Recent theatrical viewings

[Rev. Powell]

BUGONIA (2025): With the aid of his dimwitted cousin, a troubled man (Jesse Plemmons) kidnaps a corporate executive (Emma Stone) who he is certain is an Andromedan alien in disguise. Yorgos Lanthimos creates Hitchcokian tension in the battle of wits between the obstinate Plemmons and the desperate Stone (who uses every rhetorical trick in the corporate book to try to talk her way out of captivity), breaks it up with black humor, and goes for broke in the apocalyptic finale. It's a remake of the wonderful Korean cult hit SAVE THE GREEN PLANET! that improves on the original; since almost no one saw GREEN PLANET, so the plot will be new to most folks. 5/5.

[M.10rda]

Very cool. I saw SAVE THE GREEN PLANET and yet the plot will remain new for me.  I dunno, I anticipated STGP eagerly and then didn't get it at all when I watched it. Emma Stone sounds like the missing magic ingredient...

[Dr. Whom]

BUGONIA

I'm in two minds about this. While it is excellent, and both Emma Stone and Jesse Plemmons are beyond outstanding, I do prefer Lanthimos when he is doing Lanthimos. As I understand it, this was a project he took over and it shows. It lacks the Lanthimos hallmarks such as weird dancing, sex and a general sense you have strayed into a parallel universe. I was expecting a Lanthimos movie, and was a bit disappointed.
That being said, it is excellent in its own right, although the twist, to quote Frank Kermode, feels more like a punchline than a payoff.

Also, the title refers to the ancient belief that you could produce bees out of the rotting carcass of a cow. Medieval magic texts have detailed (and very revolting) instructions how to go about this.

[Rev. Powell]

Lanthimos not being Lanthimos is the last trick he has left to surprise us.

[Dr. Whom]

Lanthimos not being Lanthimos is the last trick he has left to surprise us.

Well I was wondering where he would go after Poor Things. Turns out, he went nowhere in particular.

Still, I don't want to be negative about the movie, which is one of the best I've seen this year.

[Rev. Powell]

LITTLE AMELIE, OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN (2025): A 2 1/2 year old Belgian child living in Japan experiences the world for the first time and bonds with her Japanese nanny. Uniquely imaginative animation presented from the perspective of a child; it features bravura storybook scenes of Amelie using giant wildflower petals as slides during her first experience of spring and parting the sea like Moses on her first trip to the beach, and the idea of leaning into childhood solipsism (Amelie believes herself to be God) is a sly and humorous motif. Preceded by a short based on Irish mythology that was visually impressive but kind of forgettable. There was quite a surprising turnout for this one; there were 6-8 other people in the theater (I just assumed I'd be the only one there, as I usually am for these kinds of movies). One woman didn't do her research and brought her child to it; they didn't realize it was subtitled and left after about 10-20 minutes (lasted longer than I would have expected). 4/5.

[Dr. Whom]

LITTLE AMELIE, OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN (2025): A 2 1/2 year old Belgian child living in Japan experiences the world for the first time and bonds with her Japanese nanny. Uniquely imaginative animation presented from the perspective of a child; it features bravura storybook scenes of Amelie using giant wildflower petals as slides during her first experience of spring and parting the sea like Moses on her first trip to the beach, and the idea of leaning into childhood solipsism (Amelie believes herself to be God) is a sly and humorous motif. Preceded by a short based on Irish mythology that was visually impressive but kind of forgettable. There was quite a surprising turnout for this one; there were 6-8 other people in the theater (I just assumed I'd be the only one there, as I usually am for these kinds of movies). One woman didn't do her research and brought her child to it; they didn't realize it was subtitled and left after about 10-20 minutes (lasted longer than I would have expected). 4/5.

An adaptation of La métaphysique des tubes by Amélie Nothomb, no less!

[Rev. Powell]

LITTLE AMELIE, OR THE CHARACTER OF RAIN (2025): A 2 1/2 year old Belgian child living in Japan experiences the world for the first time and bonds with her Japanese nanny. Uniquely imaginative animation presented from the perspective of a child; it features bravura storybook scenes of Amelie using giant wildflower petals as slides during her first experience of spring and parting the sea like Moses on her first trip to the beach, and the idea of leaning into childhood solipsism (Amelie believes herself to be God) is a sly and humorous motif. Preceded by a short based on Irish mythology that was visually impressive but kind of forgettable. There was quite a surprising turnout for this one; there were 6-8 other people in the theater (I just assumed I'd be the only one there, as I usually am for these kinds of movies). One woman didn't do her research and brought her child to it; they didn't realize it was subtitled and left after about 10-20 minutes (lasted longer than I would have expected). 4/5.

An adaptation of La métaphysique des tubes by Amélie Nothomb, no less!

Yep, I've never heard of it, but Belgians surely would be familiar with the story, I'm guessing.