Weekly Recap 18 | Sound of Metal, Schindler’s List & Doctor Who Series 5

It seems I’m making a habit of doing these episodes every 2 weeks instead of weekly. Maybe I should call it the ‘Fortnightly Recap’ instead… hmmm… Anyway, I’ve got lots of films lined up for you today, including a return to Doctor Who! 

But first, let me give my thoughts on the most popular film at the moment, and that’s The Mitchells vs The Machines… What on earth is wrong with everybody?! Did every single person – critics and audiences alike – suddenly throw their tastes in the bin just so they could enjoy this garbage? Sorry if you’re one of those people I’m calling out, but I am a contrarian so hating this film is only part of my nature. I knew from the trailer that this film was going to be atrocious, but I’m honestly impressed by how much worse they miraculously managed to make it. I’m seriously shocked at how high this has been rated, as it has to be the worst animated film I’ve ever subjected myself to. 

Next up is The Deer Hunter, an Oscar winner! And yet it unfortunately seems I’m on a roll today with being hugely disappointed by ridiculously overrated films. Bad pacing is always a killer for me, but this one was just agonising to sit through, as literally nothing happens for an entire hour of a dreadfully boring wedding and annoying drunkenness, until they’re suddenly in the middle of Vietnam with nothing bridging the gap. It just makes everything feel superficial and pointless, so not even the Russian Roulette scene – which seems to be the sole reason people think this film is a masterpiece – holds any weight as it isn’t riding on the back of anything substantial. Then after that finished in an underwhelmingly brisk manner, the rest of the film just seems so aimless, and while that might be what it’s trying to convey, it caused me to just lose all interest. Also, the atrocious sound design gave me a headache, so that no doubt played a big part in hampering my enjoyment.

I began this episode with overrated trash and a disappointing Oscar winner, so now my final negative review is for a terrible action film with frustrating amounts of potential in the form of Ghost Rider. The start was so compelling, as the writing was actually competent, but all of the supernatural stuff was utter cringe. Which is a shame, since the Constantine aesthetic was rather lovely, and every single second of Nicholas Cage was gold – as is natural of his godly status – so I just wish the film was more consistent in quality as I really enjoyed the ‘normal’ scenes. Basically, Ghost Rider is the culmination of a lot of great stuff and atrocious stuff cobbled together to make something that is just frustrating to watch in its lack of coherency. 

Ok, negativity over, from here on out it’s mostly praise (well, until I get to Doctor Who that is). And what better way to start than by telling you about just how lost I was with Primer. To be honest though, for most of the film I was confused why people found this film confusing, as the time travel seemed fairly straightforward to me. Then all of a sudden I became utterly lost by what was going on just like everybody else, so it at last dawned on me why this film is so infamous for not making sense. Yet I wouldn’t even say that this film is convoluted or poorly written though, as the premise is really maturely presented. In fact, I’m happy there’s finally a time travel movie that has forced me to actually think for once, since time travel is one of my favourite genres but all too often it’s dumbed down with no thought put into the mechanics of the whole thing. I guess I’ll have to rewatch this someday so I can piece together the plot, because while I followed along for the vast majority of the runtime, there’s a lot in here that has me intrigued to discover more.

Jumping back into my slow progress through the 2021 Oscars, I watched Sound of Metal. If there’s one thing that I’ve taken away from this film is that I never want to listen to loud music again, since it’s frightening just how abruptly his hearing is destroyed. The sound design in this film is phenomenal, from the overwhelming cacophonies to the blissful silences, diving in and out of his bubble to totally immerse me inside his mind. It definitely deserved the Oscar for Sound, though I’m not so sure about it winning Editing, as it was only solid on that front. Regardless, this is a great screenplay, wonderfully brought to life by Ahmed, who gives a fantastic performance in his rage and melancholy, conveying desperation so earnestly and disappointment so tragically, culminating in an ending that is both depressing and hopeful in equal measure. 

A Korean film now to fill the void in my heart for not being able to watch Minari yet, I watched A Taxi Driver. No, not Scorsese’s Taxi Driver, as Jang Hoon’s is far superior in my honest opinion, since the main character being a taxi driver is actually important to the plot. What I love most about this film is that after the fantastic jokes amidst highly saturated shots in the beginning, I was expecting a comedy. But what starts off with the feel of a lightweight comedy, played with great natural humour by Song Kang-ho, finds this taxi driver who just wants to make ends meet drawn into very real, very dark events: the bloody military suppression of the 1980 uprising against South Korea’s military dictatorship. Instead of laughter from beginning to end, I got flung straight into the deep end of political turmoil, the tone, aesthetic and Song Kang-ho’s superb performance transforming in tandem to match the descent into the depressing massacre. I do love it when I accidentally watch a true story, since reality can be so unexpectedly remarkable sometimes.

