Title: L’Argent

Director: Robert Bresson

Released: May 16, 1983 (premiere at Cannes Film Festival), May 18, 1983 (theatrical release in France)

Runtime: 1 hour 25 minutes

Available to stream on: The Criterion Channel and MAX

A schoolboy named Norbert fails in an attempt to get a little extra out of his father for his allowance. In doing so, the boy unknowingly sets into motion a series of events that will impact many different lives.

In order to obtain the money to repay his friend, Norbert decides to pawn his watch to another friend in exchange for a forged 500 franc note. Unsure of how to get rid of the forged note, Norbert decides to try and pass it off at the local photographer’s.

Much to his surprise, it worked and the woman at the counter accepted the note. However, the boss discovers that it is a forged note. Instead of doing the right thing, he decides to then pawn off the note on someone else. Unfortunate timing on the part of the local gas man named Yvon (Christian Patey) leads to him being paid for services rendered with the forged note.

Yvon has no idea that the note he’s in possession of is a forgery. That is, until he tries to pay for a meal with the note and the police are called. Through no fault of his own, Yvon’s whole world is about to come crumbling down.

All because little Norbert couldn’t swindle a few extra francs out of his father.

Funny enough, last year I wrote about the only other Robert Bresson film I have seen. That was for Pickpocket and it came off of the Sight and Sound’s Greatest Films of All Time 2022 list. I quite enjoyed Pickpocket so I was hoping I’d feel the same way about L’Argent (1983).

From a purely technical standpoint, I love the way it looks. The blocking, the editing, the seemingly odd cuts to a single stationary item that somehow manages to intensify the lingering stench of trouble and despair.

Whether intentional or not, the almost expressionless line delivery from everyone in the cast really helps to establish and maintain a cold and detached feeling that is present throughout.

However, despite clocking in at just under 90-minutes, this feels like a 2+ hour-long movie. We all know that money is the root of all evil. When you’re reminded of that in the bleakest of terms, over and over, it wears on you.

Despite my feeling every second of the runtime, I still found that I enjoyed L’Argent (1983).

Would I say that I enjoyed it more than I did Pickpocket? Not even close.

That being said, it is still definitely worthy of at least one viewing.

Well, now it’s your turn!

What are your thoughts on L’Argent (1983)?

Leave a comment down below or reach out to me on Bluesky and let me hear your thoughts!

As always, you can follow me over on Letterboxd to see what else I’ve been watching lately.

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Title: Perrier’s Bounty

Director: Ian Fitzgibbon

Released: September 11, 2009 (Canada)

Runtime: 1 hour 28 minutes

Available to stream on: Peacock and Tub

Michael (Cillian Murphy) is a bit of a lowlife who finds himself €1,000 in debt to a local gang boss with a violent streak, Perrier (Brendan Gleeson). Time is running out for Michael to pay off his debt in order, if he fails to do so, he dies.

Two of Perrier’s goons are on their way to send a message to Michael when his neighbor, Brenda (Jodie Whittaker), winds up saving his life. As it turns out, she stole Michael’s pistol in order to commit suicide but before she could, she saves Michael’s life by killing one of the goons before he can shatter Michael’s leg.

If Michael didn’t have enough going on, his father, Jim (Jim Broadbent), reveals that he is dying of terminal cancer.

Now with his neighbor and dying father along for the ride, Michael is on the run and determined to stay alive. But when word of Perrier’s bounty on them begins to spread, will it prove to be too much of an uphill battle?

Perrier’s Bounty (2009) is the poster child for decent movies that will wind up being mostly forgettable.

The story itself is about as paint-by-numbers as you could get. It follows a predictable pattern and it is fairly easy to pick up on where things are going. However, that doesn’t mean that it isn’t also enjoyable.

For instance, the cinematography from DP Seamus Deasy really helps to draw you in. The way he frames the gritty backgrounds with hues of blue paint the picture of a seedy Irish underbelly. Despite there not being a lot of violence, you feel like there could be danger lurking behind every corner.

