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January 2017

  1. Inferno

    2016 film

    Watched 27 January 2017

    I would complain at length about the cheap twist (and quite a few other things) if it weren’t for the fact that the entire premise is based on a bafflingly convoluted evil masterplan treasure hunt for which there is absolutely no attempt at an explanation. “Dan Brown wrote it” doesn’t count.

  2. The Lobster

    2015 film

    Watched 23 January 2017

    Very impressive how this ends up working as a Rorschach test of sorts. I was expecting a funny artsy film, but there’s some sharp edges here.

  3. Hell or High Water

    2016 film

    Watched 22 January 2017

    This was unexpectedly charming, and I think I get what it’s trying to do, but in the end, it didn’t leave that much of an impression on me. I can’t quite put my finger on what was missing, though. Maybe I’m just not enough of a cowboy to let it hit me.

  4. Casino Royale

    2006 film

    Rewatched 8 January 2017

    “Yes. Considerably.”

    This is the best one, isn’t it? No other Bond film comes close.

    While some other entries in the series succeed on a sort of meta level of being good for a Bond film, this one dispenses with any rose-tinted glasses requirement. It’s the real deal.

    The absurd poker gets a pass. One sympathises.

  5. Titanic

    1997 film

    Rewatched 2 January 2017

    Ah, Titanic. James Cameron proves that everything about a movie can be cheesy in one fell swoop. It’s an astounding cinematic achievement. Cheesy love story, cheesy dialogue, cheesy music… Even the editing is cheesy. Example: near the end, when the shot of the sinking necklace fades to the sleeping old lady, the necklace is briefly positioned over her head before it disappears. Do you get it? It’s like she’s dreaming about it or something! Truly poetic stuff.

    I congratulate James Cameron on making it all work — Titanic is a Good Movie. It brims with personality and is unquestionably memorable. Plus, I have to applaud his ethos in the search for complete cheesiness with the 3D conversion. Wish I’d seen that one.