After a lot of reflection, I decided to begin my movie adventure by watching some newer movies on my list—this way, I could talk to patrons about the new movies coming into the IMC, but also try to learn some of these film concepts before watching some classics. This past weekend, I took home Hell or High Water, Slumdog Millionaire, and I, Daniel Blake.
Hell or High Water was the movie I was most unsure about—I haven’t watched a lot of westerns in my time, but since Chris Pine was in it, I decided to give it a chance. Again, I haven’t had much experience with the western genre, but this movie was very different from the stereotypical western. It felt gritty, but also believable. Having spent some time out in Kansas and Oklahoma, a lot of the movie resonated with me, especially the small, half-deserted towns. This was a western for the modern century, and I felt that they did a wonderful job in its portrayal.
Slumdog Millionaire was also enjoyable, but I found myself less engrossed in this movie than in Hell or High Water. It was an interesting premise, and Dev Patel did a great job as Jamal (see also Lion).
Finally, my favorite of the week—I, Daniel Blake. Unfortunately, this movie isn’t out in the U.S. yet, but I was able to get a U.K. version and switch region settings on my laptop (Thanks ILL friends!). This film was well worth the wait—a story about an older man who has a heart attack and has to sign up for unemployment benefits befriends a young mom who is going through the same difficulties in traversing the system. A wonderful parody of the governmental benefits system, I was captivated for its entire duration. The only downside was the occasional difficulty of understanding the British accents.
And thus ends my first foray into 1001 Movies to Watch Before You Die (figure out how many you’ve seen here: https://letterboxd.com/peterstanley/list/1001-movies-you-must-see-before-you-die/ ).
0 Comments.