September Round-Up
Had a nice busy month over at In Review Online!
First up, Ne Zha 2 - Technically an August release, but I haven't shared my review until now. The movie is worth a look, particularly if you're interested in how blockbuster cinema is shaping up in China. It bombed theatrically in the States, which doesn't matter that much. What's more interesting is how to blends a visual style our filmmakers used to exert extraordinary control with Wuxia--successfully.
Riefenstahl - Ass. I get in to how cowardly and redundant it is in my review. Suffice it to say, there's already a great documentary about her that does everything the new one stabs at and so much more.
The Baltimorons - Mixed on this one, and it's big-hearted enough that I felt bad about kicking it around. Certainly has its moments, though.
Clemente - Literally nothing. As someone getting into baseball in a serious way, I was seriously disappointed by how little I learned about the game--or even Clemente himself beyond broad platitudes.
Orphan - Son of Saul is one of the best movies ever--certainly the best about the Holocaust. I missed Sunset in 2018, so I jumped at the chance to review Nemes's latest. It's alright. Beautifully staged, but it's missing the urgency SoS had. Here's t0 hoping he remembers how to make a movie shorter than two hours.
The Lost Bus - Way, way too long, but great when it's actually about trying to escape a fire. Has just the right amount of climate catastrophe Bible-thumping, too, which is to say exactly one moment of it.
Megadoc - A relationship with Megalopolis--positive or negative, doesn't matter--is a prerequisite for getting something out of this, but for those who care it's great fun.
Last, but certainly not least, is One Battle After Another - A genuine dream come true to review this. I came out of the press screening feeling warmly toward it, but the week-and-change I spent living with and writing about it really opened it up for me. There was so much noise about this one when it came out, and I'm sure it's going to have a reprise in January/February, but I feel like I got a good read on it and am proud to share my write-up.
