Obtuse Melancholy or The Savage Social Strata - Triangle of Sadness film review

To say that I was initially hesitant about this film is somewhat of an understatement. The reason for my skepticism was that I had not enjoyed the writer/director's 2014 effort Force Majeure, mostly because the characters in the film were despicable and shallow, and highly unrelatable (at least to me). I know that was the point of the film, but it made it really hard to watch.

Despite my reluctancy, this film piqued my interest when it won the Palm d'Or at this year's Cannes Film Festival. While I don't usually give much credence to festival awards, at least the French have a respectable track record for often times choosing weird, polarizing, and just plain challenging films for the premiere awards at Cannes (think last year's Titane, for example).

But I digress.

In a nutshell, ToS is a brilliantly scathing black comedy, expertly and wryly taking the piss out of gender equality (or inequality as is often the case here), entitled wealth, class structure, social standing, the vapidy of advertising and influencing, and the general cluelessness people have about those around them, especially those dwelling in alternate financial realms (i.e. rich man/poor man). 

The film is told in three parts that feel like absurdist takes on Zoolander, The Poseidon Adventure (albeit by way of Monty Python), and Lord of the Flies. Sure, I'm being smidge facetious with those comparisons, mind you, but they are spot on more than you would think. Left field comparisons aside, the  film is it's own biting, gnawing, satirical entity, taking mundane situations--fighting over who pays the dinner bill--to topical world matters--open sea piracy, distribution of wealth, social and economic hierarchy, and much, much more--and skewering them with smirking aplomb.

I laughed out loud on more than one occasion, had to choke down some serious gagging reflexes a few other times, and found myself perplexed and overjoyed at the insanely ambiguous ending.

In short terms, this film is mondo entertaining and just the right amount of thought provoking.

31 Days of Horror (Films) - Day 31

THE CABINET OF DR. CALIGARI

Figured I'd end the month with a classic of early cinema. And, surprisingly enough, I'd never seen it before.

While I would hesitate to call it a true horror film, it does contain a lot of the core elements of the genre. 

But it's essentially a macabre looking murder mystery with a few twists and turns that have become de rigueur in modern cinema. 

A feat of German Expressionism, it's the look of the film, much more than the story, that creates a sense of abstract horror: buildings are slanted, authority figures are either lanky or stout and shrunken and sit on insanely high chairs in crowded offices, and everybody wears scary make-up (yes, I know this is the style of the time and a holdover from stage productions that used elaborate and heavily caked make-up so that the folks in the back rows could see the facial expressions, but it's still unnerving and weird looking by today's standards). Suffice it to say, one would be hard pressed not to notice the obvious influence this film had on folks like Tim Burton and Joe Dante, amongst others.

31 Days of Horror (Films) - Day 30

STARRY EYES

This film is an unabashed homage to Dario Argento's Susperia, albeit with less emphasis on rich colors and set design. But it keeps all the eerie and off-putting elements intact, often ratcheting them up to 11.

It's also a pretty damn bueno critique on the Hollywood mystique and people's continued quest for fame and adoration. And it presents a genuinely creepy view of casting calls that predates the Harvey Weinstein MeToo revelations of 2017 by a good three years.

Essentially unfolding as a descent into madness, the film follows the ambitions of wannabe star Sarah, who slums at a fast food restaurant between attending auditions. She's surrounded by other like-minded individuals, all grasping for the elusive Tinseltown Dream. The cattiness displayed between the competing actresses, the lechery and power plays of low-level management, and the seedy underbelly lurking beneath the Silver Screen are all delivered with vim, vigor, and tremendous verve. 

The ending is a bit hammy, but the journey there is so taut and teeming with sinister undertones that it's worth the trip.

31 Days of Horror (Films) - Day 29

HIS HOUSE

This entry, which was much heralded when it screened at the 2020 Sundance Film Festival, starts out promisingly enough, but ultimately succumbs to trite and tedious tropes.

