Over on Twitter I run an account that gives movie reviews in twenty words or less. In a fast and moving world, attention spans can be short, especially on social media. I challenged myself to strip away the excess fat from reviews and post my succinct thoughts that get to the heart of how I feel. New releases, old classics, first-time viewings, and tenth time rewatches
See below for a round-up of the last month’s content.
The Princess Bride – Classic fantasy adventure, with memorable characters and timeless storytelling. Action, humour and romance, it has it all.
The Decline – Focusing on tension building and action, the 86 minute runtime flies by. Achieves what it sets out to do perfectly.
Your Name – Visually stunning, even by today’s high standard for anime, with an evolving plot that hits all the right notes. Superb.
Memoirs of a Geisha – Style over substance with an unconvincing romance angle, but the visuals and lead performances are pretty special.
A Field in England – An exercise in style with hypnotic visuals and eerie score, but narratively I was lost. Ambitious, bizarre and completely bonkers.
Ghost in the Shell (1995) – I came for the detailed visuals and violent action but stayed for complex philosophising. A dose of 90s anime greatness.
I Care a Lot – Pike is great, everything else isn’t. Multiple plot conveniences, no-one to root for and therefore no stakes. A stylish mess.
Perfect Blue – Mind-bending psychological thriller with a disturbingly dark undercurrent. Will need multiple rewatches to fully grasp…I’m looking forward to it.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence – Favours digital animation while attempting to expand on the original’s themes, to varying degrees of success. Still an absorbing watch.
Ghost in the Shell (2017) – A surprisingly enjoyable rehash, with fun throwbacks to the original but some dodgy CGI. Takeshi Kitano steals the show.
Have you seen any of these films and if so, what are your thoughts?
