United in Anger: A History of ACT UP
Enlightening documentary about activism in the face of the AIDS epidemic in the 80s and 90s. The archival footage is the real strength of this film, though the various “talking heads” are also effective, as members of the ACT UP group offer their perspectives on the groundbreaking activism that was going on at that time. To me, the most emotional and affecting demonstrations depicted were the “political funerals” held in front of the White House. You can see anger and resentment turn to grief in real time, and it is extremely powerful.

Free Angela and All Political Prisoners
This is a solid documentary about an extremely important figure in American history. I wasn’t totally engrossed by the style of the film, but there is something unquestionably valuable in speaking to the woman herself, so I enjoyed hearing Angela Davis speak about her own life.

The Square
I know the circumstances are completely different, but the way the Egyptian Army attacked protestors in the beginning looked a hell of a lot like the way American police have been attacking protestors in New York, Portland, and all over the country. If nothing else, this movie shows just how far a militarized state (like ours) would be willing to go to stay in power. Nobody in the US should watch this and think it could never happen here, because we’re already witnessing the beginning of it.

LA 92
“I don’t think it’ll ever stop, really… I mean, it may not be like this, but it’ll never stop.”

A fascinating and terrifying historical document. Before watching this, I thought I knew what the Rodney King riots were all about. Turns out, there was a lot more going on outside of the actual court case. One thing I wasn’t even aware of was the extreme tension between the Black and Korean communities in Los Angeles at this time, and the fact that much of the destruction was to neighborhoods that were majority Korean.

Whose Streets?
“You can’t perform the duties of a police officer, and have racism in you.”

Well, I think you can’t perform the duties of a police officer and not have racism in you.
A very affecting documentary and an essential follow-up to LA 92. This is 1992, 2014, 2020, and onward.

My Beautiful Laundrette
I didn’t really have any expectations for Stephen Frears’s little dramedy, but I have to say I was totally enthralled by it. Daniel Day-Lewis is extremely charming, and it’s really cool to see him before he became Daniel Day-Lewis, but I think what I liked most about this was the fact that it centered around British-Pakistani man. Gordon Warnecke’s performance as Omar is really the heart of this film, as he’s simultaneously romantic, entrepreneurial, sarcastic, and witty. For me, My Beautiful Laundrette was a really refreshing watch, so I can only imagine the power it had when it was release in 1985.

Happy Together
“I can’t see me loving nobody but you for all my life.”

Wong Kar-wai impresses with yet another film full of spectacular performances, dialogue, production design, cinematography, and music. Wong’s films always feel like a grand confluence of artistic talents, but even so, Tony Leung is the real standout here. There were some stylistic choices that I didn’t totally love (mainly the choppy/blurry slow-mo) but it didn’t really detract at all. This movie slaps.

But I’m a Cheerleader
This was another surprising watch for me— not because I thought I’d hate it, but because I knew literally nothing about it. I had seen the poster floating around Letterboxd for a while, but the cheesy font and green screen background always made me think this was one of those so-bad-it’s-good teen train wrecks. No so!

Natasha Lyonne and Clea DuVall are so good, and everything about this script is hilarious. I don’t really know what else to say, other than watch this if you haven’t. It’s a fun time!

Mysterious Skin (This review may contain spoilers.)
I’m not sure what I was expecting here, but damn this movie was fucked up… in a good way! I am definitely not accustomed to seeing molestation and pedophilia depicted on screen in such an unclouded way. I definitely don’t think I’ll be returning to this movie any time soon, but that’s purely because of the emotional toll it took on me. I felt sweaty and anxious the whole way through. JGL was great though, and the alien motif was very cool.

God’s Own Country
This one wasn’t for me. The cinematography and landscapes were beautiful, but my main problem was the slow pace and the fact that I never really connected with any of the characters. Josh O’Conner’s performance was very good, but his character was so unlikeable for so long that I never got a chance to get on his side.

