Andrei
@andreimartin
data, films, music, theatre, tennis, travel 🇵🇭🇦🇺 FREE PALESTINE 🍉
This Japanese curry plate with crispy tofu, mushroom, and avocado is a vegetarian dream dish #melbourne
Is it a feel-good movie with a silly plot? Yes Was I crying by the end? Also yes
Even the simplest of dreams, like the beauty of flowers, can wilt under the weight of a world that's stacked against you. FUNERAL FLOWERS holds that fragility with delicate restraint. Lucy Ansell is a powerhouse in this heartbreaking work on innocence trapped by the direst of circumstances.
If convoluted conspiracy theories are your thing, then eight episodes of I WILL FIND YOU can be a good multitasking background. I still found it enjoyable, especially if one can get past minor illogical details and a supporting cast with inconsistent performances.
Today I had a crash course in co-fermentation, where coffee beans are fermented alongside fruit to develop distinctive flavours. Peak Melbourne.
MACKENZIE brings Macbeth's themes of ambition and destruction into the unhinged world of teenage celebrity stardom. The result is a hysterical, non-stop comedy of Shakespeare crashing into High School Musical and Lizzie McGuire. One of the most fun theatrical productions in recent memory. #melbourne
I had high hopes for UNMARRY. Panganiban the most versatile Filipino actress of her generation. Martinez is one of the wittiest Filipino filmmakers with a sharp instinct for social commentary. And Jeturian, whose body of work can be hit or miss, directed one of my favourite meta films, Tuhog.
EXIT 8 is an Escher-inspired allegory of guilt that works as a creepy, trippy horror film. The videogame adaptation is also a technical feat of filmmaking, featuring some remarkably creative and puzzling — pun intended — single-shot sequences.
The Odyssey has joined my ranking of favourite Nolan and Villeneuve films boxd.it/VNKc0
If one film gets to reclaim the overused word epic, it has to be Nolan's THE ODYSSEY. Every sequence oozes technical brilliance, and every member of the cast brings weight to a story told on such a scale. An immersive journey in every sense with a final payoff that is monumental and totally earned.
Despite the uneven tone and dated musical score, MAXIMUM PLEASURE GUARANTEED was quite an enjoyable series. The resolution also seemed too straightforward for such a convoluted plot, but the storytelling has mastered the art of cliffhangers and misdirection.
Sean Baker's masterpiece about families slipping through the cracks of urban America, told through the eyes of innocent, mischievous kids, is equally charming and heartbreaking. THE FLORIDA PROJECT is a film that lingers, with Willem Dafoe's character beautifully anchoring its tender helplessness.
If you can stomach old-school grindhouse horror, PENNY LANE IS DEAD is a wildly entertaining watch. The villains are deliberately caricaturish, but the topnotch suspense and soundtrack give the film style and momentum, while its queer twist on the final girl trope keeps it playful and subversive.
ALL HER FAULT seems like a flashy commentary on class and the gendered expectations of parenting, but the resolution hints at influences from Scandinavian noir. Guilt, a recurring theme throughout the series, was also handled thoughtfully, resulting in an entertaining, well-acted suspense drama.
The anticipation of a deeper rupture was never fully satisfied, but the awkward, sensual comedy THE INVITE was a nonstop hoot.
Despite being cartoonish, the mythology around Mr. Le Bail is deliciously colourful, and its expansion makes for the perfect premise in the sequel. I think Radio Silence made the perfect follow-up to an already classic comedy slasher, and somehow I regret not watching READY OR NOT 2 in cinemas.
It may not have the colourful mythology of Ready or Not nor the classy choreography of Kill Bill, but THEY WILL KILL YOU is one enjoyable campy horror. The uninspired and one-dimensional protagonist actually ends up as a surreal badass final girl.
The sharp comedic timing and engaging storytelling elevate WIDOW’S BAY’S take on Americana folklore. The entire cast is perfectly pitched, while its best horror moments are genuinely moody and atmospheric.
Revisited PERSEPOLIS after the passing of Marjane Satrapi. Still as relevant as it was when released two decades ago. A cathartic animated film, it narrates the personal aftermath of imperialism, thanks to Western interference, which created the oppressive regime that Iranians resist until today.
BAIT feels like a deeply personal yet hilarious exploration of identity in a colonial world, where stories are filtered through Hollywood gossip and social media. It is rich in symbolism while still working perfectly as a comedy series.
If you have dated Paul Mescal or look like him, today is the day to release new music. 🎶
SOME NIGHTS I FEEL LIKE WALKING is far from your usual road trip film. Raw and visually captivating, it traces sex work and chosen family through the urban streets of the Philippines. The acting and writing have flaws, but the visceral experience takes you places. Courageous filmmaking.
LEVITICUS feels original in how it uses the horrors of a backward society and religious dogma to frame a coming-of-age story outside heteronormativity. I just wish it delivered more scares. There's an intention to centre the tender yet fearful experiences, but it sacrificed both pacing and dialogue.
Studios have grown so dependent on existing IP that sequels and franchises have become tired and repetitive. That's why it's a surprise that Disney and Pixar came up with something fresh and captivating in HOPPERS, an inspired human-animal crossover adventure that's hilarious and socially resonant.