The picture wouldn't work without the great performances by the cast, though. Kang-ho Song delivers a bewitching performance along with the necessary demeanor to convey the family's mentality. He's not quite peerless as So-dam Park does a fantastic job bringing levity to the film. As the daughter, she is afforded ample screentime to make a strong impression and steals every scene she's in. Everyone else does an adequate job maintaining the tone and keeping the movie believable, but it's those two actors that stand out. Every aspect of the film didn't receive the same amount of attention—the score and cinematography weren't always operating on the same level as everything else. There were moments where these elements got to shine, but for the majority of the runtime, they were underutilized. It's not a huge knock against the movie, but it is something that I noticed. As you can tell, I don't have too much negative to say. There is no denying that Parasite is a very well made film. The production design is probably one of the greatest achievements that it can boast; with great locations and set decorations, it helps to bring the whole thing come to life. As many people have pointed out, this is probably a shoo-in for Best Foreign Film at the Oscars, so why not see it before 2020 comes? 9/10
You should see this movie but I doubt its playing near you
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At first, I thought adding more people to the isolated incidents of the original would quickly make the story feel too crowded. Thankfully, the trailers are more extreme in this department, and the new additions don't drag the movie down. If anything, Zoey Deutch was the perfect thing to add, keeping everything fresh; she has some really great lines and interactions with the rest of the cast. The outcome of her performance overcame a lot for me, though, I could never shake the feeling that she was putting on an act. I could tell this was not her real personality. It threw me off at the start, but the material was so good that I just accepted it. The rest of the cast does a good job too. No one seems to have missed a beat during the ten year hiatus. This is mostly a shout out to the screenwriters, as writing characters that were defined by 2009 could have been tricky to continue in 2019. The temptation to sanitize a role that screams balls and dicks all the time would have been powerful. I could have done without the slow-mo intro, the same trick they used for Deadpool, but it wasn't egregious. Overall, Zombieland: Double Tap spiritually feels like the first, and that's good enough for me. It definitely lacks the tight storytelling and has pacing issues, but makes up for it with its charm. It gets you laughing and has quite a few scenarios to do so, making it very entertaining. The worst part is the ending, as it doesn't play to the movie's strengths, but as a whole, it delivered. This result was probably the best I could have asked for. 5/10
Might be fully tapped now
a distinction about 2019, how we got here, and what's in store for our future. It focuses hard on a character, taking us through their day to day life and asks if it's acceptable. There is no fantasy to bail you out and no over the top elements to distort the message. The bleak reality of the situation is handled with care and pristinely presented. It's a one-man show, Joaquin Pheonix is front and center for every single second. There is never an instance where you get a different point of view, Matt Damon in The Martian has nothing on this. His portrayal of a man, contorted by society and always being put down, is hypnotic as evolution happens right in front of you. No big event happens that causes the change, it's a slow burn that boils over. This is a character study, something that is said a lot about this film. That choice can be attributed to Todd Philips, co-writer and director of this depiction. He said he wanted to make a small and important film, but blow up its attention by putting it in a big property. It's this approach that takes Joker from just being a comic book movie to being a straight-up drama. It crosses over to traditional film in ways only a few have. It grounds itself in such reality that Nolan's trilogy looks light. Sadly, with so much to say, most are not listening. People are declaring that there is too much violence portrayed, that it creates a sympathetic murderer. These complaints are like being angry about a documentary showing off murders and their lives. Joker aims to depict and the blatant reality of the situation scares people. Aiming only to inform does not create the acts more dangerous, you see way more violence in a Deadpool or Marvel movies than you will see here. Joker is not a perfect film, there were quite a few leaps in logic toward the end. It does, however, get a pass from me since there is so much more it is trying to say. There are sequences in this movie that honestly had me glued to the screen. The attention to detail in color, framing, and excellent use of music pushed this over the top. It's the best thing I've seen this year, which isn't saying much but still holds quite a bit of weight. 8/10
"I wonder how sheltered the people must be, who don't understand what this movie is trying to say" |
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