I finally got around to watching this Best Picture nominee last weekend. It follows the life of Daniel Plainview (Daniel Day-Lewis), an oilman in early 20th century America. Plainview’s only desire seems to be for dominance, over the oil industry and the people around him. The film is not really about how power can corrupt; rather, it’s about what power can do when it’s in the hands of the wrong person, as Plainview is pretty corrupt from the get-go. The cinematography was absolutely stunning, giving the film a Steinbeck-esque bleakness, and the music served as a perfect backdrop for Plainview’s sinister outlook on humanity. Day-Lewis’ performance was also incredible, which is no surprise. A true piece of art overall.

I watched this movie for the first time over the weekend and adored it. I think it’s my favorite of Wes Anderson’s after Rushmore. There’s always something nostalgic and slightly melancholy about Anderson’s films. He’s an auteur in every sense of the word, with his own distinct, impressionistic style. The Darjeeling Limited was oddly uplifting and left me with the warm fuzzies when it was over. If you watch it, make sure you watch the version with the short film Hotel Chevalier before the actual movie! It adds so much to the story.

Favorite quote: “I love you too, but I’m gonna mace you in the face!”

(Image source: hellophone)

This movie was crazy. I seriously can’t think of a better word to describe it. The plot was crazy, the lighting was crazy, the gore was crazy, the use of Art Deco was crazy… I mean all of this in a good way, though. Suspiria was like a feast for the eyes, which is weird to say about a horror movie, especially one with so much blood, but there was so much detail and so much to look at in every scene. Everything Dario Argento put in this film served to scare, from the music and sound effects to the colorful lights and odd camera angles to the setting of the academy with its candy-colored Art Deco design. Everything is unsettling. I really enjoyed this one.