Let the Right One In / Låt den rätte komma in

 

Låt den rätta komma in 2008

• Director: Tomas Alfredson
• Seen by this director: Snömannen, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Ika i rutan
• Based on a book by John Ajvide Lindqvist
• Cast: Kåre Hedebrandt, Lina Leandersson, Per Ragnar, Ika Nord 
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Kåre Hedebrandt – Äkta människor
• Per Ragnar – Storm, Gustaf IIIs äktenskap
• Ika Nord – Ika i rutan
• Why?  I liked it the first time and I like the book
• Seen:  Once before. Now 3 November 2024 

Young Oskar (Hedebrandt) is bullied at school and spends a lot of his time in the courtyard outside his block of flats in a wintery suburb of Stockholm. Eli (Leandersson) is often there and they become friends.

Only she’s a vampire.

A sweet, sad film about friendship, cruelty, fear, courage. It’s poetic and disturbing and realistic.

Beautiful winter landscapes and good acting are a bonus. 

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Matrix Resurrections

 

Matrix Resurrections 2021

• Director: Lana Wachowski
• Seen by this director: The other Matrix films, Jupiter Ascending, Cloud Atlas
• Based on a book: no
• Cast: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss and many others
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Keanu Reeves – Many 
• Carrie-Anne Moss – Matrix etc, Humans, Unthinkable, Fireflies in the Garden, Disturbia, Snow Cake, Chocolat, Red Planet
• Why?  The others, of course
• Seen:  1-2 November 2024 

To be honest, I haven’t really understood the Matrix films but I like them, and I like Reeves and Moss. Ah, Neo in that coat!

Another reality vs the gaming world. Thomas Anderson/Neo (Reeves) is in therapy to deal with his breakdown after the first three films. Now he’s being coerced into creating a 4^th Matrix Game and he’s being chased/rescued by characters in the game. Or something.

Most reviewers seem to regard this as blasphemy to the first three. I like it. It even sort of makes sense, sometimes. The parts I like, I really like. Sadly all the car chases, gun fights and kung fu stuff go on forever and ever and bring the rating down. Still, now I’m keen to see all 4 again. 

4* of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Petite maman

 

Petite maman 2021

• Director: Céline Sciamma
• Based on a book: no
• Cast: Joséphine Sanz, Gabrielle Sanz, Nina Meurisse, Stéphan Varupenne, Margot Abascal
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• None of them
• Why?  Good reviews
• Seen:  30 October 2024 

A little girl’s grandmother dies and she escapes to a fantasy world to deal with the loss. Many viewers have been charmed and delighted by the film. Not me. Sure, childhood is magical and all that, but this just doesn’t move me.

Still, it’s visually artistic and the young actors do a fine job. 

2½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dead Girl

 

The Dead Girl 2006

• Director: Karen Moncrief
• Based on a book: no
• Cast: Toni Collette, Brittany Murphy, Marcia Gay Harden, Piper Laurie, Giovanni Ribisi, Rose Byrne, Mary Steenburgen, Mary Beth Hurt
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Toni Collette – Many 
• Brittany Murphy – 8 Mile, Riding in Cars with Boys, Girl Interrupted, Clueless
• Marcia Gay Harden – Into the Wild, The Mist, American Dreamz, Mona Lisa’s Smile, Mystic River, Pollack, Meet Joe Black
• Piper Laurie – Twin Peaks
• Giovanni Ribisi – Selma, The Rum Diary, Public Enemies, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow, Cold Mountain, Friends, Lost in Translation, The Gift, The Mod Squad, The X Files
• Rose Byrne – X-Men, I Give It a Year, 28 Weeks Later, Sunshine
• Mary Steenburgen – Many
•   Why?  I remember it as intriguing.
•  Seen:  Once before. Now 29 October 2024 

Arden (Collette), a timid downtrodden daughter to a cruel bedridden mother (Laurie) finds the dead girl.

Rudy (Ribisi), a supermarket employee, seeks out Arden to talk about the dead girl and serial killers.

Leah (Byrne) works at the morgue and falls apart when she suspects that the dead girl is her long-missing sister.

