A Month in Film: March 2025Jason Bourne (2016)
My biggest takeaway from this one is an unfortunate one... there really isn't anywhere to go with this franchise. While the compelling leads from the original trilogy are mostly back, it's pretty evident from a writing perspective that there's nowhere to take these characters at this point. The Vegas car chase sure looked expensive though!
And a more personal side note, given my background in tech, it's fascinating to see a Hollywood generalization of what the tech world was like a decade ago. Pretty clear that privacy and social responsibility were top of mind back then. Fast-forward ten years, if this movie were to be made now, it would almost certainly have an AI angle to it. À la Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.
Watched on 4K blu-ray.
And a more personal side note, given my background in tech, it's fascinating to see a Hollywood generalization of what the tech world was like a decade ago. Pretty clear that privacy and social responsibility were top of mind back then. Fast-forward ten years, if this movie were to be made now, it would almost certainly have an AI angle to it. À la Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning.
Watched on 4K blu-ray.
Ali (2001)
This was my last remaining unwatched Michael Mann feature film; my final horcrux in his filmography if you will. At least until Heat 2 comes out. The mood and the editing are total giveaways that this is a Mann film. We've all seen biopics of all sorts of notable people in history, but what I really think stands out with this one is its focus on the "now". It really hones in on Ali's most significant years, quite effectively I would say, rather than meandering through his entire life story -- while that can be done effectively (Amadeus comes to mind first), many do feel bloated (Napoleon, Elvis as recent examples). Mann has repeatedly taken a keen interest in figures he may share some self-identification with, particularly with his latest, Ferrari. I get the sense here that Mann is aligning himself generally with the fight to be one of the greats, while doing it all on one's own terms.
Watched on the Criterion Channel. The channel is doing a feature on Mann this month; now that's some can't miss programming!
Watched on the Criterion Channel. The channel is doing a feature on Mann this month; now that's some can't miss programming!
Red River (1948)
If there's one thing I could point to that make westerns a sort of comfort watch, it would be the simplicity and vastness of it all; vistas stretching beyond the mind's imagination, in worlds untouched by modern problems. The charm in this one is that it has these characteristics in spades, really taking place almost entirely in the natural world, beyond the seedy towns of the wild west. It's almost a warning, leveraging a withering father/son relationship to point at the incredulous greed that looms large in the fabric of the American frontier.
Watched on the Criterion Channel.
Watched on the Criterion Channel.
Down with Love (2003)
I'll admit that I'm entirely unfamiliar with the Rock Hudson and Doris Day comedies of the 60s that this one is spoofing. It's clever how it acknowledges, in the world of courtship, a tendency to latch oneself to a calculated and manipulative self-portrayal. But ultimately, these characters are both just super unlikable, though I feel that that might be part of its appeal in its attempt to subvert rom-com expectations. However, I can't say that it makes for a feel-good watch.
Watched on the Criterion Channel. This would be a good sleeper pick for a boutique label to pick up and release in 4K! The colours and urban views are fantastic, reminiscent of the era it's drawing from.
Watched on the Criterion Channel. This would be a good sleeper pick for a boutique label to pick up and release in 4K! The colours and urban views are fantastic, reminiscent of the era it's drawing from.
The Wailing (2016)
Hmm... I wanted to like this one more, but I think it was too withdrawn in developing the underlying evil in its world. I'm all for a slow burn, but not when it concludes with a bit of a whimper. Though I do applaud it for the way it navigates what it means to be a protector, specifically, the heavy weight of decision making in perilous circumstances under the expectations that come with being a father.
Watched on the Criterion Channel.
Watched on the Criterion Channel.
Mickey 17 (2025)
It's actually shocking just how close this ended up being to what I was expecting. Bong Joon-ho seems to like having more fun with his Hollywood endeavours, which is not a bad thing per se, but I look to him more for his work in thrillers (Memories of Murder, Mother, Parasite of course). But this felt like a lot of his previous ideas repackaged for 2025, as if the super pig from Okja was multiplied, made alien, and plopped into the dystopian world of Snowpiercer. I appreciate the attempt at timely political satire, but it's a surface level effort in that regard. And multiple plotlines that appeared to have potential (yes, the Challengers-esque scene) felt squandered.
