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Movies You've Seen Recently | March 2020
- Thread starter Divius
- Start date
Saw Good Time last night and had a great time with it. Always love me some Pattinson and he's stellar here as Connie; moving like a panicked wild animal, eyes wide and racing as he runs from one trap right into the next. Loved the film grain, thought the visuals were great throughout. Decent amount to unpack. Thought the looking down of people for using drugs as someone that relentlessly uses people (predominantly minorities) throughout the film was a clever touch.
The ending was great and in general this is what I felt was missing from Joker. Some level of counterbalance to underscore everything. Oh and the whole red dye was a brilliant scene and a visual standout of the film for me. (4)
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Now that I'm a few days removed from seeing it, I'm pretty confident I liked First Cow more than any movie I saw last year. Rewatch will confirm.
My Hero Academia: Heroes Rising
I'll be honest: I don't find MHA to be all that particularly interesting. Which is weird for an anime about people with superpowers, but I have my "tastes". Still, can't pass up on seeing an anime movie. Well, this was just plain stupid. I hated the little kids that needed protection. And the Deku/Bakugo team-up at the end to finish the fight...corny as fuck. Thank goodness I didn't see this in a packed theater with people squee'ing. Otherwise, I probably would have wanted to vomit.
I'll be honest: I don't find MHA to be all that particularly interesting. Which is weird for an anime about people with superpowers, but I have my "tastes". Still, can't pass up on seeing an anime movie. Well, this was just plain stupid. I hated the little kids that needed protection. And the Deku/Bakugo team-up at the end to finish the fight...corny as fuck. Thank goodness I didn't see this in a packed theater with people squee'ing. Otherwise, I probably would have wanted to vomit.
The Piano (1993): Jane Campion won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay and became the second woman ever nominated for Best Director for this tale of a mute woman who just wants to play her damn piano and the two guys who keep getting in the way. I watched this a number of years ago and came away a bit underwhelmed, so I was interested to see what I thought about it now; I didn't remember all that much about it, beyond some of the basics of the premise. This is a thorny piece of work, and despite Campion's reputation as a feminist filmmaker, I'm not sure the movie's gender politics aren't kinda bad? The basic plot is straight out of one of the more literal bodice-ripper novels, with Holly Hunter's Ada pressured to exchange sexual intimacy to get her traded-away piano back, only midway through she decides she's really into it, despite how shitty Harvey Keitel's treatment of her has been up to that point? And it doesn't feel like there's any subversion of this sentiment. It's good to see a film that takes Ada's awakening erotic desire seriously, and Hunter (and everybody else) acts the hell out of it, but all the same. Both Hunter's developing feelings and Keitel's change of heart about his romantic extortion scheme also seem to come out of nowhere at the midpoint.
Also, credit for unconventional casting, as I'm pretty sure most directors would have had Keitel and Sam Neill play the other's roles.
Bombshell (1933): Director Victor Fleming directs a satire of the stardom and personality of his ex-girlfriend Clara Bow, in the form of Jean Harlow's Lola Burns. There are maybe a few too many scenes of everybody shouting over each other, but otherwise this is a pretty good screwball comedy, albeit one whose depiction of a star at the mercy of the constant manipulations of advisers and being leached off by everybody around her is maybe a bit too scathing to just be funny (particularly if you're watching it with both Harlow and Bow in mind; not that Fleming could have known that Bow had apparently been sexually abused by her father, whose stand-in here is depicted as an incorrigible gambler and drunkard but essentially a figure of amusement). It's also meta in a way that I wasn't quite expecting, with Fleming openly referencing his and Harlow's previous film Red Dust, as if the fictional Lola has basically just had Harlow's career.
Also, credit for unconventional casting, as I'm pretty sure most directors would have had Keitel and Sam Neill play the other's roles.
Bombshell (1933): Director Victor Fleming directs a satire of the stardom and personality of his ex-girlfriend Clara Bow, in the form of Jean Harlow's Lola Burns. There are maybe a few too many scenes of everybody shouting over each other, but otherwise this is a pretty good screwball comedy, albeit one whose depiction of a star at the mercy of the constant manipulations of advisers and being leached off by everybody around her is maybe a bit too scathing to just be funny (particularly if you're watching it with both Harlow and Bow in mind; not that Fleming could have known that Bow had apparently been sexually abused by her father, whose stand-in here is depicted as an incorrigible gambler and drunkard but essentially a figure of amusement). It's also meta in a way that I wasn't quite expecting, with Fleming openly referencing his and Harlow's previous film Red Dust, as if the fictional Lola has basically just had Harlow's career.
