1100. El Angel Exterminador

El Angel Exterminador
The Exterminating Angel
1962
Directed by Luis Bunuel

1100 movies, 1100 reviews! I've given many unprompted speeches about my milestones over the years, but this feels like a pretty big one. It's been a blast, and thank you to every person who has reached out to me, even when it's just to tell me what an asshole I am. I get a kick out of every comment. Speaking of comments, an Anonymous commentator recently suggested I watch The Exterminating Angel, as it is the ultimate quarantine movie. And boy, was it.

Senor Edmundo Nobile and his wife Lucia host a dinner party at their lavish mansion. A mysterious power prevents the guests from leaving the party, and, as the days pass, they grow more and more desperate.

I love stories that answer simple what if questions; what if nobody could leave a dinner party? The symbolism here was fascinating. I thought it was brilliant that all the servants (for an unknown reason) left their posts right before disaster struck. It was like, once the bourgeoisie had nobody left to step on, they imploded. Putting aside class issues that were so obviously prevalent in this film, the movie also managed to tap into my own social anxiety fears (what if I couldn't leave somebody's house? What if they couldn't leave my house??).  A very eerie and unique film.

This is probably the best Bunuel movie I have seen, and it wasn't even in my edition. Instead, they included The Young One? What gives?

Oh, and the fact that Buffy the Vampire Slayer paid homage to this movie is just icing on the cake.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

Bunuel believes that the film was a failure and wishes it could have been shot in Paris, and included cannibalism. Artists must be saved from themselves.

Was banned in Russia, because why not.

1099. The Big Short

The Big Short
2015
Directed by Adam McKay

I vaguely recalled watching part of this on a bad date, but I think I was spending my time plotting my escape and consequently did not pay much attention the first go-round. This time, I am more focused, and more familiar with Adam McKay, who apparently is dedicating his life to telling the stories of white privileged pricks.

In short (HA! Blame the quarantimes, please), this movie explains how the financial crisis of 2007-2008 was caused by the housing bubble. Knowing that most Americans couldn't care less about the economy, McKay is desperate to hold onto our interest as he walks us through this thing. This entails having celebrities explain certain key concepts, like having Margot Robbie breaking down jargon while taking a bubble bath. I think it takes more skill to weave pertinent information into the narrative, rather than having some sort of star-studded glossary interrupting the story every so often, but that's McKay for you.

This movie obviously has an amazing cast, with Steve Carrell in particular standing out. How thrilled was Christian Bale to play somebody with a glass eye? It's Spencer Tracy at Bad Day at Black Rock all over again. I wish they had done more with Marisa Tomei, but can understand why she was regulated to the sidelines.

So great actors and a great script; this movie is highly quotable. Still, this is only slightly less subtle than a Michael Moore documentary. He's not my favorite director, but if he keeps casting Steve Carrell, I'll be happy and quiet (or at least happy).

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

Lola FX did the special effects for Bale's glass eye, making it more noticeable than it would be in real life.

The real Michael Burry makes a cameo as a Scion employee.

First Adam McKay movie not to feature Will Ferrell.

1098. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
2011
Directed by David Fincher

I'll fess up right now, I haven't the read this novel. In some instances, I think that it is unacceptable behavior (for a full list of unacceptable instances, please privately inquire). Hopefully, I will be forgiven among my Goodreads brethren.

Mikael Blomkvist is a disgraced journalist living in Stockholm (I guess Daniel Craig is supposed to be Swedish but the accent situation is really out of control in this movie). A libel suit was brought against him by Hans-Erik Wennerstrom, who is a shady businessman who was certainly guilty of what Mikael said, but, unfortunately, Mikael wasn't able to prove it. Henrik Vanger enlists Lisbeth Salander, a brilliant hacker, to perform an extensive background check on Mikael. Lisbeth...well, Lisbeth has her own stuff going on. But Henrik asks Mikael to investigate the 40-year-old disappearance of his grandniece, Harriet.

