{"id":14541,"date":"2025-12-28T18:27:51","date_gmt":"2025-12-28T23:27:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/?p=14541"},"modified":"2025-12-28T18:28:26","modified_gmt":"2025-12-28T23:28:26","slug":"weekly-movie-roundup-146","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/?p=14541","title":{"rendered":"Weekly Movie Roundup"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>I watched a dozen movies last week:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt33455099\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-3-202x300.jpg\" alt=\"The Mastermind\" width=\"202\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14537\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-3-202x300.jpg 202w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-3-691x1024.jpg 691w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-3-768x1138.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1-3.jpg 991w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 202px) 100vw, 202px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0026104\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-3-223x300.jpg\" alt=\"Becky Sharp\" width=\"223\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14538\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-3-223x300.jpg 223w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-3-761x1024.jpg 761w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-3-768x1034.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/2-3.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 223px) 100vw, 223px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0033373\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-3-199x300.jpg\" alt=\"Ball of Fire\" width=\"199\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14539\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-3-199x300.jpg 199w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-3-680x1024.jpg 680w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-3-768x1156.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-3-1020x1536.jpg 1020w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/3-3.jpg 1123w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 199px) 100vw, 199px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0033373\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4-3-203x300.jpg\" alt=\"Die My Love\" width=\"203\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4-3-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4-3-691x1024.jpg 691w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4-3-768x1138.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4-3-1037x1536.jpg 1037w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4-3-1382x2048.jpg 1382w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/4-3-scaled.jpg 1728w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt33455099\/\">The Mastermind<\/a> is, I suppose, a deconstruction of the heist movie, in that the heist, and even the motives for it, are of less interest to writer\/director Kelly Reichardt than the quiet collapse of the inevitable aftermath. It&#8217;s not necessarily my favorite of Reichardt&#8217;s films, but only because she&#8217;s made so many good ones.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li>I&#8217;m not overly familiar with <em>Vanity Fair<\/em>, the novel or film adaptations, or the character of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0026104\/\">Becky Sharp<\/a> first portrayed there. She threatens to be a little one-note here, were it not for the very winning (and Oscar-nominated) performance by Miriam Hopkins.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0033373\/\">Ball of Fire<\/a> is dated and corny as all get out, but it&#8217;s also a charmingly goofy riff on <em>Snow White and the Seven Dwarves<\/em>.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li>Jennifer Lawrence&#8217;s descent into madness in Lynne Ramsay&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt9362736\/\">Die My Love<\/a> is never entirely explained, but that&#8217;s precisely why the film works so well. It&#8217;s raw and emotional and seen through Lawrence&#8217;s genuinely bravura performance.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt9603208\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5-8-203x300.jpg\" alt=\"Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning\" width=\"203\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5-8-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5-8-691x1024.jpg 691w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5-8-768x1138.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5-8-1037x1536.jpg 1037w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5-8-1382x2048.jpg 1382w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/5-8-scaled.jpg 1728w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0049314\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6-3-198x300.jpg\" alt=\"High Society\" width=\"198\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14543\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6-3-198x300.jpg 198w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6-3-677x1024.jpg 677w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6-3-768x1161.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6-3-1016x1536.jpg 1016w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6-3-1354x2048.jpg 1354w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6-3-scaled.jpg 1693w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 198px) 100vw, 198px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt27714581\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7-1-203x300.jpg\" alt=\"Sentimental Value\" width=\"203\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7-1-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7-1-691x1024.jpg 691w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7-1-768x1138.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7-1-1037x1536.jpg 1037w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7-1-1382x2048.jpg 1382w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7-1-scaled.jpg 1728w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt14107334\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8-1-203x300.jpg\" alt=\"The Running Man\" width=\"203\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14545\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8-1-203x300.jpg 203w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8-1-691x1024.jpg 691w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8-1-768x1138.