We tried watching Westworld before. Got a few episodes in and gave up. In hindsight, that is plain stupid — now we understand and appreciate the genius of this show, especially the first season, and can’t believe we didn’t even finish it the first time round. But Westworld is not really suitable for a week-by-week release schedule. The complexity of the series is so vast that the best way to consume it is by sitting down and binging and letting your mind go to work.

One of the characters that stand out in Westworld is that of Maeve played by Thandie Newton. We’ve also chosen to talk about Maeve specifically because she is one of the more straight-forward characters: her arc is somewhat linear and there isn’t really much ‘Maeve explained’ needed here, as there would be for Dolores for example. In this article, we strive to not only analyse the AI aspect of the show, i.e. why do these hosts become sentient, but also who they are after they’ve become sentient. Let’s get into it. Obvious spoilers follow.

Maeve’s Backstory

There is a lot of talk in Westworld about cornerstones. A cornerstone is something deeply engraved in a host’s code, a memory, or a feeling, or a principle, that they act upon no matter what. Deleting or changing a cornerstone would require a complete wipe or rewrite and is virtually impossible.

Maeve’s cornerstone is her daughter — we know this. Now, the main belief is that Maeve becomes sentient around the time when she wakes up next to Felix and Sylvester (the Cats). We are to initially believe this is because Maeve has taught herself to wake up from nightmares, but later on we understand it was actually Ford who directed this because he needed Maeve to free all the hidden hosts for his new narrative.

But that is not important. What’s important is — this is a misconception. Of course, Maeve becomes sentient around that time: she learns about the nature of her reality and who she is from simply asking the Cats questions and receiving answers. However. When Maeve experiences true humanity is a completely different story.

The Man in Black speaks about the first moment he saw hosts as human. He speaks about the beauty of the details and how it is exactly those little things, those awfully human reactions, that make Westworld magic.

The first time William sees this is after he kills Maeve and her child. Maeve runs out of the house, crying, begging for her daughter to be alive and safe. Westworld tells us it is suffering that makes us human. Maeve does become sentient with the Cats, but she experiences humanity much before. She is human, for only a moment, in the suffering when she loses her daughter. If Maeve never had that moment of true humanity, it’s probable she never would have reached sentience, either because Ford would have deemed her unable to, or because she wouldn’t have had a cornerstone so powerful for her development.

Maeve’s Catalyst

But sentience is not free will. That is an important clarification. Bernard is completely sentient from the moment he understands he’s a host, but he is still completely controlled by Ford and used for his narratives. Bernard is not free.

In fact, Westworld is commonly misinterpreted as a show about AI becoming sentient. While that is true, it is not the main theme. The main theme is free will and more specifically, the lack of it.

Maeve first true choice, the first time she truly breaks from her loop, is, as confirmed by the creators of the series, when she gets off the train in the end of season one. Maeve has been programmed to leave Westworld and go live a presumably happy life someplace else. However, she chooses to stay behind — and look for her daughter.

The catalyst for Maeve’s development is her daughter. A memory engraved in her with such power she cannot resist it. In fact, mostly all choices Maeve makes are for the benefit of her daughter. She spends all of season two looking for her, and then all of season three trying to get her back. It’s nature vs. nurture: the nurture is the narrative Ford gives Maeve, but the nature is her child. So Maeve’s daughter is not only her past, but her present and her future, too.

Maeve’s Code

There are a few things that make Maeve special post-sentience. She’s independent, powerful, manipulative, all together really strategic; but the one thing that makes her truly special is her intelligence.

The best choice Maeve ever made was making the Cats bump her intelligence to the max. This provides her a few things. Number one, obvious intelligence superiority in common knowledge matters — Maeve is smarter than the smartest human and can comprehend and improve everything they can. Number two, a complete understanding of her reality and the world around. Dolores knows Westworld is fake, but for a long time doesn’t understand how exactly. Same for many of the other hosts: they know the nature of the reality is untrue, but they break that through their own poetic prisms of justification. Maeve is different: she knows Westworld is a park. The people running it are just people, not Gods, and the outside world is not paradise, just regular old society. Maeve is not only sentient, but also comprehending of everything.

It takes some time to get there, but the biggest advantage Maeve’s intelligence provides her is the ability to rewrite herself and others. This is really, really important.

Every human is sentient and every human is conscious. The ones who really advance are those who choose and manage to self-improve. The same principle applies: many hosts are understanding of their nature, but absolutely none besides Maeve can change it. They can’t rewrite their own code. They could theoretically have someone else rewrite it, but it wouldn’t be the same. Maeve biggest advantage is, in fact, something awfully human — she can self-improve.

