Film Discoveries - March 2018

Hello everyone!  Again, my apologies for the lateness of this post. I've been getting some ducks in a row and should be more timely in my posting going forward.  This update will cover my top four first time watches for the month of March 2018.  This month's picks are pretty eclectic, with everything from Japanese crime to new existential sci-fi and comedy represented.  So, without further ado...

Annihilation - 2018

First up, from Alex Garland (whose film Ex Machina, I love) is Annihilation.  I don't want to go into too much detail, but this movie hit me like few ever have.  I do take issue with a few character reactions and with some of the dialogue, but I can't remember the last time a film filled me with so much pure existential dread.  Natalie Portman, a performer who doesn't typically impress me, does solid work here, but it's the ideas embedded in the story that really elevate it.  

My Letterboxd review:

https://letterboxd.com/carcinogent/film/annihilation/

Availability 

Annihilation will be coming to home video on May 29th.

High and Low - 1963

Last month's list also featured a foreign crime movie from a noted director (1967's Le Samouraï), so I might be becoming a bit predictable.  I don't care, though, because this movie is exceptional.  The sheer creativity on display is staggering, from the framing of interior scenes, which utilize the full frame in a way so few movies do, to the way it sustains tension through a very long run time.  It also gives us a lot to chew on with its presentation of uncomfortable moral choices and its theme of the haves and the have nots.  I have appreciated Kurosawa films in the past, but this is easily my favorite film of his that I've seen.

My Letterboxd review:

https://letterboxd.com/carcinogent/film/high-and-low/

Availability

High and Low is currently available on DVD and Blu-ray from the Criterion Collection. 

Johnny Belinda - 1948

Johnny Belinda is a movie that snuck up on me.  It isn't flashy.  It's not really swinging for the fences in any way (although its subject matter was probably pretty controversial for 1948).  That said, it gives us relatable characters that we root for and want to spend time with.  By the time the film's third act began, I was surprised how much I cared about their plight and that's a testament to the power of simple, good storytelling.

My Letterboxd review:

https://letterboxd.com/carcinogent/film/johnny-belinda/

Availability

Johnny Belinda is currently available on DVD from Warner Brothers.  Digital options are also available.

Game Night - 2018

Comedies rarely appear on my monthly discoveries lists.  That's largely because I'm very particular about my funny films.  I enjoy many, but love few.  So for Game Night to be on this list is a very big deal.  I had a blast with it!  The jokes come fast, there are actual character arcs (!!!), and the cast is outstanding.

My Letterboxd review:

https://letterboxd.com/carcinogent/film/game-night/

Availability

Game Night will be coming to home video on May 29th.