Enrique Cuevas

Directed By Celine Sciamma

Watched: Arclight Cinema Hollywood 12/06/19

Wow, where to begin this was a beautiful film, great pacing, direction and acting were great. The story was simple, but it worked and made for one hell of a memorable film. It was not totally predictable and both of these lead actresses just hold you hostage.

Directed By Pedro Almodovar

Watched: Arclight Hollywood Cinema 10/06/19, AMC Burbank 16 10/16/19 and Laemmle Pasadena Playhouse 7 12/01/19

What I found fascinating about this film was how revealing Almodovar was with the story and character. I am sure writing about his mother was not an easy feat. I wonder if the lover stumbling upon the show was something that really happened or part of the fictional elements. A friend mentioned he disliked the anatomy scenes he thought they were badly made. I liked them they broke the film up and let us spend time within ourselves. Callbacks to 8 1/2m, which I have not seen in a while.

The use of “flashback” works well and gives us a look at a nostalgic world for the main character. He can trace it all back to his first desire. My favorite part of the film is the monologue I love it and it kills me. The first time I saw the film I saw it with Max at the Arclight in Hollywood. The second time was with Eduardo I think I cried. The last time was with Aldo in Pasadena and I thought about Abril the whole fucking film.

This is special cinema and I can’t wait to watch it again! Antonio Banderas was fragile in this.

Directed By Robert Eggers

Watched: Arclight Cinema Hollywood 10/19/19, AMC Burbank 16 10/27/19

Hmm the first time I saw this film I had mostly negative feelings. It was an odd screening with Dafoe and Pattinson doing a Q&A at the arclight dome it was a bad setting for this type of film.

Directed By Joanna Hogg

Watched: Arclight Cinema Hollywood 05/27/19

Damn this movie hurt it was just made from a personal place. There is a sequel that I am looking forward to probably my most anticipated film of next year. I have no idea what else is happening in cinema next year is Derek Cianfrance making a film??? He should be. I know PTA is doing something, but they aren’t even shooting yet, 2021? I guess NOLAN!

It reminds me of that Eliott Smith song Twilight, it is a difficult film to watch because it is a harrowing journey from the perspective of someone who is just learning about adult life. There is shots in an otherwise boring living room where she uses the window to add depth to the shots it was amazing. The washed look to the whole film and both of the leads performances yeesh. This was also baby Swinton’s first lead role.

Directed By Cristina Gallego and Ciro Guerra

Watched: Arclight Cinema Hollywood 02/24/19

Sadly during the Oscars it was released in 2018 during the festival circuit and was better than whatever they gave best picture.

Directed By Noah Baumbach

Watched: Los Feliz 3 Cinemas 11/27/19

Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson go all 12 rounds and it is a draw. It is not the weeping it is the charm and respectability that they give their characters. They are those characters that they portray if I saw them in real life I would be like damn they were married. I love how there is no winning side and who the fuck do you choose?

Directed By Christian Petzold

Watched: Rented Blu-Ray Videotheque in South Pasadena, 09/28/19

Directed By Michael Dougherty

Watched: AMC Burbank 16 06/01/19

Aight! Morgan thinks I am trolling him and I am not. Let’s get one thing out of the way the human shit is wack and irrelevant. This movie should have just been these Monsters killing it. It threw me back to when I use to play toys in my room as a kid. This should have no humans. NONE! I greatly appreciated all those gnarly aspects involved with the CGI and Godzilla is a bad mofo. My little sister loves him more then me for some reason lol

Directed By James Gray

Watched: AMC Burbank 16 09/21/19

Directed By Trey Edward Shults

Directed By Alma Har'el

Watched: AMC Burbank 16 11/20/19

I need to gather my thoughts better about this film. It was a difficult watch.

Bah, make a horror movie this great. It is a family drama at it’s heart and when it becomes a horror movie it holds nothing back.

Toni Colette goes crazy and she does an amazing job. Ari Aster showed great patience, pacing and organization when putting this film together.

This film is incredibly layered and every single thing in this film means something.

Cold War is an intimate romance set against an epic landscape.

The film is beautiful and Pawel has come a long way from My Summer of Love. This film had to be released Black and White it just had to.

Joanna Kulig gave an authentic and memorable performance.

I always admired skaters. I wanted to be like them so I dressed like them, but I was always too scared of falling. I was a little kid in the mid90s, but for some reason this was an ultra nostalgic film.

The characters were reminiscent of kids I grew up around. There was always the kid that was angry and trying to fight you. I loved that Jonah Hill used the ending of New Slaves I fucking love that little melody with Frank Ocean.

The kids were endearing and pacing was never an issue I thought it was the second best feature debut this year behind Ari Aster.

A realistic and bleak look at the toll drugs take on a family.

This film features great performances from Steve Carell and Timothee Chalamet. I think Steve Carell is aided by Timothee’s remarkable exploration into this struggling character.

It also features a wonderful soundtrack.

A beautiful movie to look at and also has the most disturbing scenes. It is a better version of what Gaspar Noe tried to do with Climax.

