i had to use the restroom and walked back in during the first Handjob scene. was really awkward. Then like 15 mins later there was an intermission and I didn’t need to go to the restroom anymore so i played angry birds on my phone. Had to use the restroom again during the second half of the film (i had a large soda). Walked back into the theater during the surprise 2nd Handjob scene.

the first half is terrific– reminded me of watching a really good 90/2000s biopic– as is the score and cinematography through the entire thing, but the second half… i don’t know. it’s like watching an impressive floor routine that ends in the running man. what were you going for. why’d you end with that. cannot stress enough that I looooved the first half though, even the opening credits made me almost gasp with joy. bowled over by the production itself, too- shot in 31 days for under $10 million? how the fuck?

This made me want to light a cigarette and stare at a wall for two hours. Five stars.

i simply cannot accept the fact that lászló tóth isn't a real person... i just got tár'd again

gargantuan. there is a single shot near the end of this film where felicity jones nearly steals the whole thing in one fell swoop. over three hours in and i could hardly believe the build up had led to such a simplisticly monsterous scene, and so much of it clicked miraculously into place for me right then. the first half is a deconstruction of the american dream, and the second half takes a sledgehammer to it. this is the kind of movie we should be going to the movies for

The kind of movie that uses newsreel inserts to explain to the audience concepts like “Pennsylvania” and “heroin”.

Guy Pearce’s unwavering support for Palestine on this press tour is the only reason I’m not writing off completely. 

This movie was breathtaking- literally, I found myself gasping at some shots and parts of the score. Brody, Pearce, and Alwyn were phenomenal, and the first half is one of the greatest pieces of work I’ve ever seen. I appreciated the tone switch for the protagonist within the metaphor of the first half being the American dream, and the second the dismantling of that dream, but the tip-toeing around Zionism in the second part, and the pacing and stylistic  choices of the epilogue were what had me wanting to stay in the first part. 

Free Palestine. Death to colonialism.

shoutout to concrete gotta be one of my favorite building materials

It's difficult to articulate why this didn't fully work for me. The performances and direction were solid but the story felt like a rather stock deconstruction of the American Dream, one that rarely surprised or engaged me. I'll take this over an Emilia Perez win in any category however.

love to hear that BIG BRASS