Unforgiven Review

        I’m halfway through with my look into Westerns. It’s more like a hodgepodge than an actual look into the genre as the decades came and went. Now, what I will say is between Butch Cassidy and this film was that the genre was in two different phases. Around the time of Butch Cassidy was when we see a different type of Westerns pop up. Dubbed Spaghetti Westerns since there was a lot of Italian influence and that’s where Clint Eastwood made a name for himself. The second half was when the genre was waning in popularity. One such film Heaven’s Gate is partly responsible for that and even ending a phase in Hollywood where director’s had total control of their films. Just at the start of the 90s is when the genre swung back into relevancy. 

1. Will’s Last Bounty

        Of course, I had to have one of Clint Eastwood’s films when I’m discussing Westerns. I haven’t talked about him in a long time. It was between this one and another he had released back in the 70s, but the Oscar winner intrigued me. Honestly, I thought he had just one Oscar winner with Million Dollar Baby. And it seemed appropriate where he was the face of the genre in a specific time frame that it made sense that he would be honored with a win. And becoming the select few where the director does the double duty of making the film and acting in it. 

        With that, we follow William Munny as he’s living his life as a widowed husband caring for his two kids. He’s visited by a new young outlaw named Scofield Kid who asks him to join him on a bounty. Just earlier, we see that a prostitute was attacked at a brothel and that the sheriff decided not to pursue any judgement on the assailants. Thus, kicking off the initial action of the prostitutes creating the bounty to get their retribution. 

        There’s a lot to unpack with this one since I think it’s a very unorthodox Western. Usually with the stuff that we’ve seen is mostly either a journey to find someone or a story of two outlaws coming to grip with the changing times. With this one, there’s no sense of awe or wonder when taking in the setting. It’s not shot on camera with Vistavision where we get this grand sense of the environment, but we see a real down-to-earth, gritty story of an outlaw going back to what he was doing in the past. 

        I think of all the characters that Eastwood has portrayed in his ever-sprawling filmography; this one is very suitable to what he’s been defined for. In the event where no one has seen his prior work, most of his portrayals in his Westerns were that he was a drifter and imbued a sense of justice where he saw fit. Basically, an anti-hero as we see Will once again answers his calling to get the bounty that he was told about. 

        What makes him interesting is that he’s old and has some experience with what he did. More so that he wasn’t initially open to the idea but as we see as he has that idea in his head. And I love how we see just what he’s been doing as a pig farmer and he’s not good at it, even with his kids giving him a hand is not enough. It establishes that he’s not content with his way of life but is more comfortable and adept with how he went about as an outlaw. 

        Moreover, I feel that with his character type has been echoed in some sense after the film came out. I think the famous example that everyone can point to is in Hugh Jackman’s performance in 2017’s Logan. Basically, we have a has been that is content with his life, until an offer is presented where he chooses to don the prior job in order to help out someone in need. With how Eastwood presents is more attributable to his prior work in the Dollar’s Trilogy and how he became the new recognizable face in the Western genre. 

        Side character wise I feel that the movie does a great job with giving us a lot of great characters that help Will and give us an awful sheriff in the small town. I initially didn’t plan or expect that Gene Hackman would pass away when I was going to talk about this film. One thing that is great about him is that he’s such a duplicitous character that he deserved to win the Academy Award that was bestowed to him. Hackman portrays Sheriff “Little” Bill Dagget who is running the small town of Big Whiskey. 

        The first time that we see who he really is sets him up to be the one where we just hate his guts. He doesn’t equally serve the town when he doesn’t punish the men who attacked the prostitutes. More so that he belittles anyone who wants to collect the bounty that the women had assembled. In one specific scene where we see an Englishman enter the town, Sheriff Bill beats him down as his whole posse surrounds him. In the next tab, one of his scenes is where I think the movie excels with deconstructing the whole genre. 

2. Deconstruction

        In any medium, whenever you hear the word deconstruction used in any sense typically means that whatever thing you like either a genre or a type of hero in a movie, is broken down in a sense of adding something new to something that already has a set of rules. The only example I can think of is in a horror movie where it has loads of rules depending on the type of horror film. While you have the ones that are a basic by the numbers film, you have the outliers like Scream that deconstructed the whole slasher sub-genre. 

