THE LIGHTHOUSE
Director and co-writer Robert Eggers' sophomore film The Lighthouse is a captivating ride from beginning to an end. The film makes you feel like you’re also going insane just like the main characters and that’s what is beautiful about it. No shot is uninteresting, no monologue is wasted with pretentiousness and no humour comes off out-of-place.
There is some best-of-the-year level cinematography here, thanks to Jarin Blaschke. His work makes this movie a real treat to the eye while also paying sort of an homage to legends of the past that shot black and white. Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe put their best foot forward in their roles, especially the former who does a career-best performance here. Sound design of The Lighthouse goes wonderfully with Mark Korven’s chilling score, creating the same sense of isolation portrayed by the visuals.
Some of the scenes that play with hallucinations or disorientation don’t come off as gracefully as much of the film. This might be due to the black-and-white colours, which make it difficult for viewers to see them as an experience when the editing relies on disorientation.
Smileys: Acting, cinematography, sound design, score, dialogue
Frowneys: Minor flaws with editing
The Lighthouse is a carefully crafted piece of art that no doubt will be shown in film schools for years to come, deservedly so.
5.0/5
EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE
El Camino: A Breaking Bad Movie could’ve easily been as unnecessary as a movie can be. Director-writer Vince Gilligan's effort to add to the story of a TV show that is regarded as one of the best ones, if not the best, is a big risk. Luckily for us, the viewers, and the filmmakers behind it, it does stick the landing while also standing on its own fairly well.
The three-time Emmy winner for his role as Jesse Pinkman, Aaron Paul is an absolute force once again here. He doesn’t only match the intensity of the series, but you could make a point that this is his strongest outing ever. The main story of El Camino also deserves a shoutout as it provides some satisfying answers about Jesse’s experiences and future. There is also a small scene between him and Skinny Pete (played by Charles Baker) that is just so wonderfully written.
Few awkward scenes and moments happen more or less as flashbacks. Those scenes between Jesse and Todd (Jesse Plemons) are fine if you were wondering about Todd’s character but ultimately they are a bit of a drag and offer next to nothing to Jesse’s character development.
Smileys: Aaron Paul, story, Charles Baker
Frowneys: Some issues with structure
It’s a fitting end chapter to Jesse’s story.
4.0/5
