Saw Tár on Friday and Glass Onion on Saturday, thanks to being with my cinema-loving daughter.
Tár was a masterpiece in most ways. I am not thrilled that the way they decided to tell the story of powerful (IRL: men) in the Arts using and abusing their underlings was to make the central character a lesbian, but 1) you can’t quibble with casting Cate Blanchett and 2) it took away the male gaze, and all the usual behaviors seemed different coming from a woman instead, which worked to confuse expectations. Also – minor quibble – there is no way a major symphonic orchestra like the Berliner Philharmoniker would have that many full rehearsals for two pieces most of the musicians would know by heart, but it was needed for the story.
But the acting was superb, the music sublime, the story line was just opaque enough to require concentration and paying attention to details, so you do get fully engrossed. Definitely recommend.
Glass Onion was, of course, a very different movie! So much fun. Again, I have a few issues with how they told the story, but a stellar cast and excellent visuals. Especially with Daniel Craig as Benoit Blanc again, it made me realize that this Knives Out series (there’s a 3rd one coming!) is like the James Bond series without the misogyny and racism. But it’s a Netflix film, so I assume you can watch it for free in the comfort and safety of your own homes in the near future.
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I thought Glass Onion was great. It was pretty clear who they were taking swipes at, and they didn’t hold back!
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Just finished “Upright”, with Tim Minchin and Millie Alcock.
8x30mins. Very funny, quite touching, and if you can get through the last episode with dry eyes then you’re a harder man than me. 
(I think this series was mentioned upthread, but I’m too lazy to scroll that far, soz).
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I haven’t seen it but I thought he was a piss take on how ridiculous Poirot’s character with his ridiculous accent and stupid moustache was.
Have only seen the first but saving this up for Christmas.
Season 2 just came out as well and is as good as the first.
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Wasn’t racism toward Marta (on the part of the family) a central part of the plot in the first movie? They make veiled threats about her or her mom getting deported but can’t even be bothered to know what country she’s from (alternately saying she’s from Paraguay, Uruguay and Brazil). And Jacob Thrombey is a nazi trolley who explicitly called her a “dirty anchor baby.”
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And in Glass Onion everyone treats Whiskey like she’s nothing more than bimbo eyecandy — either ignoring her or using her for their own purposes — not stopping to think that she’s an intelligent person making her own choices for her own goals, that she’s using them as much as they’re using her. We may not agree with her decisions, but they’re hers, and they’re deliberate..
Which is to say: there is racism and sexism, but it’s there to be pointed at, not soaked in as a basic character trait of the hero or as an implicit and unexamined aspect of the world which is meant to be just accepted and taken for granted as how it just is.
It’s not “women are there to be sexy and not think”, or “ha ha look at the funny stereotype”, it’s, “Misogyny exists. Racism exists. And they’re stupid and wrong, let us show you how stupid and wrong they are.”
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I think the racism was to highlight how awful the Thrombeys were and to show how Marta had a lower status within the family, in their eyes, therefore undeserving of her windfall. But I don’t think racism was a central theme of the film.
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Incorrect list is incorrect. Atlanta is NOT an honorable mention it should be in the top 3 and Severance is nowhere to be seen
(And Evil is a terrible show. An awful mess that I cannot wait to return)
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Ditto for Reservation Dogs.
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I was so angry I didn’t notice!
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I’m in search of a new show to watch, so please let me know if you think that White Lotus is worth watching.
Is it worth watching?
- Yes
- Eh, you’ll either love it or hate it.
- No
- Hell no.
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Thanks, will watch out for that.
I didn’t even know this movie existed. I’m reading that Disney didn’t even bother launching a marketing campaign to promote the movie.
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I saw a couple random billboards for it but not nearly as many ads as usual for one of their animated feature films so I think they must have known well in advance that it wasn’t going to be great. Zero presence in their theme parks, which are normally stuffed to the gills with merchandise for every new film.
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I started watching Andor as of late, and I am already sure there needs to be a list of the items displayed in Luthen Rael’s Antiquities. I immediately recognised the ciwara, and some other culturally significant artwork. I wonder if all of it is from Terranean cultures, what parts were changed for a stronger effect, and which are newly created on the drawing board (and if so, inspired by what).
I am enjoying the series, and will probably finish it tonight. I especially loved Andy Serkis’ role, play, and last line on screen. What a great loose end. I hope it stays that way.
ETA: finished the series, and really enjoyed the finale. Some things don’t fit completely together in real-world thinking, but as a TV adventure, this works just right. Pacing, character development, set, costume, music and of course acting and story which makes sense (most of the time).
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