It’s worth mentioning that all this knowledge urges Maeve to act incredibly human. She isn’t like Dolores, who’s fighting for ‘their kind’ and running through life with a ‘the ends justify the means’ attitude, no, quite the contrary. Maeve is kind, understanding, and provides everybody with a choice — something she’s been lacking her whole life. In fact, she is the only host who chooses to act human. One could argue Bernard, but that would be false, because he rarely has free will and is always somehow in someone’s narrative. Maeve isn’t. She’s free and chooses to use her freedom for good — most of the time.

One of the best scenes is all of Westworld is that between Anthony Hopkins and Thandie Newton. There is only one in the show. It’s when Ford tells Maeve that she was always his favourite.

Ford is, in all ways, the God of Westworld — not only the theme park, but the HBO show, too. He’s the one running all the stories. And Maeve is his favourite. What does that makes you think?

Maeve is who this show is about. She is the only host who has achieved sentience, free will, and a true understanding of her nature. But more importantly — she is the only host who chooses to act human. Westworld is all about AI becoming human. What’s Maeve about?

______________________________________________________________________________

More character analysis pieces here.

Follow us on Letterboxd.

Enjoyed this article? Share it. We would really appreciate it. You can also tweet us, like our Facebook page, or better yet – subscribe to our email list so you never miss a thing. Or just comment below whatever thoughts you may have – we love reading them and we always respond.

— Pouty Boy

The post The Character of Maeve appeared first on Our Movie Life.

The driving forces of New Girl are absolutely the same as they are for any other sitcom. Most single-camera comedy series follow a very traditional narrative path; nothing necessarily wrong with that — if it works, why change it, right? The matter of the case is that the core of these sitcoms are always the characters and the relationships they holds and develop between each other. Today, in particular, we take an analytical look at Nick Miller and deep dive in the depths he holds hidden.

Nick Miller: The Basics

Open up the TV Bible for New Girl, it’s online and you can actually read it, and you’ll see the initial pitch of who this character was supposed to be. They describe him as rough, maybe lowkey lazy, very perceptive, and most importantly, smart.

All things true, especially that last one, but intelligence isn’t everything. All those years behind a bar have made Nick an amateur therapist, acquiring him with a deep understanding of people and the world around him. He may sometimes even be correct in his opinions; it’s sad and definitely not something most people would want to admit, but Nick Miller’s pessimistic views on reality often make a lot of sense.

And yet, Nick’s main drawback — despite all the intelligence, despite the constant flow of information he has access to, Nick lacks the ability to look critically upon himself and improve himself.

Sitcoms are all about improvement. Where do these characters begin and where do they end? Where does Nick begin and where does he end?

The Loft

Nick Miller is distant, cold, rough. He doesn’t understand emotions and is not particularly good in situations that require any sort of psychological handling. He’s straight and to the point. Emotion, and everything surrounding it, intimidates him.

This is a fascinating character quality, but not necessarily a great one. People are driven by emotion. Poetry and the ability to see beauty and indulge in it are some of the things that make us human. So Nick must progress to that. He must learn not only to familiarize himself with his emotions, but to be content with them, too.

Much of that comes through Schmidt, Cece, Coach, Winston, and Jess of course, but we’ll get to her later. It’s friendship and all its intricate complexities and emotion-bound necessities that further Nick Miller’s character.

One of the most famous New Girl episodes is the cookie episode. Schmidt gets Nick a cookie because he was thinking of him. Nick says he would never do such a thing; he doesn’t understand it — people don’t just get cookies for each other, that’s weird. The love and care behind Schmidt’s action scares Nick and almost guides him through yet another emotional breakdown.

In the end? Nick gets Schmidt a cookie. It’s overwhelming and he doesn’t quite understand what it means, but he knows it’s correct. Love & friendship should be acted upon. This is one of many instances where Nick not only accepts his flaws and insecurities, but actively works towards fixing them. Maybe he doesn’t understand exactly why or how, but at least he’s on a path. The correct path.

The Love Life

The richest source of Nick’s development has to be, you guessed it, Jessica-damn-Day. Most of Miller’s emotional baggage stems from two cores: the relationship he had with his father and the relationship he had with Caroline.

Jess helps Nick Miller move on. In regards to his dad — well, besides the numerous conversations Jess has led Nick through in order to push him to some sort of self-realisation — Jess guides Nick through the process of saying goodbye to his father when he dies. She also generally helps Nick find some responsibility and fight through the laziness — both character traits that, by some way or another, we can assume stem from Miller Senior.

In regards to Caroline — she’s toxic and Jess isn’t; in fact, Jess is really the first healthy relationship Nick has ever been in. She’s there for him, she cares for him, she’s somewhat normal — all things Nick hasn’t ever experienced. And where would he have? Caroline, who’s basically crazy, or the one-night stands he meets at the bar? Jess becomes Nick’s rock.

