Phips

Weird to log a whole season of a series but goddamn. This is such an intricate piece that meaningfully fleshes out this world of grime and crime. It makes this cinematic universe so much more deserving of the "Epic Crime Saga" title. It makes the character someone who was fascinating and distinct as a new interpretation from the first time he opened his mouth to now having a very defining backstory in the form of this family tragedy and deeply flawed relationship with his mother as well as a gripping rise to power. I love Cristin Milioti as Sofia. Badass even without the imposing physique that I've known from Loeb's and Sale's Long Halloween and Dark Victory. A traumatised but very collected woman seeking power in a world dominated by men. That she can acknowledge as worth escaping. That she still wants to conquer. It's especially the portrayals and relationships of these two that kept me hooked. Even a second time around. At this period were I long for cape-shit Gotham-style. Which is lacking capes and shit. Brutal and adult. Tragic. Dirty. Emotional. Heartbreaking. Which manages to flesh out one character and makes you feel sorry for him for a bit but at the end just produces anticipation for his inevitable downfall. Shown in a single frame. Through not just a call. But a warning. Because the Batman will come for his ass. Snowy tires revitalized my inarguable hype for a continuation of this knight's fight against crime. This rewatch just reminded me where and when we will probably be brought back into this interpretation. Also maybe let the acrobats fall. I can't wait.

I like the music. I liked this more than I expected. But what did Cameron actually do here besides asking 5 questions?

Kind of the only good way to make movies about the lifes of musicians. Show them. Talk about them. Show those that lived with them. Knew them. Make us see them as they were. Without lies. Without shoving away the bad parts. The hardship. The tragedy. The human. Either show them as they were or stray far enough and use the methods of film to show them in a way that only film can. Don't copy. Don't filter. But tell a story that is worth telling.