Stuff I Have Been Watching April 2022

 

The Half of It. Directed by Alice Wu. United States. 2019. Via Netflix. With Marta. 1 April.

This movie is a hidden gem available on Netflix. Sort of a teen queer romance from the perspective of a second generation Chinese American. I am interested in seeing more of Alice Wu's work. 

Raised by Wolves. Season 1. 2020. United States. Via the HBO Max app. 2 April.

Androids raising children on an alien planet with strong religious vibes. This series is different and not for everyone. I think the last episode or two were not as good as they could have been, but I do intend to take a chance on season 2 in the future.

The French Dispatch. Directed by Wes Anderson. 2021. United States. Via the HBO Max app. 3 April.

This movie might be the best movie of 2022, at least according to some critics. I really enjoyed this one, the acting, the sets, the costumes. An anthology piece loosely based on the New Yorker of decades past.

The Only Son. Directed by Yasujiro Ozu. 1936. Japan. Via the Criterion Channel app. 4 April.

A mother makes great sacrifices to give her son an education. Years later she visits him and sees him working as a teacher and he is not living up to his potential. At some point people who are serious about movies start watching Ozu. I think this is my third Ozu movie. I do want to see more.

Severance. Season 1. 2022. United States. Via the Apple TV+ app. 7 April.

I feel like this is the sort of innovative show that no network would have even thought of running back in the 80s and 90s; Severance is a show that is bold in its vision and genuinely strange. One could watch the show just for the sets -- the office cubicle and the work incentives are like nothing I have ever seen. 

What Did the Lady Forget? Directed by Yasujiro Ozu. 1937. Japan. Via the Criterion Channel app. 8 April.

A silent movie from Ozu. A good movie, but probably best not to make this your first Ozu movie.

France. Directed by Bruno Dumont. 2021. France. Via the Criterion Channel app. 10 April.

A movie about a celebrity journalist who sees and reports on deeply important and emotional events who manages to be unaffected by them and much more interested in a luxury lifestyle. 

An Inn in Tokyo. Directed by Yasujiro Ozu. 1935. Japan. Via the Criterion Channel app.  11 April.

Like Bicycle Thief, this is a movie about a father in poverty trying to work and provide for his sons.

Lone Wolf and Cub: Baby Cart to Hades. Lone Wolf and Cub #3. Directed by Kenji Misumi. 1972. Japan. Via the Criterion Channel app. 13 April.

I think the summary on imdb tells you what you need to know: "Ogami Itto volunteers to be tortured by the yakuza to save a prostitute and is hired by their leader to kill an evil chamberlain." This movie is very different from contemporary comic book adaptations.

A Story of Floating Weeds. Directed by Yasujiro Ozu. 1934. Japan. Via the Criterion Channel app. 14 April.

An actor (and his wife) visits his mistress and their son many years after their affair. What could go wrong. Ozu remade the story years later in Floating Weeds.

Intimidation. Directed by Koreyoshi Kurahara. 1960. Japan. Via the Criterion Channel app. 15 April.

A bank manager robs his own bank. A classic of Japanese noir.

A Colt Is My Passport. Directed by Takeshita Nomura. 1967. Japan. Via the Criterion Channel app. 16 April.

A gangster revenge movie with the great Jo Shishido. Patton Oswalt called his one of his favorite movies and I loved it to. The final shootout scene is a real highlight of the movie.

Black Lizard. Directed by Umetsugu Inoue. 1962. Japan. Via the Criterion Channel app. 18 April.

A crime movie or detective story that is now understood as a queer movie written by the late Yukio Mishima. This movie was remade in 1968. Both have Mishima playing a human statue.

Frontline: Pelosi’s Power. Directed by Michael Kirk. 2022. Via the PBS app. With Monika. 20 April.

I do not exaggerate when I suggest that Nancy Pelosi has been the most successful speaker of the house in American congressional history. This picture shows how she understands the most important job she has, making sure she has the votes.

White Rock. Directed by Tony Maylaw. 1977. United Kingdom. Via the Criterion Channel app. With Monika. 22 April.

James Coburn personally demonstrates the 1976 winter olympic events in Innsbruck, Austria. I liked this movie more than I thought I would.

Abbott Elementary. Season 1. 2022. Via the Hulu app. With Monika. ? April.

Television situation comedies have been around at least since I was a kid. Quinta Brunson and the other people who make Abbott Elementary manage to do something new and interesting with the genre. Plus the show is funny, you have to admit.

Olympic Spirit. Directed by Drummond Challis and Tony Maylam. 1980 United Kingdom. Via the Criterion Channel app. 23 April.

A short documentary about the 1980 winter olympics in Lake Placid, New York.

Zero Focus. Directed by Yoshitaru Nomura. 1961. Japan. Via the Criterion Channel app. 23 April.

Another very good Japanese noir.

The Sky Is Everywhere. Directed by Josephine Decker. 2022. United States. Via the Apple TV Plus app. With Marta. 24 April.

In the hands of another director, this could have been a good teen romance story. In the hands of Josephine Decker, the visual elements of the story are truly extraordinary -- the colors and things and people flying and floating.

Happy Hour. Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. 2015. Japan. Via the Criterion Channel app. 27 April.

A five hour story, yes, five hours, about four women who are friends in Kobe, Japan. I found the movie to be fascinating and I want to see other Hamaguchi movies.

Asako I & II. Directed by Ryusuke Hamaguchi. 2018. Japan. Via the Criterion Channel app. 29 April.

An unusual romance story about a woman who falls in love with a man who disappears and then falls in love with someone else who looks a lot like him. Later the first man comes back into her life. Another very good Hamaguchi movie.