What I Watched Last Week
Close, Triangle of Sadness, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Bill Russell: Legend, Shrinking, The Last of Us ... and some good news!
I’m trying out a new type of post this week. I’d love to hear what you all think of this format.
I saw two Oscar nominees last week. Close, Belgium’s submission for International Feature and Triangle of Sadness, which is nominated for Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture. Here’s what I thought of each.
Close
Lukas Dhont’s Close is an intimate narrative about 13-year-old boys Léo (Eden Dambrine) and Rémis (Gustav De Waele). The two best friends are inseparable, sleeping in the same bed during routine sleepovers and biking to school together every day. But when homophobic classmates at school start asking if they’re a couple and teasing them, Léo begins to distance himself and make new friends. The wedge driven between the two has tragic consequences.
I feel very lukewarm about the film. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. It’s not necessarily a movie I’d rewatch, but I’m glad I saw it. It’s a beautifully shot film, but at times it feels like it’s trying too hard to manipulate the viewer’s emotions. If you’re a big fan of international cinema, I’d recommend it. Otherwise, it’s probably not worth your time.
Triangle of Sadness
Written and Directed by Ruben Östlund, Triangle of Sadness follows the Instagram model/influencer couple, Carl (Harris Dickinson) and Yaya (Charlbi Dean). Side note, Charlbi Dean passed away tragically after the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, before it was distributed worldwide.
The movie begins with a male model casting session where we meet Carl. We’re then quickly acquainted with Yaya while on a dinner date with Carl. The bill arrives, and Yaya stares at her phone while Carl glances back and forth between her and the bill. The day before, Yaya had promised to pay for dinner but is now acting oblivious to get Carl to pay. An argument erupts, and Yaya throws down her card only for it to get declined. The couple’s intense argument about money sets the rest of the movie up well. However, they also discuss gender roles which is a subject almost completely abandoned after some brief but very compelling dialogue.
The film is divided into three parts, each of which could stand alone as their own short films and be quite enjoyable. The first focuses on Carl and Yaya as they argue about money and gender roles following their contentious dinner. The second takes place on a luxury cruise, Yaya has been given free tickets to promote it on her social media. The money conversation is explored in more depth on the Yacht — filled with uber-rich, mostly geriatric patrons. The final act takes place on an island, and that’s all I’ll say to avoid spoilers.
The crux of the film is a lavish dinner party that takes place during a storm and quickly turns into a humbling experience for the out-of-touch passengers. There is more on-screen vomit than I’ve ever seen, but I hesitate to call it gratuitous. It was akin to those Family Guy bits like Peter and the chicken fighting or Peter nursing a scraped knee that you keep thinking are going to end, but as they go on and on, they kind of grow funnier.
I enjoyed the movie, however, I don’t think it has any shot at winning any of its three nominations. Don’t get me wrong, it deserves to be in the field, but the other films it’s up against are markedly better.
Ahead of Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny, releasing June 30, 2023, I am re-watching the first four movies of the series.
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Last week I revisited Raiders of the Lost Ark and it was a delight. Aside from the 1981 special effects (we’ve been so spoiled by modern effects!), the movie is awesome and Harrison Ford is the quintessential action hero.
We got an amazing Super Bowl on Sunday (congrats Chiefs fans)! Even though it was Super Bowl week, the NBA dominated the sports headlines leading up to the weekend. On Tuesday LeBron became the all-time leading scorer in NBA history. The Thursday trade deadline saw some of the craziest action in recent years including Kyrie to the Mavs, KD to the Suns, and more. Also, the new two-part Bill Russell documentary dropped on Netflix on Wednesday. Here’s what I thought of the doc.
Bill Russell: Legend
Bill Russell passed away last July after an incredibly impactful life of basketball and activism. The man literally had more NBA championship rings than fingers (11), two of which he won as a player-coach! He was also active in the civil rights movement, publicly supporting Muhamad Ali’s refusal to serve in the Vietnam war, and speaking out on injustices at a time in which doing so was often a matter of life and death.
The doc is great. It includes interviews with current and former NBA players talking about his legacy, clips of Russell himself, and excerpts of his writings read by Jeffery Wright. The most impactful parts for me were about the intense racism he endured. Shaq says in the documentary that he would never have been able to go through what Russell went through, adding that none of the guys in the league today would have been able to endure what Russell endured. His house in Reading, a suburb of Boston, would regularly get vandalized, even after he’d won multiple championships for the city.
I was left yearning for more though. The movie presents a great amount of information on his playing career and activism. But in just two parts and a little over three hours of total run time, I would have liked to learn even more. It would have been nice to get more in-depth looks at his championship runs, especially the seasons he was player-coach following Red Auerbach’s retirement. As well done as the two parts were, I think Russell’s life could have filled at least two more hours without losing my interest.
There’s some great TV on right now. Here are my two favorites.
Shrinking
I love this show more and more each week. Jason Seigle is hilarious. The way he expresses grief in each episode is so unique. I love every character, but especially Harrison Ford’s Paul and Seigle’s Jimmy. To me, their dynamic is what makes the show so great. Paul is the stoic mentor who keeps his feelings inside, while Jimmy is the overly emotional type who can’t stop telling everyone how he feels.
Something I find amazing is how different it is from Ted Lasso while feeling so similar. Bill Lawrence’s fingerprints are clearly all over the show and I can’t get enough.
The Last of Us
I haven’t played the game, which I think is making it even more enjoyable since I have no idea what’s going to happen. It is an insightful and immersive viewing experience. Insightful in the sense that it’s really making me contemplate human nature and what would happen if an outbreak decimated the world. Immersive in the sense that I’m sucked into the world each week, unlike any show I can remember since Game of Thrones.
Pedro Pascal is phenomenal. Each episode seems to get better, and episode three, Long, Long Time, could stand on its own as an award-worthy film. Episode four is probably my favorite so far but I’ll avoid spoilers for those who have yet to start the show. (If that’s you what are you waiting for?!)
Finally, Ted Lasso announced its season 3 premiere date! The 12-episode season will begin on March 15. Check out the trailer below.
I’d love to hear what you think of this new format. I’m thinking of incorporating some more features like this in addition to reviews and watchlists.