacle of the first part of the film are sort of breathtaking. It’s a fun, dumb pleasure. But about the point they get on the airplane to Asia, God would have been benevolent had he crushed it with a meteor.
— Flaubert, 65 pp.
— Hoot (2006)
Directed by Wil Shriner, with a screenplay by Wil Shriner, based on the novel Hoot by Carl Hiaasen; starring Logan Lerman, Brie Larson, Cody Linley, Tim Blake Nelson, Luke Wilson, and Kristin Chenoweth.
Lucian has read this Hiaasen book this film is based on so many times! I have not. It’s a fun film, what with performances by Tim Blake Nelson and Luke Wilson. The
— Secrets & Lies (1996)
Directed by Mike Leigh, with a screenplay by Leigh; starring Timothy Spall, Brenda Blethyn, Phyllis Logan, Claire Rushbrook, and Marianne Jean-Baptiste.
The first Mike Leigh film I saw was Naked (1993), and I believe that was in the theaters in New York City, during the spring of 1993, when I was in college. Probably saw this at Film Forum, where I saw so many movies during that semester. Ask me about the Fellini film festive! Ask me!!!
Secrets & Lies is less abrasive than Naked. No David Thewlis. But seriously. These are characters that we are drawn to. The idea that Cynthia is Hortense’s mother seems … so much, like it must be a mistake. For, of course, the obvious reasons. And Leigh encourages the viewer to think so as well, if not in part because Cynthia seems odious and pathetic.
And then we have to follow Cynthia through the crisis (and possibility of self-discovery) that Hortense’s presence enables. This is going to be messy, we know. Unlike contemporary filmmakers, Leigh doesn’t dwell on the uncomfortable. Östlund comes to mind.
15 February
— Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Directed by Gareth Edwards, with a screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy, based on a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta; starring Felicity Jones, Diego Luna, Ben Mendelsohn, Donnie Yen, Mads Mikkelsen, Alan Tudyk, Jiang Wen, Riz Ahmed, Forest Whitaker, and Genevieve O’Reilly.
I continue to maintain that this is the best of allllll of the Star Wars films. Of course, it could only be the best after one has seen the others. And it has a few false notes.
We have to see the other films to appreciate how The Force mythology needs to be deflated. Episode VII, for example, admits this as well, what with the exchanges between Finn and Han where Han has to explain to him that it’s not a kind of magic.
And given the tremendous success of Andor, Diego Luna needs to be commended. Luna is a very capable actor. I really liked him a lot in Narcos: Mexico.
After Luna’s Andor is introduced, immediately he kills an informant that had just communicated valuable information. So Andor is dubious, from the beginning. These are not Rebels with hearts of gold, the kinds that can be the heroes of the IV-VI or even the prequel.
To the contrary, Andor is an assassin and being an agent requires unsavory missions. To demonstrate this, the mission to find Galen Erso: Andor has been instructed to kill Galen.
Jyn is equally a fascinating character. She’s bitter and unconvinced. She’s been discarded and helped by no one. She has no love for the Rebellion/Alliance (that reference to its different names is fucking brilliant) — this might have occured in Andor. The reason for this is that of course at historical moments there is no agreed upon nomenclature. WWII only becomes such after historians have written about it. The “Rebels” only become such after their actions have been burnished by time.
Her transformation into a Rebel perhaps comes a little too easy. But it also follows from her love for her father and the discovery that, despite all of the time that had passed, he still loved her. Making his intentions real is consistent with her narrative. And it’s beautiful that she adopts Andor’s language to describe it.
16-17 February
— Something Wild (1986)
Directed by Jonathan Demme, with a screenplay by E. Max Frye; starring Melanie Griffith, Jeff Daniels, Ray Liotta, Margaret Colin, Tracey Walter, Dana Preu, Jack Gilpin, Charles Napier, and John Sayles.
Years before The Silence of the Lambs (1991) and Philadelphia (1993) and Beloved (1998), this. There was once a time when Melanie Griffith was someone. As was Jeff Daniels. Did you know that he made films before Dumb and Dumber and Dumber and Dumber?
— Elaine Equi, 30 pp.
— Flaubert, 40 pp.
19 February
— Flaubert, 20 pp.
— Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi (2022)
Created by Dave Filoni; featuring the voice talents of Corey Burton, Ashley Eckstein, Liam Neeson, Bryce Dallas Howard, Janina Gavankar, Phil LaMarr, Clancy Brown, TC Carson, Matt Lanter, and Ian McDiarmid.
