Tag: 2023

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Strange Darling (2023)

Right at the beginning I thought the non-linear structure either makes sense for the movie or it’s just a cheap gimmick. And it did make a lot of sense, served the whole tension and narrative amazingly well. It’s great writing and directing. There are a few cheesy elements that emit something like a Tarantino homage feeling, and it would be a better film without those, however, I don’t think those define this movie.

Those few extended shots with Fitzgerald keeping posture and acting out a long slow scene are just as hard to watch as they are wonderfully acted.

It took a while to see the twist coming. The greatest thing is that for a long period of time I was just not sure. I know there was something going on but didn’t quite know how it will play out exactly. And how that non-linearity converges me closer and closer to that solution is why this structure works wonders for this movie.

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Joey Valence & Brae – Punk Tactics

It’s so fun. However, I cannot see the sentiment that it’s just too close to those that inspired it. I can’t really tell whether it’s an homage, a parody, or something of its own. Second album doesn’t help there still. Perhaps we’ll see on the third one.

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Wish I Was Here (2014) and A Good Person (2023)

It seems like Zach Braff has a ten year cycle of taking the time to do one of his own movies, when he’s both writing and directing. Garden State, his first one from 2004, is somewhere in my Top 100 of all time; it speaks so much to my heart, with music from my childhood, and the “going back to my little city” vibe that I do myself every once in a while.

Wish I Was Here was on my backlog for a while, and I finally watched it, although it’s nothing even remotely close to his first flick. Honestly, it’s kind of a mess, especially being all over the place from a directing perspective, so not a great credit for Braff. The only thing that saves the movie is the typical Zach Braff heart-and-soul that I can feel all over it, and that makes it likable at least. But likable, as an ugly little dog that I wish the best for.

And after this one did I see that there’s a new movie he did just last year, which totally went past me. Maybe because he was not playing in it, so his face didn’t jump at me from a poster. Anyways, A Good Person is a strong one. It’s personal, intimate, soul-crushing but also heart-warming, with absolutely amazing acting all over. After the series of “idiotic old man comedies” done by Morgan Freeman, this one brings him justice; it’s a fantastic role played well. And Florence Pugh is just close to being my favorite actress in the past ~five years, so she’s brilliant like what I’d expect.

A Good Person also fits into a line of movies I’ve watched this year, all on the topic of someone battling with addiction and trying to overcome some past tragedy. Films like The Way Back and Half Nelson were beautiful gems I discovered with this theme.

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Kylie Minogue – Tension

It doesn’t get any more late adopter than stumbling upon a pop record a year later, and getting hooked on a hit song months after earning a Grammy-award. Anyways, it is what it is. This is a fine classic pop album.

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Deena Abdelwahed – Jbal Rrsas

This is bass-heavy electronic music that I can place closest to dubstep. I also feel like I have extremely little cultural context to form well-articulated thoughts about this music, which makes it exciting.

Saying that it’s “something Arabic” feels like derogatory to how rich it is beyond language, and when I say “Arabic” I am concerned that I’m already making false identification. I just don’t know, I am not aware, I lack knowledge. However, it doesn’t feel intimidating but rather I feel the urge to explore, know more, learn, listen, understand, makes me wonder.

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Kevin Richard Martin – Black

An ambient album by The Bug that is an eulogy to Amy Winehouse—such a fascinating concept that I would have never seen coming. It comes with probably the best liner notes I have ever read on Bandcamp. Not because it’s a whole lot but it gives such a personal perspective to such an unexpected record.

Also, using the word “muse” just opens up this whole realm of thoughts how muses work for artists, which I’ve always found interesting. When a muse is depicted in a movie they tend to be this groupie that hangs with the rock band, but how a muse as a person and personality inspires art is rarely seen. Funny thing that Californication comes to mind where the muse is an interesting character. And recently I read about the life of Daphne Guinness who is also cited as being the muse for fashion designers like Alexander McQueen and Karl Lagerfeld. Just reading her bio, seeing her style of photos, and listening to her records makes me go “oh yes, I can see that”.

So, to get back to Black, it’s interesting how inspiration can come from such random places, and how a muse can find you even when you’re not searching.