But Miller actually does most of the work himself later on. After a few seasons of him getting accustomed to emotions, and after that eye-opening relationship with Reagan, Nick finally accepts his love for Jess. But love doesn’t come easy, does it? Love requires responsibility and commitment, characteristics that Nick Miller has lacked for the most of his life. And after a few seasons of struggle, after a series of wild events and interactions, he’s finally ready to change, accept his new better self, and propose marriage to the girl of his dreams.

Nick Miller: A Career Man?

Most people think of Nick Miller as just a bartender. But. That is far from the case.

First, Nick is a licensed lawyer. Then, he’s a bartender. Why? Well, he gives us the answer himself — it makes him happy.

If bartending makes Nick happy, if it truly fulfils him, who’s anyone to judge? Miller later even becomes part-owner of the bar, furthering his search for responsibility and purpose. Finally, and against all odds, Nick actually becomes a published author with some recognition. Sure, it took him years of procrastination, but he did it. That’s more than most people can say for themselves.

Nick’s creative success is that nice little detail, that last necessary flair he needs for his internal development. He might seem as a failure, but look closer, and that is far from the case.

It took years and the help of everyone around him, but Nick Miller finally got all those things he was missing. In the end, he is a responsible and committed man. A business owner. A published author. Successful. Getting married.

And most importantly, Nick grew. He worked on himself — maybe not consciously, but he did so nevertheless. Once a scared and broken man, in the end, Nick Miller is confident and internally peaceful. Finally, his struggles are over. He’s in a happy place.

______________________________________________________________________________

More character analysis pieces here.

Follow us on Letterboxd.

Enjoyed this article? Share it. We would really appreciate it. You can also tweet us, like our Facebook page, or better yet – subscribe to our email list so you never miss a thing. Or just comment below whatever thoughts you may have – we love reading them and we always respond.

— Pouty Boy

The post The Character of Nick Miller appeared first on Our Movie Life.

But we look ahead! Hopefully, we’ll get to go to the cinema a bit more in 2021. If not, we’ll definitely be seeing a lot of big films on streaming platforms, which will be equally exciting and underwhelming. Somehow.

Let get into it. Here are our top fifteen most anticipated films of 2021. A personal and completely biased ranking.

15. Black Widow

Was on our list last year. Was also low on our list last year. The only reason Black Widow still makes it is because we haven’t had an MCU film for a while. Otherwise, it doesn’t scream originality.

14. Death on the Nile

Murder on the Orient Express was bad and this will probably be bad, too, but the line-up is impressive and the trailer at least makes it look good. But again, the Murder on the Orient Express trailer did the same thing. We’re excited, but not hopeful.

13. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings

Again, we’re in MCU detox. Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is also something new for Marvel and might add a necessary flair of originality to the universe.

12. The Matrix 4

We haven’t rewatched the original trilogy in years and honestly, we barely remember it, but the mere fact that this film is getting made twenty years later is insane. No idea what to expect, or even if it’s necessary, but we respect the creative minds behind this for simply going for it.

11. Babylon

Yes, there’s still a sour taste in our mouths from First Man which, while technically impressive, was a huge step down from Whiplash and La La Land for Chazelle. And still, those two films were both absolutely brilliant, so we’re always excited for anything new this filmmaker brings to the table.

10. The Suicide Squad

James Gunn probably made this film on a dare. Seriously. And that’s more than okay. It looks exciting, and tonally self-aware, and we all know this man is a God when it comes to the superhero movie business. This is going to be a fun ride.

9. Mission: Impossible 7

We’re not big into action, but the stunts in the last Mission: Impossible were otherworldly. We can’t wait to (hopefully) go to the biggest IMAX screen, buy the most buttery bucket of popcorn, and watch Tom Cruise run funny for two hours.

8. The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent

The synopsis sounds like it was made through a random movie generator. Seriously, google it.

7. Pieces of a Woman

Technically a 2021 release, right? We’re extremely excited for Pieces of a Woman, the story is truly necessary right now, and we’re confident Vanessa Kirby and Shia LeBeouf will give some of the best performances of the year. Even considering the year is just beginning.

6. Dune

Yes, it’s still here. Yes, we still don’t like Villeneuve. But curiosity is one of the most formative human traits. Also, even we have to admit, the trailer looks amazing.

5. Eternals

Guardians of the Galaxy, but bigger. Eternals is something we’ve long been looking forward to. It’s fresh, it’s epic, it will expand the MCU, and the cast is more than impressive. Been a long time since we’ve been this hyped about an original MCU film.

4. Cherry

Tom Holland as a war veteran drug-addicted bank robber directed by the Russo brothers? Nothing more to say. We’re in. We’re so in we are even considering getting and Apple+ subscription.

