Films I watched in September.

Hello!

It has been 7 months since my last post, but that's barely a pre-production timeline in the film world.

“For me, filmmaking combines everything. That’s the reason I’ve made cinema my life’s work. In films, painting and literature, theatre and music come together. But a film is still a film.”

This quote from Akira Kurosawa was the one that changed my life because the master director made such a grandiose point about filmmaking and how it's the culmination of the seven art forms, yet he reads it as a paradox, containing the art form as just that: an art form. Some days I'd read it as an inspiration: an invitation to make films regardless of how real life is because it is your world, your words, your actions in a reality separate from your own. On other days, when real life does get in the way, I'd read it as an affirmation: you don't let a contained piece of art control other facets of your life.

I haven't watched as many films this year as I did last year. I already failed the 1 movie-a-day challenge I set for myself in 2021 and 2022, which is all the more derisive since 2023 has been a really good year for film. I put my career on pause for 6 months. I didn’t have an internship for the first semester in my college years so far. I didn't go on set. I didn't make a movie. I didn't write a single script.

And yet, I have felt more fulfilled.

I moved to England to study abroad. I watched a play every week for 6 months as part of my studies. I travelled more, and read more. I went to Old Trafford for the first time, I cried when I saw the field. I learnt about K-Pop. I made meaningful connections in my life and I socialized with people from all over the world, industry or otherwise, through Zoom and in-person. And I got to spend time with my favorite person in the world, getting to see a different side of my life, through her eyes in a small dorm room in Leeds. At the end of it all, I still got a job in the industry at the company I had dreamt of since I was a kid.

And I grabbed a pint with Paul Mescal. I don't think I'd ever have done that had I just stayed in New York.

A film is just a film, but it's up to you to interpret it however you want. I stepped out of my comfort zone, saw something new, and I am the happiest I have ever been even when film wasn't the number one thing in my life. Even if you don't watch many films, I hope they bring you joy wherever and however you may watch them.

And now the readers clamor: So what did you watch in September, Chi?

This is a brand new series to recommend to you, dear readers, the most interesting films that I watch in any given month. As per usual, the films will be accompanied by how I would recommend it to someone, not the actual consensus of the film. There will also be a small synopsis, and a subsection called “Why This Film” to explain why I chose that specific film. If you are interested in my entire ranking of this year’s list of films, you can find it right here on Letterboxd.

Let's get crackin', shall we?

FAIR PLAY - “The sexiest hedge fund faceoff since Ryan Gosling and Steve Carrell in The Big Short"

Synopsis: After an unexpected promotion occurs at their cutthroat hedge fund company, Luke (Alden Ehrenreich) and Emily’s (Phoebe Dynevor) relationship is pushed to its brink in this nail-biting erotic thriller.

Why This Film: Something about films about two people talking really intensely, especially in New York, that just hit a sweet spot for me; so too do films about Wall Street analysts suffering, statistical analysis and financially shorting big companies (looking at you, Dumb Money!).

Between Celine Song's Past Lives, Annie Baker's Janet Planet, Molly Gordon's Theater Camp and now Chloe Domont's Fair Play, 2023 has been a scorching year for female directorial debuts. Sexy, confident, and above all entertaining, Fair Play is an edge-of-your-seat experience about 20-something analysts in New York thriving, or not, in a competitive Wall Street environment.

Far removed from his unfortunate turn in the Star Wars universe, Ehrenreich follows up his standout appearances in Oppenheimer and Cocaine Bear with an intoxicating display of fragile male ego as Luke, while Dynevor commands the screen as Emily, struggling to balance between her newfound social status and her supposedly inferior position in her relationship. It does suffer from a lack of direction coming into the third act, but the journey to get there is so deliciously gripping that you can forgive its few faults and enjoy the ride.

Coming out on October 6th on Netflix after a fierce bidding war at Sundance, this is primetime television and a thought-provoking, yet surprisingly enjoyable, watch for the masses. Absolute recommend for tech bros, stock brokers, or tech bro-stock broker couples.

THE WONDERFUL STORY OF HENRY SUGAR - “The most decadent bite of homage and ode you will ever see on Netflix"

Synopsis: A rich man (Benedict Cumberbatch) learns about a guru who could see without using his eyes, and sets out to master the skill in order to cheat at gambling. A Wes Anderson film.

