This weekend I saw a pretty eclectic mix of films!
How to Make a Killing – I have no clue why this all-star movie isn’t getting that much marketing, but my friend and I tracked down a showtime and saw it to start the weekend. And it was good! Beckett Redfellow has lived a life less than he thinks he ought to. After his mother dies young, he tries to live the life he’s been given in hopes to one day inherit a family fortune. Well, eventually he tires of waiting and decides he would like to get the billions he’s entitled to a little bit quicker. There are some crafty murders, some FBI suspicion, and a future wife who makes for an interesting chain of events. The tone felt a little weird to me, and Glen Powell maybe plays a serial killer too well, but overall I thought this movie, along with its multitude of cameos, was pretty fun.
Kokuho – Truthfully, I can’t even remeber how this drama came to my attention, but I’m so happy it did! Turns out this three hour drama had made the short list for Best International Feature at the Oscars for Japan this year but sadly fell short of an actual nomination. Boo! In the film, the titular Kokuho us a young yakuza who after the brutal death of his father gets sent to train in kabuki theater by a renowned family. He’s the same age as the family’s son, Shunsuke, so the two are rivals throughout the film despite becoming quite close. Their desire to be the best does them in at several different times over the course of the 30 years this film spans. When they do finally reunite in a performance, it is gut-wrenchingly beautiful. Depsite its length, I would definitely watch this again. Magnificent!
Kiss of the Spider Woman – This is another film I’m surprised that never got any traction. It’s a film based off of a musical of the same name starringJennifer Lopez. Maybe she’s still a little radioactive to some marketers – who knows? The film centers on the tail end of Argentina’s dirty war. Possibly trans prisoner, Molina, is sent to share a cell with Valentin, a revolutionary, to try and get insider information off of him. Molina works his way by narrating his favorite movie starring his favorite actress, Ingrid Luna in a dual role. Valentin finds himself invested, and as the two are tested in this harsh prison, they grow closer. The films ending is truly a tragic one, where Molina is the victim for trying to be himself. Despite the unending amount of musical numbers, I found that I actually quite liked this film.