Happy new year, and welcome to this month’s Cinema Snapshots! At the beginning of each month, I reflect on what I watched the prior month and provide a quick “snapshot” of my thoughts on those films. So without further ado, here are my Cinema Snapshots for December 2024.
The Brutalist
Escaping post-war Europe, visionary architect László Toth arrives in America to rebuild his life, his work, and his marriage to his wife Erzsébet after being forced apart during wartime by shifting borders and regimes. On his own in a strange new country, László settles in Pennsylvania, where the wealthy and prominent industrialist Harrison Lee Van Buren recognizes his talent for building. But power and legacy come at a heavy cost.
The Brutalist is a film in which the buildup is much more entertaining and intriguing than the eventual payoff (contrary to the film’s closing line "It's not about the journey, but the destination").
But while I may not have fully loved the “destination,” the journey to get there is nothing short of magnificent. Grounded, compelling performances. A musical score that somehow feels both classical and modern. Gorgeous shots accentuated by deliberate editing choices and purposeful long takes.
A simply inspired production that feels like nothing short of a miracle with a $6 million budget.
★★★★☆
Small Things Like These
While working as a coal merchant to support his family, Bill Furlong discovers disturbing secrets kept by the local convent and uncovers truths of his own; forcing him to confront his past and the complicit silence of a small Irish town controlled by the Catholic Church.
Small Things Like These is another great addition to films with spiritual themes and settings in 2024! The film is intimate, heart-breaking, and knows exactly what it wants to say. I do wish the focus had stayed more on the main conflict rather than on so much of the main character’s past. But it culminates beautifully, and it’s hard to imagine many actors pulling off this role as successfully as Cillian Murphy.
★★★☆☆ | Watch now on PVOD
Wicked
When ostracized and misunderstood green-skinned Elphaba is forced to share a room with the popular aristocrat Glinda, the two’s unlikely friendship is tested as they begin to fulfill their respective destinies as Glinda the Good and the Wicked Witch of the West.
Great source material and pitch perfect leading performances almost fully overcome some serious filmmaking deficiencies.
My biggest fear was the pacing, and after an admittedly slow start the film really moves well. Both Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande shine, and Jonathan Bailey just oozes charisma onscreen.
I hate to sound pretentious but much of the film just really looks bad. It’s lit poorly, colored dully (especially compared to The Wizard of Oz), edited choppily, and features some shoddy CGI that diminishes the power of the finale. The artifice just draws attention to itself in a way that neither the stage musical or the 1939 film ever did.
It really is a testament to the original musical (and the trio of Erivo/Grande/Bailey) that audiences have almost universally agreed “yeah it may not look the best, but it’s a great film.”
★★★☆☆ | Watch now in theaters and on PVOD
The End
After the sudden arrival of a stranger threatens the family’s luxurious compound deep underground, Son begins to question their seemingly perfect existence.
The End is a really unexpected delight, using the framework of a post-apocalyptic world to tell a musical story of love, isolation, and the pains of growing up and realizing our blind spots. George McKay, Moses Ingram, and Michael Shannon are all fantastic in their roles, and I loved the unusual approach to choreography and shot selections compared to most musicals.
Unfortunately, as my friend put it, “amazed to discover that Tilda Swinton can’t do something — hit that high note.” No one in the cast is a trained singer, but most do a commendable job. Swinton unfortunately was given a soprano part and is just not a soprano.
Anyways, came for the songs, stayed for the deeply personal thematic musings.
★★★★☆
Maria
Maria Callas, the world’s greatest opera singer, lives the last days of her life in 1970s Paris, as she confronts her identity and life.
Since I complained about Wicked’s lighting, it’s only fair that I point out an example of good lighting. This is how you backlight a scene! Incredible cinematography on display throughout Maria.
Angelina Jolie does a fantastic job here and it really is a showcase of her talent. I’ll admit though, the singing just was a bit uncanny. I know they claimed she sings some in the final film, but it usually just feels lip synced, and operatic singing is just near impossible to fake. Perhaps a nitpick, but an important nitpick for a film with operatic singing front and center.
