#141. Thieves' Highway (1949)

 

 

Can't say I've ever seen a movie depict societal corruption through a crooked produce dealer before. That's certainly a new one.

 

Otherwise, though, Thieves' Highway is a pretty standard little noir, albeit still a good one. I was truthfully hoping for more of a straightforward revenge movie, or perhaps a truck thriller in the style of Wages of Fear, but I suppose the more low-key story about exploitation, greed, and apples, while less explosive than the other two directions, is still tense and character-driven in most of the ways that matter. 

 

What helps are a few of the supporting players. Lee J. Cobb is great in any role that requires him to scream at people, and there's something about Valentina Cortese's cool and effortless charm that I find mesmerizing. Both actors give these characters, and the world around them, a lot of flavour, and they - along with Jules Dassin and his crisp direction - really add to the movie's dark and cynical tone.

 

Many people seem to take issue with the ending, but it didn't really bother me. Like, yeah, the cops suddenly barging in and chastising our hero for not being a law-abiding citizen is obviously dreadful, but, notwithstanding, I can accept this kind of all-too-neat conclusion if I feel as though our heroes have earned it. And, in this case, I do.

 

Grade: B+

 

#140. Trauma (1993)

 

 

Were I to ever become a filmmaker (it's not gonna happen, but let's pretend for a second), Dario Argento would probably be my biggest influence. I love everything about this guy's deranged aesthetic, from the hypnotic imagery to the beautiful women to the gloved psychos to the twisted kills to the disjointed-yet-strangely-fitting scores. If this formula could be distilled into a drug, I'd inject it into my veins on a concerning basis.

 

That's not to say that all of his movies are masterpieces, though. Once we reach the mid-to-late '90s, the quality seemed to fall off a cliff. And you can already see it a bit in Trauma, which did come out before that expiration date, but which (along with Two Evil Eyes) started to show a few cracks in the foundation. The tone is all over the place, the music is pretty lackluster, and the plotting is kinda clumsy. If you aren't generally into weird giallo nightmares, then you're likely to find the movie a total mess.

 

As someone who is into weird giallo nightmares, however, I think this one's still a real winner. I love the mystery, the suspense, the rain-soaked atmosphere, the final reveal, and the fact that Piper Laurie and Brad Dourif randomly show up in small parts (doesn't it just feel right to see them in this kind of movie?). It might not quite have the same consistency, cinematography, or scoring of Argento's best works, but those stylishly irresistible fundamentals are still strong enough that my enjoyment was never in jeopardy.

 

Grade: A-

 

#139. Rango (2011)

 

 

As studio-backed animated films go, this is certainly a strange one. Even on just a visual level, I'm not really sure how I feel about it. The character designs are hideous, frankly, but Gore Verbinski also manages to bring a lot of life to the movie through detailed lighting and well-realized environments. Most of it pops off the screen - even, on occasion, the ugly freak creatures that inhabit it.

 

Shifting our attention to the story, it's not quite as memorable or unique as I'd like (especially in regards to the Liar Revealed plot, which has always, by far, been my least favourite kids' movie trope), but I love that it's willing to take its time and really bask in this blistering setting. No matter how ridiculous the action or comedy gets, there's a measured pace to the movie that captures the essence of westerns in a way that actually kinda surprised me.

 

When it comes to this medium, I'll always be partial to the likes of Disney and Pixar (forgive me, I was brainwashed from a very young age), but I can absolutely appreciate a big-budget animated movie that seeks to do something different. Especially when the results are this bizarre.

 

Grade: B+

#138. Veronika Voss (1982)

 

 

A.K.A. The Longing of Veronika Voss

 

She is big. It's the pictures that got small.

 

Veronika Voss is about a washed-up actress who is desperately trying to cling to her ever-decreasing relevance, and is slowly being driven insane in the process. It's basically the German Sunset Boulevard (which is to say that it's heavier on experimentation and lighter on humour), with huge emotions and striking visuals to match. In particular, I love those sterile white environments, which coldly and clinically reflect this poor woman's controlled state of mind.