3. Untitled Spider-Man Sequel

Spider-Man: Far from Home was shockingly good; actually, in our eyes it’s one of the best MCU films. And if the rumours are true, this sequel will literally break the internet. If the rumours are true, this sequel will do something unimaginable. Literally what more could we want?

2. Zola

Number one, A24 distributes this. Number two, the plot is one of the craziest things we’ve ever heard or read in our lives (also, google it). And number three, it’s based on a Twitter thread. A movie. Based on a goddamn Twitter thread. The power of storytelling.

1. Malcolm & Marie

Sam Levinson is a creative genius. Euphoria is one of, if not the, best television series since Breaking Bad and Levinson seems to be getting better and better at his art. Malcolm & Marie seems wildly self-indulgent: which is exactly what we want from a director like this one.

And there you have it. We want to thank you all for sticking with us through 2020 and wish you a cheerful and hopefully wildly different 2021. There are some massive changes coming to OurMovieLife very soon and we’re more than excited to shift focus along everybody else.

Once again, thank you, and from our small, but grateful team: Happy New Year!

______________________________________________________________________________

Follow us on Letterboxd.

Enjoyed this article? Share it. We would really appreciate it. You can also tweet us, like our Facebook page, or better yet – subscribe to our email list so you never miss a thing. Or just comment below whatever thoughts you may have – we love reading them and we always respond.

— Pouty Boy

The post Top 15 Most Anticipated Films of 2021 appeared first on Our Movie Life.

Let’s look at the definition for a ‘monopoly’:

the exclusive possession or control of the supply of or trade in a commodity or service.

The ‘exclusive possession’ so via this definition, Disney is most certainly not a monopoly. After all, the company doesn’t own the whole entertainment industry.

However, Disney’s impact on the entertainment industry is becoming bigger and bigger and even more evident than ever. While they may not hold a direct stake at many other big production and distribution companies, their actions can and do affect the whole industry.

The news of this week:

Disney announced a new business model that focuses on streaming. Under this model, Disney is refocusing all of its money and energy and aiming those more towards Disney+ and less towards theatrical releases.

Disney CEO Bob Chapek has stated that under this model, a film release is not determined by the film’s grandeur, by its award potential, or the need to support exhibitors. There is one defining factor: where will the movie make more money? Bob Chapek has stated that ‘the consumers are the ones who make these decisions’ a.k.a. supply and demand. Is there more demand for video of demand? If yes, then new Disney films will go on Disney+. Simple as that.

Which brings us back to the original point in question —

Is Disney a monopoly? Again, via definition, no, but this might as well change everything as this action might have ripple effects over the whole industry. If Disney decides to move primarily to streaming, then movie theatres are going the way of drive-ins and may soon be completely forgotten.

We may sound dramatic, but we are not. Disney owns Star Wars, Marvel, Fox, and Pixar. Seven of the ten highest grossing films of 2019 were a Disney production. This company alone is responsible for a huge amount of movie-goers leaving the comfort of their couch and dragging themselves to the local cinema to see Avengers: Endgame on a Sunday.

If these blockbusters are moved to VOD, movies theatres will be dramatically impacted. Cinemas, all cinemas, will become a place for art house flicks and obscure indie releases. They will be a thing of the past. A thing with nostalgic value.

We are not ridiculing Disney for this decision. It’s just business.

They want to make more money. The consumer wants to stay home. The decision makes sense for all parties.

We only ask you to keep in mind your local cinema. Go there. Watch some obscure indie flick, you might be surprised. (Obviously, be mindful of the pandemic and go only if it’s safe & sanitary.) Disney is not a monopoly via definition, but it might as well be. It doesn’t own the whole entertainment industry, but it can (and already does) control the whole industry. It’s decisions affect us too. And we, the self-proclaimed cinephiles, need to strive to keep alive the thing we love dear: cinema.

______________________________________________________________________________

Follow us on Letterboxd.

Enjoyed this article? Share it. We would really appreciate it. You can also tweet us, like our Facebook page, or better yet – subscribe to our email list so you never miss a thing. Or just comment below whatever thoughts you may have – we love reading them and we always respond.

— Pouty Boy

The post Disney: The Monopoly appeared first on Our Movie Life.

For an independent outlet that constantly criticises and ridicules the Academy Awards, we sure seem to be talking about them a lot. What is there to say? We’re hypocrites. We’ve got a love-hate relationship with this ceremony.

In our defense: there is something to talk about right now.

Today we woke up to the news that Villeneuve’s Dune got postponed. This was expected, but still hit hard. This pretty much solidifies the idea that there will be almost no quality major movies in 2020.

No quality major movies, but also: almost no movies at all, besides those released on demand.