Watched in IMAX at Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver. First significant IMAX release of the year in my books! Though I think the trailers and marketing spoiled a lot of the short-lived IMAX appeal in this.
Watched in IMAX at Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver. First significant IMAX release of the year in my books! Though I think the trailers and marketing spoiled a lot of the short-lived IMAX appeal in this.
Picnic at Hanging Rock (1975)
Peter Weir has such a fascinating filmography; it has to be up there with George Miller’s in the unexpected department (but maybe not as unhinged). I'd describe this as a hybrid of Blue Velvet and Dead Poets Society; the latter being a cheap comparison given that it's one of Weir's own later works, but I feel like it has to be pointed out. This one may leave you wanting more, but I would say that's part of the appeal!
Watched at The Cinematheque here in Vancouver; DCP, new restoration!
Watched at The Cinematheque here in Vancouver; DCP, new restoration!
Wanted (2008)
My goodness, I have no idea how this made it out of the writers' room, but I honestly feel like they deserve some credit for that? Disillusioned office worker goes to crazy town with some lore that could have only been cooked up under the influence of something... potent.
Watched on blu-ray.
Watched on blu-ray.
Black Bag (2025)
Taught little thriller right here! A whodunit involving a crew of highly trained professional spies is such a fantastic idea, and could not have been placed in more appropriate hands than those of Steven Soderbergh. The casting here is phenomenal; not too surprising, I might add, since Soderbergh seems to often scoop up the exact leads he needs.
Watched at Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver.
Watched at Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver.
Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)
HEY THAT'S GRANVILLE ISLAND!! But in all seriousness, this is easily one of my favourite entries in the MI series. It marks the start of the modern era of MI films with its strong focus on the set-pieces and stunts, the calibre of which in this film are among the best in the franchise. The tech in the Kremlin scene is just so cool, while Cruise scaling the Burj Khalifa and the ensuing sandstorm are absolutely jawdropping wonders of action filmmaking. The Mumbai act is not as memorable, but I do think the overall package here is a fantastic example of just how well the three act formula works for action flicks (John Wick: Chapter 4 being the finest example of that).
Watched on 4K blu-ray. Reference quality disc here. I attended a screening of TRON: Legacy at the VIFF Centre last year, which was preceded by a panel discussion featuring the sound crew that worked on the film, and they had mentioned that Ghost Protocol had been partially shot right here in Vancouver. Re-watching this now, now having lived in Vancouver, it's really apparent just how seamlessly they were able to transform the city into whatever setting they needed. Also, I'm preparing for the release of Final Reckoning in a couple months, but I decided to start my re-watches here and pass over the first three films this time. Mainly because I feel this is where the franchise really came into its own!
Watched on 4K blu-ray. Reference quality disc here. I attended a screening of TRON: Legacy at the VIFF Centre last year, which was preceded by a panel discussion featuring the sound crew that worked on the film, and they had mentioned that Ghost Protocol had been partially shot right here in Vancouver. Re-watching this now, now having lived in Vancouver, it's really apparent just how seamlessly they were able to transform the city into whatever setting they needed. Also, I'm preparing for the release of Final Reckoning in a couple months, but I decided to start my re-watches here and pass over the first three films this time. Mainly because I feel this is where the franchise really came into its own!
The Wild Bunch (1969)
The western to end all westerns -- even if there's a handful of other films that have just as rightful of a claim to that title (mainly thinking of Once Upon a Time in the West and Unforgiven). Alike Red River in the way it dissects what it means to age against the looming emergence of the new guard, but Sam Peckinpah's cutthroat style, having been freed from the clutches of the Hays Code, makes for such an inherently violent film that I can't help but feel that this really is forcefully closing the curtains on the classic western. So poetic in its suggestion that there maybe really isn't an alternative on the other side when you've truly lived an experience your entire life.
