Rambling Film

Official synopsis:  Newly widowed Santosh ( Shahana Goswami)  inherits her husband's job as a police constable in the rural badlands of Northern India. When a girl's body is found, she's pulled into the investigation under the wing of charismatic feminist inspector Sharma. ( Sunita Rajwar) Did you know India has a law in some areas where a woman can take over her husband's job in the event of his death? I did not, and that alone peaked my interest in writer/director  Sandhya Suri's film. (Which also happens to be on the Oscar Shortlist for Best International Feature from the UK) Santosh takes over her husband's role as a police constable after he is killed in the line of duty and wouldn't you guess it? The misogyny is running wild. The film also explores India's caste system. Even Santosh herself subconsciously contributes. Someone asks her how she lives without getting justice for her husband's murder, but this girl is her justice. The story is very...

Official Synopsis: A seasoned showgirl, Shelly (Pamela Anderson) must plan for her future when her show abruptly closes after a 30-year run. Until the Golden Globe nominations were announced, The Last Showgirl wasn't even on my radar. Then seeing the praise Pamela Anderson was getting, on top of this being directed by another female Coppola (this time Gia, niece of Sofia) I immediately prioritized it, even though aside from the performances it was getting a lukewarm response. I get it now. This might actually be the worst directed film I've seen all year. Gia clearly admires Sofia and loves herself a shot of her actresses starting off into the distance with a beautiful background behind them, but her choices here baffle me. I don't remember having issue with her direction in the last feature I saw of her's, Palo Alto . Every head on shot is blurry and she's constantly up in the faces of her actors. There is nary a tripod in sight. I kept wanting to scream "ba...

Official synopsis:  Journalist Shiori Ito investigates her own sexual assault, seeking to prosecute the high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case, exposing Japan's outdated judicial and societal systems. I would hope we're at a point in society where we understand why rape goes underreported and under prosecuted. In case anyone isn't, Shiori Ito is here to document then lengths she had to go through to get justice for her own rape. Even the person who ends up being instrumental in helping her doesn't believe her at first.  This is one of the most vulnerable documentaries you'll ever seen. Much of it shot discreetly on her cell phone, Ito takes us through her agonizing process of trying to report her assault, interview witnesses of the events leading up to it, and documenting her own mental health. It's not an easy watch, but Ito's courage will make you want to power through it with her. Aside from the obvious trigger warning of descriptions of...

The devastating wildfires in Los Angeles caused the live show announcing these awards to be cancelled this morning. They came out later via press release (which I came to late because work)  I was really looking forward to these nominations, but it's kind of hard to be excited when you see that much devastation happening. Still, I have my opinions, and we're still in for a very unpredictable Oscar season. Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture A COMPLETE UNKNOWN ANORA CONCLAVE EMILIA PÉREZ WICKED I was really hoping something like The Piano Lesson or even Saturday Night might show up here. I'm rooting for Anora personally.  Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role ADRIEN BRODY  – “THE BRUTALIST” TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET - “A COMPLETE UNKNOWN” DANIEL CRAIG  – “QUEER” COLMAN DOMINGO – “SING SING” RALPH FIENNES  – “CONCLAVE” Adrien, Timothee, Colman and Ralph feel like locks. The question mark was who was going to get that 5th slot, and I'm...

Like everyone else on the planet, I loved season 1 of Squid Games. It was a great show, I loved that the broader US was embracing something with subtitles.  The only thing that didn't really work for me was the ending. And because of that, I really had no intention of watching season 2. Then I heard rumblings that "it's good, actually" and wouldn't you know it. I blew through it in a few days. Below are my likes, dislikes, and what to look forward to in season 3.  LIKES * Lee Jung-Jae continues to be a treasure. Gi-hun is a changed man after the events of season 1 and Lee plays him as such. I'm forever a fan.  * The other players are much more fleshed out. Last season we got to know a few of Gi-hun's fellow players but this season spends a bit more time with most of them, therefore they feel more fully realized. * The games are different. This show could've felt very repetitive had they kept everything the same, but the only game that is the same from ...

Can you believe the Golden Globes are this Sunday? That snuck up on me. Normally I get my predictions out a week in advance, but here I am late to the game. Below is who I think will win, and in some cases, who should win. BEST MOTION PICTURE, DRAMA The Brutalist A Complete Unknown Conclave Dune: Part Two Nickel Boys September 5 Who will win: Conclave Who should win: That or Dune Part Two The Brutalist is gaining momentum but I see the HFPA going more for Conclave, and that's fine with me. It was a great film.  BEST MOTION PICTURE, MUSICAL OR COMEDY Anora Challengers Emilia Pérez A Real Pain The Substance Wicked Who will win: Wicked Who should win: Anora I really don't think The Subtance is a comedy, even though it is my favorite film here. Wicked is everywhere and I see it taking home a trophy here, even though Anora would be my pick. BEST DIRECTOR, MOTION PICTURE Jacques Audiard – Emilia Pérez Sean Baker – Anora Edward Berger – Conclave Brady Corbet – The Brutalist Coralie Fa...