We are wondering, as are many are, considering the fact that mostly all productions were pushed a year or two, if there is even going to be an Oscar’s ceremony this year. The Academy Awards for 2020 releases are scheduled sometime late April in 2021. Now, you might think to yourself that this is a smart move because it allows for almost half a year of movies between January and April to be eligible. That is not at all the case.

An Oscar ceremony in 2021 is still just for films that were released in 2020. This doesn’t have to be a theatrical release; it can be a festival premiere or a limited release, but the films has to be out by the end of 2020. Which means that the late Oscars date this year is simply because they need more time to adjust the production of the ceremony due to Covid; not because they want more movies to be eligible.

So is there even going to be an Oscars ceremony?

Our guess is: yes. Which is a good thing. Bear with us.

While the ceremony this year is going to be sad (we’re expecting mostly obscure indie flicks and some incredible stretches), it’s important to think long-term. The Covid situation has ruined not only the upcoming 93rd Academy Awards, but also the 94th and 95th (respectively, the Oscars for years 2021 and 2022).

Yes, this year will be sad because we won’t get any exciting releases nominates simply because there aren’t many exciting releases to nominate. But the upcoming two years will be even worse because of the exact opposite: there are (currently) so many great films coming out in 2021 and 2022. We are going to see so many more films get snubbed out of a nomination that would have otherwise been rightfully theirs.

There is really nothing the Academy can do here.

What’s the better plan? Cancel the 2020 awards and make films that came out this year eligible for the next awards? That’s the idea that we hear the most, and yet, it’s quite illogical; if this were to happen, even more films would get snubbed. There would be pretty much twice the amount of features eligible for nominations in 2022 that what initially planned. Better just hand out awards for the few in 2021 and bear for survival of the fittest in 2022.

The Oscars should just go ahead and proceed as if nothing is happening. It’s sad, it’s disappointing, but hey, the Oscars are usually sad and disappointing. Maybe this will allow for some much needed excitement during the world’s most prestigious film awards. Remains to be seen.

______________________________________________________________________________

Follow us on Letterboxd.

Enjoyed this article? Share it. We would really appreciate it. You can also tweet us, like our Facebook page, or better yet – subscribe to our email list so you never miss a thing. Or just comment below whatever thoughts you may have – we love reading them and we always respond.

— Pouty Boy

The post Are There Going to be Oscars in 2021? appeared first on Our Movie Life.

We care about movies. Especially in a year like this, when everyone is escaping through art even more often than usual. It’s amazing to see good artists getting more and more commercially appreciated; their value is more clear than often.

And in a year like this, some good art would be ideal. Unfortunately, that hasn’t been the case: we’ve gotten some really, really disappointing projects so far. Nothing has truly impressed us; there have been hits here and there, but overall, nothing worth going on a Top 10 of list.

Until now.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things came out on Netflix almost around a month ago. Honestly, we procrastinated a lot before watching this. A Charlie Kaufman feature is always exhausting to watch. And having it be on Netflix provided us with a rather unlimited amount of time before we had to delve into I’m Thinking of Ending Things.

For a brief moment there, we were almost gonna let this one pass. Television has been surprisingly good this year and we’ve been catching up on that, so Kaufman’s new feature was not high on our list.

Thank God we made ourselves watch this.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is the best film, so far, in 2020. It’s a genius production, on every level, and definitely worth your full time and attention.

Kaufman is famous for being a vicious writer. The stories he crafts, and the way he crafts them, pop-out as some of the most innovative work of this century. He proves his worth yet again through I’m Thinking of Ending Things. This film stands on the legs of a beautifully written script. The story is full of colors and details and every line has a tremendous amount of weight behind itself. The plot is complex and engaging, so much so that you sink in thought trying to make all the puzzle pieces fit.

The writing is exquisite. It takes an insane amount of knowledge and effort to craft a story that is this layered and with this much depth. And to do that well? Close to impossible. Kaufman smashes it out of the park.

Kaufman’s directorial efforts have always received some backlash.

While Synecdoche, New York was critically praised, his later feature, Anomalisa, received some mixed opinions. I’m Thinking of Ending Things is also getting some polarising reviews, some seem to absolutely love it, while other’s claim it lacks directorial effort. We’re on the first train: Kaufman’s direction of this story is probably his best directorial work ever. He perfectly brings out moments of the story that matter, develops characters, plays with out minds, and does so through clear tone and pacing.

The production value of I’m Thinking of Ending Things goes amazingly well with the story, too. The film remains a visual innovation. It needs to be, considering the type of story it aims to tell; to say that this was a difficult undertaking would be an understatement, but once again, the feature goes above and beyond.

Jesse Plemons (Matt Damon) and Jessie Buckley are brilliant.