A24 gonna drop some likely bangers this year. Saint Maud, Green Knight, and First Cow. Then there's Zola which could be wild from director Janicza Bravo (Gregory Go Boom, Lemon) and After Yang by Kogonada (Columbus).
Two Lovers
Only previous James Gray experience was Ad Astra, and I'm starting to recognize a pattern. Has anyone checked on the dude? Is there any joy in his life, any source of happiness? Someone get Marie Kondo on the phone, stat. Anyway, there's a certain unbelievability to this whole scenario, the way love comes so easily to these characters, as if, despite Leonard's claim otherwise, he is in fact a kid with a crush and not an adult with a nuanced understanding of desire, but ultimately it works to the film's benefit when Gray pulls the rug out from under him and his fantasy crumbles, because you're left with nothing but sorrow and the painful revelation that, oh no, he is an adult, his love was real all along, and though he has a sweet, faithful girlfriend to fallback on, it'll never compare to the raw emotion he experienced with Michelle. What a fucking bummer, man.
It actually took me a minute to acclimate to that, I kept thinking, really, Leonard?? They're falling for him?? He's so awkward and bumbling, and when Michelle invited him to go clubbing with her friends I wasn't exactly ready to bail, but I mean, that's Gwyneth Paltrow for crying out loud. Chill with the male power fantasy vibes James. But lo and behold, they go to the club and Joaquin breakdances(!) to Moby's infectiously groovy "I Love to Move in Here", and what do you know, I was won over. Then her own foibles and childish tendencies are revealed and a bunch of poignant parallels start forming, and I knew what James was up to. Great stuff.
Stray thoughts:
Joaquin is a millennial icon; there's not an actor alive who better captures the soul-crushing ennui of living with your parents as an adult. This, YWNRH, Joker—any others?
On one hand, I recognize why Sandra is sidelined, Leonard doesn't really love her and all that jazz, but on the other hand Vinessa Shaw is so good in all her scenes that I wish she was utilized a little more.
Lots of frosty mornings and rainy windows, gotta love NYC in the winter.
Leonard's parents are such beacons of warmth, the scene between him and his mom near the end is so beautifully wrought. Her half-sad, half-happy smile when he returns :(
Only previous James Gray experience was Ad Astra, and I'm starting to recognize a pattern. Has anyone checked on the dude? Is there any joy in his life, any source of happiness? Someone get Marie Kondo on the phone, stat. Anyway, there's a certain unbelievability to this whole scenario, the way love comes so easily to these characters, as if, despite Leonard's claim otherwise, he is in fact a kid with a crush and not an adult with a nuanced understanding of desire, but ultimately it works to the film's benefit when Gray pulls the rug out from under him and his fantasy crumbles, because you're left with nothing but sorrow and the painful revelation that, oh no, he is an adult, his love was real all along, and though he has a sweet, faithful girlfriend to fallback on, it'll never compare to the raw emotion he experienced with Michelle. What a fucking bummer, man.
It actually took me a minute to acclimate to that, I kept thinking, really, Leonard?? They're falling for him?? He's so awkward and bumbling, and when Michelle invited him to go clubbing with her friends I wasn't exactly ready to bail, but I mean, that's Gwyneth Paltrow for crying out loud. Chill with the male power fantasy vibes James. But lo and behold, they go to the club and Joaquin breakdances(!) to Moby's infectiously groovy "I Love to Move in Here", and what do you know, I was won over. Then her own foibles and childish tendencies are revealed and a bunch of poignant parallels start forming, and I knew what James was up to. Great stuff.
Stray thoughts:
Joaquin is a millennial icon; there's not an actor alive who better captures the soul-crushing ennui of living with your parents as an adult. This, YWNRH, Joker—any others?
On one hand, I recognize why Sandra is sidelined, Leonard doesn't really love her and all that jazz, but on the other hand Vinessa Shaw is so good in all her scenes that I wish she was utilized a little more.
Lots of frosty mornings and rainy windows, gotta love NYC in the winter.