Black Is… Black Ain’t
Lyrical, meditative, thoughtful. A really fascinating and affecting video essay from Marlon Riggs that feels handmade and personal.

Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property
I decided to watch this because I was taught next to nothing about Nat Turner and his rebellion in school. What I really liked most about this was that it was less about Turner, and more about the various artistic interpretations of him over the years. It made me think a lot about how most docs/biopics of old famous people are probably based on a great deal of conjecture, since we don't always have accurate information available to base these stories on.

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
Huey P. Newton
Bobby Seale
Eldridge Cleaver
Bobby Hutton
Fred Hampton

Oh, hey, I didn’t see you there! I was just naming important figures in modern American history that were never once uttered throughout my 12 years of public education in a wealthy and supposedly liberal suburb of New York City!

I Am Not Your Negro
I have come to realize (as many of us have) that I am going to have to do a lot of self-educating, because the schools in this country have failed, repeatedly.

How can we expect our society to change when its citizens are either not informed or misinformed? We can all see what is happening now, but when are we going to attack the source and teach our children (aka the fucking future) about more than just the Civil War and Civil Rights. This movie was two hours long and it still did more to educate me about the history of racism in American than any schooling I’ve ever had. Two full years of “US History” and nothing about this.

Black Mother
Khalik Allah’s documentary about Jamaica is about as pretty and poetic as an abstract video essay can get. What I love about Allah’s work is the way he mixes his audio and images. It’s a unique style of editing that I have not seen replicated. Not everything in Allah’s films works for me, but that’s okay because I know it’s not made for me. Still, I have come to appreciate and admire his artistic vision and I can’t wait for him to continue creating thought-provoking work.

School Daze
Spike Lee’s School Daze is funny, stylish, and (as you might expect) politically charged. I really enjoyed the neatly choreographed dance numbers and hilarious Gamma pledge line, but what I liked most was the fact that Lee told a story about the prejudices that exist on the campus of a historically black college. We often see the struggle of black vs. white depicted on screen (and in our daily lives), but Lee’s ensemble comedy effectively takes an alternative route, proving that there are many different and important POVs than just our own.

Malcolm X
About an hour into the film, I began to seriously question why I never learned about Malcolm X in school. I mean, I know why (because the American public education system has a severe racial bias), but I couldn’t help but feel embarrassed and cheated that I never learned about the life of Malcolm X. Part of the reason why I do this 5 Film Film Festival is to watch some classic movies, yes, but also to learn and fill in the gaps of my cinematic and historical knowledge.

As for the film itself, I thought it was wonderful. Denzel Washington’s performances was as great as I expected it to be, and the three and a half hour runtime just flew by. I honestly could have watched another two hours of his story.

4 Little Girls
This movie is another one that has been circling my watchlist for a while, and it did not disappoint. While It may not be the most cinematic film in Spike’s oeuvre, it’s gotta be one of his most emotional. Stylistically, it feels a little bit dated, but you can’t deny the strong wealth of emotion that he has imbued in this thing. I would consider this a must-watch for doc fans and history buffs alike.

A Huey P. Newton Story
I actually remember watching around a half hour of this in some college class my freshman year, but I don’t remember the context. Still, getting to see the whole thing was a treat. Easily one of the best “filmed-plays” I’ve ever seen with an absolutely knock-out performance from Roger Guenveur Smith.

When the Levees Broke
This strikes me as one of the most important American documentaries ever made. Totally engrossing, disturbing, sad, beautiful, and awesome. Officially the “longest” movie I’ve ever seen according to Letterboxd and I still wanted more! I guess that’s what the four hour sequel is for, right?