★★★☆☆ | Watch now on Netflix
Carry-On
An airport security officer races to outsmart a mysterious traveler forcing him to let a dangerous item slip onto a Christmas Eve flight.
A fun mixture of Die Hard and a dozen other classic action films, Carry-On may very well be the most crowd-pleasing delight of a streaming film in recent memory. I set a pretty low bar for Netflix releases, but found myself having an absolute blast at the constant energy and excitement on display. It won’t win any awards, but this is just pure fun, a thrilling film to watch.
★★★☆☆ | Watch now on Netflix
A Complete Unknown
New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.
I loved the entire ensemble in A Complete Unknown, featuring a cast that meshed really well and played their parts perfectly. Timothée Chalamet continues to impress me, even if his Bob Dylan voice is a little cartoonish (of course, he can’t help that Dylan’s real life voice is somewhat cartoonish).
The production design is a highlight as well, with sets, costumes, hair and even lighting instantly transporting viewers to the 1960s.
I did appreciate that this wasn’t a “cradle to grave” biopic, but unfortunately for me the film still lacked the proper thematic through point to make this a cohesive journey. We’re whisked from one moment in Dylan’s life to the next, but with very little to show us the importance of his music, his persona, or the societal context in which it was written. Why did Dylan’s music resonate with audiences of that specific time? What made him so different from his contemporaries?
A fun watch, a well-made film, but one that ultimately feels a little hollow.
★★★☆☆ | Watch now in theaters
Mufasa: The Lion King
Told in flashbacks, Mufasa is an orphaned cub, lost and alone until he meets a sympathetic lion named Taka—the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion a journey of misfits searching for their destiny and working together to evade a threatening and deadly foe.
Mufasa is superior to 2019’s The Lion King in nearly every way, outside of the elements that already made the 1994 classic such a perfect film.
Much like Robert Zemeckis’ cursed motion capture films of the 2000s, the technology on display here has clear limitations that, at least in its current form, hold back the narrative from reaching its full potential.
That said, director Barry Jenkins eschews Jon Favreau’s detached nature documentary filmmaking style in favor of kinetic, invested camerawork and editing, and it greatly enhances our attachment to the characters. Likewise, the filmmakers clearly put an effort in adding more emotion to the character animations, which, while removing a hint of the realism, goes a long way in improving the film’s resonance. I actually felt things for these characters, which I’m not sure I can say about The Lion King (2019).
Normally I’d fault a film for so many needless references to the original and reused plot devices, but for a franchise that’s centered on the “circle of life,” I found many of the nods to The Lion King story to be surprisingly touching and poignant, adding meaning to scenes we all know and reinforcing the cyclical nature of love, loss, and community.
I really enjoyed all the voice actors here, especially how the main cast slowly evolves their voices to resemble their beloved characters more and more as the film progresses. And thank you Dave Metzger for actually using Hans Zimmer’s themes! Some great score arrangements, old and new, that instantly elevate the accompanying scenes.
That said, Mufasa still has its flaws. The aforementioned technology has its limits, and some plot points are rushed (though I’d argue that’s also the case for the original and for many fairy tale-esque stories). And while I enjoyed Lin Manuel Miranda’s songs for what they added to the story, I’m not sure they have the same lasting power we’ve come to expect from Disney musicals. Then again, I said the same with Encanto only to watch that music blow up in popular culture. Time (and rewatches) will tell!
On the whole, an imperfect film, but one I prefer to 2019’s The Lion King, and even prefer over Disney’s other animated efforts of 2024. This realistic animation(?) style may not be for everyone, but if you can get past it, you’re in for a real treat.
★★★★☆ | Watch now in theaters
I watched a lot in December to prep for awards season voting. Here are a few more of the films I saw last month and my ratings for them:
A Different Man | ★★★★☆
Nickel Boys | ★★★★☆
Queer | ★★★★☆
Flow | ★★★★☆
Oh, Canada | ★★★☆☆
Babygirl | ★★★☆☆
Nosferatu | ★★★☆☆
Mary | ★☆☆☆☆