This is the movie that put me onto Sean Baker and it’s a one of a kind film. Baker has a reputation of creating films that centers societal outcasts and this movie centers on the dispossessed population of frequent hotel renters/people who are at risk of homelessness in Florida. At first, you think the movie will be about Moonee and her relationship with Jancey as they explore the world of Kissimmee unattended with their antics but it becomes very clear that Moonee’s mother (Halley) is the driving force for this particular movie. She is such a resilient and caring mother and the audience knows she has so much stacked against her that we want to see her win, despite her glaring parenting faults. Buyers beware, but a lot of people put too much weight in its controversial ending, and I think there’s so much more to say about Bobby, the hotel manager (acred by Willem Dafoe). I am not the most literate cinephile in the world, and to be real I did not “know Dafoe’s game”, but the moral crisis he had to endure was so real, that I think that people who work in social “helping” professions should seriously examine the boundary between helping and enabling, especially when social systems fail and people are left helpless and desperate. After this movie, I watched more than a few more of Baker’s films— Tangerine, Red Rocket, and I’ve been sleeping on Anora but that’s on my list before the end of the year (in like two days). Seriously, I can’t celebrate this movie enough.
Dec 29, 2024
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A great Sean Baker movie that takes place on Christmas Eve in LA. All shot on an iPhone 5S and really shows what you can achieve with limited resources. Highly recommend all Sean Baker movies but this is a good place to start.
Apr 18, 2024
I’m a big fan of Good Will Hunting (a perfect comfort movie with a great Elliot Smith soundtrack) but I had no idea that my fellow Boston boys (Matt Damon and Casey Affleck) had another Gus Van Sant collaboration under their belt. Also, I know Casey isn’t a great guy, but I’m a sucker for his mopey acting style— especially in Manchester By The Sea, and in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. It seems to come from some kind of deep & familiar Massachusetts sadness. Maybe I’m just projecting though.
That brings us to Gerry, a slept-on hidden gem that bombed in the box office and hardly has any kind of following. The film is based on a real story of two best friends from Boston who got lost in the New Mexico desert in 1999. Don’t look it up since it’ll sort of ruin the ending which is one of the best parts. Our friends at Simone Films announced they were doing a screening of Gerry at Roxy Cinema and my curiosity was piqued enough to check it out.
It’s a mesmerizing story that’s mostly devoid of dialog and unfolds over 103 slow and haunting minutes. The few conversations they have provide bits of insight into a friendship that’s mostly a blank slate for the viewer, so what you’re left with are beautifully composed desert shots tinged with a stranded desperation. The movie is heartbreaking, but at moments surprisingly funny, which you might not expect. If you’re like me, the camera-on-a-hood take at the beginning should be a dead giveaway that this is a special film.
Amazing score too.
Aug 7, 2024
"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗹 𝗶𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺"
cassius green, upon getting a new job as a telemarketer, is encouraged to use his "white voice" in order to do well at the company. as he continues mounting successes, he eventually gets promoted to "power caller," getting caught in the middle between his fellow workers trying to unionize and the higher ups trying to further drive a wedge between them
absolutely insane, stellar performances from the entire cast, particularly lakeith stanfield and david cross as cassius. you may have been spoiled for one of the twists in this movie, watch it anyway. it will be an absolute roller coaster regardless
i'm genuinely surprised this didn't massively blow up. i know i'm biased bc i love absurdism and it's not for everybody, but especially in light of a lot of anticapitalist/eat the rich media that made waves in recent years (parasite, the menu, triangle of sadness, etc.) it feels like the only reason this one didn't reach more ubiquity is that boots riley probably didn't want to play ball with the "hollywood" of it all (related, u should watch maggie mae fish's video essay on the movie as well lol)
anyways, this movie is great, one of my all time favorites. peep "i'm a virgo" too if you wanna watch more of riley's stuff
Apr 15, 2024
Top Recs from @holloway
I’ve been listening to a lot of the same maybe ten tracks over the past few weeks, and then I found out about “Otha Fish” thru a @sleepingongems IG post (it had to do a Fantastic Four rap aside). Anyway, it’s a fun listen and I enjoyed the production and the full embrace of whimsy in this album. It’s one of those albums I wouldn’t have appreciated until I was older if I’m keeping it a stack but I found it at the right time
Dec 29, 2024
I was gonna give it to Fall Out Boy’s “The Take Over, The Breaks Over” but that TI feature verse is kinda legendary ngl
Dec 29, 2024
I mean who can really hate this show? You got three lovable bears who were adopted together and the chemistry is *perfect*. Outside of the problems that they have to endure, I just love the welcoming atmosphere that the world has. The non-essential characters and citizens in the “in world” are incredibly friendly to each other and it just feels like a world that we /could/ have in the present, like it’s in arm reach but we aren’t there yet. There is such a blanket of trust that envelops this whole show that occasionally challenges us that there are real and present dangers in the show’s reality but never punishes the viewer too harshly because we know that these three bears got each other’s back no matter what. As much of the episodes happen during the day, this is what I would consider a perfect night time show. It’s the last cartoon that I watched from top to bottom in the past five years.
Dec 30, 2024