In the first act we are introduced to a refugee couple who have escaped from an unnamed African nation mired in civil war violence. It is presumed that they are seeking asylum in England, though we never know which city. They are given a rundown apartment in a dilapidated housing project as they await their fate in regards to citizenship.

There are some genuine creepy moments and a few solid jump scares one they being getting settled in their new home, but from there it devolves into "seen it all before" territory.

There is one really freaky sequence where the wife ventures out of the house and gets lost; it effectively captures the whole "stranger in a strange land" vibe. Plus there's a nice twist reveal just before the third act.

Ultimately, however, the film becomes a rote exercise in people who have committed an immoral act being punished and tormented by demons, both real and imagined. While it does draw upon some unfamiliar (to me, at least) African folklore, it's still a story that has been told umpteen times before in a similar manner.

Methinks the bulk of critics who applauded this film succumbed to "exotic bias," which I myself have been know to exhibit. Here, though, the routine nature of the story ends up bogging the film down. 

TAR(red) and Feathered - TAR film review

Sit back, relax, and prepare to be riveted and nonchalantly repulsed by the story of a high profile maestro who is haunted, hindered, humiliated, and possibly humbled--though this last state is up for debate depending on your interpretation of the film's bonkers ending--by her hubris. Portraying the titular character, Cate Blanchett goes quietly off-the-rails in this darkly veined examination of the cult of personality.

The pacing is slowburn and deliberate, the plot is a percolating melange of arthouse melodrama, but delivered in a brooding and low-key manner. Underneath the surface is a strange air of mystery, which may very well be due to the minimal exposition; key elements of our protagonist's life are doled out sparingly over the 2 hour and 38 minute run time, keeping us in the dark as to her true self.

The film is perhaps unexpectedly prescient, too, given how it mirrors the current unravelling and cancellation of (Kan)Ye. It also tackles MeToo, albeit more as a tertiary element to the core story of an ego unchecked. There are other underlying themes floating about such as the separation of an artist's private life and their art, social media and its increasing role in dictating public opinion, political correctness, and free speech.

Blanchett is riveting and the supporting cast manages to keep their heads above the maelstrom she creates.

If you dig high drama delivered with smoldering intensity and keen camera sense, then this will be right up your alley.

31 Days of Horror (Films) - Day 28

BRAIN FREEZE

I had high hopes for this Quebecer zombie film based on the fact that the last undead oriented endeavor to come across the border—2017’s Ravenous—was pretty damn bueno.

Sadly, this effort starts out mildly promising and then just deteriorates into a hodge lodge of tired tropes. It doesn’t help matters much that it gets bogged down in long, drawn out sequences where literally nothing happens. That and the gore is sparse, as are the thrills and any modicum of tension. And never mind that the film borrows liberally from the likes of Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, and Z Nation, without bringing much newness to the proverbial table.

To top it all off, there’s an uninspired through line of nationalism (i.e. racism), classicism, and corporate greed, all of which are meant to be thoughtful social-political commentary, but come off as lazy and rote, instead.

The editing is uneven, there are interesting subplots that are brought up, but never followed through, and even the film’s twist ending is lame, predictable, and has been done before. 

31 Days of Horror (Films) - Day 27

THE ENTITY

Think 1 part The Exorcist, 1 part Ghostbusters, and 1 part Prince of Darkness and you’ll kinda nail the vibe of this overlooked 1982 jewel. Although, this film is based on the 1978 novel which fictionalized a real 1974 parapsychology case, so perhaps it actually influenced the latter two films mentioned above.

Regardless, this is a thrilling and disturbing endeavor, one which expertly utilizes all the patented horror film tricks to great effect.

There’s discordant music, jump scares, and Dutch tilts up the ass. Such techniques could easily have come off gimmicky, but here they work wonderfully, creating unease, confusion, and terror. And while the blood and gore is beyond minimal, the violence portrayed  is palpable and unnerving.

Sure, it dips into hokey territory at times, but the pacing and the use of all the aforementioned techniques make this a brisk and entertaining edge-of-your-seat experience.