briancham1994
Joined Jun 2005
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Cleopatra is one of the old Hollywood classics, well known for both its grandeur and its rocky production. The story behind the film's making is just as chaotic as the actual events of ancient history, with the filmmakers clashing and being pushed to the brink, and many cut down versions of the film being foistered onto the public. As the star Elizabeth Taylor pointed out, they cut out the soul when condensing it into one film, and it really should have been two. The first half ought to be called "Caesar" and the second half ought to be called "Marc Anthony" because the titular Cleopatra doesn't show up as much as promised compared to the Romans. Though much of her role was left on the cutting room floor, the precious scenes in which she appears are filled with both a steely determination and meek familiarity depending on her circumstances, revealing Cleopatra's complex character and her need to navigate both political and emotional realities. The grandeur of the film is spectacular, especially given the limitations of the time period, with huge lavish settings and costumes enriching the screen. However, even the four hour version suffers from odd pacing as it strings together historical anecdotes, making it feel like it's stuttering from one lavish set piece to another with some connective tissue and emotion lacking in between.
Poor Things is a very uneven film, eschewing any clarity. The production design is stunning with vivid colours, classic inspirations and expressionist exaggerations giving every location a childlike fancy. This all matches the perception of Bella, whose life journey befuddles the viewer. As a comedy, it engages in enough sudden raunchiness to throw everyone off guard (both on and off screen). However, as a dramatic tale, her motivations are muddled and it's hard to tell what she's really getting out of her character's journey.
The Holdovers is a throwback to a era of drama defined by warmth and whimsy, like Wes Anderson without the absurdity. Featuring several students stuck in a boarding school over the holiday period, the cast does an admirable job of bringing all the characters to life. Eschewing the "oh captain, my captin" type archetypes, the teachers are all flawed human beings with their own pecularities and passions. The students, in turn, have their own issues to deal with, culminating in an escape to the city to find something that will bring them all meaning. It's a very atypical Christmas movie, and one that barely mentions it at all, but still contains the same core of warmth and human connection we all long for.
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