The Sundown Spectator #1

The season for the Spooky Spectator has passed, but the desire to watch films and give you all snarky reviews still lingers. The sun sets at seemingly 3 p.m. these days and all I want to do as a result is dive into a prestige existential drama or cheap action flick. Therefore, I am debuting a new feature: The Sundown Spectator. For as long as I can manage, I will be watching films and reviewing them for your entertainment and to maintain my own sanity through the no-sun months. I find writing these reviews gives me much needed breathing space from my novel. I also have a habit of taking pics of the sunset and never posting them and this feature is a perfect excuse to use them. Anyway, cheers to you for sticking with me and on to the films:

Taken by me on 1/23/2021 at Patapsco Valley State Park. 2021 had me in my “man of the woods Justin Timberlake” flop era

May December (2023):

Though many may construe this film as such, May December is not a comedy, but a melodrama. For me it was tonally reminiscent of jawbreaker. In that film, the arm waving and outsized performances belied the truth of the crime underneath and this movie is no different. The characters' almost ironic earnestness and the kitschy “Lifetime Original Movie-esque” music are so foreign to our sensibilities that it obfuscates its own intent. It makes you want to know what they are masking. For May December, it's the extent of the self-infantilization of Gracie (hers and her sons names are literally ‘Gracie’ and ‘Georgie’, literally names you’d give baby dolls) and the level to which her grooming of Joe has gone. How she has taken a boy and forever frozen him in time, while denying him the opportunity to even discuss his own life openly and honestly. We're able to see it ultimately through Natalie Portman's character, Elizabeth - A ruthless and unethical method actor. She's been tasked with playing Gracie in a film and immediately understands that to keep her facade of a life going, Gracie needs to be constantly manipulating Joe. In fact, when we see the actress finally unlock the truth of Gracie for the role, it's after she's used Joe in the same way, playing on his inexperience for her own self gratification. The melodrama also acts as a salve for an otherwise gutting film that should be difficult to watch without it. (7/10)

Four Brothers (2005):

Encouraged to by my roommate, I have decided to re-watch the movies from my “Formative Films” list and this film is the first on the docket. Going in, I only hoped that the movie’s enjoyability and quality held up which is insane because on some level, I had to have known it was awful back then. So much so that I struggle to understand what I liked about the movie in the first place (it was Andre 3000). This film is such a mess I don’t even know where to start. First, this movie is more unintentionally funny than intentionally which in a film with a paper thin plot is a problem. Second, immensely talented actors that have gone on to do incredible work after this movie are completely wasted here, such as a young Taraji P. Henson. Also, The editing is terrible and while watching it you can just tell that there is a director’s cut screaming to be let out somewhere. Chase scenes are thrown in haphazardly and so many film devices are thrown at the proverbial wall only to never be revisited again. Flashbacks, visions, needle drops, you name it. Most of which, are crammed into the first 30 minutes of movie. Oh and also this movie is so much more racist than I remember. Mark Wahlberg calls a man the n-word to his face and I had to laugh because you could tell it wasn’t his first rodeo. (4/10)

Country Strong (2010):

This is a Madea movie for WASP conservatives. I mean that in the worst way possible. The similarities are unable to ignore, right down to the shamefully exploitative portrayals of people with addictions and lazy, infidelity- based drama. Nothing more needs to be said except I'm convinced Leighton Meester’s agent in the 2010’s had it out for her. Also, I refuse to believe that Gwyneth ‘Goop’ Paltrow really believed this movie would kickstart her country career. For shame. (3/10)

Blue Eye Samurai, Episode 1 (2023):

Blue Eye Samurai is a triumph in animation for Netflix. The style is so distinct and captivating I could barely appreciate the story as I was too busy ooo-ing and awe-ing at the moving masterpiece in front of me. The story however, will feel like a bit of a retread to the anime-faithful as it is a rouge-ronin-revenge adventure quest anime. That being said I’m curious to see how they put their own spin on the genre as there has already been some promising deviations that I won’t say here because of spoilers. My only complaint is that the art style doesn’t lend well to longer fight scenes. It tends to get a bit clunky for me. I’m hoping it improves throughout the series as I expect there to be plenty of battles going forward. Otherwise I presume it’d almost feel like you’re watching Berserk (2016). The anime of which I only got through the first 10 minutes of episode 1. (6/10)