I Don't Understand You

Movie Name: I Don't Understand You
Year of Release: 2024
Director: David Joseph Craig, Brian Crano
Starring: Andrew Rannells, Nick Kroll, Morgan Spector, Eleonora Romandini, Nunzia Schiano, Amanda Seyfried, Paolo Romano, Cecilia Dazzi, Leonardo Verni
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 4
Watch it on Hulu

Synopsis and Review

"I Don't Understand You" is the feature directorial debut of the directing team of David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano (though Brian Crano has a few directorial endeavors of his own as part of his filmography). The film follows the story of a married couple, Cole and Dom, who live in the Los Angeles area, and who are trying to go through with an adoption process for their first child. They have been previously scammed, so they're going into this next process with some apprehension. They are also on their way to Italy to celebrate their 10 year anniversary. They quickly connect with the birth mother, a woman by the name of Candace, who assures them that their application was the one that touched her the most. While in Italy, they connect with Daniele, an old friend of Dom's father, who has arranged for them to have a wonderful meal with a celebrated and somewhat reclusive restaurant owner. They eventually make their way to the remote locale, getting lost in the process, and eventually meet the elderly Zia Luciana, who is the cook and also used to own the restaurant. While the couple doesn't understand a word she's saying, she invites them to sit, and starts serving them a freshly baked pizza and wine. Cole wants to leave the place as soon as possible, but as they're trying to get their phone in order to secure a way back to the hotel, the power goes out. There's some chaos and Cole accidentally knocks Zia down a flight of stairs. They're horrified when they can't catch a pulse, and even more so when they try CPR on her, and hear bones cracking. They decide to bring Zia upstairs to the dining area, and hide her under the table. Unexpectedly Massimo, Zia's son, arrives with both their rental car, and also an insistent desire for them to stay and eat more with the family.

"I Don't Understand You" is a film that tries to be quite a few different things but that sadly fails to find the right tone and direction in which it wants to go. One of the aspects of the narrative is the quite emotional journey of a gay couple on their path to fatherhood, with their fears and anxieties pertaining to be parents and even more so, avoiding falling into the trap of another expensive scam. The other aspect of the narrative is the dark and bloody comedy that appears midway during the film, one that takes the feature in a very different direction, trying to elicit more comedy due to the over-the-top situation in which the characters find themselves. While the first aspect of the narrative is successful, particularly the relationship between the couple which feels vividly illustrated, the second aspect feels dastardly put together. The writing and directing duo fail to go all in with the dark and macabre tone they introduce, for fear of possibly alienating the audiences from the ground they have built humanizing that lovely gay couple. While the filmmakers don't necessarily need to adopt an Eli Roth approach to the gore and killing that ensues, the film feels rather anemic, and not fully embracing of the premise that they just introduced. The filmmakers commit a cardinal mistake in situations such as these: they don't relish the situation they just created, opting instead to illustrate these morally corrupt individuals as people with good intentions, that have done some terrible things, but that ultimately meant well, and therefore have the right to a happy ending. The narrative should have been far more visceral, committed, and funnier, since this film presents itself as a comedy that doesn't have many laughs. The cast is a bit all over the place, but Nick Kroll and Andrew Rannells have great chemistry. The production team is polished, in particular the cinematography from Lowell A. Meyer. It's not an unwatchable film, it's just not a particularly memorable one. 

Bugonia

Movie Name: Bugonia
Year of Release: 2025
Director: Yorgos Lanthimos 
Starring: Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Aidan Delbis, Alicia Silverstone, Stavros Halkias
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 8
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