While the cinematography is a bright spot, it’s the performances that really steal the show. You can just tell that everyone from top to bottom on the call sheet is genuinely enjoying themselves. Seeing them feed off of each other’s enjoyment and give their all to the underwhelming script is what makes Perrier’s Bounty (2009) a genuinely enjoyable watch.

Is this something that you’ll rush to revisit or think about weeks after you’ve watched it? More than likely, no.

That being said, Perrier’s Bounty (2009) is definitely worthy of at least one viewing.

Well, now it’s your turn. Have you seen Perrier’s Bounty (2009)?

If so, drop a comment below or reach out to me on Bluesky and let me hear your thoughts!

And by now, you know the drill, to see what else I’ve been watching, go follow me on Letterboxd.

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Title: Bombshell

Director: Jay Roach

Released: December 13, 2019

Runtime: 1 hour 49 minutes

Available to stream on: MGM+

Whether it’s the right-wing brainwashing of your parents and grandparents or the horrific work environment they foster, Fox News is an inherently evil entity, no ifs, ands, or buts about it.

Bombshell (2019) takes a look at two instances specifically, Gretchen Carlson (Nicole Kidman) and Megyn Kelly (Charlize Theron).

Gretchen Carlson bravely exposes years of sexual harassment by FOX CEO Roger Ailes (John Lithgow), ready to expose him as the predator he is. In doing so, however, she ultimately loses her job.

Meanwhile, Megyn Kelly decides to press presidential nominee Donald Trump on his sexist attitude towards women. In doing so, Megyn winds up receiving a barrage of abuse via social media, ironically proving her point on Trump’s sexism.

Margot Robbie plays a character who isn’t based on a singular person. Rather, the role of Kayla Pospisil is said to be a combination of different women’s stories of abuse. Kayla is a representation of all the other women to have suffered under the watchful eye of Roger Ailes.

This was my second viewing of Bombshell (2019) and I remember thinking that it was an alright movie. On a rewatch, I still feel the same. It is an aggressively okay movie that, honestly, deserved more capable direction.

That’s not a total knock on Jay Roach. When it comes to comedic films, Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers, and Austin Powers trilogy were smash hits. But was he the best available option to direct here?

Yes, he is able to point out the toxicity in working at Fox News, although, things fall a little short. We’re made aware of the toxicity in the newsroom but that’s sort of swept under the rug with the focus remaining on Ailes. This is a multi-faceted story that does its best to remain single-faceted. In doing so, the story as a whole winds up feeling a little incomplete, offering up more questions than answers.

Now that’s not to say that there wasn’t anything enjoyable about Bombshell (2019). For instance, the casting and hair/make-up was fantastic. Charlize Theron looks like the spitting-image of Megyn Kelly. Additionally, everyone in a primary role played their part exceptionally well. Unfortunately, being led by not incapable but ill-suited hands sort of prevented everything about Bombshell (2019) from being the hard-hitting and memorable film that it could have been.

Well, what say you? Have you seen Bombshell (2019)?

If so, leave a comment below or reach out on Bluesky and tell me what you thought of it!

As always, you can find me over on Letterboxd to see what else I’ve been watching lately.

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Title: 97%

Director: Ben Brand

Released: November 1, 2013 (Netherlands)

Runtime: 8 minutes

Available to stream on: Kanopy and Youtube

A man (Bert Hana) boards a train and takes his seat. Suddenly, he gets an alert on his phone from a dating app informing him he has a 97% match that is less than 25 meters away.

Seeing as he’s on a moving train, the match must be on the train with him. He begins scanning the fellow passengers on his car, trying to see if the smile in the app can be found in the sea of faces. When the train comes to a stop, the app informs him that the match is getting further and further away.