Oh, but that Kanye bit didn’t age too well, huh

Seven Beauties
There is certainly a lot to admire in this one. Though I never fully connected with Pasqualino, Giancarlo Gianni’s performance as the titular thief certainly deserves recognition. If I’m being honest, I didn’t really vibe with a lot of the first half of the film, but things really picked up for me towards the end, when the comedy faded a bit and it focused in on the tragedy of it all. Specifically, I felt like the last 35 minutes of the film really stuck the landing— truly incredible stuff.
I also loved the “oh yeah” intro (and all the music choices in general). This is the kind of movie that warrants a second viewing, but these are my thoughts on first watch.

Mikey and Nicky
Mikey and Nicky is sort of what I imagine an indie New York crime drama to be— tense, talky, and well-acted with a killer ending. I immediately felt like this could have been an influence the Safdie Brothers (turns out, it was).
This type of movie usually isn’t for me, but I have to say I really liked the film’s small scope. The reason I shy away from “mob movies” in general is because I never actually care about any of the characters. In that regard, Mikey and Nicky was different.

The Meetings of Anna
I know from Jeanne Dielman that patience can play an important role in watching Akerman’s films, but unlike her 3+ hour portrait of a single mother in Brussels,The Meetings of Anna felt very slow. I admit that I probably didn’t give the film as much of my undivided attention as it deserved, but I also think its meandering weakened it a little. I think I actually would have preferred fewer (and longer) scenes, so I could really absorb the hotel room/train station atmospheres.

The Juniper Tree
Though I think this is a beautifully shot and scored film, it just sort of made me want to rewatch Robert Eggers’ The Witch. That said, I’m glad I watched it and I hope Criterion continues to circulate lesser seen work from female filmmakers like Nietzchka Keene.

35 Shots of Rum
“When we revolt, it’s not for a particular culture. We revolt simply because, for many reasons, we can no longer breathe.”

I really liked the score, cinematography, and Mati Diop’s performance. Based on the first fifteen minutes (including the incredibly timely quote above), I would’ve thought it would end up being a little more political, but I still appreciated it for what it was— a somber and intimate portrait of a young girl’s “family” unit.

Lions Love (... and Lies)
This one wasn’t really my vibe. The more experimental, improvised bits of the movie were more interesting than they were enjoyable, and the “plottier” elements didn’t quite hold my interest. There were elements I liked (the bits with Shirley Clarke, mostly), but overall I just felt a little out of the loop.

One Sings, the Other Doesn’t
One Sings, the Other Doesn’t is a beautifully intimate portrait of female friendship at the height of women’s lib movement in France. I thought the performances were great (especially Thérèse Liotard as Suzanne), but what I liked most was the story structure. I feel like the epistolary structuring really emphasized the simultaneous sweetness and melancholy that was at the core of their relationship.
Still, while there was much to appreciate, I have to admit that I didn’t totally connect to this one. Looking forward to going more in-depth for my rewatch.

Mur Murs
Thoughtful, meditative, and focused, Mur Murs is, simply put, one of the great art docs of all time. There is so much more that can be said about this film, but I’ll just keep it simple and say, watch this if you haven't.

Documenteur
Life, Love, Loss,
Loneliness, Longing,
Luggage, Laundry,
Lachrymation,
Laughter, Legs,
Language,
Listening, Los Angeles.

Jane B. by Agnès V.
I’d love to see Adèle H. by Céline S.
or Emma S. by Sofia C.
but with our luck we’ll probably just get a Saorise R. by Greta G.

The Man Who Fell to Earth
This was weird and wild and wonderful. If you don’t dig the production design or overall style of this movie, we can’t be friends. And I know the plot is a bit thin, but I couldn’t care less. Davie Bowie was a freaking cat-eyed alien with a fedora. I loved it.

My one real grievance with the movie is that level of eroticism was a bit much for my taste. But it’s Bowie! What did I bloody expect?!
​
The Hunger
*David Bowie’s name pops up*
Me: I love it.

*35 minutes later*
Me: Ew. This is not the Bowie I came for.

