Directed by Todd Phillips Joker seems to be split among critics and fans. Critics are lukewarm at best, pointing out some of the unfair representations of mental illness and the way the film borrows a whole heck of a lot from Taxi Driver and King of Comedy (and maybe Nightcrawler too), but fans just seem to love it … Continue reading Joker (2019)
taxi driver
The Yakuza (1974)
Directed by Sydney Pollack "A Yakuza pays his debts/A Yakuza does his duty/A man without debt/A man without duty/Is not a man." This is the song sung midway through Sydney Pollack's The Yakuza and which sums up the philosophy which guides the characters of the film. It's an eastern philosophy into which the western character, Harry Kilmer … Continue reading The Yakuza (1974)
Christine (2016)
Directed by Antonio Campos Okay, so Christine is a mix of Network (1976), Nightcrawler (2014), Blue Jasmine (2013) and Taxi Driver (1976). Set in 1974, the story of a local news reporter plays out in the shadow of the Woodward and Bernstein takedown of Richard Nixon which is chronicled in another 1976 film, All the President's Men. Christine Chubbuck, the … Continue reading Christine (2016)
Affliction (1997)
Directed by Paul Schrader There are a lot of murder mystery movies out there in which the investigation offers unspoken redemption for the troubled protagonist, whether it's a cop, a private detective or just a motivated relative of the deceased. These characters might be alcoholics, they're probably divorced, and their lives have crumbled to the … Continue reading Affliction (1997)
First Reformed (2017)
Directed by Paul Schrader First Reformed is great. It's the type of movie I eat up, you know that kind of arthouse, slow burn type of character study. It's another A24 release, shot in a square ratio like last year's A Ghost Story. Like that film this one is quiet, so stripped of music and dialogue … Continue reading First Reformed (2017)
idrawonmywall.com 