Hannibal Trilogy, Zack Snyder’s Justice League & Doctor Who Series 2 | Weekly Recap 13

Oh my goodness, I can’t believe I didn’t make a Weekly Recap for last week! Thankfully, I’ve now been blessed with a bit of a break, so to make up for missing a week, today’s Weekly Recap combines both weeks into an extra chunky episode. 

Let’s first begin with some Godard. The French New Wave is notoriously associated with film studies, so it’s little surprise that this is my second time having to study it. I rewatched Breathless and Vivre Sa Vie, which I think are his most popular films. Sadly, it appears I’m not a typical film student, since I don’t actually like Godard’s films. He certainly makes good films, as the style is – at the very least – interesting. But I’m always so bored watching his films, with the plotlessness and random events of Vivre Sa Vie exacerbating my lack of attachment to anything that happens, and the jarring jump cuts of Breathless make the experimentation feel hollow. I understand what people find so appealing about Godard, but I nevertheless don’t find his style enjoyable, as although he often sprinkles in some funny dialogue, the plot of both films just leaves me bored. Also, unnecessary black and white is always going to annoy me. 

Breathless: https://boxd.it/1I8YVL ⭐⭐⭐
Vivre Sa Vie: https://boxd.it/1I7Pbn ⭐⭐⭐

Next is somewhat related to the French New Wave, since despite being an African film, it shares a lot of characteristics with the movement (and it’s in French). Black Girl is made by Sembene, who appears to be considered one of the most influential auteurs of Africa, but I just did not enjoy his most popular film. The plot is really dumb, as her problems would be dispelled if she just talked about her concerns rather than bottling it all up inside her. As such, the film is a real slog to get through, told through terrible sound editing, atrocious cinematography and bad performances. The entire ‘style’ is amateurish at best and ugly at worst, ultimately concluding in a manner that thinks it’s just told a profound story, but is really just poor filmmaking. 

Black Girl: https://boxd.it/1J1DRD ⭐

This next one is a film I had been wanting to watch for ages, but now that I finally have I kind of wish I’d kept it pending indefinitely. The Florida Project is adored by so many, but I really should have known I wouldn’t feel the same way since I don’t like plotless films. Well, that’s not true, since I really enjoy Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, but only because the characters are so much fun to watch, even if the film is technically meandering. But every single character in The Florida Project is absolutely insufferable. Well, not every character, as I did feel a lot of sympathy for Willem Dafoe, who bravely puts up with this wretched, plotless, boring nightmare of incessant screeching for what seems like an eternity. It’s not fair that the cinematography is so good, because this film – in my humble opinion – certainly isn’t. 

The Florida Project: https://boxd.it/1Jri2h ⭐

Ah, this episode has been so negative! Well, it’s a good thing that the research I did for my Social Anthropology essay is good enough to save us. First They Killed My Father is a film by the one and only Angelina Jolie. Yes, the actress, which surprised me since I didn’t realise she’d made her own films. This is my first taste of Jolie’s directing talents, and I must say I’m impressed at what she’s crafted, with a passionate, intimate style that heightens the deeply emotional performance from the insanely gifted child lead. There’s lots of lovely, tight close-ups that give way to gorgeous scenery and beautiful lighting, whose juxtaposition against the starkly ugly story only emphasise the tragedy of it all. There were maybe some pacing issues – as there is way too much breathing space in between the horrors – but this is still an excellently made film in its timeless honesty. This is a harrowing tale that is true to life in more ways than one, with humanity (or lack thereof) at its very heart. At no point does it pull back, but neither does it become incessantly preachy, as the horrifying events speak for themselves. 

First They Killed My Father: https://boxd.it/1ILz9b ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Before I get to the really big entries, let me interject with this 9 award Oscar winner as an introduction to next week’s episode where I watch the contenders for this year’s Best Picture. Gandhi is the Best Picture of 1983, and I would say it deserves that title, only Blade Runner was snubbed. I’ve been afraid of watching this film for the longest time because of the length, but I’m glad I finally did, as this experience was an amazing treat. The pacing is surprisingly brisk, striding across Gandhi’s remarkable life with mature fervour and beautiful cinematography. Gandhi is such an extraordinary man, embodied with insane likeness by Ben Kingsley who imbues the role with a perfect performance. His characterisation is so deep, but it would feel hollow if India itself wasn’t brought to life in equal beauty and horror. Tribal mentality is at the heart of this film, with the triumph of reason and wisdom struggling against the current, its ultimate fate dissolved like ink in water. This is a masterpiece through and through, with the subject matter realised with immense sophistication.

