Author: Blake Van Poucke

CERTIFIED WEIRD: Sean Baker’s Red Rocket a triumph of backwater Texas sleaziness

December 31, 2021

Sean Baker’s dedication to the lower socio-economic people of the South is what makes his films so unique. Red Rocket is the best of backwater Texas towns. The sleaziness is embedded on every line Simon Rex speaks and every action he takes. His magnetic performance as the suitcase pimp, still gleaming off his glory days in the adult film industry, is a real piece of work. Yet, he’s extraordinarily likeable for how much of a narcissistic piece of shit he really is. … More CERTIFIED WEIRD: Sean Baker’s Red Rocket a triumph of backwater Texas sleaziness

The Lost Daughter a staggering performance piece that gets lost in plot

December 31, 2021

The Lost Daughter is a nonconforming film with a structure that’s generally been reserved from male leads. Olivia Colman, one of the true great thespians of our time, tackles this role that paints her as an entirely unsympathetic figure, grappling with choosing freedom over responsibility. It’s the renegade father archetype depicted by a regretful yet honest woman that makes The Lost Daughter interesting. However, in attempting to unearth her character’s wounds, the script globs onto other characters’ lives and tells a less interesting plot, as opposed to the real story of Colman’s character.
… More The Lost Daughter a staggering performance piece that gets lost in plot

Licorice Pizza is the California hangout film Paul Thomas Anderson was destined to make

December 29, 2021

Paul Thomas Anderson making the film he was always destined to make in Licorice Pizza. A breezy, rambling teenage romance, exploring the eccentricities of being a California kid in the 1970s. The film succeeds by the PTA screenplay and the two leading performances. Cooper Hoffman, son of PTA’s former collaborator Philip Seymour Hoffman, is marvelous and the dynamic with Alana Haim is so alluring. Yet, the plot is nonexistent, making the character work crucial to falling in rhythm with the storytelling. 
… More Licorice Pizza is the California hangout film Paul Thomas Anderson was destined to make

The Matrix: Resurrections an Intriguing Empty Shell of a Reboot

December 29, 2021

The original Matrix serves as one of those eye-opening cinematic experiences for a person my age, so my connection to the trilogy runs deep. Watching The Matrix: Revolutions (2003) in theaters was a turning point for me in the formative years, so seeing another Matrix movie released 18 years later didn’t feel real. Despite my hesitancy towards a new Matrix, considering the sequel culture of Hollywood right now, I had decently high hopes for it. And unfortunately, those hopes were dashed quickly and often by the exact fears I once held.
… More The Matrix: Resurrections an Intriguing Empty Shell of a Reboot

CERTIFIED WEIRD: The Tragedy of Macbeth a towering avant-garde performance piece

December 29, 2021

he awe striking visual element from Bruno Delbonnel leans into the surrealism of Joel’s vision for this adaption of Macbeth. There’s an encroaching darkness in the atmosphere, spurred on by the incredible performances and harrowing sense of dread in the black. The entire cast delivers the source material to unbelievable, discerning highs.  … More CERTIFIED WEIRD: The Tragedy of Macbeth a towering avant-garde performance piece

Oscar Awards Roundup: Biggest Critics Winners

December 16, 2021

The Best Picture race is starting to shape with the release of critics choice and Golden Globe nominations. Many of the largest and most influential regional critics awards have already come and gone. At this point, we’re in the full swing of Award season and it’s time to determine the frontrunners before the real precursors begin. 
… More Oscar Awards Roundup: Biggest Critics Winners

CERIFIED WIERD: Peter Strickland’s “The Duke of Burgundy” a subservient mess

December 15, 2021

The Duke of Burgundy is Peter Strickland playing around with the form and narrative. It’s a sensual, vitriol battle of subservience and visually disturbed with harsh darkness. However, the film is entirely unengaging on a narrative level. After the dynamic between the two women is established, the mystery is lost and the film relies on the dark avant-garde visual element to carry the story. Strickland has moments of unsettling atmosphere, but it mostly felt underwhelming and lacking substance. … More CERIFIED WIERD: Peter Strickland’s “The Duke of Burgundy” a subservient mess