Leonard's parents are such beacons of warmth, the scene between him and his mom near the end is so beautifully wrought. Her half-sad, half-happy smile when he returns :(
A Madea Family Funeral - This is the third or fourth Madea movie I've watched. It was the funniest as far as Perry's various characters are concerned. I always forget that these are definitely not family friendly.
Seeing Wild At Heart on a reportedly barely used 35mm print in a few hours. <3 my local rep cinema.
Last week, had bought a ticket for The Wild Goose Lake this Friday, but might have to take a loss on those $16...
Some friends invited me to see Colour Out Of Space this Saturday at Prince Charles Cinema, so bought my ticket. I'm not expecting kino but if as good if not better than the B-movie shlock of The Void, Imma have a good time.
Holy Smoke (1999): Jane Campion circa the 1990s was very committed to giving audiences Harvey Keitel nudity, which I guess they wanted? Well, maybe not, based on the box office results for this one. Featuring a post-Titanic Kate Winslet as an Australian woman who has traveled to India and gotten religion, in the form of what may be a cult, but even if it is, her family hysterically overreact to this and hire Keitel's deprogramming specialist to return her to "normal". I came away thinking this would have been more interesting if Campion had chosen more cleanly between making this a comedy/satire and making it a drama, as it stands for much of the running time I was thinking that I'd much rather have been watching "The Joy of Sect" from The Simpsons. There's not much reason to be invested in the proceedings as a drama, and it's seldom all the funny.
Onward (2020): Two-thirds of a surprisingly good Dreamworks movie, and then a final act that hits the emotions in the way the best Pixar movies do. In a way the seemingly conventional beginnings slightly misdirected me as to where this was going.
Onward (2020): Two-thirds of a surprisingly good Dreamworks movie, and then a final act that hits the emotions in the way the best Pixar movies do. In a way the seemingly conventional beginnings slightly misdirected me as to where this was going.
Just a follow up to say thanks as it arrived today - 115m confirmed. Will likely carve out some time next week to settle down and watch it and hope for the shadow! Appreciate the tip and feels nice to have it.I think you'll be safe with one of the white covers from the early 2000s.
The Bluray now has the American cut default, so newer DVD copies are probably just the same thing.
Dressed to Kill: 7/10. Can I even talk about this movie on this stupid forum without being banned? Obviously this thing is thoroughly sucking Hitchcock's tuna can choad the entire time but it's still super fun. Way too many distracting split focus and composite shots. Appears to feature a teenage Steven Spielberg somehow? One of the few De Palma films I've actually liked pretty well, though his greatest contribution to cinema continues to be telling George Lucas the first cut of Star Wars sucked ass.
Just saw Fantasy Island after/while sinking a few beers. Utter trash tier. Just...terrible. 3/10 at most.
Unless you're extremely drunk/stoned, I couldn't in good conscience say yes. I laughed at it, but man, it's rough.
Lmao fair. I've not even seen the trailer - just know the reputation. Will dodge it then since there's nothing I'm interested in left atm to even couple it with.
Spenser Confidential (2020) - 4/10. Completely soulless, generic Netflix buddy crime romp starring Mark Wahlberg and Winston Duke. Just completely forgettable, slapdash tosh.
Did anyone yell "The plane! The plane!"?
I think there was a crashing plane in the trailer and nobody said it. I pretty much screamed "Why wouldn't you say the line?!" at my monitor.
Bumblebee
Easily the best of the Transformers franchise IMO, and I realize that is a low bar for many. The action is the right kind of over the top, this time around the human teenager is actually likeable and entertaining, and the story flows more or less cohesively. It sports a killer 80's soundtrack.
Easily the best of the Transformers franchise IMO, and I realize that is a low bar for many. The action is the right kind of over the top, this time around the human teenager is actually likeable and entertaining, and the story flows more or less cohesively. It sports a killer 80's soundtrack.
Emma. (2020): Photographer-turned director Autumn de Wilde (awesome name, incidentally, very much a good one for a romance heroine; and she has a daughter named Arrow de Wilde, who should be all rights be a superhero) makes her debut with this stylized Jane Austen adaptation. Similar to Greta Gerwig's Little Women, this movie understands that when approaching such a perennial adaptation choice, you should try to conceive a fresh angle if at all possible; de Wilde hasn't reinvented the wheel or structure in the way Gerwig did, but instead approaches the story in a very arch manner that heightens the comedic aspects of the story, complete with colour palette, costuming and precision cinematography choices that strongly bear the imprint of Wes Anderson. This opening feather-light aesthetic is somewhat akin to what Whit Stillman did with Austen in Love & Friendship, but unlike that film there's actual weight to the story as it progresses, and the aesthetic becomes slightly more natural as things go along, mimicking the heroine's growing realization of her errors committed in flippancy. Anya Taylor-Joy is an oddball choice for the lead, her unique features making Emma stand out all the more amidst the supporting ensemble, and she nails the balance of tones.
