mathildea

Hauntingly beautiful though the script is not always as convincing I would have liked it to be. The imagery, performances and sound design are gorgeous.

Beautiful. This is the best film I have ever seen on the banality of evil, and on the effects of extreme compartmentalization on empathy. It is almost a negative of banal materialistic dreams, deformed, monstrous in plain daylight. It is about two stories, the one we hear and the one we see, in constant dialog and dissonance. It is gut wrenching, terrible and an essential watch.

One of the most personally impactful movies I have seen this year. Witty, existential, funny. The movie is incredibly efficient, sharp, and layered philosophically. It deserves all of the attention. It is a great post COVID movie and is technically inventive.

An instant winter classic. It is beautiful and it successfully project us within a specific time and frame, though everything it expresses is universal. I still felt there was an ingredient missing to the magic, to push this from very good to great, something I found in 2000's Almost Famous.

A fascinating and haunting study of empathy (or lack thereof), and forms of manipulation. The performances are incredible, and the surprising use of the soundtrack elevate the movie, and displace then replace our attention, helping the movie's rhythm. It's witty, sharp, at times funny, and always thought-provoking.

An intimate portrayal of fascination turning into love, girlhood in evolution towards womanhood, of the turn towards independence. Almost Proust-like, in the depiction of forms of captivity and of a journey towards self-discovery. The background and otherness (violent, intense, tragic) is always felt but never takes the main stage.

Compelling, surprising, chilling. However there seems to be an act mission within the movie - perhaps a missed opportunity within the translation from book to movie scrip.

Powerful, with a relentless and original score and sounds. The jump scares and specific use of rhythm within the movie are interesting and leave space for the real horror, the existential and social ones - made even more compelling by the performances. There are some true moments of grace within the length of the movie.

Extraordinary. Intimate and violent - entirely compelling if perhaps a bit long. The many nuances to violence (this opening!) are rarely shown in that way.

If you love Miyazaki's codes and world-building, this is one of his masterpieces. It lingers with you way after the movie ends.

Hit or miss at times, trying a bit too hard in the first part - but there are several moments of grace within the run time which made the movie and experience worth it.

I really wanted to love it. Oh well. At least the costumes are great and the cast gave it their all - but this is so exploitative and self-satisfied.