Well, well, well, you say. Prompting this question on the third of December, bold of you to be so late. But here I am anyway, in my boldness.
What did you see this November that took your breath away? Stole sleep, wrought tears? What made you laugh and scream with ecstasy? What made you feel alive?
(Image from “Fainting Spells,” dir. Sky Hopinka, 2018)
Turns out I watched a lot this November, so I'll attempt to be brief:
The Craft: Legacy - Oddly very enjoyable. A fun romp through modern teenage girlhood, if you're into that type of thing.
Over the Moon - As I said in my Letterboxd review, it's embarrassing for Disney that they released Mulan (2020) in the same year as this movie.
Songs My Brother Taught Me - This is the first Chloe Zhao I've seen, and while I didn't love it, something about it grabbed my heart and forced me to listen. I'm excited to see Nomadland, which I'm watching digitally this Sunday.
The Watermelon Woman - A classic for a reason. Equal parts funny and moving.
Various Kenneth Anger shorts - He's a controversial figure for sure, but the man had an undenaible ability to render homoeroticism through pure suggestive image (and then not so suggestive, either).
Chantal Akerman by Chantal Akerman - I love seeing artists talking about their own, and Akerman is a particular joy. Something very captivating about the way she speaks. Something achingly vulnerable about the way she speaks about herself.
The River, Vive L'Amour - Putting these two together as they are back-to-back Tsai Ming-Liang features. I would say Tsai is a director you should only watch if you're unafraid of the nastier sides of sex and sexuality. There are some shocking sexual incidents that happen in both of these movies, but they're not very salacious or titillating -- rather, they illustrate the emptiness of the act, and the pitiable characters unable to emotionally connect with anyone around them.
Various Sky Hopinka shorts - Would I be too cliche to describe these as "a revelation"? Yes, yes, very cliche, but not inaccurate.
Boy - "Sweet and salty," I wrote in my Letterboxd review.
Splendor in the Grass - I watched this because someone on Twitter described it as a movie about teenagers who are so horny they want to die. All jokes aside, it's a true masterclass by Kazan on blocking and directing emotional intimacy. Deanie's descent into her emotional breakdown is so well-played by Natalie Wood and is also, unfortunately, so relatable.
Turns out I watched a lot this November, so I'll attempt to be brief:
The Craft: Legacy - Oddly very enjoyable. A fun romp through modern teenage girlhood, if you're into that type of thing.
Over the Moon - As I said in my Letterboxd review, it's embarrassing for Disney that they released Mulan (2020) in the same year as this movie.
Songs My Brother Taught Me - This is the first Chloe Zhao I've seen, and while I didn't love it, something about it grabbed my heart and forced me to listen. I'm excited to see Nomadland, which I'm watching digitally this Sunday.
The Watermelon Woman - A classic for a reason. Equal parts funny and moving.
Various Kenneth Anger shorts - He's a controversial figure for sure, but the man had an undenaible ability to render homoeroticism through pure suggestive image (and then not so suggestive, either).
Chantal Akerman by Chantal Akerman - I love seeing artists talking about their own, and Akerman is a particular joy. Something very captivating about the way she speaks. Something achingly vulnerable about the way she speaks about herself.
The River, Vive L'Amour - Putting these two together as they are back-to-back Tsai Ming-Liang features. I would say Tsai is a director you should only watch if you're unafraid of the nastier sides of sex and sexuality. There are some shocking sexual incidents that happen in both of these movies, but they're not very salacious or titillating -- rather, they illustrate the emptiness of the act, and the pitiable characters unable to emotionally connect with anyone around them.
Various Sky Hopinka shorts - Would I be too cliche to describe these as "a revelation"? Yes, yes, very cliche, but not inaccurate.
Boy - "Sweet and salty," I wrote in my Letterboxd review.
Splendor in the Grass - I watched this because someone on Twitter described it as a movie about teenagers who are so horny they want to die. All jokes aside, it's a true masterclass by Kazan on blocking and directing emotional intimacy. Deanie's descent into her emotional breakdown is so well-played by Natalie Wood and is also, unfortunately, so relatable.