        With Unforgiven, Clint Eastwood masterfully does so by having it be a bleak picture where the character that we are following practically undoes his own sense of life in order to go back to his old life. As I mentioned earlier, there’s no wonder or a grand scale in the film. It’s mostly grounded in a mostly realistic take of the genre. There’s no honor in what is being done such as killing someone or the need to elevate a person through a story and having it be a notoriety. One such scene basically represents the whole movie. 

        The moment I’m talking about is in the jail when we see Sheriff Bill talking to the Englishman’s biographer. The sheriff is looking over the booklet that details the Englishman’s exploits and tells the biographer that he was there. Explaining to him what really happened and demeaned the subject since the tall tale isn’t fact and he had a coward way to kill someone. Just his whole performance inside the jail perfectly illustrates why the Western is very grandiose in a sense. 

3. Overall 

        Unforgiven is one of Clint Eastwood’s best and one of the best films of the 90s.

Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid Review

        My look into Westerns continues. For awhile, I thought this one was set in the contemporary times. I think looking at the Blu-Ray cover of the two leads made me to believe that it was a heist film from the 60s. I could not be any more wrong when I finally sat down and watched it. To me, I think the whole film is indicative of the changing times when it came out. Even though it takes place in the past, I feel it’s kind of relevant when it comes to the passage of time. 

1. Outlaws on the Run

        The way the film starts is interesting. As we see the opening title sequence, the left side of the screen has an old silent film reel on the duo’s crimes along with their gang. In fact, the whole film is partly based on the actual outlaws that have their names in the film. It’s unique since it establishes to the audience that they were real and everything that we’re going to see is mostly about their exploits and running away. 

        I sort of gave away the story by pieces, but it’s mostly just seeing Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid robbing trains in the West in the beginning. From there, we see just how endearing they are when they are constantly on the run from the authorities. With what is being presented, the outlaw duo are different from what anyone can think of when they think of outlaw and the west. For one, they only just rob the trains and they don’t go out of their way to kill any of the passengers. 

        More so that, both are charming when they are together. While I’ll elaborate on the actor chemistry on the next tab, I want to also establish that this is an unorthodox Western film. Sure, it takes place in the West, but I feel that with the location of the locales represents just the ever-changing nature of what the duo goes through. What I mean is that after we see the duo commit their recent train robbery, the pursuit of getting them has them on the run. We see more greenery and the days of dirt and sand is gone since they can’t stay put. 

        Now of course, to make the whole thing engaging is to have the film cast two actors that have great chemistry. Both Paul Newman and Robert Redford are the best when portraying the two outlaws. I love how we see them do their thing and have to rely on each other when their being chased. Some moments even have some comedic banter since they must improvise on how to escape their predicament. When those moments, we see that both characters are completely different. Butch is more relaxed and Kid is more focused, and it inevitably switches when they’re cornered. 

        Just before the switch to the film has them be fugitives, I love how they seemingly share the woman that is with Sundance. Etta Place is the female accomplice to the duo and is mostly relegated to be someone who harbors them. There’s a moment when Butch is riding a bike with Etta and I think it’s supposed to be the only moment where he’s at ease and not committing robberies. Following that is when they return to which Sundance tells Butch that he can keep her. The comedic timing of the whole thing basically has it where they aren’t serious about any relationship involving her but she’s the only normal person besides the two. 

2. Buddy Film

        I was unaware of the supposed copies of the film when it came out in 1969. During the release of this film, you had others like Midnight Cowboy and Easy Rider. Films that involve a journey between two people as they find themselves in a changing world. Usually in the movie making business these situations are called Twin Films. With this, I feel that it’s a Triplet since all three of them came out in the same year and detail a journey during a changing environment. Either a shift in time or getting adjusted to a new way of life. 

        Now, I haven’t talked about a Buddy film in a long time. I believe the last one I did was when I was discussing Lethal Weapon way back in December of 2020. While I have discussed other films that have at least two male leads, the gist of the Buddy film is that we follow two people as they go on a journey that involves the two of them as they clash with their personalities. The one thing that makes this film use that to its advantage is that both don’t know each other well enough. 