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence
I enjoyed this, but admittedly I had higher hopes. Most of the performances are very good (especially Bowie, Tom Conti, and Takeshi) but I felt that the narrative was lacking and the pacing was a bit slow. Ryuichi Sakamoto’s score was excellent, but it often felt tonally jarring when it bumped up against the melancholy of the rest of the film. I’ll definitely be watching this again at some point in the future, but for this first watch I just felt a little let down.

Labyrinth
Wow, this really skirts the line between cute and terrifying... like really skirts it.

I spent so much of this movie trying to decide whether I would’ve liked this as a kid, but once I got to the scene at the Bog of Eternal Stench I knew that the answer would’ve been abso-toot-ly!

I’m looking forward to many rewatches of this thing. I especially loved the puppet effects, character design and performances, production design, score/Bowie songs, and just the sheer oddity of it all.

Basquiat
This was a really affecting, well-directed film, anchored by a fantastic lead performance from Jeffrey Wright. I also thought Christopher Walken was awesome in his cameo as a writer who comes to interview Basquiat— he had a suspicious energy that played really well off of Wright’s sort of calculated nonchalance. Best scene in the movie!

Throne of Blood
Macbeth is definitely a lot more engaging to me as a samurai movie, but I still can’t say I was totally enthralled by this. The scenes in the forest were the best bits by far— I love a good ghost!

The Hidden Fortress
"Help me, Rokurota Makabe. You're my only hope."

I thought this was great! Mifune is awesome in the Obi-Wan role, but Minoru Chiaki and Kamatari Fujiwara were the standouts for me. I especially loved how the first 25 minutes of the movie were just C-3PO and R2-D2 rolling around the desert bickering and looking for gold. I mean, this goes without saying, but I thought this movie was genuinely funny and thrilling— not quite an "action comedy," but the tone fell somewhere between Shakespeare and Spielberg in the best possible way.

In terms of its influence on George Lucas— I feel like he pulled the right stuff into Star Wars to elevate the story with a new setting, but totally botched it when it came to The Phantom Menace... he even stole the wipes!!

Yojimbo
I didn't expect this to have as much comedy as it did. Though I wasn't quite sure where it was going at first, once I understood the basic conceit (that Sanjuro was just going to play everything to his advantage and jump back and forth between the two bumbling gangs), the whole movie just sort of opened up. Adding A Fistful of Dollars to my watchlist now!

Sanjuro
This one was even more light-hearted and frivolous than Yojimbo, but I think its simpler plot makes for a less exciting watch. Mainly, I was disappointed that Sanjuro did not seem as cunning or sharp in this film. Rather than jumping back and forth between rival gangs, deftly twisting situations to confuse and incite them, Sanjuro spends this whole movie with one group of idiot fighters who never seem to understand what's really happening. Sanjuro is still pulling the strings, but in a much less compelling way. Still, it's not a bad film by any stretch— just a bit of a let down after the richly drawn action and conflict of Yojimbo.

Ending slaps 1000% tho.

High and Low
Despite a nearly two and a half hour runtime, this movie just floats by. The tense, play-like drama that makes up the first half of the film is impossible to look away from, and the calculated police procedural that follows in the second half is equally compelling. This is far and away my favorite film from both Kurosawa and Mifune— a true masterwork.

Moon
​Anyone who knows me knows that I love three things:
1. Space movies
2. Doppelgängers
3. The great David Bowie and all who are associated
​
So this was a real treat! I regret pulling up the Wikipedia page before watching, because just looking at the cast list kind of spoiled the whole premise for me. But other than that, my only real complaint is that it felt way too short. I thought I was nearing the midway point and I was surprised to see twenty minutes left in the movie! Still it was a fun watch with a rad performance from Sam Rockwell.

