Best First Watches: March 2022
Three months down and I have still only watched new-to-me movies! (Sure, I re-watched a couple Mike Mills movies, but that was for business and not pleasure. I took absolutely no joy in re-watching some of my favorite movies.)
Taylor Tomlinson: Look At You
netflix is a joke
I have been singing Taylor Tomlinson’s praises since her appearance on Netflix’s The Comedy Lineup in 2018. That was a fifteen-minute set, and back in 2020, her full hour, Quarter-Life Crisis debuted on Netflix. She came back in 2022 with Look At You, and it’s like Taylor has reached another peak. Look At You is a hilarious deep dive into her recent bipolar diagnosis, the loss of her mother, the wonders of audio-only porn, and how Jesus Christ and Taylor Swift have a lot in common. I know this isn’t a movie, but I simply have to recommend it. Mix the goofy storytelling of John Mulaney with the intensity of Hannah Gadsby and you get Taylor Tomlinson.
Invasion of the Body Snatchers
allied artist pictures
I was having a weird day. I started my morning off watching Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I thought I was going to see just another creature feature from that time period, but no! This is a love story! And quite a sweeping love story at that. “I want to love and be loved. I want your children. I don’t want a world without love or grief or beauty. I’d rather die.” That’s the dialogue they casually drop in the last thirty minutes. Excuse me??? Pure poetry.
After Yang
In lieu of a still image, I simply must share the opening credits with you. I would go to clubs more if everyone danced like this. After Yang is Kogonada’s follow-up to Columbus. It’s yet another quietly devastating movie by him that’s filled with gorgeous cinematography and stars Haley Lu Richardson. For someone who doesn’t love sci-fi, After Yang is the perfect distant-enough futuristic look at memories, robots, and what it means to be alive. A warmer, kinder Black Mirror episode.
Turning Red
disney + pixar
I already have a much more eloquent review here, but I have not been able to get “Nobody Like U” by 4Town out of my mind. It’s an absolute bop. What a special movie Turning Red is. I can’t wait to see more from director Domee Shi. It’s funny, gorgeously animated, and a tearjerker.
The Batman
warner bros
I went into The Batman fully expecting to be bored out of my skull for two hours and fifty-six minutes. Batman’s never been my favorite superhero, so this sounded like pure torture. However, I’ve learned that Batman might’ve been my least favorite superhero because all the recent movies have made him an unbearable and moody millionaire. The smarmiest asshole. I mean, they cast Ben Affleck for a reason. Robert Pattinson’s Batman is still moody, but I actually get the sense that his Batman was started for the good of something. Boy was hunched over his li’l bat desk at 2:00 a.m. with smudged mascara, trying desperately to fix the city, and that’s a Batman I can get behind.
Anna Karenina
focus features
I was reading Vulture’s piece on Joe Wright about how his Anna Karenina was long overdue for a second look. Since I loved his take on Cyrano last month, and Atonement and Pride and Prejudice (2005) are masterpieces, I thought, why not? Fully expecting a more run-of-the-mill period piece, I was blown away by the staging and theatricality of the film. Most of the movie takes place inside a theatre. Wright uses the floor where the audience normally sits, the rafters, and big, moving set pieces to create Russia on a budget. The story itself leaves a lot to be desired, but any time Keira Knightley puts on a flowy gown and has an affair, I simply have a great time. Also, I think it’s time we fight for the #WrightCut of The Woman in the Window.
It’s a Summer Film!
Pipeline
I saw this as part of Pittsburgh’s Japanese Film Festival and it really took me aback. It’s a romantic comedy about hating romantic comedies, a samurai movie by way of sci-fi, and a love letter to why we all love movies the way we do.
Shithouse
IFC Films
Shithouse has been on my list for years, but I am cheap™️ and waited for it to finally land on a streaming service. The movie’s about Alex (Cooper Raiff) having a hard time fitting in at college in his first semester. I think a lot of people would benefit from seeing this before they go to college. It portrays the loneliness and isolation of starting a new life away from home so acutely. The scene toward the end of the movie where Alex is sitting against the brick wall (you’ll know it when you see it) made me weep. You could’ve copied and pasted that exact conversation from one I had during my freshman year of college.
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