Owen Rappoport

Jews, clues, spread the news. Coen Brothers in 5✋ I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to watch 2 beautiful pieces of art back to back the same day. This film is hilarious and very thought provoking. I’m going to be thinking about the true meaning and all the messaging in this film for a while. I need to watch this one again. Gotta be a nod to the Book of Job, but there’s so many intricate details that push this beyond just a parallel story or adaptation. One of those movies where you can feel that there’s a deeper message, that everything the director shows you tells you something important. There’s so much deliberate mysticism and it perfectly keeps you in a similar frame of mind to Larry.  I’m positive this is an even better experience for practicing Jews, and I’m jealous bc it’s already amazing. 94/100

Wes Anderson films can seem too quirky for me at first glance so I’m usually hesitant to watch, and this one definitely didn’t skimp on the quirk, but it’s so incredibly done.  The effort involved for the live-play theatrics, the dynamic practical sets, the comedy, and the narration. All top tier execution. Roald Dahl was one of my favorite authors growing up, I’ve never heard of this story somehow, but Wes Anderson and his ensemble, I believe, capture the style of his work better than any adaptation I may’ve ever seen (Matilda was also impressive). I’m so interested in the other short-film projects he’s done now, I don’t fear the quirk anymore✊ 91/100

A lot to unpack. Interesting climax. There were some pretty stunning visuals, impressive they only shot in Budapest and Malta. There was some really well thought out direction in chunks, but it felt a bit repetitive for the bulk of the movie. The framing of the movie seemed obvious in the beginning, and I think to make a big budget movie like this back then you may’ve had to, but Spielberg definitely sprinkles crumbs of doubt and nuance. The impact the plot has on the team is so important, highlighting the consequences and futility of their mission. I imagine this could be a difficult watch for some people based on their stance, but I think from a narrative perspective this is surprisingly self-critical. 78/100

Nothing short of a gaslightathon. Constantly looking forward to the next reveal. Interesting how they concluded it. I think 80% of this movie was extreme close-ups. Captures intensity fs, but it’s really cool how Lance and Nathan let the audience try to read what’s going on with the subjects’ reactions. Like they’re employing us as part-time tiktok psychologists. So many eerie moments. Really liked the score. Amanda was kinda annoying lol 81/100