He runs off the train, changing directions as quickly as the app updates his distance from the 97% match. Finding himself on the train again, the app says the match is less than 25 meters away.

Surely he’ll be able to find who it is on his second attempt, right?

Over the course of 97% (2013), the only dialogue we hear is the announcements of the upcoming stops on the train. I am always impressed, regardless of the runtime, when a film can keep the viewer engaged while not having a character ever utter a single word.

Bert Hana is able to convey the excitement of a dating match and the ensuing panic/struggle of trying to find her solely through his movements and facial expressions.

What was equally as impressive as Hana’s performance is the cinematography. The use of reflections and imagery to playfully reveal flirtations really added to the overall charm of the short.

To wrap it all up, the 8-minute short delivers an ending that, depending on what you were hoping for may be divisive. Personally, I didn’t find issue with it and liked how it sort of called out online dating as a never-ending rat race in pursuit of perfection.

If your library offers the Kanopy streaming service, 97% (2013) is definitely a short film worth checking out. If you don’t have access to Kanopy, seek it out on Youtube. There are far worse ways to spend 8 minutes of your day.

Well, now it’s your turn.

Have you seen 97% (2013)?

If so, leave a comment below or reach out to me on Bluesky and tell me what you thought of it!

As always, if you want to see what else I’ve been watching lately, give me a follow over on Letterboxd.

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Title: PlayTime

Director: Jacques Tati

Released: December 13, 1967 (France)

Runtime: 2 hours 4 minutes

Available to stream on: The Criterion Channel and Kanopy

Barbara (Barbara Dennek) is an American visiting Paris with a tourist group. Monsieur Hulot (Jacques Tati, yes, he directed, starred in, and wrote PlayTime) is a native Frenchman who seems to be lost in the new and modern Paris that we are presented with. Over the course of a day, Barbara and Hulot continuously cross paths while having different experiences in the same city. While Barbara marvels at the modern offerings of Paris, Hulot feels lost in a world that has passed him by.

Yeah, that’s pretty much it. Not much of a synopsis or anything to give with this one. In fact, there really isn’t even much of a concrete narrative either. Imagine a different timeline where Mr. Bean and Charlie Chaplin joined forces to make a toned-down comedy movie and you’d pretty much have PlayTime.

PlayTime (1967) is a wildly uneven movie. The first half had me invested and curious to see how things would play out. Then the second half happens where we get a dinner scene that, quite frankly, wore out its welcome rather quickly and became a bit of a chore to get through.

Where this movie shines though is its technical prowess. The cinematography, production design, and sound design are all phenomenal. There is hardly any dialogue, instead, we are given massive sets with a wide range of vision to take in the daily grind of city life and interactions throughout the course of a day.

There were times where I wasn’t quite sure where my focus in a scene should be because there was so much ground for my eyes to cover. Not a complaint, quite the opposite in fact. For it was the technical elements that got me through the slightly bloated two-hour runtime.

Full disclosure, this was my first Jacques Tati film. So, maybe I would benefit from watching some other Hulot adventures then revisiting this? Maybe not. Could be that PlayTime (1967) is one that I am not able to see what all the hype is about.

Well, how about you?

Have you seen PlayTime (1967)? If so, what did you think of it?

Let me know in the comments below or by reaching out to me on Bluesky and telling me all about it.

To see what else I’ve been watching lately, go give me a follow over on Letterboxd.

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Title: The Sea Wolf

Director: Michael Curtiz

Released: March 21, 1941 (Mexico and the United States)

Runtime: 1 hour 40 minutes

Available to stream on: Tubi

Escaped criminal Ruth Webster (Ida Lupino) finds herself on a passenger ferry trying to lay low. While on board, she happens to meet a writer by the name of Humphrey van Weyden (Alexander Knox). Desperate to avoid capture, Ruth urges Humphrey to pretend they’re friends. When confronted by officers, Humphrey can’t bring himself to lie.