        The moment when they’re on the run and they question what they know each other is probably the film’s secret weapon to make the film more of a drama in a Western setting. To me, it’s sort of heartbreaking to know that the one friend who you’ve been tagging along for a good chunk doesn’t know you well enough. I think it’s something where they are cornered and they don’t have any moments of self-reflection but embrace who they are basically shows us just who they really were in real life. 

3. Overall

        Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is one of the hidden gems of 1960s and one of the best Westerns of the time. 

The Searchers Review

You may have noticed that I’m talking about genres this month instead of a director that I’ll be spotlighting. Well, I have got a director to talk about in the summer. For now, I’ve decided to talk about another genre. This one seems to be part of a bygone era. While not eliminated since there’s some semblance of Westerns coming out. At the time, they were uniquely American and managed to showcase some talent and scenery. While this isn’t a condensed history of the genre, but something where this is the greatest hits or entry level to get into. 

1. Ethan’s Search

        When I was young, my first exposure to the genre was passively watching some westerns that my dad was viewing. One of them happened to be Tombstone. It would be years later when I was in university where in the intro to film studies class, my professor had us watch this film. It’s always a thing where you watch the movie but you must pay attention at the details so that the professor knows that you’re keeping up with her in the lecture. Time’s passed and after further viewings it has become my favorite. Maybe it’s a thing where you don’t appreciate something when you’re studying but do when you’ve finally got the time and won’t be quizzed. 

        Anyways, this film is amazing, what can I tell you. We follow Ethan Edwards as he’s coming back from serving in the Civil War. We see his family welcome him but is alarmed that his family has adopted a Native American named Martin. He soon assists the local Texas Rangers to investigate cattle theft, unbeknownst to them that it was a red herring. The family homestead had been raided as Ethan and Martin go on to search the kidnapped niece. 

        The whole film is straightforward as we see as John Wayne portrays Ethan. Now, Ethan is a very complex character from the time he’s introduced and in the entirety of the film. What makes him interesting is that he’s the odd one out when he returns to his existing family. For one thing there’s a level of mystique about him where there’s a lot that we don’t know about him. Obviously, it’s established that he was a Confederate and has certain knowledge about the Native Americans. One moment adds to the mystery about him. 

        Just prior to when the Rangers take off, we see a moment where Ethan’s sister-in-law is tending to his old military jacket. She caresses it and hugs it, implying that she had feelings for Ethan and is glad that he returned. There are even theories that have been circulating where the reason why Ethan is obsessive with the search for his niece is that she is his daughter. And I’m glad that it’s left entirely vague since it gives Ethan an aura of mystery as he isn’t to be trusted. It’s established that he stole gold coins, and he scoffs at the Texas Rangers’ captain request to join them. 

        I can go on about Wayne’s performance as the secondary characters make the film even more epic ensemble wise. Along with Ethan, Martin is the only company that follows him as they try to search for his stepsister. The moments between them are almost like an odd couple thing where Ethan doesn’t want to put up with Martin, while he wants to prove to him that he’s worthy of joining him. The duo practically makes the movie worthwhile and highlights Ethan’s utter disdain for the Natives. 

        One more thing before I talk about the director, I know that with the topic of Native Americans that is being presented in the film. We see them as savages and of course, the whole film is a product of the time. I’m defending the film through its merits and with its representation being questionable I feel that I must acknowledge it. The film is based on a story which in itself is based on actual events. What matters is that knowing that how the film went about casting the Natives is wrong then and is wrong now. Ignoring it is to pretend that there wasn’t an issue to begin with and should be discussed and not condemned. 

2. John Ford

        This is the first film that I’ve seen that bears the director’s name. One could even say that he’s one of the most influential American directors during the Golden Age of Hollywood. More so that he even helped elevate the Western to what it mainly is just by cultural osmosis. With how he shot the film, it practically requires to be seen on the biggest HD or 4K TV screen that you can find. Nowadays, depending on the film it mostly looks the same since any movie can be shot either digitally or through film stock. 