Gandhi: https://boxd.it/1JUOen ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Right, it’s finally time for the reason you clicked on this: the highlights. First off is the Hannibal Lecter trilogy. Yes, I know there’s more films and even a TV series, but since my box set only has these three films, I only saw these three. Silence of the Lambs is without a doubt the best of the trilogy; I really don’t think anybody would dispute that. I’d already watched this film a couple of years ago, and I loved it now just as much as back then. The directing in this film is extraordinary, elevating the fantastic screenplay with camera work that maximises the tension brilliantly. Foster and Hopkins are phenomenal, with the former perfectly presenting her fright under a fragile veneer of bravery, and the latter embodying the epitome of twisted, sickly, but charming psychopathy, leading to morbid sequences that are both terrifying and hilarious at the same time. 

The sequel, on the other hand, appears to be disliked by most people. So, going into it, I thought this was going to be a silly, poorly written film. Which is why I’m so surprised by how good the screenplay actually was. It is the one I was least engaged by, and I don’t like Jodie Foster’s replacement, but Hopkins more than makes up for it with his endearingly sinister demeanor. I love the Florence setting, and the brain eating scene is pure genius – genuinely one of the best, most hilarious scenes I’ve ever seen. So I really don’t understand why this one is seen as so vastly inferior to Silence of the Lambs, because although it’s not quite as good, it is still a pretty solid film. 

Yet the final film of the trilogy really does feel like a vastly inferior copy of Silence of the Lambs – though it’s actually a remake of Manhunter – essentially just going through the same formulaic motions, only without the substance to make it properly horrifying. But with that said, Red Dragon is still really enjoyable. Anthony Hopkins is obviously morbidly wonderful to watch, but Ralph Fiennes has to be the highlight with his truly sad character. Although Edward Norton does feel a bit dry – and overshadowed immensely by the two I’ve just mentioned – something about his demeanor always makes me like watching him regardless (except he’s definitely not as good as Jodie Foster). The plot – while nothing particularly creative – is also wildly engaging, with lots of gorgeous deaths that had me most entertained. 

Hannibal Lecter Trilogy
The Silence of the Lambs: https://boxd.it/1JzOmf ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Hannibal: https://boxd.it/1JICpf ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Red Dragon: https://boxd.it/1IoBmv ⭐⭐⭐

The final film of the week is the hottest thing on right now. Zach Snyder’s Justice League was a bit of a meme while in its mercurial beginnings as a futile hashtag, but as it gained traction the prospect of it actually being made seemed more and more like reality. At last, it has come out in its glorious 4 hour runtime. Now, I think I have a fairly fresh perspective on this film, since unlike everyone else, I actually never bothered watching Whedon’s butchered version (and neither was I swept up by the hype). So without anything to compare it to, I can unequivocally say that this film is atrocious. 

First things first, I do respect Zack Snyder as a director. After all, I’m rather obligated to admire any auteur with a distinctive style, always fighting to make their vision reality. I’m happy he was able to complete his film, as it fills me with joy seeing the sheer amount of support his fans have been giving him. But the screenplay is just so bad! The plot is cliched, with an overabundance of exposition and cringe dialogue that made me feel embarrassed at how poorly written it was. The motivations are so simplistic and boring that they made me feel confused at the lack of depth, leading to climaxes that don’t feel satisfying in the slightest. This film just isn’t put together well at all, so it really doesn’t deserve to be 4 HOURS LONG! Yeah, I definitely felt the runtime, which is natural for an epic of this scale, but is hardly going to endear me to its silly plot. Though I have to admit I was entertained, if only because of how funny I found the manner in which it took its silliness super seriously. At least up until the very end, which threw any semblance of narrative cohesion completely out the window. The film concluded, then just kept going, so the pacing was brutally murdered as the last half hour drunkenly barged in and ruined most of the good will I still felt towards it. In many ways, this film is like Watchmen, as they share similar plots, alongside a great deal of the same positives and negatives. They’re both overindulgent messes, with terribly long runtimes, way too much slow motion and corny music inappropriately slapped on. But at the same time, they’re packed full of gorgeous sequences with artistry bursting at the seams. I don’t understand why this film is in 4:3 – and the aesthetic as a whole was rather ugly in its dreary colour palette – but great cinematography will always be mesmerising to me. 

So despite seeing this as a tremendously flawed and uninspired film, I do respect the manner in which it was made and how Snyder presents it. I don’t think this is at all worthy of the excitement it was given, but I don’t lament its existence either. This was pure dumb fun that tried to rise above its inherent mediocrity, so I understand the love behind it even if I don’t personally share it. 

