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LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Chariots of Fire (1981) in Movies

Jul 4, 2021

Chariots of Fire (1981)

1981 | Drama, International, Sport

7.6

(8 Ratings)

Movie Rating Watch

Yep - just as overly-mannered, anticlimactic, awards bait-y, and loooonnngggg as everyone says. However, also like everyone says, there's no denying that righteous Vangelis score and drop-dead gorgeous shots (in particular the sumptuous locales, but even the grandiose interior shots here remind you just how much can actually be captured on a camera lens). But honestly? You could do *way* worse in terms of Oscar bait (or even wrongful Best Picture winners). I thought this was mostly fine right up until - ironically - the Olympics happen where it then proceeds to fall apart narratively, structurally, and thematically. This features some fairly compelling notes on antisemitism, faith, and patriotism but they all only get mentioned like once or twice before taking a backseat to the rather sterile and predictable running stuff - which is shot competently but uninvolving, if you're going to underwrite most of the other stuff then you at least gotta have that, boss. Also noticeably misogynistic - setting up the paper-thin women characters as sticks-in-the-mud who have to be condescendingly explained to like infants why they should just shut up and realize that what these rich, spoiled asshole men want is more important than what they want. Plus everyone in this runs like they have to take a massive shit.

Kudos

LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Proof (2005) in Movies

Sep 21, 2020

Proof (2005)

2005 | Drama

5.3

(3 Ratings)

Movie Rating

𝘋𝘶𝘮𝘣 𝘞𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘏𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, a movie about advanced mathematics that couldn't possibly be more stupid. A quote on the back of the DVD case advertised this sappy drivel as "The kind of movie that's made for Oscar" - and I have to say, I couldn't agree more: in that it's overdramatized into ruin, sickeningly melodramatic to the point of near offense, talks a great deal but says nothing (has lengthy asides about conditioners and pointless math puns to pad out this pathetic non-story), everyone overacts, and it reeks of a pretentious stage production poorly translated to the screen with minimal effort. Overly literary for no reason whatsoever, despite the fact that it's nothing more than unnecessary, surface-level jargon which actively refuses to show even a hint of depth. What I'm sure would be at least *ever so slightly* more compelling on the stage absolutely falls apart on screen with no sense of what this should have kept/added/omitted/etc. to make it work. The only proof to come out of this is that John Madden remains one of the reigning kings of bad, intolerable Oscar bait. Glad he gave up this shit for worlds better stuff like 𝘔𝘪𝘴𝘴 𝘚𝘭𝘰𝘢𝘯𝘦. Lowpoint cringe cinema.

Kudos

LoganCrews (2861 KP) rated Swallow (2019) in Movies

Jan 13, 2021 (Updated Jan 13, 2021)

Swallow (2019)

2019 | Drama

9.0

(2 Ratings)

Movie Rating

To be fair, I'd rather swallow a screwdriver than hang out with rich white people too. Gorgeous, nasty, and mean - but never disrespectful. Medically accurate? Perhaps not, but these seldom ever are anyhow so what can you do? In fact I found this to be much more compelling and satisfying as a depiction of obnoxious old-money business whities having their perfect little synthetic image destroyed by people who refuse to shape themselves around it than a portrait of pica. As everyone has already pointed out, Austin Stowell and in particular Haley Bennett are just astounding - easily not only her best performance to date, but the type of galvanizing role that should propel her star-power vastly beyond just Jennifer Lawrence comparisons considering that this is way better work than anything J-Law has done in years anyhow (excluding 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳! [I'm a simp for stupid, manic arthouse cinema I know you don't have to tell me]). Deeply, deeply, *deeply* unsettling - can pleasantly report that its reputation is as airtight as claimed. Super messy but I think that gives it more character tbh, and what an excellent use of music. A bit too on-the-nose at times but also the type of movie that's destined to be misinterpreted by morons everywhere.