4v291o

2nd/3rd act were incredible. Sub and biplane stunts were astounding. Loved Hannah Waddingham, Trevor Tillman, Tarzan, Charles Parnell and all the other little cast surprises. I had a blast and I think the biplane sequence had me full muscle lock until it was over. So good. Can’t wait for epk on that. 

I understand why they did the first act this way from a ‘paying homage to the history of the series kind of way’ but it wasn’t necessary imho and made it drag in a bummer of a way. 

The opening scene where Hunt sits there and listens to 3 mins of exposition was lit in the same way you see Bond introduced in Skyfall but worse and that made me sad.

Beautiful work by my friend Sing Howe Yam, the DP. A play as a movie is hard to make, this was about as good as you could ask of a play movie. 
Shia shone brightest but only narrowly outshines the prison guard who somehow doesn’t move the entire last scene and is utterly captivating.

I didn’t write anything for the last few days when I saw this movie because it’s sort of been percolating and I really have to give it up to Boni and Kayla for honestly just saying they were gonna do something and then doing it. That’s really hard to do especially making a movie for $10,000. I’ve done it a few times it sucks & it’s hard but that’s something nobody can ever take away from you.  I’m also really proud of the fact that while the budget shows the movie still has a lot to say and I think that’s honestly, the sign of a true film maker is doing something that you’re not supposed to do and ensuring that it says far more than what people expect of you and of the budget. 

This movie stressed me out as a filmmaker myself, and having been in plenty of situations similar.  But for all you horny fuckers out there, this movie is worth it.

Also crazy surprise guest at the screening scene Pete Berg there.

😭 watched with my wife on Mother’s Day…lots of tears.

Boy they musta had a lotta carbon arcs out there

🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼🫡

Watched in 35mm at the David Geffen theater. What an experience - beautiful print, I usually don’t have a great experience with film prints but this one was really special. 

The amount of emotions this movie takes me on 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼 

Forgot John Toll photographed this but man he really showed why he’s been working in the top tier for so long. Understated photography that really just fits the movie so well. And never fails to make his actresses look incredible. Also EYELIGHTS!

Fucking loved it - got me hyped

Deeply sad film. Hard to watch given the current situation/slaughtering Israel is doing to Palestine and its people. 

Maybe some of if not the best of Spielbergs/Janusz camera work. Unreal. He’s so bold Janusz, I strive to one day be so bold.

Yeahhh, utterly packed theater. 15perf/70mm IMAX…noon on a Tuesday. What an absolute joy of an experience. The long Steadicam take was visceral and exquisite - I was on a cloud. Brilliant job Ryan Coogler. I’m in awe.

Fantastic eye lights. Need to study/learn what they used to make them. 

Brilliant concept.

Sooo many good hijinks.  Newman and Redford are studs. 

The old school whodunit title cards are so good. 

Long takes, great blocking, noir lighting. Totally filmed on a backlot. Classic.

Watched on Tuesday April 8, 2025.

Watched on Wednesday April 9, 2025.

Watched on Friday April 11, 2025.

Watched on Saturday April 5, 2025.

Watched on Sunday April 6, 2025.

Arguably a perfect heist movie - and a perfect 90s film as well. Incredible blocking.

Watched on Tuesday March 11, 2025.

Watched on Friday March 7, 2025.

Delightful. 

Darius Khondji is all time.

Incredible

About as classic as you could want.

Loved Ke loved Marshawn loved Adriana (smoke show in this movie) -

Filmmaking left some to be desired and frankly the characters weren’t as fleshed out as they needed to be for the film to be better. 

Fun as hell to see Ke star in it though and his fight sequences were fantastic.

I actually reallllllly loved Keke and SZA together. They were hilarious and a great casting choice, buddy cop (but not cops) movie energy between them. I’d watch anything they’re in. 

I wish the film was better but for what they had $$ wise and time wise it was a decently solid film.

Desperately wanted this to be better

Watched on Friday February 14, 2025.

Each chapter is its own gift. 

Bob Richardson, ASC is so fantastic at making a movie both looks incredibly cinematic in his lighting but also still live just enough in the world of realism that it feels grounded. Obsessed with his lighting in this film.

Watched on Saturday February 1, 2025.

Watched on Saturday February 1, 2025.

I’d love to make a tennis film someday. Putting it out there. 

This had all the right energy and was photographed beautifully.

One of my childhood staples. They’re a great combo

Really love the way it ended.

