February was not as prolific as imagined. Only plenty of films were released (especially in accordance to the Oscar); fortunately, most of them were great. The highlight of this month is The Academy Awards in the end of the month, which could've been the best of the decade, but apparently wasn't. I've been crossing off some films from my Biggest Misses list, whose title is apparently correct; and put all of those films in short reviews in this recap. Surprisingly enough, none of those films really feel 'romantic' like how February should've been.
Here's a recap to help readers catch up with what went in Sinekdoks along February 2017!
Here's list of new releases I watched on Indonesian theaters along February 2017 (listed from the higher score to the lower):
Click the titles above for the review!
SHORT REVIEWS
The Edge of Seventeen (2016) |Kelly Fremon Craig
Seventeen has always been most intriguing age in the life of a person. It's a crossroad between being adolescent and being a complete adult. Everything's not right, ambiguous, and difficult to understand at the edge of this age. Those notions are captured perfectly in Kelly Fremon Craig's relevant-yet-perplexed teen angst drama fueled by Hailee Steinfeld's sympathetic performance. Score: 3 out of 4
The Love Witch (2016) |Anna Biller
Written, directed, and edited by Anna Biller, this tribute to campy reenactment of 60s sexploitative cinema is organic. With visual that pays homage to Technicolor and (honestly) cringe-worthy music scoring of the fading era, Biller's deranged feminist message against patriarchal society is as fabulous as Samantha Robinson, the lead, whose on-screen presence reflects the era's seductive Barbie. Score: 3 out of 4
Tallulah (2016) | Sian Heder
Call it a spiritual sequel to Jason Reitman's Juno, that's alright. Ellen Page is the titular character - who, after some misunderstanding, is forced to look after a baby girl. On the run, she becomes a mother again - not a biological one this time - in a much more growing-up, complex, and inclined melodrama about mother - those who are unwilling and those who are eager at whatever cost. The narrative might be unnatural, but it's well-written and the over-dramatizing tendency is neutralized by the grounded performance of the compelling cast. Score: 3 out of 4
Krisha (2016) | Trey Edward Shults
Krisha Fairchild portrays the titular character, a middle-aged woman who reunites with her estranged family in a Thanksgiving celebration. Krisha is a bitter black comedy about an alcoholic woman, who becomes family reject; from head to toe, it might remind you of a reunion-gone -south tropes, like August: Osage County. It should've been inclined to melodrama; however, Trey Edward Shults' direction makes it feels harrowing. The atmospheric horror is in the air; and Krisha's images will haunt you with guilt. Score: 3 out of 4
The 89th Academy Awards a.k.a. Oscar 2017 was one of the greatest in this decade, with one of the best host, Jimmy Kimmel, until they screwed it up with their own blunder. Despite the bully and backlash, La La Land won big with 6 Oscars out of 14 noms (incl. Best Actress, Best Score, Best OST, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, and Best Director); and as expected, Barry Jenkins' Moonlight brought home the Best Picture.
Here's my reviews of the 2017 Best Picture nominations ranked from highest to lowest:
In my February entry of Blindspot Series 2017 by Ryan McNeill of The Matinee, CA, I watched Anthony Minghella's The English Patient (1996), which isn't only ambitious but also grand in production value. Best achievement is: I survived its 162-min duration.
Here's the recap of Thursday Movie Picks along Februaryin which I pick three films each week in accordance with the theme:
Week 5: Artist (Painters) | Week 6: Prodigy/Genius | Week 7: Shakespeare Adaptations | Week 8: Non-participation
Here I present you a quote of the month to end this recap:
"Tell them whoever comes. I'll kill them all." - John Wick, John Wick: Chapter 2
