And the movies from the previous post are:
- 2001: A Space Odyssey (68)
- District 9 (09)
- Hidden Figures (16)
- Love & Friendship (16)
- Rear Window (54)
Watching 2001: A Space Odyssey was an experience. We had an installment of Movie and Cocktail Club that featured this movie, and three out of the four of us had never seen it before. What a ride. This movie is a) very long, b) has a large proportion of dialogue-less time, and c) was really enjoyable. When it ended I immediately started looking up criticism and commentary to read. Turns out, some people are VERY SURE about What It All Means. Also, Dave is bizarrely good looking. What does THAT mean.
Josh and I watched District 9 on January 20th, and let me tell you, that was a weird cognitive moment. Earlier in the day, 45 had been inaugurated, and then I was watching a movie about violence and misunderstanding towards refugees, forced relocation, building a wall to keep Others out, resistance only borne out of an experience of sharing in the suffering of a marginalized group, a lack of transparency in government, and a group of oppressors who believed that what they were doing was right. Does that, perhaps, remind you of something? I'm going to go ahead and say that, along with Children of Men and other dystopian movies, District 9 is only becoming more relevant and poignant.
Hidden Figures is required viewing. Go to a theatre, buy a ticket, spend money to watch this movie (as far as you are able; if cost is prohibitive, by all means, obtain it in another way. Please just watch it). This movie is not only required viewing, but also made me laugh out loud, made me tear up, made me confront internalized biases, was super interesting and entertaining, and only very slightly pulled its punches. Seriously. Hidden Figures. Go see it. This is not a drill. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200. Plus it's about NASA during the Space Race so, uh, SPACE.
Will Love & Friendship enter the my ranks of comfort watches? Trick question: it already has.
Rear Window is one of Hitchcock's triumphs, in my opinion. A high-stakes bottle episode! Grace Kelly's clothes (the real star)! Suspense! It's got it all.
Oh man, I watched District 9 with a friend years ago and I have never been so terrified watching a movie. Every element of it felt SO REAL, like way way WAY too real -- it was a huge relief when the guy started morphing into an alien and it became more of a straight-ahead monster movie.
ReplyDeleteOh I am with you on this one. Like the part where they find all the eggs? And he's like "it's like popcorn"? HORRIFYING.
DeleteI have a particular attachment to HAL 9000 because he was 'developed' at my alma mater in Urbana, Illinois. You couldn't go to my school and NOT have watched this movie!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful, beautiful. I felt sad for HAL throughout the movie. Poor Hal.
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