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Reviews
The Quarry (2020)
A Tale of Retribution Amongst Salvation
The film begins on an open desert road where a religious guy is driving to somewhere leaving his troubles behind. Along the way, he encounters a man passed out on the side of the road and as a good samaritan decides to give him a lift to the closest diner or sight of establishments to freshen him up. Upon doing so, the gentlemen strike up conversation and head on their way to a nearby border town. Along the way, the two gentlemen approach a quarry for a pit-stop and the now known preacher unknowingly aggravates his passenger who strikes out at him in a fit of uncontrolled rage and kills him.
With blood on his hands, the passenger has no where to turn, and has concocted a plan to assume the identity of the preacher, and buries him in a shallow grave in the quarry. He then heads to the border town where the preacher is supposed to take up residence and settle in to his "new" life.
Upon arrival, he sees a wanton boy playing late at night in this Mexican border town, who helps him find the church that he is to settle into. So tired from his trip, the impostor of a preacher just wants rest, and ignores the advice of the caretaker of the house to bring his luggage from the van inside. The following morning his vehicle is broken into, and he takes the advice of the housekeeper to call the local police chief to investigate. This is where the drama begins!
Without going further into the plot, to me the standout performance was Michael Shannon as the police chief! It reminded me of a similar role he played in Nocturnal Animals. His portrayal of the character is nothing short of intriguing and dare I say flawless. He exuberates thrill, mystery, the whole package.
The other standout performance was that of the passenger who feigns to be a preacher. The development of this character was well paced and very awesome. This character is very relatable as he starts off a sinner, and with this mindset he was able to quickly relate to his following and quickly expanded the following of the church from a handful to a throng of faithful. As his following grew, ironically, his belief in the holy word started to grow, and his conscience as well.
In closing, no bad deed goes unpunished, and everyone is salvaged in one form or the other.
Motherless Brooklyn (2019)
Hidden Treasure
This film is definitely a must watch movie for those who appreciate a quirky yet intriguing story-line. Not to delve too much into the plot, this film portrays New York at a crossroads in time. It provokes the dilemma of development of the city vs morality. The film showcases what the power of money and greed, all ingredients of capitalism, can do.
Love and lust have no boundaries, this was indeed a pleasurable takeaway from this movie. Other themes covered were loyalty, trust, kinship and corruption in public office. Some political undertones remind me of the current political climate in the USA today.
All in all, a great film for those who have the patience to watch it, and who appreciate real everyday life topics that impact us.
Phantom Thread (2017)
Oddly Scintillating
Phantom Thread is a complex tale of a meticulous tailor/designer that lives a life of routine as if it were clockwork. One day at a regular diner he befriends the seemingly mundane waitress Alma and is fascinated by her handwriting and detail to attention. He soon realizes after measuring her that her physique is one he has been looking for a long time and it is here his fascination of her creature grows. She soon accompanies him everywhere and the chemistry between the two gets stronger day by day, not without its tension of course. The pairing resembles chalk and cheese, however the saying that opposites attract holds firm in this scenario. Reynolds (tailor/designer) who seems incapable to feel and show love distresses Alma who has fallen head over heels for him. Reynolds is of the view that marriage would make him full of deceit yet still this does not deter Alma's affection. Eventually after some doing by deceitful means Reynolds accepts Alma's affection, leading to the marriage between the two. His world has quickly turned upside-down thereafter, affecting his work, his routine and his life as he knew it. Oddly enough he hates and loves the change at the same time. Love is strange and cruel but it is lovely. Love is poison but at the same time the cure.
Cinematography : 10
Storyline: 7
Cast: 9
Score: 8
Nocturnal Animals (2016)
Beautiful Masterpiece
Nocturnal Animals is probably the best kept secret of 2016.
The film demonstrates superb directing, the visuals are indelible and the cast is amazing.
The story-line is beautifully crafted and gets an A+ for me. I think the major takeaway is that Edward vicariously lives through his fictional character Tony; who demonstrates the strength that he has been accused of lacking from Susan and all the other characters in the film he had a connection with (Susan's Mom, her current husband etc).
Also let's dissect the title of the film and the title of the manuscript. "Nocturnal Animals" was an ode to Susan. Throughout the film she showcases classic signs of insomnia. Looking at the events in the manuscript one can ask why did Edward/Tony drive his family in the middle of nowhere in the night time, that seems a bit odd. In a way it seems both Edward and Susan are nocturnal animals. The nighttime is their escape from the harsh realities of the world and the underwhelming feelings that reside.
The film has so many interpretations that it can have the viewer confused. What exactly is the morale of this film? However the beauty is being engrossed in the film to find out. I rarely look at films twice but this most likely will definitely be one.