It brings a smile to our faces to see two actors who are still on their journey to ‘Hollywood success’ to get a chance to be in such a project. And they both absolutely destroy it: their characterisation and delivery is always on point. And considering the nature of dialogue in this film (no spoilers, but it’s unlike anything you’ve ever seen!), Jesse and Jessie truly shine.

I’m Thinking of Ending Things is a beacon of hope.

It’s the best film of the year, so far. It’s more than worth your time. On every level, this exceeds expectations and shows us, yet again, the genius of great filmmakers and artists. We’re keen to write a comprehensive analysis of this film. Maybe that’s coming after our rewatch. But until then, we highly recommend you give I’m Thinking of Ending Things a chance. Turn off the light, turn off your phones, and sink into the story. It’s a rollercoaster for sure, but it’s one of the good ones.

______________________________________________________________________________

Follow us on Letterboxd.

Enjoyed this article? Share it. We would really appreciate it. You can also tweet us, like our Facebook page, or better yet – subscribe to our email list so you never miss a thing. Or just comment below whatever thoughts you may have – we love reading them and we always respond.

— Pouty Boy

The post ‘I’m Thinking of Ending Things’: A 10/10 in 2020 appeared first on Our Movie Life.

But chances are you’ve seen a frame of this film. One. Single. Frame.

This frame.

Yes, the meme-movie has been out for a while now. We watched it last night for the first time. And we have some thoughts.

Looking around popular reviews and skimming through review platforms like Letterboxd and RottenTomatoes, we’ve noticed that Guns Akimbo doesn’t hold up in critics’ eyes. The feature has a 52% RottenTomatoes score, deeming it rotten indeed.

The general consensus is that this film lacks depth and is overstylized. Many claim that Guns Akimbo seems like the wet dream of a teenager who saw Deadpool and Nerve and wanted to make something similar to those projects.

That is a ridiculous claim.

Of course, that is our opinion and it’s different from their opinion. Everyone is entitled to hold their own opinions and beliefs on anything, especially art.

However —

There is a level of objectivity to any art. Yes, it’s generally subjective, but there is a level of understanding and objective criticism that can and should be applied to any piece of art, including cinema.

We believe that anyone bashing on Guns Akimbo is a film snob. Because Guns Akimbo is a thoroughly enjoyable and fun entertainment. It doesn’t try to be anything more than that. It sets a specific tone and masters its pacing to highlight that tone. It’s quality entertainment, it’s the type of film to watch on a Friday night if you want to relax and don’t feel like watching yet another garbage flick.

To say that Guns Akimbo is overstylized and lacking depth is not only snobbish, but plain wrong. Overstylization would mean that the depth of the story disappears due to the way said story is told through a.k.a. style over substance. There are numerous examples of this in the entertainment industry.

Guns Akimbo does not suffer from this. It’s an action-comedy and the style it sets works great to build that genre. It does not lack substance through style. Granted, yes, Guns Akimbo is not the most in-depth story and you won’t be left with philosophical questions pondering in the back of your head, but it doesn’t want to be that either. It gives us one or two basic layers of story and relies on action and comedy to do the rest.

It works.

It’s fun. It’s entertaining. And it’s a great experience.

The backlash this movie receives comes from the recent pretentious wave of kinò critics. We’re reaching the point where films are expected to have multiple layers of story and hold a significant amount of depth.

And we want to make ourselves absolutely clear — we agree with this! Films should indeed craft a multilayered and thoughtful story. No one loves a pretentious art flick more than OurMovieLife.

But it is not necessary.

That’s the point. Films should indeed craft a multilayered and thoughtful story, but that’s not necessary. A film can be anything. If Guns Akimbo is going for the action-comedy entertaining flick vibe, that’s fine; if it develops and enriches its genre well enough, that’s perfect. That’s all we ask for.

Cinema is beautiful because it’s diverse. There are so many stories out there, so many atmospheres, vibes, tones, styles. We should learn to appreciate all of those. If we start thinking that only one of those is the correct method of storytelling and the only one worthy of the recognition ‘great kinò’, we become film snobs. And no one likes film snobs. So chill out, get a beer, get a bucket of popcorn, and go watch Harry Potter run around with guns bolted to his hands.

______________________________________________________________________________

Follow us on Letterboxd.

Enjoyed this article? Share it. We would really appreciate it. You can also tweet us, like our Facebook page, or better yet – subscribe to our email list so you never miss a thing. Or just comment below whatever thoughts you may have – we love reading them and we always respond.

— Pouty Boy

The post There Is No Objective Reason to Not Love ‘Guns Akimbo’ appeared first on Our Movie Life.

We got a phone call from a friend more than a year ago. They told us they saw Seth Rogan’s new film at a test screening. They weren’t allowed to say much, all we got was that it’s ‘very very weird’. Naturally, that got us excited.