Zach Snyder's Justice League: https://boxd.it/1JGOhN ⭐⭐

I know I said that was my final film, but you have to remember I started my annual Doctor Who marathon in the last episode. I often remember Series 2 as being markedly worse than Series 1, but on this rewatch I was blown away by how much I loved every episode. I also always thought that the relationship between The Doctor and Rose becomes really annoying here, and although there are some moments that I wish had been cut, as a whole I found them a fantastic duo, which is why the finale hits so hard. 

This is all kickstarted by The Christmas Invasion, which is my second favourite Christmas special. David Tennant knocks it out of the park here, making the entire segment on the Sycorax ship a joy to watch. Worldbuilding has always been one of RTD’s strongest points (out of a multitude of strong points), but here it’s elevated massively, with Harriet Jones, UNIT and Torchwood becoming integral to the breathing world that he’s crafted. Honestly, this is a nigh perfect episode, as it’s simply so enjoyable from start to finish. 

Just like with the last series, the next 2 – New Earth and Tooth & Claw – aren’t as good, but they’re still entertaining adventures. Cassandra is a great character, developing from comic relief to a deeply tragic figure; and the werewolf is gorgeous to look at and frightening to behold as it slaughters characters in gruesome fashion. School Reunion then sees the return of Sarah Jane, who I have to say was never one of my favourite companions. I always found her to be rather annoying in fact, and nowhere near as good as Romana – yes, that includes both Romanas, though Lalla Ward will always be the best Romana ;). But Elisabeth Sladen is fantastic here, and Anthony Head creates a fantastic villain, so this is, of course, another great episode. 

Mickey is also excellent, which is why I love how he finally decides to join the team in Moffat’s second story. The Girl in the Fireplace is timey wimey perfected, though Moffat will go on to prove how timey wimey can be perfected even further in later episodes. This is a brilliant concept merged with beautifully designed monsters and lots of lovely emotional beats to make this the first masterpiece of the season. But right off the back of this masterpiece comes another masterpiece as the TARDIS team gets stranded in parallel London in Rise of the Cybermen and The Age of Steel. I said last time that Father’s Day is my all time favourite episode, so I adore how Pete Tyler is brought back, as it allows for the dynamic concept that Rose had to grapple with to unfurl further. The Cybermen are built up perfectly and payed off perfectly, creating an incredible midseason finale. 

The Idiot’s Lantern is up next, and while this is definitely a rather forgettable episode, it’s still really well made and enjoyable. The Wire is hilarious, so as long as something contains enough morbid humour I’m bound to like it. Restarting the streak of masterpieces, however, is The Impossible Planet and The Satan Pit. I have a lot of minor gripes with these two episodes, but since I adore everything else about them, I’m willing to ignore my nitpicks. Because never has Doctor Who felt so real, and gritty and dangerous than in these two episodes. The production design and directing are phenomenal here, bringing to life a deeply fascinating philosophical story that I wish was tackled more in the show, because I’m always blown away by what this managed to achieve. 

Although the next one is amusingly juxtaposed in its mundanity, I will always have a soft spot for Love and Monsters. Marc Warren is one of my favourites, and the Abzorbaloff is a pretty fun villain, as silly as he might be. I don’t know, I just really like how down to earth this episode is, because even though the stakes are negligible, I really like these characters. Fear Her is also not as bad as people say it is. In fact, it’s pretty hilarious, and not even in an ironic way. Yes, the plot isn’t the best and Chloe’s actor isn’t great, but I love the concept and the Council Man is gold! These two might be the weakest of the series, but they’re still entertaining every time I rewatch them. 

The finale though, as I’ve already hinted, is insanely good. Torchwood has been teased throughout the season, so to finally have it paid off is satisfying indeed. The ghostly Cybermen are introduced really well too, so their invasion is truly cathartic. And who could ever say no to Cybermen AND Daleks? Yep, the reveal at the end of the first part is glorious, leading into a final episode that has everything I could ask for. An abundance of deaths? Check. Excellent worldbuilding and an expansion on the lore of Doctor Who? Check. Witty banter between characters and monsters? Check. Super emotional climaxes that most certainly didn’t make me cry? Double check! It seems this really is a perfect finale after all, all the way to the very end where Rose is tragically stuck on the other side and Donna takes her place in bountiful confusion that always makes me excited for what’s to come. 

Doctor Who - Series 2
The Christmas Invasion ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
New Earth ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tooth and Claw ⭐⭐⭐⭐
School Reunion ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rise of the Cybermen / Age of Steel ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Idiot's Lantern ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Impossible Planet / The Satan Pit ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Love and Monsters ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Fear Her ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Army of Ghosts / Doomsday ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