However, Ruth going back into custody takes a back seat to the passenger ferry colliding with a steamboat. The ferry sinks quickly, but the members of the vessel named Ghost rescue Ruth and Humphrey.

Once aboard the Ghost, they realize they weren’t the only ones picked up that night. In fact, another individual on the run from the law, George Leach (John Garfield) was the only one to accept the crew’s recruitment offer back on dry land. Luckily for George, Humphrey and Ruth quickly became the new interest of the crew, saving him from the Captain.

Captain Wolf Larsen (Edward G. Robinson) is a mean and spiteful individual. Unfortunately for his crew, they are his main target. Although, now that Humphrey is on board, he becomes Larsen’s top target. Humphrey finds himself the victim of whatever cruel punishments Larsen decides to dish out.

With a sadistic Captain and a crew on the verge of a full-blown mutiny, things are looking rather bleak for Ruth, Humphrey, and George.

Boy, they don’t make them like they used to.

For as many scenes of straight-up action as there are, there are just as many subtle quiet moments that keep you equally as captivated. The scenes aboard the Ghost give you a sense of the dread that’s about to come. A shadowy, misty figure, almost as if it’s a floating house of horror.

A great story is nothing without a cast that can deliver great performances. Luckily, that isn’t a problem here. Robinson, Lupino, Knox, and Garfield are all superb in their respective roles. Shoot, even the supporting cast is solid throughout.

The Sea Wolf (1941) is a tight and tense 100-minutes with very little fluff. Every scene serves a purpose to help advance the story. There isn’t a single one that is wasted or feels out of place.

If you haven’t already seen The Sea Wolf (1941), consider this your recommendation to correct that.

Well, now it’s your turn.

If you have seen The Sea Wolf (1941), I want to hear your thoughts!

Leave me a comment below or reach out on Bluesky!

As always, you can follow me over on Letterboxd to see what else I’ve been watching lately.

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Title: Peter Rabbit

Director: Will Gluck

Released/Premiered: February 3, 2018 (Premiere – United States)

Runtime: 1 hour 33 minutes

Available to stream on: Netflix

Old Mr. McGregor (Sam Neill) cherishes his beloved garden. It is always full of fresh fruits and vegetables, much to the delight of Peter Rabbit (James Corden) and his friends. Living right next door to the garden, where they are lovingly watched over by Bea (Rose Byrne), provides ample temptation.

However, Peter knows all too well that Mr. McGregor keeps a close eye on his garden. In fact, Peter had the misfortune of watching Mr. McGregor capture his father and turn him into a pie.

Choosing to tempt fate, Peter decides to enter the garden. Fate strikes again as Mr. McGregor captures him. Luckily for Peter though, Mr. McGregor drops dead while holding Peter. While Peter thinks he is the one responsible for Mr. McGregor’s demise, our narrator (Margot Robbie, who also voices Flopsy) informs us that it was a lifetime of poor lifestyle choices that ultimately caught up to Mr. McGregor and caused his heart attack.

We next are introduced to Thomas McGregor (Domhnall Gleeson) as he begins his day at work. While he thinks he is about to earn a promotion, he instead learns of his great uncle’s passing. He soon discovers that his great uncle also left him the property.

Will Thomas be any different than old Mr. McGregor?

Or will it be more of the same for Peter and his friends?

I, and probably the majority of you, can remember reading the Beatrix Potter short stories as a child. As a feature-length adaptation of a short story, Gluck and company inevitably took liberties along the way. That said, they never pushed their liberties too far.

The CGI brings the rabbits to life with impressive detail. However, some of the other animals (rooster and fox for example) don’t look as smooth and realistic.

Byrne is enjoyable as Bea and believable as a troubled artist type. Gleeson does well as the bad guy with emotional layers. The voice cast, including Margot, Elizabeth Debicki, Sia, and Daisy Ridley, among others, delivers just enough to get the job done, though none of them are memorable.