        With how the film is presented in the frontier just looks gorgeous. For a film that is approximately 60 years old, the fact that it influenced more films later is more of a tribute than an homage. I just love how Ford captured the whole shot, to me it feels more epic since the whole area is so expansive where the action is just a blip when taking it. I think the best moments is when the horse chase happens and in the shootouts is when we see the full scope. Part of the shots are closeups, but we see the long shots of the horsemen giving chase to showcase Monument Valley. 

        And when you watch it, there are moments where it’s a dead giveaway that it’s a closed set. It’s almost stark when we see a grand vista and then transition to a closed set with fake snow raining down. It almost, slightly ruins the immersion that the filmmakers couldn’t fly or go somewhere where it was legitimately snowing. Beyond that, I just adore how Ford conducts the whole thing without being artsy. I feel as though with his experience in filmmaking, he conducts everything as a feeling instead of intent. Which is what I would think since he prefers it as a job than having to explain everything through some visual symbolism. 

3. Legacy and Influence

        There’s no other way to further highlight the film in a positive light. I mean, here I am talking about it for a new generation to enjoy and to really marvel how it looks. To me, I feel that it rightly deserves the title as being the best Western film of all time. With the characterization and the cinematography, it’s clear that the film has been influenced as the century progressed. Little did I know that when Ethan sees the homestead on fire, it inspired George Lucas to pay homage to that moment when Luke sees his homestead on fire in Star Wars. 

        I think the most surprising thing about it is that influenced the filming of Lawrence of Arabia. Apparently, Lawrence’s director David Lean had repeatedly watched the film to give him the inspiration of how to do the scope of it. I can immediately see it as rewatching The Searchers, there’s moments that easily capture moments involving the dunes and the characters in them. And it only proved logical that Lawrence influenced Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films since they have the same epic scope to them. It’s basically chain of film influences that only seem to be getting longer. 

4. Overall

        The Searchers is one of the best films of the 50s, the premier Western film and one of the best films that I’ve seen of all time. 

Poor Things Review

        I’ve decided to pick this film to wrap up my look into Searchlight Pictures. Starting back during the start of the new decade, Disney decided to drop the Fox label on their recent studio acquisitions of 20th Century and for the company in question. Their reason is that they didn’t want any brand confusion with Fox News. Albeit I think it’s a sly way to not associate themselves with the conservative network and have the baggage. With that, this film is I think the next evolution for the studio to embrace a new kind of big budget indies.

1. Bella’s Odd Journey

        I think of all the film’s that I’ve covered so far involving the studio, this is by far the strangest and sort of unorthodox film that I’ve seen. I think what made me second guess is that it was a huge swing from Searchlight that I’d assume it was their attempt to imitate A24’s style of films. Just how it looked reminded me of something I watched back in the mid-2010s. While I’ll get to the production, this is a unique film that is at its core about woman’s independence. 

        Based on the book of the same name by author Alasdair Gray, the film is about Bella Baxter who is a young woman who has been brought back to life via a brain implant. That’s barely scratching the surface with this one, since there’s a lot that goes on with the film. While it’s not that complicated to follow, since we follow Bella as she grows and matures. Although, having the same body but having a brain like a toddler. I’m pretty sure I’ve lost any potential readers due to the strange plot. 

        It's interesting watching Emma Stone perform in this role. At the time, I mostly associated with her with doing mainstream roles. From Easy A to La La Land, she became the new female lead, especially with winning an Oscar with the latter film. I think with any actor or actress, they have a phase where they want to divert from their mainstream output with something where they want to be artsy. The only example I can think of is Robert Pattinson, from Twilight to appear in a film where there’s multiple copies of himself. I believe that it’s a unique way to diversify their range as far as acting. 

        Back to what I was talking about. In a way, this is sort of like a unique take on the story of Frankenstein’s monster. Where we see Bella being experimented on and inevitably having independence as a creature created by science. There’s never a moment when she goes on a rampage, but one where we see her slowly gaining enough intellect where she’s defying societal norms. It’s interesting where her intellect and curiosity is mostly derived from her creator Dr. Baxter. To the point where she basically is curious enough to see what the world is like. 