Another great Korean film for you, only this one came from the morbid mind of Park Hoon-jung, the writer of I Saw The Devil. I’ve always loved brutal killings in my films, but I must say the experience is way more fun when it’s depressed people doing the slaughtering of entire gangs. While I sadly wasn’t much of a fan of I Saw The Devil, the two films are very thematically similar, only I found the writing much stronger in this one. Perhaps more straightforward, yet while it might not reach the same harrowing heights, at least it doesn’t get muddled up in itself. Instead I found my expectations being pleasantly subverted a number of times in regards to the characters – especially Chief Ma, who exhibits a shocking amount of honour – the romance – which never devolves into Hollywood nonsense – and a really fantastic ending to hammer home the nihilism. The performances are also great, and the South Korean aesthetic I’ve always loved continues to be just as mesmerising, solidifying this as a worthy addition to action cinema. This may be a simple thriller, but the mature twists in the plot and the gorgeous cinematography makes it perfectly in line with my tastes. 

Winner of Best Documentary now with My Octopus Teacher. This film is gorgeous in every aspect, bringing to life the stunning sea landscape and beautiful relationship between man and octopus. A life of merely one year, and he saw every day of it, as she hunted, hid and played, coming close to death on a number of occasions but always miraculously surviving, every single action proving the sheer intelligence of this fascinating animal. Octopuses have always seemed to be an alien intelligence, and this documentary is as much a first contact movie as any science fiction film. The tenderness of the relationship and understanding established between a human and a wild octopus is extraordinary, elevated by some of the best wildlife photography I have ever seen. This is a deeply personal project, showing us just how deeply he connected with the octopus, the lovely cinematography and overwhelming passion for the subject proving why this deserved to win that Oscar.

And to cap off my films for this week is Schindler’s List. A Spielberg film? Ew! It’s super long? Extra ew! And it’s in black and white? Mega ew! These three things by themselves are enough to make me dislike most films, but I’m afraid I’m going to have to disappoint you today by not being the contrarian I usually am, as I was utterly enamoured by Schindler’s List in spite of my prejudices – though it certainly is a shame the sheer length prevented me from watching this sooner. What strikes me the most by this film is just how strikingly real it feels, with intricately detailed environments, a gritty but gorgeous aesthetic, and deaths that are overwhelmingly understated. This film is strangely beautiful in how magnificently it brings out every facet of humanity, the ugliness frank and generosity inconsequential. There is certainly no romanticisation of the events, but neither is it a dreary experience, as there are many brief spurts of levity to make the film enjoyable enough so as to allow the deep plunge into depravity worthwhile. It’s almost funny how the film elicits hope from within the horror, since I obviously already knew just how bad things would keep getting, yet I still felt like each evil would be the last. So many emotions are contained within these 3 hours, each one evoked in a natural manner that never jarred with the rest. I think there’s little doubt that the writing is thus phenomenal, alternating between tragic drama and historical pseudodocumentary with seamless finesse, brought to life by the brilliant performances from the entire cast: Neeson with his bountiful charisma, Kingsley with his enticing subtleties, and Fiennes just for being deliciously psychopathic. But at the top of all of that are the myriad frames that dance with artistry, from the iconic red coat in the sea of grey, to the ash that falls like snow amidst oblivious children playing, to the sanguine halo lighting transforming into garish chiaroscuro as death dawns on frightened faces. I might not like black and white most of the time, but this is one of the rare cases where it’s justified, as there is a remarkable sophistication with the use of shadows to craft gorgeous paintings, interspersed with truly genius dashes of colour at the most appropriate of moments. I really wish Spielberg was capable of consistently making films of such maturity, as the complete incongruity of this film with his usual style naturally makes it his magnum opus. 

I’ve decided to pick back up my Doctor Who marathon that I temporarily halted at the end of the Specials, though it’s entirely possible I should have had a longer break since I continue to find myself dissapointed in the show. To be honest, I’ve always felt this was the most mediocre series so far, as every episode is just so forgettable. They all exhibit competent ideas, hell a lot of them are fantastic concepts, but there’s always something letting each one down such that every single time the climaxes fall flat. Matt Smith has his moments, but I’ve definitely started to like him less with each rewatch. Moffat’s ‘Moffatisms’ – ie his obsession with temporal shenanigans that I share – have also declined in their specialness as time has moved on, where as the groundedness of the Davies era has only solidified with each marathon. I suppose I don’t particurarly appreciate the ‘fairy-tale’ tone they’re going for now that I’m older, as focusing on the magic takes away from the realism that was at the centre of what was so great about the revived show. Amy is also the most unlikable companion so far, though she is saved by the brilliance of Rory, who I love for the same reasons I love Mickey. There was a real danger she would become Rose 2.0, and as much as I do enjoy Rose, I’m glad Moffat had the sense not to start another romance between the Doctor and his companion. Essentially, when it’s just Amy and the Doctor then I hate her, but when she’s with Rory… I still dislike her to be honest, as it’s just Rory who makes watching her bearable. Still, like with everything in this series, she has her moments, especially in the emotional scenes, which continue to be just as poignant. However, I think what I love most about this series is River Song, who was enticingly enigmatic in the Library two-parter, so watching her start to get more fleshed out is fun indeed. I really don’t get why Moffat is criticised for not being able to write female characters, because while I find Amy annoying most of the time, River is one of the best in the entirety of New Who and the highlight of Series 5 in her brief appearances.