Ruth (Hurt) suspects that her husband is the killer and burns the evidence.

Melora (Harden) is the mother of the dead girl and learns about her daughter’s dark life.

The dead girl (Murphy) struggles to get to her little girl to give her a birthday present but doesn’t make it.

Grim and gripping, carried by a strong cast. 

4 * of 5

 PS I discover that I have reviewed this before, in 2016. I agree with my rating then. 

 

 

 

 

Southland Tales

 

Southland Tales 2006

• Director: Richard Kelly
• Seen by this director: The Box, Donny Darko
• Based on a book: no
• Cast: Dwayne Johnson, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Seann William Scott
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Dwayne Johnson – Fighting with my Family
• Sarah Michelle Gellar – Veronica Decides to Die, Buffy
• Seann William Scott – Final Destination
• Why?  Might be fun.
• Seen:  28 October 2024 

A nuclear blast in Texas, terrorism panic in the US, oppressive laws restricting everything, neo-Marxist freedom fighters, a porn star and a hunk with amnesia. For example.

‘Scientists say the future is going to be far more futuristic than predicted.’ Said earnestly by porn star Krysta (Gellar).

The end of the world is nigh.

It makes no sense to me. Either it’s a brilliant avant-garde political masterpiece but I have no idea what’s going on so I can’t give it 5*. Or it’s utter rubbish but it’s kind of funny with odd skewered parallels to our own skewered world and it’s a visual delight so I can’t give it 0*.

I’ll just have to give it 

 

3* of 5. Or maybe 4. Or maybe 2. Or maybe 5. Or maybe 0. But probably 3. Or something like that.

 

 

 

 

 

Connie and Carla

 

Connie and Carla 2004

• Director: Michael Lembeck
• Based on a book: no
• Cast: Toni Collette, Nia Vardalos, David Duchovny, Stephen Spinella
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Toni Collette – Many 
• Nia Vardalos – My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• David Duchovny – Things We Lost in the Fire, Full Frontal, Return to Me, Twin Peaks, Working Girl, The X Files
• Stephen Spinella – Lincoln, Milk, Cradle Will Rock
• Why?  Toni Collette
• Seen:  26 October 2024 

Two totally loser wannabe singing divas (Collette and Vardalos) get into trouble with the mob, flee to LA and hide out as male drag queens pretending to be female and making a big hit doing classic Broadway numbers.

It’s embarrassingly bad and I cringe for Collette being shrill and asinine. But wow, can she sing. And I do like those Broadway numbers and she and her partner (I never did figure out which one is Connie and which one is Carla) can sure belt them out.

The story picks up a bit. Quite a lot, actually. My goodness, I even like it. 

3 ½ * of 5

 

 

 

 

 

Immortal Beloved

 

Immortal Beloved 1994

• Director: Bernard Rose
• Based on a true story: sort of
• Cast: Gary Oldman, Jeroen Krabbé, Isabella Rosselini, Johanna Ter Steege, Marco Hofschnifer, Miriam Margolyes, Valeria Golina, Christopher Fulford
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Gary Oldman – Many 
• Jeroen Krabbé – The Fugitive, Ever After, Kafka
• Isabella Rosselini – Joy, Wild at Heart
• Miriam Margolyes – many
• Valeria Golina – Frida, The Indian Runner, Rain Man
• Christopher Fulford – Queen of the Desert, Millions, TV series
• Why?  Gary Oldman, Beethoven
• Seen:  Several times before. Now 25 October 2024 

Gary Oldman, as we know, can play any role he chooses. This one, as Beethoven, is one of his best.

The life and mysterious loves of Ludvig von Beethoven, the abusive childhood, the tragedy of his deafness, his reputation as an irascible brutal misanthrope and dangerous republican in the time of the French Revolution, his stunningly magnificent music.

Whether or not he was the cruel, insulting and pathetic man as portrayed here I don’t know. One does not want to believe it of this superhumanly gifted composer but Oldman makes it believable. My love and reverence for Beethoven can only grow.

And then comes the 9^th symphony. 

5* of 5