November 2022
All movies I saw in the cinema for first time during the month of November 2022 ranked from worst to best.
I guess the only thing about the film that drawn me to it was the lead star, Jacqueline Byers. Everything else about the film look generic and horror-cliche.
*
'Prey For The Devil' was mediocre at best.
Performances-wise, Jacqueline Byers and Colin Salmon definitely carried the film, for me anyway. I also thought the film itself was shot pretty okay too, nothing groundbreaking or hauntingly beautiful.
Out of the dozens of predictable jumpscares, I only jumped at one, the being in the mortuary scene.
While I was bored for somewhat most of the film, it definitely needed an extra 30 or so minutes as it felt insanely rushed for the most part.
5.7/10
I primarily just wanted to see this because of Anya Taylor-Joy.
*
This was very mesmerizing and quite intense.
Anya obviously had the best performance with Ralph Fiennes and Nicholas Hoult coming a close second and third.
I did love the ending, with Julien breaking his cold-hard mystique after Margot asked for a generic fast food style cheese burger. It's insane how beautiful the cooking of the burger was.
The film itself reminded me alot of something like A24's Midsommar. The venue starts off quite pleasant and peaceful, then slowly (but precisely) becoming sinister and dark.
7.5/10
This was my first cinema trip of November 2022.
I've honestly been dreading this film for over two years. Back in late-2020, the world lost Chadwick Boseman, one of the absolute best additions to the growing MCU cast but also a great person, whose legacy will live on for years to come. I, personally, occasionally realise he's really no longer with us, which always upsets me.
With Chadwick's untimely passing, I was hoping Feige, along with the producers who manage the MCU, would decide to not re-cast T'Challa and honor him as he did play a key role in the franchise, regardless of the short time he had.
*
Ryan Coogler absolutely succeeded in the Herculean task of creating a beautiful story of grief, loss and ultimately, love amidst a true tragedy.
Man, I was not ready for a soulful and slow version 'Ancestral Plane' to play during T'Challa's funeral. Perhaps the most emotional part of the entire film.
All performances in this film were excellent, especially Angela Bassett and Tenoch. I was little disappointed by the lack of screentime Lupita Nyong'o had, I was looking forward to seeing her in this film.
The end fight between Shuri and Namor reminded me alot of the one from 'The Last of Us Pt.2' with Ellie and Abby. Both of them were set on beaches, and included quick, hard cuts to the reason why the protagonists wanted revenge (Joel's bloody face for Ellie and Ramonda drowned for Shuri) and eventually seeing that taking justice into their own hands is never the right answer.
Astonishing cinematography and score. The world of Talokan was so gorgeous and felt truly lived in compared to Alantis featured in 2018's 'Aquaman' which looked cool but at manufactured.
Just prior to the credits rolling, Coogler expertly used silence in a profoundly moving way with clips of Shuri smilling alongside T'Challa. He also done something similar to that in his 2013 'Fruitvale Station' film, which involved the most heartwreching hardcut I've seen. If you've saw it, YOU KNOW what I'm talking about.
I wasn't entirely keen on Rihanna's song for Black Panther 2 "Lift Me Up" before the theatrical release. But, holy shit! It was a perfect transition into the credits and set an even more somber mood waiting for the final scene.
Having the mid-credits scene being self-contained to 'Wakanda Forever' and nothing else (No rumoured Dr. Doom appearance, or anything setting up Quantumania/Thunderbolts) was a great choice as it was also powerful tribute to Boseman's character, letting the name T'Challa live on through a young kid.
8/10
Comments
Post a Comment