Love

IMAX. 

Beyond the movie just being entertaining and excellent, and this being the first time I’ve watched this movie all the way through since I was a teenager - Fincher’s ability to use the city as its own character is something I didn’t really recognize back then. And frankly that it’s an amalgamation of all cities and yet no specific city - I kept thinking, I must have missed when they showed the wide shot or missed the part where they mentioned what city it is, but as the movie went on I realized that was the whole point, if you don’t know what city it is, then it could be any city. And that as an audience member is scarier, the unknown is always scarier than the known. 

Another thing I thought about during the movie was how this script could EASILY have been a shitty movie. The concept is fine. But this is one of those films that the director absolutely makes the difference on. 

I read an article where BP said that he had the scenes with GPs head HAD to be in the box (story wise) and that he has to kill KS’s character at the end BUILT INTO his contract. All so that the studio couldn’t try to make a switch up at the end to make the movie happier or something. Genius.

So much respect for them absolutely going for it. 9.7mil for this is insane. HOWEVER

First half was great. 2nd half was mid. Epilogue was a bummer. First half I’d give 5, 2nd half I’d give 3, and epilogue I’d give 2. So I’m leveling out at 4 for the sheer balls of this film. 

So many thoughts - 
Bring back intermissions. I loved that. 
The niece, looks exactly like Daniel Radcliffe and I couldn’t get past it. The longer she stayed silent the more convinced I was it was DR in drag. 
Loved the scenes between Guy and Adrian. Charming, nuanced and just plain good filmmaking. Minus the rape, that was fucked…though I do appreciate how that scene was photographed. Really left you feeling gross. 
So impressed with the scope they were able to achieve on such a small budget. 
Felt like the night photography was where the budget constraints really shined. 
Loved the Italian marble scene. Plain great filmmaking, great location/costumes/actors and no toys necessary. 
Adrian was on another level in the film. Way to go man, what a swing. 

Saw a 70mm print screening and at intermission the projector stopped working - so they switched over to digital. Was really great to compare, and I’m sad with the fact that I preferred the digital so much more than the print (even though the print had nostalgia and emotion on its side - digital had clarity, brightness, sharpness and less lifted black levels going for it).

This was, a lot.

Watched on Saturday December 14, 2024.

Watched on Saturday December 7, 2024.

Watched on Friday December 6, 2024.

Watched on Saturday November 30, 2024.

Watched on Wednesday November 27, 2024.

Watched on Sunday November 24, 2024.

Watched on Friday November 22, 2024.

Gave an entire star for the anamorphic photography. 

Fun idea, can’t say that a 98yr old filmmaker could fully get the nuance needed to make this better.

Can’t deny Gracey’s got style. Tough act to follow up to the masterpiece that is The Greatest Showman. 
Camerawork was great, lens flares were 🤌🏼 

I think the move of making the main character a monkey was deeply fascinating but also maybe kept me from being fully invested in his character. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I’ll have to stew on it a bit more. 

Never heard of Robbie Williams before this, and the VO was a lot. Maybe that was what it was, so much VO and explaining WHILE trying to show it…

His lazy eye might be the single best acting maneuver I’ve ever seen. 

Also his gait in this movie is top tier. Such a simple / powerful choice in his presentation. His running in said gait is a total treat. Almost cartoonish in its effectiveness.

All star casting. Shocked how much Ed Nortons Seeger felt like if Mr Rogers was a folk musician. 

Thinking I need a pair of those bob dylan glasses.

Watched on Friday December 27, 2024.

Riveted. Packed theater. By the end I completely forgot I was reading subtitles and as I walked out in the crowd around me a daughter and her mother exclaimed the same thing. 
Such a joy to be completely pulled into a story that took its time (was worried going in at the run time as it seemed like it would be too long of a film) and savored in the small moments. Made the big ones all that much more worth it. 

Have to figure out what anamorphics they shot…the flare at the bottom of the frame was a similar flare to what I experienced on Tamerlane.

• The Brutalist
• Se7en
• Babygirl
• Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning
• Henry Johnson
• Two
• Almost Famous
• Sinners

• Godzilla Minus One
• The Iron Claw
• Anyone But You
• Ferrari
• Argylle
• Madame Web
• Bob Marley: One Love
• Dune: Part Two
• Civil War
• Challengers

...plus 15 more. View the full list on Letterboxd.

• Jawbreaker