Why This Film: Wes Anderson being given a blank check to do short films just makes so much sense.

Following the one-two anthology/anthology-adjacent punch in The French Dispatch and Asteroid City (the latter being one of his finest works if I might add), Wes Anderson finally embraces his love for short-form storytelling by releasing 4 different, stylistically consistent short films based on story collections by Roald Dahl, all of which might have pop up on your Netflix homepage.

And what a delight this was.

Essentially a stylized stageplay, not that it's a bad thing, The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar is 37 minutes of pure love and effort displayed on screen, with stories within stories within stories packing a flavorful punch as each layer is peeled off then put back together. Grand in scale yet even bigger in emotions, it should be a given at this point that you aren't coming to a Wes Anderson film for its plot but rather how that plot is portrayed visually, and Henry Sugar is an overwhelming exercise in style, color, transitions, hidden cuts, and extravagant production design, anchored by a towering Benedict Cumberbatch performance. Never has there been a better coupling of actor, director and author than these three, and its ending will leave you with a gentle note in the back of your throat, just enough to stay sweet, but just impactful enough to be bitter.

It's not going to convert many for Anderson's style, but it's a wonderful palate cleanser and a welcomed change of pace from Anderson's features.

KIKI'S DELIVERY SERVICE - “Find your place in the world, little witch.”

Synopsis: After losing her powers, a young witch must learn to overcome her self-doubts and find her place in the moving world.

Why This Film: With Hayao Miyazaki's supposed final film, The Boy and The Heron, coming out at TIFF this past month, it was right for me to revisit what I think is his finest hour in Kiki's Delivery Service.

And boy, did it hit differently.

There is a tranquil beauty to Miyazaki's films on top of all the magical stuff that happens, a quietness that I didn't fully appreciate when I was younger. A story about overcoming yourself as much as it is about becoming independent as you grow older, Kiki's Delivery Service is comfortable in its own skin, delightfully vulnerable and whimsically mundane (however contrary that may sound), something that we wouldn't fully see again in Miyazaki's works until The Wind Rises.

And the music! OH THE MUSIC!

Put this vintage classic on again for the ride of your childhood to sprint through again, a laid-back rush of emotions to the head and the heart.

SUNDOWN - “Nothing happens".

Synopsis: A wealthy man (Tim Roth) is vacationing with loved ones at a resort in Acapulco, Mexico until he receives a phone call. There's been a death in the family, and everyone must return home. However, the man pretends to lose his passport, which delays his return.

Why This Film: Sundown was one of my first cinematic experiences in the U.S., and I was untouched: nothing truly happens in the film.

But such is grief.

Tim Roth's despondent performance, filled with subtle facial cues and an admirably controlled sense of chaos, powers the film's sense of abject nothingness; he never leaves the screen, and the audience sees everything through his apathetic eyes. Whether such indifference is borne of grief, lack of sympathy, or overwhelming wealth, we don’t get to puncture Roth's armor even once throughout the film, which keeps us at arms' length for its slim 85 minute runtime. But such an exercise in observational apathy was perhaps the best route for this movie to take, slow burning its way to an impactful conclusion where, yet again, nothing really happens.

A vibey slow-burn about a man just trying to drift through life, Sundown might not be the most accessible watch on this list, but it is a rewarding one that is bound to drift in and out of your brain for days to come.

A HAUNTING IN VENICE - “Branagh finally got it, that son of a bitch.”

Synopsis: When a seance in a haunted Venice mansion results in the death of one of its inhabitants, it is up to the mustachioed Hercule Poirot (a glorious Kenneth Branagh) to figure out the murderer before the ghosts of his past catch up to him.

Why This Film: Sometimes you don't need every film to be a statement of art. Sometimes seeing Kenneth Branagh duel Michelle Yeoh in a creepily entertaining, old-fashioned whodunnit is the best way to understand the power of cinema.

