The Host: https://boxd.it/1vV0qf ⭐⭐⭐ Gone Girl: https://boxd.it/1w64ER ⭐⭐ Koyaanisqatsi: https://boxd.it/1wjo5X ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Pirates of the Carribean The Curse of the Blackpearl: https://boxd.it/1jAvMV ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Dead Man's Chest: https://boxd.it/1wensV ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ At World's End: https://boxd.it/1wmgbf ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ On Stranger Tides: https://boxd.it/1wv4GX ⭐⭐
Week 1 began with quite the dissapointment. 2006’s The Host by Bong Joon-ho (director of 2020’s Best Picture Parasite) is widely loved for the monstrosity it brings to life – both the literal monster, and the metaphorical monster embodied by tyrannical governments. A humourously scathing dissection of the life we are living right now, The Host has everything we could ask for in a film. Yet something held it back from entrancing our hearts, which was most likely due to the muted colours that made the picture unappealing to look at. Bong also directs this piece with the overexagerated acting he showcases in 2013’s Snowpiercer and 2017’s Okja, which we felt likewise ruined those otherwise great films. Bong has a lot to say in The Host, but his cinematic craft is still tainted by questionable decisions, unrefined techniques that only become truly sophisticated when he shocked the world with Parasite.
The Host: https://boxd.it/1vV0qf ⭐⭐⭐
Moving to the middle of the week, 2014’s Gone Girl presented an even greater dissapointment for us. David Fincher is a widely beloved director, yet while we recognise the likes of 1999’s Fight Club and 1995’s Seven (or how we like to call it, SeSevenEn) for the masterpieces that they are, we have never been able to enjoy his directorial style. Gone Girl doubles down on the long, pseudo-biopic narrative structure he is known for, yet we found every beat to quite simply be boring. There is certainly an interesting mystery displayed here, but while the twists prove Fincher’s creativity, with every passing minute the picture devolved further into nonsense plotting and cartoonish villainry.
Gone Girl: https://boxd.it/1w64ER ⭐⭐
Moving up in quality, the experimental filmmaking of 1982’s Koyaanisqatsi is definitely more in keeping with our tastes. Do not watch this film expecting a narrative, as the story of human decay being explored here is told purely through the visuals. This is very similar to 1929’s Man with a Movie Camera, only Reggio’s version brings his own spark to the cinematographic poetry by creating it in colour. Watching this film is an astounding experience with the way timelapses are used, displaying the clouds like sky waves and humanity like the electrical impulses of a computer. It may not be the most exciting of films, but the impressionistic reflections on life are certainly worth giving a go.
Koyaanisqatsi: https://boxd.it/1wjo5X ⭐⭐⭐⭐
But at the very least the weekend proved to be a fun time, with a rewatch of Gore Verbinski’s Pirates of the Carribean trilogy (2003, 2006 and 2007) – plus 2011’s On Stranger Tides tacked on at the end. Now, most people would agree that the first film is remarkably well made, with a gritty atmosphere balanced superbly alongside Disney’s usual charming sense of adventure. Yet unlike others, we at Amaurea believe the two sequels to be just as well made, with each entry upgrading its visuals and creativity. The writing might teeter precariously on the edge of absurd, but every character is realised with immense passion from its stellar cast, bringing to life a world crafted with the sheer talent of dedicated set and costume designers to open the doors for the imagination into the open sea of wonder. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the fourth film, which despite owning the same hallmarks of the previous films, every second feels devoid of the love that made the trilogy work so well.
Pirates of the Carribean The Curse of the Blackpearl: https://boxd.it/1jAvMV; ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Dead Man's Chest: https://boxd.it/1wensV; ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ At World's End: https://boxd.it/1wmgbf; ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ On Stranger Tides: https://boxd.it/1wv4GX ⭐⭐
