This is the movie that put me onto Sean Baker and itโs a one of a kind film. Baker has a reputation of creating films that centers societal outcasts and this movie centers on the dispossessed population of frequent hotel renters/people who are at risk of homelessness in Florida. At first, you think the movie will be about Moonee and her relationship with Jancey as they explore the world of Kissimmee unattended with their antics but it becomes very clear that Mooneeโs mother (Halley) is the driving force for this particular movie. She is such a resilient and caring mother and the audience knows she has so much stacked against her that we want to see her win, despite her glaring parenting faults. Buyers beware, but a lot of people put too much weight in its controversial ending, and I think thereโs so much more to say about Bobby, the hotel manager (acred by Willem Dafoe). I am not the most literate cinephile in the world, and to be real I did not โknow Dafoeโs gameโ, but the moral crisis he had to endure was so real, that I think that people who work in social โhelpingโ professions should seriously examine the boundary between helping and enabling, especially when social systems fail and people are left helpless and desperate. After this movie, I watched more than a few more of Bakerโs filmsโ Tangerine, Red Rocket, and Iโve been sleeping on Anora but thatโs on my list before the end of the year (in like two days). Seriously, I canโt celebrate this movie enough.
Dec 29, 2024
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A great Sean Baker movie that takes place on Christmas Eve in LA. All shot on an iPhone 5S and really shows what you can achieve with limited resources. Highly recommend all Sean Baker movies but this is a good place to start.
Apr 18, 2024
Iโm a big fan of Good Will Hunting (a perfect comfort movie with a great Elliot Smith soundtrack) but I had no idea that my fellow Boston boys (Matt Damon and Casey Affleck) had another Gus Van Sant collaboration under their belt. Also, I know Casey isnโt a great guy, but Iโm a sucker for his mopey acting styleโ especially in Manchester By The Sea, and in The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. It seems to come from some kind of deep & familiar Massachusetts sadness. Maybe Iโm just projecting though.
That brings us to Gerry, a slept-on hidden gem that bombed in the box office and hardly has any kind of following. The film is based on a real story of two best friends from Boston who got lost in the New Mexico desert in 1999. Donโt look it up since itโll sort of ruin the ending which is one of the best parts. Our friends at Simone Films announced they were doing a screening of Gerry at Roxy Cinema and my curiosity was piqued enough to check it out.
Itโs a mesmerizing story thatโs mostly devoid of dialog and unfolds over 103 slow and haunting minutes. The few conversations they have provide bits of insight into a friendship thatโs mostly a blank slate for the viewer, so what youโre left with are beautifully composed desert shots tinged with a stranded desperation. The movie is heartbreaking, but at moments surprisingly funny, which you might not expect. If youโre like me, the camera-on-a-hood take at the beginning should be a dead giveaway that this is a special film.
Amazing score too.
Aug 7, 2024
"๐๐ณ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ป๐ผ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฎ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น ๐ถ๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐ด๐ฒ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ๐บ"
cassius green, upon getting a new job as a telemarketer, is encouraged to use his "white voice" in order to do well at the company. as he continues mounting successes, he eventually gets promoted to "power caller," getting caught in the middle between his fellow workers trying to unionize and the higher ups trying to further drive a wedge between them
absolutely insane, stellar performances from the entire cast, particularly lakeith stanfield and david cross as cassius. you may have been spoiled for one of the twists in this movie, watch it anyway. it will be an absolute roller coaster regardless
i'm genuinely surprised this didn't massively blow up. i know i'm biased bc i love absurdism and it's not for everybody, but especially in light of a lot of anticapitalist/eat the rich media that made waves in recent years (parasite, the menu, triangle of sadness, etc.) it feels like the only reason this one didn't reach more ubiquity is that boots riley probably didn't want to play ball with the "hollywood" of it all (related, u should watch maggie mae fish's video essay on the movie as well lol)
anyways, this movie is great, one of my all time favorites. peep "i'm a virgo" too if you wanna watch more of riley's stuff
Apr 15, 2024
Top Recs from @holloway
I was gonna give it to Fall Out Boyโs โThe Take Over, The Breaks Overโ but that TI feature verse is kinda legendary ngl
Dec 29, 2024
Iโve been listening to a lot of the same maybe ten tracks over the past few weeks, and then I found out about โOtha Fishโ thru a @sleepingongems IG post (it had to do a Fantastic Four rap aside). Anyway, itโs a fun listen and I enjoyed the production and the full embrace of whimsy in this album. Itโs one of those albums I wouldnโt have appreciated until I was older if Iโm keeping it a stack but I found it at the right time
Dec 29, 2024
Honestly, since the Griselda hype had died down (and I wasnโt the biggest fan of Still Prayin), that maybe WSG was washed but itโs far from the truth. I personally think the album grabbed be after the third track, but itโs actually easy listening and pretty great for the rest of the ride. Iโve heard Stove God collaborate on a lot of WSG songs but his stock completely went up for me. This song is definitely the one thatโs getting the most spins but thatโs for good reason (great horn-led production and emphatic rapping). Iโd also say check out 055, Bury Me with a Stove, and Gumbo Yaya.
Iโm going to peep this Larry June and 2Chainz project next.
Feb 17, 2025