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Reviews
Swiss Army Man (2016)
You buy into it...
I wasn't in absolutely in love with this movie, and you could definitely tell that some fine tuning was needed. There are some stalkeresque themes that make me think there weren't very many women in the production of this. But at the same time, I had a very fun time watching this and the film accomplished the thing I think was vital to it working- it got me emotionally invested. Everything is played with a refreshing genuineness, the key to making this work because if the movie was too satirical about it we would never buy in. But we do, buy in, and somehow by the end of this I was crying about a man who propels himself by farts.
Christmas Eve on Sesame Street (1978)
I never watched this as a kid...
I never watched this movie as a kid, so the element of nostalgia that shades most people's perceptions of it isn't there for me. Which makes my absolute adoration of this movie all the more impressive- I watched it as a young adult with no kids and still saw so much joy in it, and was brought back into that feeling of love and whimsy that comes from Christmas at childhood. Very few movies have given me that feeling; cynicism has infected modern film far too much. But this one, with all of its sweetness, sincerity, and love, has instantly become a classic and one of my favorite Christmas movies of all time. I hope it gets the recognition it deserves along with other specials like A Charlie Brown Christmas that it deserves.
I Am Not Your Negro (2016)
Absolutely breathtaking
The fact that the editor of this does not have international acclaim is a crime in itself. Alexandra Strauss's juxtaposition made me cry at least every ten minutes during this, and I am not one that can typically be found in tears even at the saddest movies. The words of James Baldwin are more powerful and eloquently given than most you'll ever hear- it's miraculous that he could say so much in 30 pages of notes. The composition and pacing is something to absolutely be admired here. Each shot is taken slowly, dwelled on and allowed to sit and seep in its pathos, and I truly wish so much that other films would do this. There is nothing more powerful than watching a close-up of a face, no words, no dialogue, no real expression for seconds that feel like hours. It is the epitome of why cinema is here, and what it can deliver that no other medium can.