It is not as over the top in its lighting like the first Suspiria. It is more realistic and set during the political turmoil of Berlin.

Luca can not be stopped and I look forward to watching this man behind the camera for years to come.

The Favourite is the best comedy of the year. It is dark, unsettling and charming.

Yorgos has made his most accessible film and it is still fucking weird. Another Cautionary Tale about chasing away the person you love.

Emma Stone plays the role of the disruptive villain perfectly. She manages to be beautiful and annoying at the same time.

An incredible family dynamic. I was a bit let down by the twist.

Beautifully shot and the young characters showed so much reserve and understanding of their roles.

The coziest film of the year.

I hate that I like this film. It is a tough watch and at times can seem just like gratuitous violence. This film has a lot to unpack.

I don’t think I will ever watch this film again, but I can appreciate Lars for approaching the subject matter in this way.

I think the ending makes this a great film. I liked the characters attempt at redemption.

Fucking wow, I don’t think the look of an animated film has rocked my socks like this in a long time. I greatly appreciate the heart that this film comes with.

Damien Chazelle looking like a young Michael Jordan out here. 3/3 I don’t love it like I love La La Land and Whiplash. However, I believe this a well told biopic and character study.

Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy flourish in their roles. It is a tender film and the music is amazing. I have listened to Quarantine 8,700 times it now reminds me of Barcelona.

It also shows maturity in Damien Chazelle’s filmmaking and I do not think it is a boring film like a lot of friends have mentioned. It reminds me of Ron Howard’s Rush.

I think this is a sleek and touching film, but I don’t think Black and White was a necessary look for this film.

The acting was organic and it never felt forced throughout the film.

It is a tragic film, but it means a lot to tell this story in my opinion. It reminds me of my aunts and my grandmother.

Woah, this felt like a Neil Young song on film. Maybe because of the name of the film.

Robert Redford is as suave as ever and Sissy Spacek matches him in terms of presence every step of the way.

It is a great romance and a cautionary tale about how stubborn humans can be.

Columbus was my favorite film of 2017. I thought the use of architecture set against the aura of optimism made this a great film. Each character was searching for something.

The use of the Top 10 plot worked like an adventure and an exploration of character. I thought it was a simple idea, but well executed.

It is a beautiful film to look at.

This was a beautifully shot film and Paul Thomas Anderson is at the top of his game in regards to pacing, music and shot selection.

The idea that Daniel Day Lewis’ character is never able to find the balance between love and work. He is like a baby how he grows restless and I found his character to be odd, but understandable. I love the washed look of this film.

Daniel Day Lewis’ is a giant with his presence and you can see it in every scene he is in. He is an intimidating man and this might be the last time we see him in a movie. The music is haunting and perfect.

The Florida Project was an awesome tight film shot in Florida. It has a beautiful look and the young actors all did a wonderful job.

This film introduced me to Bria Vinaite. I am excited to see her career keep going and Dafoe was awesome in his role as well. Everyone brought their A-game to this film. I will also watch whatever Sean Baker releases.

This film makes you nostalgic for a place you have never been to.

I will also watch anything that Luca puts out. Apparently this film was all shot with one lens.

I enjoy watching their dynamic and how they deal with one another. I did have an issue with pacing, but at the end of the day it works. I also listened to Sufjan Stevens songs off this album over a thousand times each.

It is a great romance and coming of age tale. It would be awesome of they followed the idea of the Before Trilogy.

Margot Robbie was charming and unapologetic in her role as Tonya Harding.

A film about the competitive spirit and a crime thriller. I loved the use of the unreliable narrator. The jumbled up narrative that creates an aura of confusion. It felt like mid career Scorsese crime drama.

It is a great Cautionary Tale and an example of a character who is not good or bad.

A slow, mysterious and sexy film that has an awesome performance by Kristen Stewart.

Combines the idea of Personal Shopping and Ghost Hunting. The idea of life after death and ramifications of volatile human relationships.

Not only does this film feature a ghostly apparition it also introduces a phantom texter. It was hard to suspend my disbelief at times, but it paid off.

An existential masterpiece and a great exploration of time.

Features a grueling pie eating scene that runs for nearly five minutes. Rooney Mara does a great job as a distraught woman who lost the love of her life.

It is letterboxed and it looks beautiful. It is also simply shot yet epic in scope.

It was hard for me to like this film at first, but it has grown on me. I think this will be the film that lives the longest from this year. Daniel was amazing in this and did so much with his facial features.

A great horror thriller that flips conventions on their head. It is a well told, layered and meaningful story.

An exploration into racial dynamics that will never be forgotten. I feel bad for Jordan Peele, because it might tough to ever top this film.

A slow film that pays off ten fold at the end. Great performances by Elizabeth Olsen and Jeremy Renner.

This film features multiple characters that are worn out by loss and a search for understanding.

A chilling tale of justice.

Pixar decides to spread their horizons across the border. I think they did a great job and brought much needed attention to our neighbors in the south.

It follows the tropes of Pixar’s animated line-up closely, but it is also a refreshing look at new characters. It is vibrant and explores the themes of death and family.

Remember Me made me cry.