2022 Movie Log: March

11th: Turning Red – Domee Shi (2022)
I wish I had more to say about this film. It’s charming, clever, and visually creative – in short, a Pixar movie.
Grade: B

13th: Dekalog: One -Krzysztof Kieślowski (1988)
Good golly, Kieślowski! I loved his Three Colours trilogy. And yet, I was still a little hesitant heading into the Dekalog. The scope of the series, just on paper, is so serious. It’s daunting! Having watched the film now, it is, of course, serious. In fact, it’s probably even bleaker than I imagined. But there’s something in the mastery of Kieślowki’s filmmaking that makes it so mesmerizing to watch. I’m not sure if I’ve encountered another filmmaker with his power over (for lack of a better word) moral storytelling. The conflict he sets up and resolves in just one hour is just exquisite. Don’t judge a book by its cover!
Grade: A-

14th: Dekalog: Two -Krzysztof Kieślowski (1988)
I might have liked two even more than one! I’m flat out amazed at Kieslowski’s ability to create a complete story with a runtime of under an hour. I was struck in this one by how much is conveyed about these characters without spelling out every detail of their lives.
Grade: B+

18th: Red Rocket – Sean Baker (2021)
This is a tricky one! I loved Tangerine and The Florida Project for their ability to empathize with characters that usually don’t get the most favorable light in society. Red Rocket does not seem to share this trait. At least to me, it feels somewhat dismissive of its characters. I’m not sure I’d go as far to say it’s mean-spirited toward them. Still, it often feels like they are the punchline of the joke. Now, if that’s the film, that’s fine! Sean Baker isn’t required to make the same type of movie over and over. But, for as much as I like the performances and the filmmaking here, it doesn’t quite come together for me.
Grade: B

23rd: Dekalog: Three – Krzysztof Kieślowski (1988)
Not bad by any means but the weakest installment so far. This one feels less mysterious than the first two. Probably because there’s something more human and familiar in the sin of adultery as opposed to that of, say, worshiping other gods. This felt closer to something I had seen before, whereas the first two were entirely new for me.
Grade: B-

Author: Samuel

Big fan of TV, movies, and books. Even bigger fan of maniacally recording my thoughts on them in the desperate and inevitably futile attempt to keep them in my memory forever. View all posts by Samuel