The prolific writer/producer/director Yorgos Lanthimos is back, following "Poor Things" and "Kinds of Kindness", both of which were showered with accolades and positive audience reactions (the former more so than the latter). "Bugonia" which Will Tracy adapted from the film "Save the Green Planet!" written by Jang Joon-hwan, follows the story of Teddy and Don, two cousins who live together, trying to make ends meet. Teddy works in a fulfillment center, while Don stays home (he is slightly autistic). Teddy's mom is comatose after participating in a clinical trial for a drug named Auxolith which went awry. The cousins live in a rural area, which allows Teddy to develop his apiary right in his backyard. The cousins decide to abduct Michelle Fuller, the CEO of the pharmaceutical company that is behind the Auxolith. Teddy believes she's an alien, an Adromedan, and that her species is in reality killing the Earth's honeybees, and generally enslaving humans. They imprison her in their basement, and shave her head to prevent her from communicating/sending signals to her species. They also cover her body in antihistamine with the same purpose. Teddy's plan is to negotiate a meeting with the Andromedan emperor before an upcoming lunar eclipse. Michelle is shocked to realize the situation she finds herself in, and tries to reason with the cousins as much as possible. Her incredulity increases as Teddy reinforces his plans, leading her to reason with him that her company acted poorly towards his mother, and that they should have been more generous with their settlement. After torturing her with electricity, the cousins move her upstairs for dinner, but that eventually descends to a physical fight that is only interrupted by the appearance of the local law enforcement. Teddy quickly shifts his tactic as he knows the agent quite well from his childhood. 

Much like the best films on his filmography, "Bugonia" is ripe with both an irreverence but also surreality, all the white still addressing problems that are very much pertinent, and of our current days. The film smartly moves at a pace where we progressively know more about Teddy, his life, his challenges, leading us the audience to question his sanity - just how much of his grief from witnessing his mother's pain and health challenges has in fact affected his mental health? His close relationship with Don also renders him and his perspective more relatable, as he is supporting Don, logistically and emotionally, as Don does not have any additional family. On the other hand, Michelle is described and introduced as more of a generic cypher, someone who is a successful businesswoman, a quasi Theranos figure, who is horrified to find herself kidnapped, but also under the extraordinary accusations from Teddy (and Don). Sadly her character doesn't have quite as much depth as Teddy, but she does introduce the bewilderment/astonishment from her point of view, of a reasonable person being accused of being an alien, by a man who is clearly distraught, someone who has been pushed to a breaking point due to emotional distress. Yorgos Lanthimos illustrates this set up perfectly, bringing authenticity to both Teddy and Michelle's universe, which helps materialize who these figures are. It's a film where the tone, the performances, the universe that is created, is perfectly illustrated. As the third chapter unfolds, the film continues to surprise with unexpected choices from the director, but all these very much synced with what has been illustrated thus far. The cast is uniformly great, particularly Jesse Plemons who has one of the best roles so far from his career: Teddy is an amalgamation of so much trauma, pain, but also hope, which makes him such an interesting character to witness. He gets solid support from the always great Emma Stone, Aidan Delbis, and Stavros Halkias. The production team is also impeccable, including Robbie Ryan's cinematography, Jerskin Fendrix's score, James Price production design, and Jennifer Johnson's costume design. It's a solid film from a great storyteller, one that is worth watching and appreciating. 

Shiva Baby

Movie Name: Shiva Baby
Year of Release: 2020
Director: Emma Seligman
Starring: Rachel Sennott, Danny Deferrari, Molly Gordon, Fred Melamed, Polly Draper, Dianna Agron, Jackie Hoffman, Glynis Bell, Rita Gardner, Sondra James
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 5
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Before the successful "Bottoms" came along, writer/director Emma Seligman collaborated with Rachel Sennott on "Shiva Baby", her low budget directorial debut which effectively launched her career. The film follows the story of Danielle, a college senior whom we first encounter in an illicit post coital situation with Max. She's running late to a shiva which she is meant to go to with her parents, Joel and Debbie. While at the Shiva Danielle runs into her former girlfriend Maya, who is about to go to law school. Max also shows up at the Shiva, since he is a former colleague of Joel's. Danielle and Maya catch up and flirt, while Debbie is trying to find Danielle a job at any chance she gets. Max's wife, Kim,  shows up with their baby, as she was unable to find a baby-sitter, and Danielle eventually realizes that the one financially sustaining Max's life is actually Kim. As discussions arise about Danielle possibly baby-sitting Max and Kim's baby, the latter also suspects something is going on when she realizes Danielle has a bracelet similar to her own. The tension between these different threads eventually snaps as Max and Danielle have an awkward tryst in the bathroom, whereas Maya eventually also realizes what Danielle has been doing.

