OMG. I wasn’t going to see this. But I, like you, loved Under the Skin. (BTW, did you read the book? Even creepier.) And I also dug Sexy Beast. So, I’m in. And how could I NOT see it, with phrases like this to tempt me? “ like floaters in your eye or city traffic” xo thx. And I’m STILL thinking about Past Lives
Thanks Roy. This one is on my list, and I share your admiration for both Sexy Beast and Under the Skin. I’ll probably wait a bit, because this is one of those movies you more feel like you SHOULD see than like you WANT to see. And after Anatomy of a Fall I’ve become a Sandra Huller fan, so I’ll be looking forward to her performance at least.
I really liked "Under the Skin". Everyone I recommended it to made a point of coming back to me and telling me I was weird. I thought Sexy Beast was pretty good too. At least nobody threatened to kick my ass for recommending it.
Excellent review, Roy. Glazer is a terrific talent, and I agree that Under the Skin is one of the best films of this still young century. I recently watched it again and I was probably even more disturbed than I was the first time I saw it. I am not "looking forward" to watching The Zone of Interest, but I will indeed see it.
I was looking forward to that just for what I’ve seen of the cinematography. It looks like he’s just using a normal lens and a muted color palette which is kinda where I’m at. I didn’t like Under the Skin, but thought it was well conceived and well made. Unfortunately, I’m down on the whole enterprise this year because the only truly great and timeless movie was not even nominated and the nominated movies I’ve seen (Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Anatomy of a Fall) are no better than good tv. For example, the acting, directing, story, and cinematography for Feud: Capote vs The Swans is as good as any of those, and they are all lacking vs The Boy and the Heron. I’m not really sure about Barbie. Possibly it’s up there, probably not.
I saw this on Saturday and I very much agree with your thoughts, Roy. I left the theater not sure whether I liked it or not but it sat with me all weekend and the more I went over it in my mind, the more I came to both appreciate it, and be horrified by it. Rudolph and Hedwig are stone cold monsters, but this film does such a good job of slowly drawing that out that. For a long time you think it’s just a more straightforward “banality of evil” type piece, then there will be a line like Hedwig’s comment to their Jewish servant/slave girl the morning her mother flees and it’s like, oh, no, no, these fuckers know exactly what’s going on and who they are and they are 100% down with it. It’s a really unsettling work, especially that ending, and I’m glad I took the time to see it.
I think watching any movie about the Shoah is going to elicit despair, because of the enormity of what happened, the horror that just has to be based on fact to seem over-the-top, and the INEVITABLY of those; that, as you say, we are here now in this moment with *waves arm* all of THIS thanks to a grotesque Austrian gnome and his twisted visions. There's a lot more involved, of course, *side eyes capitalism* but would we have the slaughter in Gaza, the Russo-Ukraine war, or the bullshit Great Replacement, just as examples, if it wasn't for the ghosts of the Third Reich and the aftermath?
BTW, speaking of film, I have finally tracked down a copy of The Falls, and watched a bit of it the other night. It's nuts, but in a good way. I think it's going to demand attention, which I wasn't giving it the other day, so I'm glad I went for the purchase rather than just renting.
Seven Days In May and Twilight's Last Gleaming have also gone on the watch list.
In the first review of this movie I read, they noted they had to use a nearby house because the Hoss house was occupied. !?! Living in that actual house today?!?
Well now yo've piqued my curiosity and I'll try to get to see this before it leaves theaters. I've also never seen Sexy Beast - for some reason the combination of that title and Ben Kingsley really put me off (even though I like him)! And as a fan of Downfall, I expect I can take the subject matter.
OMG. I wasn’t going to see this. But I, like you, loved Under the Skin. (BTW, did you read the book? Even creepier.) And I also dug Sexy Beast. So, I’m in. And how could I NOT see it, with phrases like this to tempt me? “ like floaters in your eye or city traffic” xo thx. And I’m STILL thinking about Past Lives
Thanks Roy. This one is on my list, and I share your admiration for both Sexy Beast and Under the Skin. I’ll probably wait a bit, because this is one of those movies you more feel like you SHOULD see than like you WANT to see. And after Anatomy of a Fall I’ve become a Sandra Huller fan, so I’ll be looking forward to her performance at least.
I'm holding out for "Strays" to get a nod. 🤣 it was hilarious.
I really liked "Under the Skin". Everyone I recommended it to made a point of coming back to me and telling me I was weird. I thought Sexy Beast was pretty good too. At least nobody threatened to kick my ass for recommending it.
I don't know if I could watch this.
Excellent review, Roy. Glazer is a terrific talent, and I agree that Under the Skin is one of the best films of this still young century. I recently watched it again and I was probably even more disturbed than I was the first time I saw it. I am not "looking forward" to watching The Zone of Interest, but I will indeed see it.
I was looking forward to that just for what I’ve seen of the cinematography. It looks like he’s just using a normal lens and a muted color palette which is kinda where I’m at. I didn’t like Under the Skin, but thought it was well conceived and well made. Unfortunately, I’m down on the whole enterprise this year because the only truly great and timeless movie was not even nominated and the nominated movies I’ve seen (Flower Moon, Oppenheimer, Anatomy of a Fall) are no better than good tv. For example, the acting, directing, story, and cinematography for Feud: Capote vs The Swans is as good as any of those, and they are all lacking vs The Boy and the Heron. I’m not really sure about Barbie. Possibly it’s up there, probably not.
I saw this on Saturday and I very much agree with your thoughts, Roy. I left the theater not sure whether I liked it or not but it sat with me all weekend and the more I went over it in my mind, the more I came to both appreciate it, and be horrified by it. Rudolph and Hedwig are stone cold monsters, but this film does such a good job of slowly drawing that out that. For a long time you think it’s just a more straightforward “banality of evil” type piece, then there will be a line like Hedwig’s comment to their Jewish servant/slave girl the morning her mother flees and it’s like, oh, no, no, these fuckers know exactly what’s going on and who they are and they are 100% down with it. It’s a really unsettling work, especially that ending, and I’m glad I took the time to see it.
I think watching any movie about the Shoah is going to elicit despair, because of the enormity of what happened, the horror that just has to be based on fact to seem over-the-top, and the INEVITABLY of those; that, as you say, we are here now in this moment with *waves arm* all of THIS thanks to a grotesque Austrian gnome and his twisted visions. There's a lot more involved, of course, *side eyes capitalism* but would we have the slaughter in Gaza, the Russo-Ukraine war, or the bullshit Great Replacement, just as examples, if it wasn't for the ghosts of the Third Reich and the aftermath?
BTW, speaking of film, I have finally tracked down a copy of The Falls, and watched a bit of it the other night. It's nuts, but in a good way. I think it's going to demand attention, which I wasn't giving it the other day, so I'm glad I went for the purchase rather than just renting.
Seven Days In May and Twilight's Last Gleaming have also gone on the watch list.
In the first review of this movie I read, they noted they had to use a nearby house because the Hoss house was occupied. !?! Living in that actual house today?!?
There’s a Sexy Beast TV show that I find entertaining.
I prefer " distinctive"
Beautiful review.
Sounds great!
Well now yo've piqued my curiosity and I'll try to get to see this before it leaves theaters. I've also never seen Sexy Beast - for some reason the combination of that title and Ben Kingsley really put me off (even though I like him)! And as a fan of Downfall, I expect I can take the subject matter.