Anyone who has held a camera knows glass, heaven forbid mirrors, should be avoided at all costs, and yet this acclaimed piece of Hong Kong art cinema lives within the reflections and obscurities melted sand lends to our perception of the world. I go back and forth on the why’s, landing on the nostalgic framing structure Steve missed, for this painting come to life of an era and country that have since come to pass #IdBuyThatForADollar
Tag: Foreign
Debt to Cinema 088: Infernal Affairs
This episode is a bit of a throwback, primarily as a recall to 2006’s Best Picture winner, The Departed, but also to our remake series earlier this year. The Hong Kong blockbuster, while largely reproduced for American audiences, packages deeper questions in a quicker runtime, making viewing it as a point of origin necessary #IdBuyThatForADollar
Debt to Cinema 087: 4 Months, 3 Weeks, and 2 Days
Following how grueling The Tribe’s abortion scene is, and my mentioning this film during its breakdown, I felt Mother’s Day was a natural fit for a film where another unwanted pregnancy is central to the story. However, like Catwoman before it, this Palme d’Or winner’s secret weapon isn’t the long takes, or atmosphere, but window into womanhood it offers #SilverDollar
Debt to Cinema 086: The Tribe
Despite how long cinema has been around, deaf/mute societies are one of the few worlds we rarely gain access to. This Ukranian, festival darling not only takes us into one with deft camerawork, but also a matching lack of dialogue. Please experience this neo-silent film for yourself (its on Netflix) before joining our discussion, because this is a unique beast that you shouldn’t have ruined #IdBuyThatForADollar
Dollar Reviews 037: The Handmaiden
We sadly missed Chan Wook-Park’s latest offering in theaters, but thanks to the modern state of cinema, were gifted a free screening as part of our Amazon Prime memberships. There’s a lot to say about this darkly comedic, erotic thriller, especially as counter programming to our last episode, but what it comes down to is #IdBuyThatForADollar. Steve also rewatched the Disney Channel Original Movie, Phantom of the Megaplex (32:10) while I give my early impressions of Ready at Dawn’s Deformers (36:52) and Garfunkel and Oates: Trying to Be Special (43:21).
Debt to Cinema 073: Timecrimes
Unlike last year, where I hijacked Steve’s pick to align Run Lola Run with the most magical filmic holiday of all, our second annual Groundhog Day Special is a little late this time around, but holy shit is it worth it. I wish I could travel back to 2007 and suck this thing off proper #IdBuyThatForADollar
Debt to Cinema 069: Tricked
It took us forever to review one of Paul Verhoeven’s flicks, so I thought it would be fun to follow it up immediately with the project released before it. I could describe the experimental nature of the production of this 2012 release, but you’ll probably get a bigger kick listening to this episode with no further introduction. Suffice to say, if any recording defines our different critical styles, its this one.
Dollar Reviews 031: Elle
If the name Paul Verhoeven doesn’t mean anything to you, chances are you’ve never thought about our site’s branding. Robocop is one of those films that just gets me, so finally having the chance to not only catch it’s director’s latest work, but also review something of his for the first time, was a special treat for us. Given the nature of this flick, we are mum on details, but you can tune into A Few Dollars More for the juicier conversation.
Debt to Cinema 066: Joyeux Noel
German, French, English, the entire world was involved in the war this film is centered around, but it takes a miracle to remind them we’re all the same. The supposedly true event at the heart of this is beautiful, I just wish more surrounding it was actualized. Moving from the horrors of the holiday to this humbling reminder of what makes us human, especially in the face of turmoil, is about as nutty life gets around Christmas (well, until next week that is…)
Dollar Reviews 