I'm definitely most excited for Kogonada's new one, Colombus is beautiful.
Top new watches:
1. The Age of Innocence (1993)
2. Apocalypse Now Redux (2001)
3. Before Sunset (2004)
3. Double Indemnity (1944)
4. Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
Best rewatch:
Les demoiselles de Rochefort (1967)
Worst film I watched:
Anna Karenina (2012) [More or less butchered the novel. Really disappointing since Sir Tom Stoppard, whose plays I adore, wrote the screenplay...]
1. The Age of Innocence (1993)
2. Apocalypse Now Redux (2001)
3. Before Sunset (2004)
3. Double Indemnity (1944)
4. Hiroshima Mon Amour (1959)
Best rewatch:
Les demoiselles de Rochefort (1967)
Worst film I watched:
Anna Karenina (2012) [More or less butchered the novel. Really disappointing since Sir Tom Stoppard, whose plays I adore, wrote the screenplay...]
Vita & Virginia (2019): It was beautiful, the acting was good, and the subject was right up my alley. Yet the movie didn't feel cohesive enough, lacking rhythm, and a bit too smooth for my taste. I still had a pretty good time, but expected more out of this movie which turned out a bit forgettable, in a regrettable way. It still made me curious about Vita & Virginia's lives and life partners, pleasantly surprised at the concept of open marriage being so widely accepted at the time. Also need to read more of Woolf's book now, especially Orlando, I suppose.
7/10
On The Basis of Sex (2018): This one was on my to watch list for a long time, so I thought I'd give this a go. I needed a feel-good feminist movie, so this was my fix. It did the work well, but also didn't wow me much, sadly. It was also too smooth and expected in the way this story was told and directed, even though I enjoyed both main actors very much. Still, pretty nice to get more acquainted with RBG's life work, which made me even more curious about her, and the reason I actually watched the movie that follows.
7/10
RBG (2018): After watching On The Basis of Sex, I naturally turned to this documentary to know more about this truly feminist icon that is Notorious RBG. What a woman, and what a life, what a legacy! And also what a marvelous husband, the kind that makes you believe men aren't all crap after all. I enjoyed following her life and her work, seeing how it mattered so much and change America for the better over the years. She truly is a national treasure, hope we'll be able to enjoy her for many years to come.
7/10
Galaxy Quest (1999): Just got back from the cinema where I was lucky enough to watch a screening of this great film presented by Mark Kermode. Never got to see it back when it was released, so I really appreciated the experience. Had a lovely chat with Mark after as well, great evening.
Just watched Goodfellas for the first time. Totally lived up to its reputation. Loved the stylish, frantic direction and editing. The last act of the movie was incredible; all the character work and writing comes full circle and it's so satisfying to see it all pay off. Still like The Irishman more, but I'll definitely be revisiting this in the future.
So cool! Wild At Heart is pretty crazy even by David Lynch standards, I'd love to see it in a theater.
So cool! Wild At Heart is pretty crazy even by David Lynch standards, I'd love to see it in a theater.
Oh cool, what'd you chat about with Mark? Didn't know he was a fan of this film hehe.
Everyone was enjoying themselves till Nic called a group of characters a homosexual slur at the end haha
e: And the sexual assaults shown and referenced, I guess. The movie feels a bit different now than when I was 15.
8 Million Ways To Die: 4/10. Well swoon this was something. Pretty much exactly as you described: a coke filled neo-noir edited by someone who didn't know the plot. I liked the mansion with the little trolley to get to the front door. Most astonishing to me though was that I rediscovered a personal connection to this film. Remember back in the 80s when you and your bros would share your hidden VHS of movies recorded off of Cinemax at 2am? My friend Doug must have had this one on there because I never forgot "the streetlight makes my pussy hair glow in the dark."