I was looking for something to cheer me up after last week's death squad documentary and I thought a shirtless Daniel Craig might do the trick. I guess this movie satisfies the morbid curiosity we all seem to have about serial killers and brutal murders. I maybe have a little less curiosity than some, and would much rather focus my attentions elsewhere (see above, regarding a shirtless Daniel Craig) than fixate on the sadism of some of these characters.

But it's still a gritty, compelling story that has style; it's David Fincher, after all. Maybe not groundbreaking, but an entertaining movie.

RATING: ****-

Interesting Facts:

All of Rooney Mara's piercings were real.

Scarlett Johansson was considered for the lead role, but she was deemed "too sexy." Even rejection is nice when you're hot.

Daniel Craig gained weight for the role to remind us all that he was not James Bond, and just a normal journalist. Yep, he's just an average schlub like the rest of us... I guess he wasn't considered "too hot" to play an average guy. Hmmm...

1097. The Look of Silence

The Look of Silence
2014
Directed by Joshua Oppenheimer

Well, I made it about 13 minutes into this documentary before crying. I think that is fairly laudable. I am usually a stone cold movie watcher (I didn't even cry at Coco! Coco!) but of course, this is all too real.

About two years ago, I reviewed The Act of Killing, the companion piece of this film. As a quick recap, it wrecked me and I've been slowly picking up the pieces of my soul ever since. I decided to ruin my life again in the midst of the pandemic, because why not? This time around, a middle aged Indonesian man (Adi) interviews former death squad members under the pretext of fitting them with glasses. Oh yeah, and to make it extra devastating, his own brother was killed by the same squad members during the communist purge.

So once again, we have to watch these old men giggle and reenact the murders they perpetuated as we fruitlessly search for signs of remorse. Oddly enough, Adi seemed to find those signs of guilt, or maybe he just needed to believe they were sorry for his own peace of mind. Either way, it is incredibly powerful to have a man try to convince you his brother's killers aren't total monsters.

I just read a disaster of a novel, Hadrian the Seventh, for my book blog. It made me wonder if art is ever capable of correcting things. I would be curious to hear my readers' opinions on that. Maybe with art, it's not about fixing things, it's about healing.

RATING: Seems icky to rate this one

Interesting Facts:

Adi and his family moved to the other side of the country for their own safety.

1096. Inside Llewyn Davis

Inside Llewyn Davis
2013
Directed by Ethan and Joel Coen

Friday was my friend's birthday so I decided to honor him by watching his favorite movie for this blog (you know, instead of giving him a present or something). As I watched, I was shocked that my friend had taken to this movie so much. My friend has a very specific idea of what a man should be, and this lead character wasn't it. So I checked with him and it turns out I got it wrong, his favorite movie is The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. I guess I will have to accept my friendship award over Skype this year.

In 1961, Llewyn Davis is a struggling folk singer trying to make it in Greenwich Village. He gets by by sleeping on his friends' couches. Among these friends are the Jean and Jim Berkey. Jim is oblivious to the tension between Jean and Llewyn, and lets Llewyn record a truly awful novelty song with him. Why does Justin Timberlake keep popping up on this List?

The struggling artist story is one that has been told many times, but the Coen brothers are able to make it feel somewhat fresh here. Or, at least, fresher than the other entries on the List, like A Star is Born. Llewyn was such an unlikable character that it was difficult to watch at moments, but he was redeemed through his music.

The music in this film is predictably great, with the exception of "Please Mr. Kennedy," but that was intentional. There is extraordinary talent here, but I do feel like Carey Mulligan was kind of shunted to the side.

I did finding myself wondering what the point of the whole thing was by the end, but I am pretty sure Llewyn was pondering the same question. Not my favorite Coen Brothers by any means, but still enjoyable.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

The cat story line was thrown in because the Coen brothers were concerned there wasn't a plot.

Suzanne Vega said of the film, "I feel they took a vibrant, crackling, competitive, romantic, communal, crazy, drunken, brawling scene and crumpled it into a slow brown sad movie."