Cinema watches

In the last week I’ve been to see:

Blinded by the Light – a lovely coming of age story about a boy of Pakistani heritage finding his place in the world via the music of Bruce Springsteen.  There are moments that feel like gut punches. The use of Springsteen’s music juxtaposed with Javed’s own turmoil.  His desperation of getting out of Luton, the pressure to conform to family expectations.  The reality of what Margaret Thatcher did to people in the 80s and how the music of a guy from New Jersey resonated with Javed and Roops.  This film also contained Hayley Atwell as the English Teacher I would have killed for. Yes the film treads a familiar path but it was joyous and there were some wonderful visual moments that were pure magic.

Midsommar

I am not a big lover of horror, with the exception of folk horror which I find endlessly fascinating.  Midsommar is basically what happens when the worlds worst boyfriend invites you to a festival in Sweden and you don’t really feel up to going but you do to please him anyway.  It is choc full of symbolism, drugs and sex. I loved it for its weirdness, it didn’t shy away from uncomfortable. It was also a very pretty film and  I enjoyed it very much.  Its also the first film I’ve ever seen where a complete stranger came up to us at the end and asked us what had we just watched.  

The Matrix 4k restoration 

I have not watched the Matrix since 2001.  I really wanted to see it in the cinema and how it had fared in being restored.  Mostly it still looks very cool indeed. Some of the clothing looks dated, and the tech looks very dated.    The worst of it was the stilted dialogue.  I don’t remember it being quite so stiff.  That said the way Hugo Weaving spits out his lines is a force majeure and Laurence Fishburne spouting cod philosophy is always enjoyable.  Keanu at his monosyballic best.  Carrie Ann Moss still is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen in this and the effects look pretty good.  You have to remind yourself that stuff that is cliched about this film was seen for the first time in the film.  

The Dead Don’t Die

Well this was just the strangest gem of a zombie flick.  Bill Murray, Adam Driver, Chloe Sevingy, Tilda Swinton. It is just odd and brilliant and sad and funny and down right odd.  And has Tilda doing the most Tilda thing she’s ever done.  If you like it weird you should get on with this film.