Following the lacklustre Murder on The Orient Express and Death On The Nile, Branagh finally cracked the case (pun intended!) on Agatha Christie's famed novels, coupling his surehand direction with some legitimately creepy set pieces, atmospheric production design, and as expected in these ensemble whodunnits, an all-star acting showcase for its cast. Bringing in a supernatural horror twist to Christie's dusty Hallowe'en Party was an inspired decision, as Branagh balances the melodrama and monologues with semi-intense scares and a gripping mystery.

Granted, it could have gone much further in that direction and benefitted from it, but as a child-friendly Halloween watch with just enough nuance for the adults, A Haunting In Venice lavishly delivers a can't-skip cable watch for the family.

INSIDE THE YELLOW COCOON SHELL - “A 3-hour meditation session.”

Synopsis: When his sister-in-law unexpectedly dies, Thien must return to his hometown and find his long-lost brother.

Why This Film: Prior to my screening at NYFF, director Pham Thien An came out and had this to say about the film: “I hope you can relax and immerse yourself into the magical world of this film”. If that’s too vague of an explanation, understandably, then this quote from Christopher Nolan’s Tenet can wrap this film up just as well: “Don’t try to understand it. Feel it.”

Selected as part of the New York Film Festival, Inside The Yellow Cocoon Shell also won the Camera D’or at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the award going to the best debut feature film. A quiet, epic, meditative dive into a world of grief, spirituality, and faith, this is a staggering achievement for a debut feature. The film’s long shots are masterfully crafted through a combination of subtle staging, sweeping camera movements, and amazing performances, and linger on as if to lure you into a state of hypnosis, or a false sense of security if one gets nervy. The plot isn’t so much the driving force of the film as it is a framing device, as the synopsis pretty much tells you the entire story; how it gets to certain beats in the story is the thing that will grab your attention.

An’s short, Stay Awake, Be Ready, shot as a proof of concept for the feature, provides a window into his filmmaking technique, and how he has evolved its style into a full-fledge, daring ambition. Granted, it’s not a film for everyone, but you could do much worse than immerse yourself in this magical world of majestic Vietnamese landscape.

FOLKLORE: THE LONG POND STUDIO SESSIONS - “You know what let me just listen to Taylor Swift for the next 17 years”

Synopsis: Taylor Swift gives live performances of her Folklore album at Long Pond Studio, accompanied by Aaron Dessner and Jack Antonoff.

Why This Film: Being a Swiftie is like being on permanent drugs: just high after high after high.

In time for the record-breaking Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour concert film, Folklore: The Long Pond Studio Sessions is a spectacularly-rendered Covid concert film, bastardized as a quasi-documentary. It is the breeziest watch on this list, and does not aim to be high art in the slightest, even though Swift’s amazing vocals and earworm melodies beg to differ. While we are only offered skin-deep looks at the megastar, par for the course for a Disney+ documentary, this plays into your favor if your songwriting capabilities rival that of Swift’s: it’s her soulful lyrics and sonically-layered compositions that do most of the talking, telling love stories and tales of grief, abandonment and healing that resonate deeply even without a script or dialogue.

Honestly, the first 45 minutes (i.e. the first 9 songs on the album) are probably more rewatchable than that of any film on the list. Just put it on and drift away why don’t ya?

BREATHLESS - “Existential rush to the head”.

Synopsis: After killing a police officer, street-tough Michel (Jean-Paul Belmondo) runs away from the police with his lover Patricia (Jean Seberg).

Why This Film: “They don’t make films like they used to”.

Shown at the historical Metrograph in NYC this past September, Jean Luc-Godard’s debut feature Breathless was greeted with a packed house full of film students, French people and older-skewing cinephiles, and me! The film took the entire auditorium’s breath away (no pun intended), with a handheld style of cinematography so relentless that audible gasps from the audience could still be heard through its bombastic sound design. Running a slick 90 minutes, this had all the hallmarks of a debut feature, from the experimental jump cuts to a precocious sense of youthful intrigue, but also early imprints of Godard’s existentialist style that defined the French New Wave so impressively.

I was not familiar with Godard’s filmography prior to this, but now I suddenly have 50 years worth of film to check out.

—-----

And that is all for September, a mix of modern dramas, crowd pleasing documentaries and old nostalgic punches. Stay tuned for October, the season bringing out the New York Film Festival and a fleet of impressive auteur offerings.

‘Til next time!