There's something quite Woody Allen inspired in this directorial debut from Emma Seligman. That particularly comes across in the way the environment in the Shiva is portrayed and characterized, and how the relationships between these characters starts coming to life. It's reminiscent of "Hannah and Her Sisters" somehow, without the polish nor the smartly interwoven relationships, but nonetheless the ability to amalgamate all these familial and sexual relationships draws parallels to that classic film from the 1980s. Emma Seligman smartly confines most of the film to a single space, creating a claustrophobic environment for this young woman who is coming to terms with her past and current choices, all of which suddenly catch up with her. The growing tension also comes from her secrets and the double life she chooses to disclose to her parents, who are intent in "solving her life". None of these threads are particularly new, but the writer/director does manage to bring authenticity and a pulse to these situations, even if some of them feel a bit forced. The film does falter a bit particularly when it comes to making the past relationship between Danielle and Maya believable: they mostly feel like high school colleagues, less so than past romantic partners. And while Rachel Sennott has become a talented performer/actress, here in particular she feels incapable of demonstrating the fractured reality in which Danielle seems to exist, though she does excel at capturing the pressure and demands her overbearing parents put on her. The film stretches itself on a rather thin premise, and the script could have expanded on the supporting characters quite a bit more, but it's still able to hold the attention based on that central portrayal of a young woman on a verge of a nervous breakdown. The supporting cast is solid, particularly Fred Melamed and Polly Draper, though Molly Gordon and Jackie Hoffman are also well cast in their roles. The production team is rather generic and not particularly memorable. It's a watchable debut for a director who has already produced and released a far more promising sophomore directorial endeavor.

Red Rocket

Movie Name: Red Rocket
Year of Release: 2021
Director: Sean Baker
Starring: Simon Rex, Bree Elrod, Suzanna Son, Brenda Deiss, Judy Hill, Brittney Rodriguez, Ethan Darbone, Shih-Ching Tsou, David Maxwell
Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7
Watch it on Amazon

Synopsis and Review

Following the critically acclaimed "The Florida Project", editor/writer/director Sean Baker returned with "Red Rocket" which had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival of 2021. The film follows the story of Mikey "Saber" Davies, whom we first encounter on a city bus, being dropped off in Texas City (his original hometown). He walks to a modest home where he reconnects with a woman who has no desire to interact with him, and that we soon find out is his wife. Lexi is living with her mom and makes ends meet by doing sex work. As it turns out, Mikey is a former pornstar, the same going for Lexi. He eventually convinces her to stay, provided he helps with the expenses and doing some work around the house. While he interviews with a variety of places, his colorful background turns out to be problematic for potential employers. Desperate to find some income, he resorts to Leondria and her daughter June, who supply marijuana around the area (Leondria used to employ him when he was in school for the same type of job). Mikey as it turns out starts making some money, and goes around the area riding his wife's old bicycle. He and Lexi also restart a sexual connection. Mikey manages to save enough to give Lexi's mom a month's rent in advance and takes them to the local donut shop to celebrate. While there he meets Raylee, a young woman working the counter, who is 17 and about to graduate high school. He becomes enamored of her and finds out she goes by Strawberry. As their relationship deepens, Mikey envisions persuading Strawberry to get into the adult business and then making their way back to LA.  