        Although, when it comes to her curiosity, she attracts some men in her life who only love her to control her. Part of the highlight when it comes to the film is seeing her interact with the different men in her life. Willem Dafoe does a good job with being the Dr. as he’s the father figure to Bella. And speaking of men, Mark Ruffalo just hams it up with his accent as he portrays Duncan. He mostly seduces Bella to be his wife but is mostly vexed by her unorthodox personality. The scene I think represents it is when they’re dancing at a hotel. Bella dances to the music as Duncan joins her

2. Yorgos Lanthimos 

        To be honest, this is the first movie that I’ve seen of the director. Years prior, I remember seeing ads to one of his movies called The Lobster with Collin Ferrel as the lead. From there, I wasn’t into the weird cinema since my head was stuck with the mainstream stuff and watching assigned films that I had to be discussed in my film classes. With how everything is presented in this film, from the location title cards to the film’s distinctive look, it’s clear that only Lanthimos can pull off the visual aesthetic. 

        There’s a limit to how weird a director can go to the point where the abstract can be a film’s detriment since it takes away with what’s going in the central story. This isn’t David Lynch with how weird his films are and it’s up to the viewer’s taste. With how Yorgos shows the Victorian era in his own way, I feel that it’s very hyper stylized to the point where one can say it’s gothic but maybe Hyper-Gothic is sufficed. With the costumes and everything about the world gives it’s own sense of weirdness where it’s legible. 

3. "Barbie"

        It’s surprising that I haven’t dedicated a month where I talk about the copycat films. What those are is when two films have near identical plots but the only thing different about them is the title of the individual movies. The easiest examples is when DreamWorks released Antz and Disney/Pixar released A Bug’s Life, both center on insects as the ant is the main character. What I’m getting at is during 2023, Barbie the movie was everywhere as far as the public consciousness while Poor Things came out near the end of the year. 

        Both films deal with the main character figuring out who they are as they are exposed to a world that is male dominated and having a figure that tries to win their affection respectively. Having watched both films, since I wanted in on the Barbenheimer craze since I wanted to know what the hub bub was for the Barbie movie. I feel that when you put the film together, it’s clear in my mind that Poor Things is the more ambitious film as far as having the main character gain her own independence.

        Mind you, Barbie is a great film in its own regard. Although, I feel that where it falls short is the ham-fisted message that of course lies in with the toy that has been beloved by generations. Now, a movie based on a book and a toy is mostly like this. A book adaptation can go in any direction that the author couldn’t and a film based on a toy can’t quite be progressive and evocative since it’s mostly confined to being a toy. It’s a product where the only real difference it can make is mostly through the dollars that Mattel can conjure up. Maybe someday I’ll talk about Barbie, but when comparing the two. Poor Things is superior when talking about independence. 

4. Overall

        Poor Things is one of the best films of the 2020s and one of Searchlight’s best film of the decade so far. 

Jojo Rabbit Review

        We’re halfway through with my opinionated greatest hits of Fox Searchlight Pictures. From Whip It and in this film, the studio has become a critical darling by gaining multiple accolades and earning multiple wins at the Oscars. During the 2010s, other studios popped up to be the competition for Fox Searchlight. You have Neon and A24 who have taken a stab with their films that have an indie feel to them but with a moderate budget. I didn’t know what to expect with this film when it premiered in 2019, and it only took two years later to finally sit down and watch it.

1. Jojo’s Bizarre Adolescence

        Like most things, I was not aware that the film was based on a book titled “Caging Skies”. And when I say based on, I mean like a loose adaptation since the book has some heavy material and it only made sense for a comedic director to try to imbue a sense of irony and satirization. Crazy to think that this film was stuck in development hell. Meaning that, this niche idea was practically laid dormant since the director wrote the screenplay of it. With the material that was in it made it be deemed unfilmable due to just how odd it is. 