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8-1-1037x1536.jpg 1037w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8-1-1382x2048.jpg 1382w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/8-1-scaled.jpg 1728w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 203px) 100vw, 203px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li>I&#8217;ve seen worse movies than <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt9603208\/\">Mission: Impossible &#8211; The Final Reckoning<\/a>. I&#8217;ve maybe even seen worse movies in the same series. But this was such a remarkably weak note to end everything on. The film is full of silly exposition, clips from the rest of the franchise, and a not very successful attempt to tie the series together in neat cinematic-universe bow\u2014all while being surprisingly light on fun action set-pieces.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li>The considerable charms of its cast\u2014particularly Grace Kelly\u2014notwithstanding, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0049314\/\">High Society<\/a> is surprisingly bad. It lacks the sharp screwball comedy dialogue of <em>The Philadelphia Story<\/em>, on which it&#8217;s ostensibly based, its plot is overly confused and convoluted, and the one new thing it&#8217;s supposed to be bringing to the table, namely the musical numbers, aren&#8217;t particularly good.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt27714581\/\">Sentimental Value<\/a> is such a beautiful and human story of family and depression, of art&#8217;s ability (and failure) to combat it, and it&#8217;s full of wonderful performances.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li>I&#8217;m starting to worry, because with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt14107334\/\">The Running Man<\/a>, the number of Edgar Wright movies I <em>don&#8217;t<\/em> like is starting to approach the number of his films that I genuinely love. I didn&#8217;t particularly enjoy his last movie, <em>Last Night in Soho<\/em>, but at least that was still stylish and distinctive, whereas this one is so anonymously directed, full of plot holes and poorly conceived set-pieces, and it&#8217;s hard to understand what anyone involved was bringing to the table.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0058123\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Joy House\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9-683x1024.jpg 683w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9-768x1152.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/9.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt12300742\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/10-210x300.jpg\" alt=\"Bugonia\" width=\"210\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/10-210x300.jpg 210w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/10-717x1024.jpg 717w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/10-768x1097.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/10-1075x1536.jpg 1075w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/10-1434x2048.jpg 1434w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/10-scaled.jpg 1792w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 210px) 100vw, 210px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0019702\/\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/11-200x300.jpg\" alt=\"Blackmail\" width=\"200\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/11-200x300.jpg 200w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/11-681x1024.jpg 681w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/11-768x1154.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/11-1022x1536.jpg 1022w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/11.jpg 1179w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 200px) 100vw, 200px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<td><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt32843349\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/12-1-206x300.jpg\" alt=\"Sorry, Baby\" width=\"206\" height=\"300\" class=\"aligncenter size-medium wp-image-14550\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/12-1-206x300.jpg 206w, https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/12-1.jpg 355w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 206px) 100vw, 206px\" \/><\/a><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0058123\/\">Joy House<\/a> is more than a little odd, and on paper its plot would likely seem ridiculous, but it benefits enormously from Alain Delon and Jane Fonda, and a decent sense of style.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li>There&#8217;s a moment near the end, an admirably big swing, in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt12300742\/\">Bugonia<\/a> that maybe lost me a little, and that possibly undermines everything else the movie up until then seemed to be doing, but it&#8217;s an interesting ride all the way.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li>Although it&#8217;s Hitchcock&#8217;s (and maybe England&#8217;s) first talkie, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0019702\/\">Blackmail<\/a> behaves much more like a silent film, and fully <em>is<\/em> one for long stretches. That&#8217;s not infrequently to the movie&#8217;s benefit, since Anny Ondra has a remarkably expressive face perhaps better at conveying strong emotion than delivering the film&#8217;s dialogue, and there are many expertly framed shots that don&#8217;t really require any sound.<\/li>\n<ul><\/ul>\n<li>For a movie about such heady topics as assault and depression, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt32843349\/\">Sorry, Baby<\/a> is a wonderfully warm and funny film, and a remarkably self-assured debut from writer\/director\/star Eva Victor.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>I also rewatched the delightful <a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0038733\/\">A Matter of Life and Death<\/a>. It&#8217;s maybe not my favorite of Powell and Pressburger&#8217;s movies, but it&#8217;s easily in the top five.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I watched a dozen movies last week: The Mastermind is, I suppose, a deconstruction of the heist movie, in that the heist, and even the motives for it, are of less interest to writer\/director Kelly Reichardt than the quiet collapse of the inevitable aftermath. It&#8217;s not necessarily my favorite of Reichardt&#8217;s films, but only because &#8230; <a class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/?p=14541\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14541","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14541"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=14541"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14541\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14552,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14541\/revisions\/14552"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=14541"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=14541"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.unreality.net\/weblog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=14541"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}