Marketa Lazarova: 4/10. Well, I tried. I think this was my 3rd attempt to get in to this thing. It has so many things that are my jam: 3 hour grimy middle ages set 60s art film with tits. Gorgeous stark black and white photography but WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING. I'm sitting there with Wikipedia open following along and it's still completely inscrutable. And everybody's got like 8 Vs and 12 Ks all up in their name and there's accents going every whichaway. Fuck this.
Marketa Lazarova: 4/10. Well, I tried. I think this was my 3rd attempt to get in to this thing. It has so many things that are my jam: 3 hour grimy middle ages set 60s art film with tits. Gorgeous stark black and white photography but WHAT THE FUCK IS HAPPENING. I'm sitting there with Wikipedia open following along and it's still completely inscrutable. And everybody's got like 8 Vs and 12 Ks all up in their name and there's accents going every whichaway. Fuck this.
The cinematic universe we deserve - the Kinoverse
I am rewatching Terminator: Salvation, just halfway through, and you know this movie isn't bad. It's pretty good in its own right, amazing compared to all of the other post Terminator 2: Judgement Day stuff. Some of the action is impressive, and I think Christian Bale was a great choice for John Connor.
Colour Out Of Space
The film tries to marry B-level "so bad it's good" cheesiness with intense body horror but the balance of horror-comedy isn't as skilled as a Sam Raimi joint, and Nicolas Cage in crazy mode with an inexplicable accent (mimicking his character's father?) undercuts the tension and body horror that's aping The Thing and Cronenberg. However, the technicals are worth praising such as Steve Annis' cinematography, User T-38's sumptuous visual FX, and
Filipe Pereira's practical effects. There are some decent jump scares. Appreciate that the black character Wade is the smartest throughout, as opposed to Lovecraft's insane racism. Colin Stetson's score is suitably ominous. If you want cosmic horror and beauty however, Annihilation is way better and more profound.
Here, the themes are almost nonexistent and it gets weird for weird's sake, with no rhyme or reason. There aren't payoffs for some of the elements introduced like the magenta plants, magenta alien praying mantis, tentacles, and many more. (Was the well water shot a homage to Ivan's Childhood? Maybe coincidence cause just rewatched it recently) There is some momentary sadness with two people but that is quickly dashed when Cage comes onto the screen with his one-liners. How convenient that while the effects of the color on other characters is psychosis, for Cage it's just his typical crazy mode with an odd accent (mimicking his character's father?). The comedy mostly lands even if it's at inappropriate times, and had our audience absolutely howling whenever alpacas were mentioned. It's a mixed bag, so know what you're getting into.
"What are you going to do?"
"Handle it."
"Like you handled the alpacas?" *puppy dog eyes*
👀😲🙈☠️
The film tries to marry B-level "so bad it's good" cheesiness with intense body horror but the balance of horror-comedy isn't as skilled as a Sam Raimi joint, and Nicolas Cage in crazy mode with an inexplicable accent (mimicking his character's father?) undercuts the tension and body horror that's aping The Thing and Cronenberg. However, the technicals are worth praising such as Steve Annis' cinematography, User T-38's sumptuous visual FX, and
Filipe Pereira's practical effects. There are some decent jump scares. Appreciate that the black character Wade is the smartest throughout, as opposed to Lovecraft's insane racism. Colin Stetson's score is suitably ominous. If you want cosmic horror and beauty however, Annihilation is way better and more profound.
Here, the themes are almost nonexistent and it gets weird for weird's sake, with no rhyme or reason. There aren't payoffs for some of the elements introduced like the magenta plants, magenta alien praying mantis, tentacles, and many more. (Was the well water shot a homage to Ivan's Childhood? Maybe coincidence cause just rewatched it recently) There is some momentary sadness with two people but that is quickly dashed when Cage comes onto the screen with his one-liners. How convenient that while the effects of the color on other characters is psychosis, for Cage it's just his typical crazy mode with an odd accent (mimicking his character's father?). The comedy mostly lands even if it's at inappropriate times, and had our audience absolutely howling whenever alpacas were mentioned. It's a mixed bag, so know what you're getting into.
"What are you going to do?"
"Handle it."
"Like you handled the alpacas?" *puppy dog eyes*
👀😲🙈☠️
Not a huge amount but mostly about how he finds this film emotional, the affect of fans having a louder voice thanks to the internet (for good and bad, mostly bad) and thanking him for the opportunity to see this in the cinema.