Watched at the VIFF Centre in Vancouver. This was their March 2025 presentation in their Pantheon series. After having read so much about Peckinpah in Quentin Tarantino's Cinema Speculation, I'm glad to finally catch something from his filmography, and in a theatrical setting to boot! This desperately needs a 4K remaster.
"It ain't like it used to be, but it'll do."
The western to end all westerns -- even if there's a handful of other films that have just as rightful of a claim to that title (mainly thinking of Once Upon a Time in the West and Unforgiven). Alike Red River in the way it dissects what it means to age against the looming emergence of the new guard, but Sam Peckinpah's cutthroat style, having been freed from the clutches of the Hays Code, makes for such an inherently violent film that I can't help but feel that this really is forcefully closing the curtains on the classic western. So poetic in its suggestion that there maybe really isn't an alternative on the other side when you've truly lived an experience your entire life.
Watched at the VIFF Centre in Vancouver. This was their March 2025 presentation in their Pantheon series. After having read so much about Peckinpah in Quentin Tarantino's Cinema Speculation, I'm glad to finally catch something from his filmography, and in a theatrical setting to boot! This desperately needs a 4K remaster.
The Love Witch (2016)
A true labour of love; remarkably devoted to homaging just about everything there is to love about classic Technicolor era films, particularly when it comes to colours, costumes, and set pieces, and even everything that has maybe not aged as well from that era, primarily the acting styles. But even the stilted performance style is aptly leveraged into its own brand of comedy.
Watched on the Criterion Channel. This and Down with Love would make for an interesting double feature.
Watched on the Criterion Channel. This and Down with Love would make for an interesting double feature.
Ichi the Killer (2001)
A game of cat and mouse, where the ultimate masochist is chasing down the only sadist on the planet that could possibly give him what he wants. The results are... squishy and gross to say the least. The Y2K special effects got a good chuckle out of me. But I'll throw this up as one that is too disturbing, without enough meat behind it, to get more than a cursory "yeah, they really went out of their way to do that" out of me.
Watched on the Criterion Channel.
Watched on the Criterion Channel.
Novocaine (2025)
Good fun! Cool premise and decent execution. But beyond that, I don't think it's anything much to write home about. Solid fodder to keep theatres running through the winter. Awesome needle drops; I would've hated being tasked to pick the right Caroline Polachek track when "Hit Me Where It Hurts" is sitting right there.
Watched at Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver.
Watched at Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver.
Rear Window (1954)
Undoubtedly an all-timer. Totally brimming with life. The camerawork here is just so methodical, it really draws you in as the lens purveys around in search of something yet to be named; it's like you're living this experience right alongside Jimmy Stewart. Particularly with the climactic scene, which strikes a genuine sense of fear as the suspect approaches through the shadows with no indication of what he's going to do.
Watched on blu-ray. My 4K copy from the Hitchcock volume 1 4K boxset is unfortunately borked; I've attempted it before on my UB820, but it was a struggle. Thought it was an appropriate choice as my first watch in my new apartment.
Watched on blu-ray. My 4K copy from the Hitchcock volume 1 4K boxset is unfortunately borked; I've attempted it before on my UB820, but it was a struggle. Thought it was an appropriate choice as my first watch in my new apartment.
The Tree of Life (2011)
I certainly respect it, but I can't say I empathize with it, as these ideas of faith, familial turmoil, and insurmountable expectations have not been present in my own life. I wish it spent more time exploring what it means to reach great heights yet end up yearning for something simpler, something you may have had before, as that would touch on a more basic but possibly more universally shared sentiment. It's truly a remarkable feat visually though, which is no surprise coming from Terrence Malick (Days of Heaven is jaw-dropping). I imagine this would be stunning in IMAX.
Watched on blu-ray. Hooray for physical media when there's no internet!
Watched on blu-ray. Hooray for physical media when there's no internet!