I am very well aware of the fact that I am not the target audience for this movie.

Yes, the story dives into darker moments, and yes, the humor feels forced in. But it also is cute enough to see why it was a box office success.

I find that I happen to enjoy most of the offerings from Sony Animation and Peter Rabbit (2018) is no different.

Well, how about you? Have you seen Peter Rabbit (2018)?

If so, leave a comment below or reach out on Bluesky and let me hear your thoughts!

As always, if you’d like to see what else I’ve been watching lately, give me a follow over on Letterboxd.

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Title: Unstoppable

Director: Tony Scott

Released: November 4, 2010 (Singapore)

Runtime: 1 hour 38 minutes

Available to stream on: MAX

Due to a botched switching in a northern Pennsylvania rail yard, engine 777 is now an unmanned runaway train. It’s heading south at full-speed with 39 freight cars behind it. What’s worse is that 8 of the 39 are full of molten phenol. This highly combustible chemical would absolutely devastate any populated area if a spill were to occur.

Meanwhile, engineer Frank Barnes (Denzel Washington) and rookie conductor Will Colson (Chris Pine) are in engine 1206 moving freight cars. In fact, they’re heading north on the same path as runaway 777. However, at first they are under the impression that 777 is coasting along. As far as they know, it will easily be slowed downed and safely stopped.

Yardmaster Connie Hooper (Rosario Dawson) is the one who breaks the news to Frank and Will. They’re on a collision course with runaway engine 777. Now Frank, the grizzled veteran, has to put a lot of trust into rookie conductor Will. Together, with the help of Connie at central command, they need to hatch a plan to save the southbound towns.

If 777 reaches the town of Stanton, it’ll be a disaster of epic proportions.

If that sounded like an incredibly simplistic plot, well, that’s because it is.

Unstoppable (2010) isn’t a complicated story to try and follow. But that doesn’t mean it’s not a lot of fun.

Denzel Washington and Chris Pine have great chemistry together. It’s a good thing too seeing as 95% of the movie is them inside of engine 1206. They both make it easy to buy-in to them as a team, even when we don’t necessarily know their entire backstory.

The supporting cast was also not only stacked but effective in their respective roles as well. Everyone from Rosario Dawson, a pre-problematic TJ Miller, Kevin Dunn, Ethan Suplee, and Kevin Corrigan, they all step-up and deliver solid performances. If anything, Rosario Dawson was underutilized and deserved a larger and/or more significant role.

Overall, Unstoppable (2010) is the kind of action movie that we need more of. In true Tony Scott fashion, it knows what it is and leans hard into it.

Had this been released in the ’90s, it probably would have been a lot more successful from a box office standpoint.

If nothing else, it would have made for a fun double feature of this and Speed.

So, have you seen Unstoppable (2010)?

If so, leave a comment below or reach out on Bluesky and let me know your thoughts!

As always, if you’d like to see what else I’ve been watching lately, give me a follow over on Letterboxd.

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Title: Sorry to Bother You

Director: Boots Riley

Released: January 20, 2018 (Sundance Film Festival)

Runtime: 1 hour 52 minutes

Available to stream on: Hulu

Cassius Green (LaKeith Stanfield) could use a break. He’s struggling to make rent, his car is one minor incident away from being a lawn ornament, and he can’t find reliable income. Despite his troubles, his girlfriend, Detroit (Tessa Thompson), sticks by his side and supports him.

Fresh out of ideas, Cassius decides to take a job with a telemarketing firm performing cold calls. Any income is better than no income, right?

Seeing that Cassius seems to be struggling, a senior employee by the name of Langston (Danny Glover) offers up some advice. As long as Cassius uses his “white voice” on the phones, the sales will come in. Skeptical of this advice, Cassius tries the same pitch but in “white voice” and sure enough, he starts closing deals. All it took was abandoning his identity.

