The Rider (2017 film): A+
When do you need to face your fears, or when do you need to let go of your dreams. Sometimes nobody can tell you which.
This low-budget drama features non-actors playing somewhat fictionalized versions of themselves: Lakota Sioux living in or near poverty on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Raising horses, living in trailers, gambling, drinking, smoking pot. The main character is a young man recovering from a near fatal head injury, whose best friend is even worse off. Can he fully recover, or does he have to accept a new version of himself with a new set of abilities and goals?
I thought it was beautiful, honest, well written, well acted, can't find anything to criticize. Visual storytelling, no stunt actors, no special effects. A simple but devastating story.
Chloé Zhao directed, wrote, and produced, mostly paying for the film's budget of $80,000 with her own credit cards. You don't have to spend a lot to produce a good film, you don't need Leonardo DiCaprio or Jennifer Lawrence.
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I spend significant time rooting around looking for good films before I watch one. For the most part I'm satisfied with my search methods. There are a lot of good films that didn't cost a lot to make, and didn't make a lot at the box office. I found this one by looking for which Marvel films were poorly rated, and why -- Chloé Zhao was picked up by Marvel to make Eternals, which was panned by audience and critics alike. But one critic got through to me:
Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times had a "depressing realization that you've just seen one of the more interesting movies Marvel will ever make, and hopefully the least interesting one Chloé Zhao will ever make".
So I had to watch one of her more interesting films.
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Thinking of now watching Eternals, though, heh.
This COVID is all up in my nose today, making me feel miserable, but no asthma. All in my nose. I made myself some herbal tea and sipped it while watching the film. Now I have some spicy veggie Indian food on the way.
I'll check work emails one more time.
Still a one-degree (F) fever.
This low-budget drama features non-actors playing somewhat fictionalized versions of themselves: Lakota Sioux living in or near poverty on the Pine Ridge Reservation in South Dakota. Raising horses, living in trailers, gambling, drinking, smoking pot. The main character is a young man recovering from a near fatal head injury, whose best friend is even worse off. Can he fully recover, or does he have to accept a new version of himself with a new set of abilities and goals?
I thought it was beautiful, honest, well written, well acted, can't find anything to criticize. Visual storytelling, no stunt actors, no special effects. A simple but devastating story.
Chloé Zhao directed, wrote, and produced, mostly paying for the film's budget of $80,000 with her own credit cards. You don't have to spend a lot to produce a good film, you don't need Leonardo DiCaprio or Jennifer Lawrence.
-----
I spend significant time rooting around looking for good films before I watch one. For the most part I'm satisfied with my search methods. There are a lot of good films that didn't cost a lot to make, and didn't make a lot at the box office. I found this one by looking for which Marvel films were poorly rated, and why -- Chloé Zhao was picked up by Marvel to make Eternals, which was panned by audience and critics alike. But one critic got through to me:
Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times had a "depressing realization that you've just seen one of the more interesting movies Marvel will ever make, and hopefully the least interesting one Chloé Zhao will ever make".
So I had to watch one of her more interesting films.
-----
Thinking of now watching Eternals, though, heh.
This COVID is all up in my nose today, making me feel miserable, but no asthma. All in my nose. I made myself some herbal tea and sipped it while watching the film. Now I have some spicy veggie Indian food on the way.
I'll check work emails one more time.
Still a one-degree (F) fever.