I haven’t seen that start to finish but how does it qualify as a noir? Didn’t seem like it based on what I’ve seen.
No Country for Old Men won an Oscar and grossed $171m worldwide.
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To make that case, I would actually have to know what the hell film noir is, and as indicated I’m just kind of freestyling and faking knowing what it is. But it has a dark feel that I associate with whatever my brain believes the term means.
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I just happened to rewatch the first two Alien films this weekend (for the first time in 30 years). The first movie is a legitimate masterpiece, better than I remember; I can’t really think of anything bad to say about it. And man it looks great!
The sequel was uninteresting and pretty dumb imo. Borderline boring and certainly overrated.
I saw 3 and 4 when they came out and remember enjoying them more than Aliens, but don’t think I will rewatch. One of the many charming things about the first film is how nobody seems particularly interested in the alien ship or the contents within. They only go out there because they are getting paid. It’s not even clear if humans have encountered any alien life before! The only interest is on behalf of “the company” - presumably because they think it might be profitable, but the film mercifully doesn’t bother to explain much or this nor provide any backstory or explanation of the alien craft. The fact that the film has spawned a 50 year franchise that presumably provides hours of unneeded background lore in order to drain every potential dollar out of the Xenomorph IP is depressingly ironic and not in keeping with the spirit of the original.
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The hallmark is a person making a bad decision they could have avoided and all the downstream effects from that bad decision.
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Noir is a stylized crime drama, particularly those that emphasize cynical attitudes and motivations. Think of the anti hero still motivated to pursue justice.
The classics took place primarily in the 40s and 50s, so when you update the time period, you get neo noir. This means that a lot of movies we don’t think of as neo noir can easily count as one, such as NCfOM.
I think most Coen brothers movies qualify as neo-noirs. They’re the only ones who tend to make money at them. Fargo is for sure a neo-noir.
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Fincher referred to Dragon Tattoo as “Swedish noir.” I dunno. I loved the movie but have only seen it once.
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Anyway, truly distressing to have discovered that Zodiac lost money during this last exercise. Shame on everyone. I don’t count myself in that because I saw it in the theater.
I mean, I’m sympathetic to people not instantly hailing that one as a classic because it’s more a film that wears insanely well over time rather than one that blows you away right in the moment, but even on first viewing it was clear that I had watched, at minimum, a very good movie.
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It’s a damn fine movie. Streaming free on Pluto for anyone who hasn’t yet appreciated it.
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This is certainly a take.
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Also for people who saw it once and thought, “yeah, that was good I guess.” It’s better than that. It feels especially rewarding of repeat viewings just to fully calibrate yourself because I’m guessing numerous audience members were unprepared for - and I can’t believe I’m going to put this under spoiler tags - the fact that the Zodiac killer was never caught and the identity is not 100% confirmed and the movie isn’t going to spoonfeed you an answer or anything resembling a tidy conclusion.
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I hated it. I havent given it a second go but I really disliked my first watch.
Also, we know who the killer is, come on.
The fact that they refused to put his identity in the movie reslly irks me.
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I mean I guess you’re offering up one anecdotal reaction that’s in keeping with everything I said starting at “I’m guessing.”
The identity of, and chase for, the killer is the plot-driver but not at all the point for me. There are times when a failure to put a nice bow on a movie feels like a cop-out, but I really don’t consider this to be one of those times.
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Maybe there is some sensitivity because he’s currently a sitting Senator.
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No immunity for bad actors!
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Scandinavian noir has been a recognized subgenre since like the 60s I think.
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The more I think about Strange Darling the more I love it. Going to see it again this weekend. Would be amazing if it moves ahead of Challengers for best film of the year, something I thought impossible.
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
Another from the “haven’t seen in 15+ years club,” actually more than 20 years with this one I think. Unlike Double Indemnity, this was a bit of a reclamation project, because it just didn’t work for me back when I watched it in college. And as I made my way through the first half of this, I wasn’t sure it was going to make significant gains with me. It was good at times, slow at times…I still wasn’t “getting” the greatness.
But holy shit the back half of this movie, and especially the final 45 minutes or so, go so hard that I’ve come around and think it’s a great or even excellent film. Not only that, but I think this states a strong case for strongest Jimmy Stewart acting performance I’ve seen. And he was at least good in everything.
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