Oscar-eligible catch-up

pellet reviews

Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

An enigma.

10% of Vietnamese are Christian, and yet it is the only religion we see any sign of, and every character believes.

The first hour of the film is quotidian. Fear not. It is by choice. As the protagonist withdraws further and further into the Vietnamese countryside, the cinematography becomes beautiful and the reliability of reality weakens.

That’s not to say that this is a magic real film, but it buzzes with that particularly Asian sense of a living world full of invisible truths.

Bear in mind, then, that the truths about this character and his journey will also remain invisible.

Mother’s Instinct ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Call me petty, but this could have been a really fun script if it didn’t start out by planting two Chekhov’s guns—the grandmother’s pills and the kid’s allergy. Before anything even got moving! From then on, the rest was fait accompli. And while it was entertaining to watch the inevitable unfold, it was also sort of tedious because I just wanted what was clearly going to happen to happen already.

Nightbitch ⭐️⭐️

I can’t believe this was a novel. It would work as a short story. It does not work as a movie. We have one interesting metaphor stretched to its limits. This is a movie to watch when you’re frustrated with your domestic life. That’s it.

I believe that all of these statements about motherhood are true. I also believe it is powerful and important to speak them in all their raw truth. But I believe there is healing that doesn’t involve familial separation.

We Live in Time ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This brand of romantic weepy hasn’t been around for a while. I’m not sure if there have that many in the past twenty years, even compared to the ten years before that. They used to be de rigeur. But it’s never been a genre I love.

The entire draw here is two of my favorite actors sharing the movie: Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield! They’re both great. The film is simply good. But if you’re a Beaches, Terms of Endearment type, you may love it.

The Idea of You ⭐️⭐️

Middle-aged mother wish fufillment escapism. An epic “meh”.

The Fall Guy ⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

Not the formal masterpiece that is Bullet Train, but obviously Leitch has a lot of fun being in the director’s chair. More, please.

And I hope the Academy is paying attention. Stunt recognition!