LoveofLegacy

Margot does the best with what she's given, but this film was very disappointing to me. It was marketed as a fun, quirky satire with homages to other movies. It started that way, but ended with over-dramatized speeches and an ending that clearly tried to make the audience feel something, but left everyone just feeling confused. And before you say I'm a crotchety old man, I'm a woman in my 20s, so I'm pretty sure I'm this movie's target audience. The saddest part is there were parents with their kids in the theater that were victims of the poor marketing, because this is not a kid's movie. Overall, the humor was fun on occasion and the film is beautiful to look at, but the whole concept falls apart in the second half of the film and becomes a pity party for the "strong" woman.

Listen, I loved Michelle Yeoh in EEAAO, but after seeing Tár, it's clear Cate Blanchett deserves the Oscar for 2022. I wasn't quite sure what this film was going for at the start, but once I did, I was literally on the edge of my seat. Blanchett's subtle performance carries this film and really sells the descent into madness. It's very easy to overdo the acting in a film like this but she only takes it big when fitting for the character. There were also so many details that I caught on my first viewing, and I'm sure there's some I miss. Tiny facial expressions or the shadow of something looming in the background that add to the feeling of unease without the need for tense music or images. Honestly, it felt much more like a horror movie than a drama. And I disagree with most comments that say it's a slow burn - I was really brought in from the very first scene in the classroom with the student that walks out (all of which is one-shot by the way). Anyway, I originally just watched the film to see the competition for best picture and best actress, but after viewing, I still think EEAAO should win best picture, but best actress should come from Tár.

I saw this on Karsten Runquist's list of top movies of 2022 and it sounded intriguing. But honestly I'm not sure what he saw in this film. Usually I agree with his reviews, but this was definitely not one of those times. It's not that I didn't understand what this was going for, it just was badly executed. The lighting and color scheme style felt like it was trying to emulate A24, but without any of the good writing or creative storytelling. All of the interesting moments in the film were shown in the trailer. I do think there is a good story deep down, but it is not brought to justice with this piece. Sorry Karsten, this was a no-go for me :(