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Smile 2022 ★★★★
I was pleasantly surprised by this one. It immediately grabbed me and didn't leave much room for air afterwards. And for a mainstream horror production, it has a surprisingly bleak ending.
Sosie Bacon does a good job as the main protagonist. She has a future in the genre. Some may be annoyed by how the movie goes out of its way to make her so gosh darn nice, but that did not really bother me. Her descent into madness goes along well with the allround eerie atmosphere that does not let up. Except for a moment of false hope.
The only problem I have is the part of Kyle Galner. I don't know why, but I was just never really convinced by his performance. Either a miscast or a poorly written character.
Black Mirror: Nosedive 2016
Short version: It starts off as The Truman show, the middle is Planes, Trains and Automobiles and it ends with Yo momma so fat.
But to make it so short, that would be of ill will. This is Black Mirror's take on social media and it relies more on atmosphere than on reinventing the wheel.
Why the Truman show comparison? Because most of the actors here look and act like Laura Linney's character in that movie. Look at their facial expressions and you will see what I mean. All smiles on the outside, but constant panic on the inside. And for what? The desire to better your life that you cannot really blame her for. And she's determined/desperate enough to ignore the red flags and the people trying to warn her. Is it worth it? Her brother asks her point blank and she says: of course it f-in is.
But then at the big moment, it of course all goes wrong big time. That's where the road movie kicks in, with the check in scene literally going back to Steve Martin's profanity laced rant in PT&A. The encounter with the truck driver offers her a way out, but she is either so determined or too far gone to understand.
By the third season, BM apparently gained some notoriety and became a show actors wanted to be on. Something they could sink their teeth into. Enter Bryce Dallas Howard. She fully takes the opportunity to show off her talent. You may think differently after seeing Jurassic World, but Ron Howard's little girl can indeed act and not too little. Her breakdown at the wedding is a well done performance and she also does the ending well, leaving you guessing on wether she is now liberated or completely and irrepairably broken.
Good stuff, this. No star rating for obvious reasons.
Saw III 2006 ★★★
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Then again, I was up for some gore and on those moments, Saw is always happy to provide. And The Rack, my goodness.
The movie was able to provide a sad moment with Kerry's death and te tension between Amanda and Lynn made for compelling drama.
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