        I’ve already talked about Taika Waititi last year when I discussed his entry into the MCU with Thor: Ragnarök. I feel that with the unexpected success of that film, Disney basically gave him a carte blanche of doing whatever the hell he wanted as his next film. It only made sense that he would bring this concept up and make it his own. I think it’s almost risky to try to have any sense of comedy when dealing with Nazism. Like, only Waititi and Mel Brooks managed to have the talent to show off the comedy of a fascistic force such as the Nazis. 

        Anyways, we follow the main character as he’s part of the Hitler Youth Organization. Taking place during the final years of Nazi Germany’s existence, Jojo is a brainwashed kid who has an imaginary friend that is modeled after Hitler. Stay with me for a moment. After an incident at the camp, Jojo is sent home and uncovers a secret that his mother has been keeping. 

        I’ll talk about that final tidbit in a moment. I love how the film is mostly focused on Jojo’s point of view of how he sees things. He’s a kid and is heavily indoctrinated to the point where his own mother is aloof to it. Roman Griffin Davis does a great job playing Jojo. I like how he’s not just a miscreant but a boy who thinks what’s right is the dominant might of the Nazis. He wants to be tough but is a big softie when the moment arrives to show his supposed strength. And I like how he has a group of people that practically represent his whole worldview. 

        For instance, the supporting characters aren’t just relegated to the background and have a lot to do when they encounter Jojo. I think how they’re used to show Jojo how the world he lives in is and one where it’s his preferred vision. To start off, I love how it’s a contrast. We see Captain K and Jojo’s imaginary Hitler. Both show that the captain is miserable and imaginary Hitler is a wacky overzealous person. Jojo’s mother on the other hand, is not like the others since she’s the only positive person in his life. I love how she has this sense of positivity and how she’s basically attempting to have Jojo look at the world in a different light. 

        Since I brought up imaginary Hitler, I should at least elaborate on that. It’s a thing I’ve noticed with watching a select Waititi films where he does the double duty of acting and directing. His role as Hitler is just hilarious with how he has that childlike attitude as Jojo. Although, I like how he’s not just friendly but also becomes devious with how he wants Jojo to continue being hateful. To continue with that duality thread I talked about, both Jojo’s mom and imaginary friend helps him get an understanding of what’s going on with his world. And it all comes to head when he meets with a girl that his mother hides. 

        Elsa is probably my second favorite character in the movie that puts up with Jojo’s jingoistic tomfoolery. I love how when she’s first revealed, it’s like a horror film where Jojo is scared and when she exits the secret room, her hand grips the wall like a monster. The chemistry between the two young leads is great since Jojo is disgusted by her but is curious about her since he starts to develop feelings for her. Inevitably, it gets to a point where she is interrogated by the gestapo and it gets really tense when Jojo’s camp counselor interrogates her. 

2. Growing Up

        With everything that I’ve discussed, you would think that the whole movie is a hard sell due to what it’s about and the subject matter as far as it’s setting. To me, at the core of it is about a boy realizing what he believes and growing up in a place that is oppressive. It’s a unique spin on the coming-of-age story. One of those stories where we follow someone who is young and then gain or see things that change them into a mature person. Something like this is interesting since it’s revolutionary to have someone be jingoistic and grow out of it. 

        More so that, since the film is a comedy, it had to show the idiocy of Nazi Germany. We see just how idiotic and stupid the whole methodology of the “Heil Hitler” was with a sense of irony. All of it played for laughs which at hindsight is practically funny seeing how they conducted themselves. One thing that I will commend is that since we did see what happened to the dissidents. The moment when Jojo sees what happened to his mother is just shocking, seeing how he was at peace and having it just destroyed him.

        Lastly, I never would’ve imagined that this film would be a beloved film in 2019. More so that I’d couldn’t even think that it would win an Academy Award and be nominated for Best Picture.  I feel that it’s more relevant with what’s going on but uses the past to make a point about growing up. This is probably Waititi’s best film that I’ve seen so far and I’ll give credit to Disney for ultimately green lighting the film to be made. Had anyone else made it, I don’t think it would be talked about as a classic, but an oddity.

3. Overall

        Jojo Rabbit is one of the best films of the late 2010s and I think one of Fox Searchlight’s finest.