2nd ChancesNightcrawler (2014)
"What if my problem wasn't that I don't understand people but that I don't like them?"
I first watched this during an end-of-the-year cram, and I liked it but it got a little lost in the crush of films. Now I'm pretty sure this will be in my Top 100. I'm drawn to the neo-noir nihilism as it keeps escalating the disturbing side of its psycho drama. The performance by Jake Gyllenhaal is my favorite from him as he transitions from blatant hustler to slickly confident soulless promoter, dealing in insight that cuts to the harsh truth of every situation, treating each encounter like a negotiation to improve his position. His monologues aren't the ravings of a madman, but a reflection of the competitive business he's fallen into. (This carries over to a jaw-droppingly audacious seduction of his boss (Rene Russo) that ends with the line, "A friend is a gift you give yourself.") I have some skepticism of the network's thirst for blood and bodies, but I'm probably watching this again soon, even if just for the rare car chase that's important to the story and all the thrills that surround it.
RATING: ★ ★ ★ - Very Good On my list for 2014, this jumps from #34 to #11. It's my new favorite film of this Marathon.
Logan (2017)
"Bad s**t happens to people I care about. You understand me?"
"Then I'll be fine."
There's gonna be a LOT of Superhero films in this Marathon, and this is an area where opinions tend to vary wildly. This was/is my 3rd favorite from 2017,
which had 8 major releases from the sub-genre. When the podcast was working on which Marvel films to include in a play-in round, I suggested opening things up to include Wonder Woman and Logan. (Sorry, Aquaman.) I expected WW to win, even though it's an underwhelming film with a terrible 3rd Act. To my surprise, Logan came out on top, and that combined with James Mangold's recent success Ford v Ferrari put it on my list.
The action scenes some of the best of the decade, though there's too much of it by the end, and the graphic violence overshoots the mark a little entering Deadpool levels of cartoonish slaughter. My favorite bit this time was the limo escape from the compound, where we learn the child's mutant power and her feral way of using it. However, unlike FvF, which is one of the best paced films of recent memory, Logan's requiem during the quiet scenes make it like two different films, trying to die peacefully while also going out in one last big blast.
RATING: ★ ★ ★ - Good Dredd (2012)
"A helmet can interfere with my psychic abilities."
"A bullet might interfere with them more."
This was even pulpier and trashier than I remembered, probably because of the more thought-provoking turn writer Alex Garland took in the two films he made after this. It's way better than I thought a Judge Dredd adaptation could be, and the slow motion inhaler drug leads to some amazing photography, but strip away the craftsmanship and there isn't much originality going on here. Still, nice to have a bit of bloody fun.
RATING: ★ ★ ★ - Good