An American Pickle is very very weird. But, honestly, it somehow doesn’t come off as strange as one would think.

The basic plot of this production is that an immigrant worker from the 1920s gets preserved in pickle juice for 100 years to wake up in modern-day Brooklyn. There, he reconnects with his great-grandson. Both roles are played by Seth Rogan. The film gets progressively more weird and experimental as it goes on.

But weirdly, this works.

Yes, it’s extremely strange, but it doesn’t feel like it. It feels like a tonally conscious film that knows it’s entertainment value and is aiming for nothing above what it sets. Maybe we’re just desensitised from watching obscure indie flicks all day, but An American Pickle really doesn’t hit as aggressively as we thought it would.

Seth Rogan is really great in this. Probably the best he’s ever been, actually. Why? Rogan actually plays a character here rather than playing himself.

But let’s dive further in.

The basic core plot of An American Pickle is interesting and exciting, yes. But what truly makes this film different is the story depth it provides the viewer.

At the core of An American Pickle is dealing with your past and moving forward. Exactly this was most surprising about this project. It’s got a lot of heart and actually has themes it managed to explore and develop. There is character development, there is growth, and there is a clear journey. All this was very surprising for a film about a pickled immigrant worker.

We’re not about to go and praise An American Pickle around. The film has problems. It’s too bland at times, paced all over the place, and the general aesthetic of the story is not as clear as it should be. But for a film that is meant to entertain while imagining a solid amount of depth through its story, these flaws actually don’t really matter that much.

It’s normal to stop the film, shut the TV, and ask yourselves ‘what did I just watch’ after first diving deep into An American Pickle.

The film is weird and unlike anything we’ve seen before, not because of any filmmaking behind it, but because of the story.

And we think it’s a beautiful thing that in 2020 there is a market for features like this one. There is a demand for stories like this and that is just wonderful. From a creator perspective, this allows freedom for passion projects and experimenting in one’s art. And when we leave creators to do what they are truly passionate about, that’s when we’ll get films with exceeding amounts of quality and art behind them.

An American Pickle is not perfect, but it is better than we expected. We would actually recommend it for a Friday night in. The fact that we are recommending a film about a pickled Seth Rogan (starring Seth Rogan & Seth Rogan) makes us hopeful for the direction that cinema is headed in.

______________________________________________________________________________

Follow us on Letterboxd.

Enjoyed this article? Share it. We would really appreciate it. You can also tweet us, like our Facebook page, or better yet – subscribe to our email list so you never miss a thing. Or just comment below whatever thoughts you may have – we love reading them and we always respond.

— Pouty Boy

The post ‘An American Pickle’: What Did I Just Watch? appeared first on Our Movie Life.

Multiple reasons why. One, it’s (presumably) a high quality thriller worth seeing. Two, it’s the first new cinema release in months, which is absolutely crazy. And three, it’s a Nolan film. And that’s always a big deal.

(There are no spoilers in this article unless you consider our opinion of the film a spoiler; in which case, there are spoilers in this article.)

We saw it. It’s pretty good. Not as good as we had hoped, but still worth watching. This is not a review of Tenet. But just for now, our short thoughts are: Tenet is a perfect example of style-over-substance, lacks depth, but explores some of the most interesting ideas ever in the history of cinema. It’s problematic, but the conversation that follows is worth it.

But again: this is not a review. This is a short critique. A rant, even, maybe.

Everything matters.

Where are we going with this? Of course everything matters.

Filmmaking is a beautifully complicated form of art. It’s highly collaborative, allowing thousands of different creators to contribute to one and the same goal. Some are more obvious, like the actors, writers, directors, producers. Others are given less credit, but contribute a crazy amount as well, like costume designers, make-up artists, line producers, sounds mixers, sound —

Wait. Yes. Sound. A huge problem in Tenet.

The general soundscape of this film is exquisite: the score, the little details following the concept, the effects; it’s actually thoroughly impressive. Everything is. Besides one small thing: Tenet has terrible sound mixing.

The dialogue.

The sound mixing in Tenet is bad because often (if not all the time) speech is lost. We just can’t keep track of what the characters are saying. And mostly everything (if not absolutely everything) that the characters are saying in this film is exposition and meant to lead the viewer to better understanding of the concepts that Nolan is exploring.

When that sound is mixed badly, as it is, the exposition is lost. And when the exposition is lost, the viewer gets confused. And when the viewer is confused, they leave the cinema with a bitter taste in their mouths. Their whole perception of Tenet has been altered because they simply couldn’t hear what anyone was saying.

We wanted to go rewatch Tenet, but decided to wait until it’s out on demand.

Why? Because then it would have subtitles available. Nolan just lost a couple of tickets because of bad sound mixing.