 

Unlike Sunset Boulevard, though, the movie's not quite as focused, tonally or narratively, as I'd like. Rainer Werner Fassbinder (maybe the most German name I've ever heard) has a lot of interesting ideas, but many of them seem to get slightly lost in the shuffle, especially the ones regarding love and addiction. And while the subplot with the evil doctor is easily the most compelling conflict in the movie, it's so cartoonish and over-the-top that I'm not sure how well it gels with everything else.

 

Still, it all works on a stylistic level (the use of lighting here is fantastic), and most of it works on an emotional level. Whatever issues I have with this one, there's a sad cruelness to it that's likely to stick with me.

 

Grade: B 

 

P.S. This is the last place I expected to hear "The Battle of New Orleans". It really works, though, in an unusual, almost nightmarish kinda way.

 

#137. 12 Monkeys (1995)

 

 

Prior Viewings: 1

 

I've long been curious to see if a rewatch would make this movie click for me. Now that I've seen it again, I guess the answer is "kinda".

 

At the very least, I can agree that this is an intriguing and creative portrait of a dystopian future. I love the unique takes on time travel, reality, and memory, and it's always nice to see Bruce Willis give a shit in something (though I still think he comes up short next to Madeleine Stowe and Brad Pitt). Plus, while Terry Gilliam's grotesque and eccentric style isn't generally my thing, it clearly suits this world pretty well, and establishes an unnerving atmosphere that looms large over the entire story.

 

My problem, though, is that this story still doesn't really do it for me. Despite the intelligent premise, I just don't think it plays out in an interesting or thoughtful way. The plot gets muddled very quickly, the many attempts at complicating the structure feel kinda tryhard to me, and, despite both of these traits, the twists are somehow far too telegraphed (I remember calling this one on my first viewing). There's a really solid foundation here, but I ultimately find myself struggling to care about much of what's going on - which is pretty crazy when you consider how high the stakes are.

 

So... yeah. Still mostly torn on this one. I don't think it'll ever fully be my thing, but I can absolutely appreciate the clever ideas and compelling visuals, and I totally get why so many people love it.

 

Grade: B

 

#136. Civil War (2024)

 

 

Any movie with "sensory overload" as its default setting is one that will probably appeal to me, and Civil War is no different. This whole experience is anxiety-inducing, from the vivid imagery to the intense sound design to the general sense of panic and uncertainty throughout. And I like that this feeling only intensifies as we travel deeper and deeper into this nightmarish hellscape.

 

As for the political stuff, I can see why it divided audiences, but I was mostly okay with it. Like, sure, there's not a ton of depth or even commentary here (with results that feel slightly hollow in hindsight), but I appreciate the fact that the movie doesn't make many definitive statements. It's less preachy that way, and I think it fits with the ethics (or lack thereof) of these photojournalist characters.

 

There were a few aspects that didn't really work for me (the murky visual style isn't to my taste, a few of the plot developments struck me as dumb and contrived, and I think the story loses something once we reach D.C.), but, on the whole, I found this to be a riveting, eerie, and mournful little dystopian thriller.

 

Grade: B+

#135. Confidence (2003)

 

 

We've stumbled onto another one of my guilty pleasure subgenres: flashy heist movies that think they're a lot more clever than they really are.

 

Confidence is, in almost every regard, unoriginal. The plot, convoluted as it is, is generally pretty predictable, the characters are all total cutouts with zero personality beyond maybe a single quirk, and you can sense the influences (ranging from Mamet to Soderbergh to Guy Ritchie) at all times. Also, this one's a bit of a nitpick, but I have no idea why so many crime movies from around this time felt the need to give everything away via far-too-revealing foreshadowing openers. Awful trend.

 

Like I said, though, I'm an incredibly easy mark with this stuff. So, sure, the movie's derivative and surface-level, but it's also a stylish, slickly-made little caper, and I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have fun with it. James Foley's colourful and assured direction really appealed to me (though the editing could've used a tad more restraint; the whole thing feels like it was put together by Hoffman's character), as did the impressive and charismatic lineup of character actors, as did the playful tone, as did the neatly-packaged storytelling. Mediocre Ocean's Eleven is still a good time in my eyes.

 

Plus, it ends with "Clocks" by Coldplay. How can I dislike any movie from 2003 that ends with "Clocks" by Coldplay?

 

Grade: B+