Pan’s Labyrinth
I liked this, but didn’t love it. The costumes, makeup, creature design, and body horror elements were all great, but I ultimately felt like I just didn’t get enough time in either “world” to fully invest in it. The relationships between Ofelia, her mother, the captain, and the maid were intriguing enough, but I think I needed a little bit more time with them.
This might be a super douchey thing to say, but I feel like this could have been a great miniseries… But seriously, there’s a lot of great stuff here, I wouldn’t be opposed to Guillermo expanding on this material in the future (though he should get on it while Dafne Keen is still young!)

The Pianist
~an anecdote~

It was April 2017. I was standing outside a bar in New York City with my gf and a couple other friends. We were all there for our one friend’s 20th birthday, and she was sufficiently drunk, despite the fact that we had not yet been admitted to the bar.

While we stood outside waiting for her “connect” to get us in, Adrien Brody walked by with his dog. As he passed us, I leaned into our circle of conversation and said, “Hey, I think that’s Adrien Brody.”

Everybody turned to look down the street and stared at Mr. Brody as his dog peed freely on a tree just a few yards away from us.

Then my drunk friend yelled out, “WHO THE FUCK IS ADRIEN BRODY?”

Keep in mind, we were still well within the earshot of Mr. Brody, whose dog was continuing to pee on the tree.

I said, “Shhh, he can probably hear us…” to which she responded,

“I DON’T CARE. I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHO THE FUCK ADRIEN BRODY IS!”

I whisper-shouted, “He has a fucking Oscar!”

Then we all went quiet and looked back at Mr. Brody, whose dog was still peeing. He was staring at us, expressionless. I wanted to apologize on behalf of my friend, or at least let him know in some way that I knew who the fuck Adrien Brody was. But I didn’t say anything. None of us said anything. After a few seconds, his dog finished peeing and he walked away.

Anyway, this is the movie he won that Oscar for.

Moulin Rouge!
To me, Baz Luhrmann and Michael Bay embody a very similar type of chaotic evil that I simply cannot handle. It’s just a “not for me” situation here, though Nicole Kidman is admittedly stunning and Ewen McGregor is charming as all Hell. Still, this just wasn’t my vibe.

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
“I’d rather be a ghost, drifting by your side as a condemned soul than enter heaven without you. Because of your love, I will never be a lonely spirit.”

Man I really liked this. What stood out most to me were the great performances from Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi, the original score, AND THOSE FIGHT SCENES OF COURSE.

The Magician
Loved the gothic vibes this was giving off. It took a while for me to get into it, but eventually I fell in love with Max von Sydow's silent illusionist and the rest of Bergman's motley crew. Plus the tonal shifts between humor and horror were brilliantly done. This is one that I will be really excited to revisit in the future!

The Virgin Spring
Not really my style. While I recognize the high level of craft, I must confess that I was pretty disengaged for most of this. Maybe I'll come back to it at some point later on, once I've seen a few more of Bergman's films, but compared to what I have seen (The Magician, Persona, The Seventh Seal), this just doesn't hold up for me.

Hour of the Wolf
Technically wonderful with an intriguing concept and two eerie, nuanced performances from von Sydow and Ullmann, but I just never really got into it. I think I am coming to terms with the fact that Bergman just isn’t totally my vibe. I haven’t totally disliked anything I’ve seen from him, but nothing but Persona really blew me away.

Shame
Tense, hectic, upsetting. Bergman’s wartime drama is unlike anything else I’ve seen from him. I know I have chosen to watch this set of Bergman films due to the recent passing of von Sydow, but once again his co-star Liv Ullmann steals the show for me.

The Passion of Anna
This movie had something that truly surprised me— miraculous color! The Passion of Anna is more melodramatic and painterly than the previous Bergman films I’ve watched, but I still felt a bit lost inside the narrative. I think the film was purposefully ambiguous and self-reflexive, but I felt a distance while I watched this that I could not reconcile.
What I liked most were the actors’ vignettes dispersed throughout the film. These interludes were probably the single most interesting thing I’ve seen from Bergman during this five movie binge of his collaborations with Max von Sydow.