Yeah, he's a really nice guy. I was thrilled meeting him after watching him for 20-30 years. I'm a big horror fan, so for such a great critic to be a champion of the genre as I was growing up when everyone else in my life was saying how sick, stupid or shit those films were was really great.
The last 15 minutes of Portrait of a Lady on Fire are gonna stay with me forever.
I need to see this again lol
I need to see this again lol
Saw Portrait of a Lady on Fire for the 2nd time tonight, this time I didn't miss a second. Sadly, my feelings on the movie are still the same. There were no emotional reactions from me from start to finish. Which is a damn shame.
Finally watched Dolemite Is My Name (2019) and it was really fun. Eddie Murphy was just great and it was a really funny and heartwarming story. I wish they would've spent a little more time on them actually filming the movie and less on his comedy career, but I get why that's important.
8/10
The best thing I saw over the weekend though, was Aniara (2018) a film I've barely heard anything about. It's a Swedish sci-fi film about a space ship on a routine trip between Earth and Mars (think a luxury cruise liner) that gets knocked off course, and the societal breakdown that happens afterwards.
I won't say anything else about this, but I'd urge any sci-fi fans to go watch it (currently streaming on Hulu). It's a really good concept and is executed remarkably well on what is clearly a limited budget (don't expect big action scenes). The story itself is pretty small and relatively contained but it does a good job at hinting at what things might be like outside the ship without a ton of hit you over the head exposition. The performances from the main cast are great too. Probably the best sci-fi film I've seen since, like, Blade Runner 2049.
9/10
8/10
The best thing I saw over the weekend though, was Aniara (2018) a film I've barely heard anything about. It's a Swedish sci-fi film about a space ship on a routine trip between Earth and Mars (think a luxury cruise liner) that gets knocked off course, and the societal breakdown that happens afterwards.
I won't say anything else about this, but I'd urge any sci-fi fans to go watch it (currently streaming on Hulu). It's a really good concept and is executed remarkably well on what is clearly a limited budget (don't expect big action scenes). The story itself is pretty small and relatively contained but it does a good job at hinting at what things might be like outside the ship without a ton of hit you over the head exposition. The performances from the main cast are great too. Probably the best sci-fi film I've seen since, like, Blade Runner 2049.
9/10
Saw Gattaca last night for the first time. It was okay. Felt like the movie thought it was really delivering an emotional punch when it just felt kind of hokey to me.
I'm glad to see this opinion. I felt the same way about the movie, but I keep seeing it get a ton of praise all over. I'm glad stuff like this can get made, but I was just disappointed.
Mosfilm's Youtube page just uploaded 'I Am Cuba' in 4K! You'll have to figure out how to use it with your own English subtitles, though.
The Seventh Seal (1957): Max von Sydow has gone to join Ingmar, Bibi and the rest in the undiscovered country, so this seemed a fitting time to break out my "Ingmar Bergman's Cinema" Criterion set and revisit their most famous film.
I watched this several years ago, but haven't seen it in a long time and only had strong memories of a few sequences. Ingmar Bergman is such a brilliant, thoughtful creator, while also living up (and having shaped, for that matter) so many, many stereotypes of European arthouse cinema. At the same time, all the highly theatrical intonations about mortality and God are offset by a lot of wit and even light, earthy humour that often gets forgotten when discussing his major works; Bibi Anderssen has to shoulder quite a lot of the work in imbuing some sense of hopefulness and simple humanity in the proceedings, which she does adeptly. Obviously when you compare this to what audiences would have been seeing from Hollywood at the time (and even now, to some extent), the contrast must have been bracing indeed -- there's a bit where the knight's squire casually remarks at his weariness of committing rape, for instance, that is just part of the character who otherwise commits a few heroic acts while evangelizing to his boss about the pointlessness of it all.
Von Sydow has one of the most somber parts in the film as the knight engaged in a chess match with Death while he ponders the meaning of life, the possibility of the afterlife (weirdly, he doesn''t seem to draw much comfort from the mere existence of a personification of death, which seems like it would be at least some indication that there's more going on in the universe than his atheist squire consistently suggests), and attempts to find one last meaningful action before the end. He's a strong screen presence and brings tremendous talent to a few of the movie's most important sequences. At the same time, I had kind of forgotten how overshadowed he is in long stretches by other characters, most with a lot more joie de vivre than this brooding veteran.
Watched Little Women a few days ago, Saoirse killed it. It was a very emotional film, I teared up quite a bit. Solid 9/10 I think.