Sean Baker has made a career for himself by focusing his attention on characters that can be considered marginalized by society. That was the case with "Tangerine", which continued with "The Florida Project", and also "Red Rocket". It's not exactly misery porn, but he definitely finds something fascinating about the lives of those who exist in the fringes of the acceptable or what can be deemed conventional. And for the most part that has served him quite well. His films have the distinct power of feeling authentic and honest, demonstrating that no matter what circumstances people find themselves in, some aspects and challenges are universal. His characters may live on the fringes of what is deemed "correct", but their aspirations, dreams, and obstacles, are very real, and very similar to any other individual. "Red Rocket" operates under the same guise, with Mikey being a self deluded man who simply refuses to grow up, who still lives under the assumption and expectation that his porn glory will return or be recaptured. He is aware of the challenges he lives under, but he is also unwilling to compromise or find a different direction for himself. While he may off that world, he longs to be back in it, since he believes that's where his success lies, and where he can be somewhat protected from the rest of the world. That subset of reality is both his downfall, but also his security blanket. Sean Baker manages to capture this central character perfectly, with a fantastic central performance from Simon Rex. Mikey is unashamed, but also cowardly moving through life, hoping for the next big moment to be his comeback to a life that seems to be the only one meaningful for him. He leaves a trail of messiness on his path, but his charisma manage to get him out of tough situations. The film perfectly captures this barely there living for people with very few expectations and dreams, and does so in a way that feels very genuine and lived in. The cast is great, particularly the wonderful Simon Rex who is both charming and repulsive, a far cry from the goofy George he played for David Zucker in "Scary Movie 3". He gets great support from Bree Elrod and Suzanna Son, though the supporting characters could have benefited from some additional color/development. The production team is equally solid, including Drew Daniels' cinematography and Stephonik's production design. It may be a low budget endeavor, but it's a film that is finely crafted, with solid performances, and a nicely drawn central character. 

Music with an Impact - 2025

2025 had some solid music releases, but I also ended up buying and listening to albums from artists I've been a fan of for some time, but albums they had released in prior years. Some of these releases were brand new discoveries, such as Salami Rose Joe Louis and her great album "Lorings", while others such as Chuck Johnson's were albums who had been out for a bit, but that I had never heard before. It was an all around interesting year for music, even if this year in particular most of my favorites came from albums released in other years. The links for each of these releases and artists are included below.

Ocean Moon - Ways to the Deep Meadow
Donato Dozzy - Magda
Salami Rose Joe Louis - Lorings
Geotic - Realms
Hekla - Turnar
Steve Hauschildt - S/H
Four Tet - Morning / Evening
Barker - Stochastic Drift
Golden Retriever & Chuck Johnson - Rain Shadow
Djrum - Meaning's Edge
Rival Consoles - Night Melody
Blanck Mass - World Eater

Best Films of 2024

2024 had a meager qualitative output in my humble opinion. However, some of the releases were impactful and memorable. Here's my list of favorite films for 2024. 

Challengers

Director: Luca Guadagnino

Dune Part II

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Ainda Estou Aqui/I'm Still Here

Director: Walter Salles

Longlegs

Director: Osgood Perkins

Love Lies Bleeding

Director: Rose Glass

Maria

Director: Pablo Larrain

The Outrun

Director: Nora Fingscheidt

The Room Next Door

Director: Pedro Almodovar

The Substance

Director: Coralie Fargeat

Favorite Performance of the Year: Demi Moore ("The Substance") (with other highlights for the year going to Angelina Jolie for "Maria", Tilda Swinton for "The Room Next Door", and Saoirse Ronan for "The Outrun").

Favorite Supporting Performance of the Year: Alicia Witt ("Longlegs") (with a strong highlight for Julianne Moore for "The Room Next Door", Rebecca Ferguson for "Dune Part II", and Selton Mello for "Ainda Estou Aqui/I'm Still Here")

Favorite Cinematography: Sayombhu Mukdeeprom ("Challengers")

Favorite Score of the Year: Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross ("Challengers")

Favorite Production Design of the Year: Patrice Vermette ("Dune Part II")

Favorite Costume Design of the Year: Jacqueline West ("Dune Part II")

Favorite Director of the Year: Coralie Fargeat ("The Substance") (with a strong highlight for Pedro Almodovar for "The Room Next Door" and Denis Villeneuve for "Dune Part II")