His managers take notice of his recent success and soon Cassius is considered a “power seller”, the cream of the crop. However, at the same time, his fellow co-workers are tired of the working conditions and begin to organize a union to demand better treatment.

Torn between his colleagues, of which include Detroit, and his new promotion, Cassius faces a tough decision. Does he cross the picket line in order to continue to make more money than he ever has? Or does he stand firm with his peers and demand better pay and working conditions?

If only that was the toughest decision he’d have to make…

Up until about the halfway point of Sorry to Bother You (2018), I thought I had a handle on where things were going. Boy was I wrong.

If nothing else, Boots Riley gets credit for being incredibly creative. Whether it is showing us how time has passed or how the conversations unfold between characters, it’s all done in a bold nontraditional way, and more often than not, it works. However, the pacing is wildly inconsistent which makes the whole thing feel a bit unbalanced.

That being said, the performances on display help to mostly off-set any pacing issues. Stanfield is fantastic as always. There’s something about him that just commands your attention when he’s on screen. Steven Yeun is effective in his role as a union organizer. Having Armie Hammer represent the absolute worst things about capitalism is especially poignant and darkly funny through 2025 eyes. Tessa Thompson deserved better in the role of Detroit. She isn’t ever given anything more than “supportive girlfriend” cliché plot points.

I know I mentioned the plot twist, but I don’t want to delve into that too much. Mainly because, if you have yet to see Sorry to Bother You (2018), it’s best to go into it knowing as little as possible.

And if you have seen it, well, watch it again to see how it holds up on a rewatch. I’ll be doing the same.

Whether you’ve seen it one time or a dozen times, what are your thoughts on Sorry to Bother You (2018)?

Tell me all about it in the comments below or over on Bluesky!

Curious as to what else I’ve been watching? Give me a follow over on Letterboxd to see for yourself!

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Title: Paris by Night

Director: David Hare

Released: November 17, 1988 (Brazil – Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival)

Runtime: 1 hour 43 minutes

Available to stream on: Prime Video

Clara Paige (Charlotte Rampling) is a British politician who will do whatever it takes to further her career. More often than not, this comes at the expense of her husband, Gerald (Michael Gambon).

After receiving a rather ominous phone call, Clara has reason to believe that she is being blackmailed. The culprit? None other than her former business partner, Michael Swanton (Andrew Ray), at least that’s what Clara believes.

Deciding to take matters into her own hands, Clara approaches Michael on a bridge one night and shoves him off. With Michael now dead and out of the way, Clara hopes to get some normalcy back in her life. That is, until Michael’s daughter decides to take it upon herself to investigate the murder. What’s worse is that she’s enlisted Clara to help her find his killer.

Paris by Night (1988) managed to be frustratingly enjoyable.

On one hand, the editing is rather choppy in parts. There are very few smooth transitions between scenes. Also, it feels like a stage play more than a movie. Had this been a play and not a film, I think the possibility of it finding an audience would have greatly increased.

Yes, there are some tense moments and it does live up to the thriller genre by the end. However, there are a lot more wasted moments than there are suspenseful ones. Almost to the point of being painfully slow.

Now, that’s not to say that there weren’t things I enjoyed about it though. I love the cinematography. Almost everything takes place at night and the way the lighting and shadows are used work well to enhance the mood. I also quite enjoyed Charlotte Rampling as Clara, she always understands the assignment. Same can be said for Michael Gambon. In fact, it was even more fun to see him in a role before he became the Michael Gambon we all loved.

Would I tell you that this is worth dropping what you’re doing to go and watch? Not at all. Although, I would say that if you’re struggling for something to watch, Paris by Night (1988) is certainly deserving of at least one viewing.

Well, how about you? Have you seen Paris by Night (1988)?

If so, leave a comment below or reach out to me on Bluesky and tell me what you thought of it!

As always, you can follow me over on Letterboxd to stay up to date with everything else that I’ve been watching lately.

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