GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO | THE WHALE | NR. 10
Pop Culture Weekly Round-Up 09/12/2022
Hello, everyone, and happy Friday! Here I am again to give you some Pop Culture recommendations for your weekend. This week’s newsletter has three new films for you all. I share my thoughts in the gorgeous animated movie GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO which is awesome! I also talk about Darren Aronofsk’s new joint THE WHALE and the surprisily good NR. 10. There is also a five song playlist with some awesome songe I was listening to during the week.
QUICK THOUGHTS
GUILLERMO DEL TORO’S PINOCCHIO is absolutely beautiful, and sincere, and reframes the Pinocchio story also as a potent anti-fascist narrative. The film carries a somber reflection on grief in addition to its blatant political context. It is also undoubtedly a technical wonder. PINOCCHIO serves as a potent demonstration that animation can be just as engaging and exciting as any live-action movie. Also with the release of three different adaptations, 2022 may end up being known as Pinocchio's honorary year. While Disney's remake was lifeless and I despised it, this one is a much more sophisticated exploration of what this story should be. Yes, it isn't quite faithful to the Collodi text, but who cares? Del Toro perceives it this way, and it's lovely he doesn't try to duplicate the original. All in all, this is the best Pinocchio film to date. Although I appreciate the 1940s Disney original, I believe that this story hits a little deeper, and the animation really brings it home. Sincerely, the one and only thing I have against this movie are that I’m not really into musicals and honestly all the songs aren't very good. Other than that I highly recommend watching this on Netflix.
THE WHALE is about a reclusive English teacher (Brendan Fraser) who is severely obese and is trying to get in touch with his estranged teenage daughter for one more shot at redemption. The film was adapted from the stage play by Samuel D. Hunter and was directed by Darren Aronofsky. So, the good news is that Fraser gives a stunning performance as a shattered man that goes beyond sympathy. Sadie Sink from STRANGER THINGS is also brilliant and the relationship that Charlie (Fraser) shares with her add so many more layers to the film. I was genuinely moved by what both actors brought to the table. They have wonderful chemistry with each other. Basically, Brendan Fraser and Sadie Sink will most probably win their first oscar. They are that good. However, while THE WHALE has terrific performances and compelling characters, it's quite clumsy and lost within itself. In my opinion that happened because Aronofsky has no chill. Subtext simply does not exist for this guy. Everything is openly in the clear. The tone is so outrageous, and the main metaphor is very on your face. And the script comes across as heavy-handed and manipulative. Anyway, I reconned THE WAHALE for the performances alone but be prepared for Aronofsky’s graceless.
NR. 10 is the latest movie by Dutch filmmaker Alex van Warmerdam. It follows a talented stage actor named Günter. He is having an affair with a fellow actor who also happens to be the director's wife of the play they are rehashing. Well, I will try to talk about this film without revealing any specific details. No spoilers! So my apologies if I’m being too vague. I just don’t want to ruin the movie for you guys. So, NR. 10 begins as an ordinary family drama, with a rather humorous touch, with a group of individuals practicing a play that isn’t working very well. And that's about as far from where it ends as you can imagine. The film has some surprisingly unpredictable twists that somehow come together to form a coherent overall. There are several irreverent themes as well as some very funny and confrontational dialogues. My suggestion is to go in without knowing anything about it and you’re going to have an excellent time.
TOP 5 SONGS
These were the 5 songs on heavy rotation in my house last week. You can listen to them on Spotify and YouTube.
