Well, I didn’t quite end the month as strong as I would have liked, but I still made some time for some movies this weekend. Even though I know I will eventually see the new Hollywood Godzilla and Kong movie, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. All I can think about was how good Godzilla: Minus One was and I just know this new movie will not even remotely compare. Oh, well. Here’s what made the cut.
Perfect Days – This Japanese film made by a German filmmaker was an absolute hit with every critic out there. It landed an Oscar nomination, and though it fell to The Zone of Interest, it was a really, really strong contender. The premise of the film is quite simplistic. Hirayama works as a public toilet cleaner, but we see him live out his day to day life over and over again. With some variations of course, as any person would experience. What I took away from this film was how Hirayama was able to find pleasure in the most simple things in his life. He took pride in his work, and he loved music, trees, reading, and taking photographs. His life is punctuated by things he doesn’t really plan for, but he is genial enough that they fold him in almost seamlessly. This film was a pleasant watch, though not something I would return back to.
5lbs of Pressure – A drama about crime and drugs with a decent cast was enough to make me rent this without much more information. At the time of me renting this, the Rotten Tomatoes score was in the 70s, but as I checked again, it dipped into the 50s. Still fresh, but I can see where critics started to pick this apart. Adam has just been released from probation after serving sixteen years for killing someone. He starts to slowly rebuild his life and wants to reconnect with his son and ex. He may have his work cut out for him because the kid he killed back in the day has a brother that, when pushed to his breaking point, wants nothing more than revenge. What gets Eli to this point is his aimless friend, Mike, who’s making like he’s trying to find his way in the world without having to help out his drug dealing uncle, Left. The stories did connect, but something just felt really off. Sometimes it was the dialogue, and others it was the cuts between scenes. I don’t regret watching this, but I don’t know that I could recommend it.