Oh, dumb. Written on the model of The Mandelorian, but with cartoons …
20 February
— WarGames (1983)
Directed by John Badham, with a screenplay by Lawrence Lasker and Walter F. Parkes; starring Matthew Broderick, Dabney Coleman, John Wood, Ally Sheedy, Barry Corbin, Juanin Clay, Kent Williams, Dennis Lipscomb, and James Tolkan.
Part of my son’s cultural education of sorts, or really films that I think he might watch. Of course, he doesn’t know how this picture fit into the culture of the late cold war. This unending anxiety.
22 February
— Andor (2022), 1.1-6
Created by Tony Gilroy; starring Diego Luna, Stellan Skarsgård, Kyle Soller, Denise Gough, Adria Arjona, Genevieve O’Reilly, Faye Marsay, Varada Sethu, and Elizabeth Dulau.
Is one show good enough to somehow justify all of the crap of the Star Wars franchise? It’s not by accident that this film follows from — even if its a prequel — Rogue One. The latter breathed fresh air into the franchise and kindled the imagination once more. Whereas little over the past twenty years has been more than tired re-hashing of stories that have been told.
Another exception to this might be Solo, particularly with its robot-freedom subtext. But it also had weak creatures and a little too much Benetton.
Whereas Andor starts to imagine the incredible structures that must be at work in order for an empire to exist. Andor‘s characters are none free of shortcoming, but are led in particular by the eponymous anti-hero, who struggles against the empire against his will. And learns only through failure that he may embrace a cause. Or has he?
23 February
— The Red Shoes (1948)
Directed and written by Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger; starring Moira Shearer, Anton Walbrook, Marius Goring, Robert Helpmann, Léonide Massine, Albert Bassermann, Esmond Knight, and Jean Short.
The Hans Christian Anderson story that this film is based upon is ghastly. And so one wonders from its first moments how it could somehow be expressed in this more conventional drama.
24 February
— Finished A Sentimental Education
— The Grandmaster (2013)
Directed by Wong Kar-wai, with a screenplay by Wong Kar-wai, Zou Jingzhi, and Xu Haofeng; starring Tony Leung Chiu-wai, Zhang Ziyi, Chang Chen, Zhao Benshan, Song Hye-kyo, Cung Le, Shang Tielong, Julian Cheung, and Bruce Leung.
25-26 February
— Finished The Intangibles
— Andor (2022), 1.7-12
27 February
— The Skin, 20 pp.
— The Bear (2022), 1.1-8
Created by Christopher Storer, with Joanna Calo serving as co-showrunner; starring Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Lionel Boyce, Liza Colón-Zayas, and Abby Elliott.
I’d heard so much about this show and I was homeridden (sick), so I watched it, the entire first season. Binging. Embarrassing. And for this, too!
The Bear is not bad, but White cannot sustain the lead, nor can Edebiri (nor Moss-Bachrach). He doesn’t have the range for it, and her character spends too much time pausing before she speaks.
Honestly, it was refreshing when Jon Bernthal finally showed up. Too bad he was already dead. He was ten times more interesting than the lead. And Matty Matheson was another reprieve.
— Prof. Jeff Smith, “Associative editing in The Sweet Hereafter”
— “Horror in Picnic at Hanging Rock”
— Picnic at Hanging Rock (1978)
Directed by Peter Weir, with a screenplay by Cliff Green, based on the novel by Joan Lindsay; starring Rachel Roberts, Anne-Louise Lambert, Dominic Guard, Helen Morse, Jacki Weaver, Vivean Gray, Tony Llewellyn-Jones, John Jarratt, Karen Robson, and Jane Vallis.
This film is so magical, oneiric. What world does it inhabit?
From the first shot we are in love with Miranda, as is everyone else. Her beauty is transcendent, piercing through the screen, a fading image.
And then she disappears.
The filmmaker does not give into the viewer’s profound want of closure (although I suspect thousands of Google searches have been conducted to learn about what historical episode this is based upon, and its resolution). I’m one of them.
28 February
— Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014)
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, with a screenplay by Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely, based on characters created by Joe Simon and Jack Kirby; starring Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Anthony Mackie, Cobie Smulders, Frank Grillo, Emily VanCamp, Hayley Atwell, Robert Redford, and Samuel L. Jackson.
I like to believe in an Old Testament God that punishes humans for their bad taste. And perhaps the principals of the MCU for making this bollocks.