The sound mixing doesn’t ruin the film, but it does take away quite a bit. And we didn’t think that would be possible in a 200+ million dollar feature film.

Everything matters. Filmmaking is a wonderful collaboration. Everyone has a duty and responsibility not only to their colleagues, but to the viewers as well. Filmmaking is not only about good actors or good direction, but good collaboration and good decision throughout. And it seems Nolan made one bad one.

______________________________________________________________________________

Follow us on Letterboxd.

Enjoyed this article? Share it. We would really appreciate it. You can also tweet us, like our Facebook page, or better yet – subscribe to our email list so you never miss a thing. Or just comment below whatever thoughts you may have – we love reading them and we always respond.

— Pouty Boy

The post ‘Tenet’: Everything Matters appeared first on Our Movie Life.

Right off the bat: this was an extremely pleasant surprise. Watching this after the recent Project Power on Netflix was an utterly adequate decision. Project Power, also starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt, was underwhelming and disappointing; 7500, on the other hand, was the exact opposite.

We went into this with no expectation. There was absolutely no press for this film, close to no marketing, and the actual reason we found this was because of a Reddit AMA Joseph Gordon-Levitt did. In that AMA, he stated that he had three films coming out this year: one, 7500, is very artsy, the other, Project Power, is more fun and commercial, and the third (which we know is Sorkin’s The Trial of the Chicago 7) is not to be talked about just yet.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt is right: 7500 is a very artsy film.

But in the best way possible. There’s usually a special magic that comes with films which share a writer/director. It seems that’s the best way to keep a project true to its soul and really bring to life an uncensored artistic vision. 7500 is exactly that. It is Vollrath’s vision and nothing else. The director wanted to go for extreme realism; in fact, the whole film was shot as a series of extremely long takes that were later chopped up in post-production. This provided an opportunity for freedom on the actors’ side (and the cinematography, too) and really highlighted the sense of realism that Vollrath wanted to go for.

That is the core of 7500: it’s real. The story and the way the characters experience it is something we completely believe and experience with them. It’s engaging and gut-wrenching. There’s a sense of rawness to this film that truly helps elevate the feeling of loss and anxiety Vollrath wants to impose on the viewer.

And Joseph Gordon-Levitt is insane.

This actor has always been one of the most versatile and interesting artists in Hollywood. These are some of JGL’s project only in between 2010 and 2016: Snowden, The Night Before, The Walk, Don Jon, Lincoln, Looper, The Dark Knight Rises, and Inception. With such a track record of extremely colorful roles and projects, JGL has proved himself as one of the most talented artists currently working in the industry.

And he reminds us of this in 7500. JGL is truly fantastic. Absolutely real and true to the character, the actor takes this role and destroys it. He took a four year break from acting to focus on HitRecord and this, it seems, is JGL’s reminder to the audience that he is still a brilliant and capable actor worthy of his position in Hollywood. Some of his scenes in 7500 are absolutely gut-wrenching; and it’s rare nowadays that an actor can make us feel the sorrow and loss JDL did through his role in in this film.

And that goes for Omid Memar, too. Omid is 21 years old and definitely an actor to look out for in the future, especially after his role in this project.  

It’s also rare that a one location film keep our attention throughout.

Especially one set solely in a pilot’s cockpit. Emerging filmmakers are often drawn to the one location genre because it’s so much cheaper; but to write a one location script and to direct that one location script well is a challenge many fall victim to. The viewer is used to stories being told through a certain formula and within certain circumstances. To break that formula and set a story in a space that is probably 3×3 and to keep us interested for 90 minutes is really surprising and truly praise-worthy.

Maybe 15 minutes before 7500 was about to end, I asked myself what is actually wrong with this film. Having been a film critic for so many years now, this is usually a continuous process for me: I analyse while watching and can distance myself from the story. But 7500 is so impactful I realized I had been completely sunken into the plot and hadn’t had a chance to reflect. So when I asked myself that question, I realized: there isn’t really much wrong with 7500. It’s thrilling and it was refreshing to see a new production that is so good. Yes, there are a few bits here and there that might have needed tweaking, but in the big picture, those did not matter to me.

7500 destroyed me and left me breathless.

It’s a quality production, a surprising one, one that shines higher due to its vision and spectacular acting. We recommend 7500. We were pleasantly surprised and we hope you are, too.

______________________________________________________________________________

Follow us on Letterboxd.

Enjoyed this article? Share it. We would really appreciate it. You can also tweet us, like our Facebook page, or better yet – subscribe to our email list so you never miss a thing. Or just comment below whatever thoughts you may have – we love reading them and we always respond.

— Pouty Boy

The post ‘7500’: It’s Worth It appeared first on Our Movie Life.