Marigold

An embargo should be imposed on the genre of “wealthy intellectuals die with dignity and thus reconcile us with the majesty of death”, but I understand that it’s nice watch and is good for garnering awards. Pedro Almodóvar, whom I respect for his ability to balance pathos with an ironic Hispanic flair, goes all in on this. The camera paints, Julianne Moore and Tilda Swinton theatrically deliver their dialogue and monologues, from which it seems that Pedro is not at home in English and his distinctive melodramatic tone is suddenly decorative and flat. Yes, euthanasia is an important topic, but I really have no idea what symbolic quotes from Joyce and Hopper are supposed to bring to it. I understand that this film is a safe space where everything seems intellectually comprehensible. However, it is cheap creative license. Not even the games with hysteria and affection are anything that would save this essay on dying from the dead calm.

Collective psychosis made Todd Phillips believe that he is a great director and saviour of the comic-book film genre, so in his new movie he came up with a feeble-minded courtroom drama, a comically flat psychothriller set in a prison, a psychotically stiff musical, allusions to a dark superhero film and a clichéd cherchez la femme romance, which is perhaps supposed to elicit compassion for the chaotic incel in the lead role. Of course, none of this is good and the individual genre elements don’t help. Joaquin Phoenix is definitely a great actor, as he lost a lot of weight for the role and constantly pretends to be a martyr because, yes, in this film he is primarily a victim of the will of others. Perhaps in the years to come, the Joker films will be seen as the greatest collective dissonance of recent years. This playfully toxic phantasmagoria is a good start to getting sober!

The Order has its shortcomings: Zach Baylin’s screenplay is formulaic, the dominant supporting female character comes across a bit like an artificially incorporated element and the film contains a universal dark macho sentiment. But…Jude Law is so captivating and fanatically stubborn as a deeply troubled FBI agent that Justin Kurzel can easily play around with the pacing and meticulous arrangement of the scenes while the emotional core of the film remains in the hands of the main star, who doesn’t let you catch your breath. Tye Sheridan is brilliant as his inexperienced partner and the character of terrorist Bob Matthews gives Nicholas Hoult an unexpected opportunity to play a neo-Nazi fanatic with an almost dangerous casualness. The Order is unique in that it doesn’t shy away from the seductive family idyll of white supremacists. It simply shows what makes that ideology attractive. Also provocative is the fact that Matthews and the man hunting him are in some ways dangerously similar in their fanaticism. The result is an incredibly tense thriller set in the impressive Idaho countryside that is reminiscent of Sicario a Wind River with its toughness and uncompromising nature.  Despite minor reservations, I found myself glued to my seat with incredible force. This is Kurzel’s best film, in which he combines his own special empathy with human monsters and a more viewer-oriented approach. (Venice 2024)