March & April Movies 2018

1. Blade Runner 2049 - Deakins' cinematography makes up for a lot. Better than the original!
2. La Bete Humaine - Renoir's boring tale fails to make you feel for any of the characters.
3. Killing Ground - Standard horror trail story, gets good, then completely falls apart.
4. Wind River - Been done before, but for some reason, it clicks in all the right spots.
5. The Villainess - Korean action film that excels due to its "gimmicks" and its amazing star.
6. 35 Shots Of  Rum - Claire Denis' version of Ozu's Late Spring, trains and all. Solid.
7. Darkest Hour - Brilliant acting. Oldman won Oscar, but it's James who truly shines.
8. Perfect Blue - Confusing anime Inspired by so much and inspired even more. Must see.
9. Skirt Day - Teacher deals with unruly students and a gun. Heartbreaking. Adjani is great.
10. The Thing (2011) - Absolutely unwatchable. I tried three times and couldn't sit through it.
11. Chris Rock: Tamborine - Feels like a weak reboot of Bigger and Blacker. Pretty dull.
12. The Man Without A Past - Least favorite Kurasmaki film, but has its moments.
13. Sicario (Re-watched) - Better the second time around. Score and cinematography is special.
14. A Handmaid's Tale (first two episodes) - I adore Moss & Strahovski, but this start is slow.
15. The Shape Of Water - Hawkins shines, with stellar support, in Del Toro's brilliant fairytale.
16. Black Orpheus - Not seen since I was a kid. Even better. Marpessa Dawn just dazzles. 
17. My Blueberry Nights - Wong Kar-Wai does English speaking film. Colors pop, as does acting.
18. Sunrise - Rewatched the film that is, in my opinion, the greatest film ever made. 
19. Luna De Miel (Honeymoon) - Spanish horror which concentrates on shocks. Near miss.
20. Days Of Being Wild - Maggie Cheung is as beautiful as the film looks, but it lacks something.
21. The Florida Project - Touching, at times painful look at poverty, through many different eyes. 
22. Aftershock - Easily the worst first 35 minutes of any movie ever. Then something happens.
23. The Girl Without Hands - Animated sketches tell a Brothers Grimm tale. Lovely.
24. Selected Shorts by Sebastian Laudenbach - None have the look or resonate like TGWH
25. The Ritual - Dreadful over-hyped horror film filled with common themes and cliches.
26. Atonement - Is this The Notebook with a much sadder ending? It only clicks at the end.
27. Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Flawed at times, but acting elevates it 
28. The Killers - Hemingway's writing is a noir classic. Fun throughout, but Gardner is wonderful.
29. The Killers - Tarkovsky's school film. Only 20+ minutes long, but signs of things to come.
30. Doctor Strange - Great cast makes this average superhero film stand out. Good fun.
31. Veronica - Spanish horror film delivers. Great tension coupled with fine young actors.

Top Three - The Shape of Water, The Darkest Hour, Three Billboard Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Bottom Three - The Thing (2011), Aftershock, The Ritual

Biggest Surprise - Veronica

Biggest Disappointment - La Bete Humaine