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I was very much looking forward to watching this. I was disappointed almost immediately, when I found myself checking my watch just about 10 minutes into it.

The movie is certainly quite cleverly written. It does a great job in using truly absurd things the father does to illustrate the emperor's clothes the whole corporate world is wearing. The movie also succeeds in making us uncomfortable, and leaving many scenes and relationships unexplained or open-ended. In this way it mimics many real life moments.

However, underneath all this artistic brilliance and great acting is still the very cliché message that corporate life is absurd and often too all-consuming, taking away from 'precious' family time. This makes the movie political. As much as Toni make us all uncomfortable, the end (and the main poster image) suggests that he's still the hero. We're supposed to see that he has a good point, and that he's the sane--and even wise--one after all. He's the loving and caring father that is only longing for some innocent moments with his daughter untainted by the brutal and fake corporate world.

I find this message very tiresome. Once again, we're trapped into this guilt-trapping thinking that boomers are so keen on imposing onto young generations already. Are we supposed to see that the daughter is misguided about her own sense of happiness? That the father has the capacity to drag out her true free- and fun-loving spirit? I do not welcome this message.

So once you start to get the political message, all the scenes become extra cringey. For me the handcuff scene was unbearable. And clearly, many scenes could have been cut without losing the point. In the end, while accurate in capturing modern working 'vibes,' I find that it loses its edge because it's sending the same old tiresome patronising message about family values. It doesn't help that it's a woman being 'lectured' on, by none other than a literal father figure.

Finally, as many have pointed out, the movie is also far too long. The director may take himself too seriously and think he's too clever, but honestly, not all scenes are good. I would have enjoyed it a lot more if it were just 90 minutes.

This accidentally turned out to be one of my top three films in 2024. It's the kind of film you can watch many times.

What stood out was how accurately the director captured awkwardness. The young, hipster vibe in how Tessa first spoke to the host Adam was very funny, in an unfunny way. The Americans' forced friendliness and eagerness to please were just too familiar. Just when it's about to turn cringey, it became refreshing as we get to see more sides to each character.

There's so much unpleasantness-the underwear, the tone-deaf boyfriend, the painful therapy session-that I'm almost embarrassed to say I find it amusing. I know you're not supposed to like what you're seeing, but in a way I'm happy to see people on screen experiencing a more forceful quiet angst than I am ever capable of experiencing.

Tessa is an interesting character. She's not exactly likeable as she tries too hard to please-her work is about distantly, physically pleasing people. I think that says a lot about her. She wants to be correct and self-aware, and you get the feeling that she's probably 'too witty' but never bold, which is why she suffocates herself and likely those around her. Instead of actual closeness with others, she needs ASMR as a boundary. Instead of actual closeness with herself, she needs a therapist as a facilitator. This is very clever. Adam is supposed to be awkward and unlikeable, we're told explicitly, but he turns out to be very relatable due to how raw he is. The least likeable of all is actually Sam, who, I think is the sort you actually see the most in real life. Disloyal, shallow, and ultimately plain.

This film has all the good elements: characters with depth, right pacing, and angst that's low key enough that you can swallow and even enjoy.

I saw it on MUBI and really hope to see a bluray release!

On Falling Review

If you liked any of Aki Kaurismäki's films, you would love this one. It's dark, humorous, and feel so very present. I can't vouch for 'real', but every element feels relevant and trivial at the same time. Nothing's resolved. I call this 'being present.'

I went into the cinema thinking that everything would be clearly dystopian, perhaps an Orwellian or Atwood's atmosphere. Or more relevant to today's language, something like Severance, where you just know an ominous disaster is awaiting the main character somewhere and everything's going to feel off. I saw the trailer and thought, OK, someone from her past is going to reappear and destroy her routine. Or she's going to have a big internal epiphany due to meeting someone new or a disaster of some sort. Or it's going to be like Full Time (French À plein temps), where we will get to see that in fact, 'the everyday' can itself be dystopian enough without extra drama. I expected to just feel bad for Aurora all the time. None of these happened.

Like Full Time, it also features someone whose life circumstances are not ideal. You wouldn't want to be in her shoes. But unlike Full Time, I think the director here takes a much more light-hearted approach, which, ironically, is a lot more impactful. Small humours are thrown in casually-they're not exactly 'witty' or scripted, they're just funny things we can see people do, which is the best kind of humour. Aurora's every moment, alone or not, is featured. There's no yelling or visible panicking. Due to this lack of extreme tension or 'forced' drama, it's easy to slide into Aurora's mind. Once that happens, you feel her reality a lot more closely than if you were just observing.

Then something magical happens. You won't exactly be 'rooting' for her because you don't root for yourself-you just live, like Aurora does. You also won't be figuring out the potential plot development because you're no longer detached. Instead, you simply resonate with her. You suddenly get why the Polish roommate's kindness matters so much, or why you'd want that blue eyeshadow. You feel all the awkward pauses as a first person.

The best thing about the film is just how so many moments feel unresolved. That's the genius of it. Most of our lives are fragmented and you just cannot get a resolution on everything. There are some light motifs throughout the film which give it an artistic edge, but they are again naturally thrown in and don't feel forced. Yes, of course, it's a commentary on evil corporations, but the director doesn't make it overtly political at all. I feel it's more of a character study.

The more I write, the more I realise just how ingenious and deep the film is. I think I'll watch it again.