Robert Pattinson II: High Life 👨🏻🚀
In theaters today: Netflix's 'Marriage Story' // In movie news: James Dean back from the dead?
🍁 Happy Wednesday! You made it halfway through the week!
Today, we’re continuing our week dedicated to movies starring Robert Pattinson with an overlooked gem from earlier this year. Also, I give you my review of Netflix’s latest movie in theaters today.
But first, screen icon James Dean will be resurrected from the dead using CGI to star in a Vietnam War drama. Cool or creepy? Let me know what you think by replying.
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Okay, here’s day 2️⃣.
Today’s movie: High Life
STREAMING ON PRIME VIDEO
What it’s about: Monte (Robert Pattinson) and his infant daughter are the sole survivors of a voyage into deep space that went awry. Told in a non-linear narrative, High Life unravels what led to the mission’s demise and Monte’s struggle to keep him and his daughter alive.
Why you should watch it: Hmmm… how do I describe High Life? Much like past recommendation Annihilation, it’s more of an experience. It’s a puzzle that needs to be solved. However, it’s more opaque, confusing, terrifying, and bizarre than any high concept sci-fi I’ve seen. Whether or not that’s a good thing is really up to you. It could keep you engaged and digging for meaning, or you could see it as pointless. Either way, it’s some of the bravest and boldest filmmaking of the year, for sure. That alone makes it worth a watch.
Details: 🎬 Claire Denis // ⏳ 110 minutes // 🗓 2019 // 📺 Trailer
Fun fact: The movie is Denis’ first in English after directing thirteen in French. The reason? She couldn’t imagine people speaking French in space.
Also available on: Prime Video | iTunes | YouTube
In theaters: Marriage Story 💔
What it’s about: Actress Nicole (Scarlett Johannson) and director Charlie (Adam Driver) call it quits after years of marriage — during which they had an 8-year-old son (Azhy Robertson) and created an Off-Broadway theater company in New York. And though the split was amicable, it quickly devolves into a messy bicoastal divorce that pits New York against LA.
Some thoughts:
When I first watched Marriage Story last month at NYFF, I was just a few weeks out from a breakup. So to say this hit me emotionally is an understatement. In particular, Baumbach gets so much right about the psychology of relationships — how they change us and how we change for them.
This is a movie about the process of divorce and how messy it is — morally and legally. At one point, Nicole’s lawyer Nora (Laura Dern) and Charlie’s lawyer Jay (Ray Liotta) go up against each other in court by twisting things Nicole and Charlie have said about each other in increasing preposterous ways to smear the other’s reputation. It highlights the need for a divorce to be messy to actually work. In the case of Charlie and Nicole, it’s a wakeup call.
As dramatic and emotional of a subject divorce is, the movie is also incredibly funny. It even has one of the funniest scenes of the year involving Driver’s Charlie, a knife, and an ill-timed visit from a family counselor.
It seems like a nearly impossible feat to make a 136-minutes movie about a divorce entertaining, but it is. The process is inherently silly and the things we do make no sense. The way people around us react doesn’t help, but it just exposes truths about life — it’s consistently inconsistent. As messy and devastating as the process of breaking up is, it makes you feel alive. Maybe it’s a good thing in the long run.
One of my top three movies of the year.
Should you watch it? ✅ Yes! You can read my full review here.
Details: 🎬 Noah Baumbach // ⏳ 136 minutes // 🗓 2019 // 📺 Trailer
Fun fact: Dern’s character is based on the divorce lawyer who represented her and Scarlett Johannson in their respective divorces.
Have a great night!
Karl (@karl_delo)