So I did have some rewatches in August, but that’s mostly because I had one day where all I did (basically) was rewatch some movies from 2014. Man, that was a good year. All of these were solid rewatches, even over the course of one day.
August 21: Enemy
I was watching all of these with a friend, and we were talking through all of them, so I wasn’t as entranced by the first 99% of Enemy this time around now that I knew it was going to be all for naught. As such, I’m not sure Enemy holds up, but then again I didn’t have a super high opinion of it in the first place. The ending of it was just as nonsensical as it was the first time I saw it, and don’t watch this movie in the middle of the day because the screen will be so dark that you can’t see a thing.
August 21: Nightcrawler
Nightcrawler on the other hand, more than holds up. I appreciated the critique of (I don’t know what to call it) getting yourself employed culture more than I did the first time around, and as such I didn’t feel that the critique of the media was as cliche as I had the first time. The performances in this movie are all fantastic, and the cinematography is gorgeous, and it’s got some interesting ideas to throw around as well. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Jake Gyllenhaal was robbed of a nomination that year.
August 21: Inherent Vice
What a wacky movie this is! This one is a little bit weird to watch with other people, mostly because it’s tempting to try and unravel the plot when discussing it with someone else. But that’s really not the point? At least it doesn’t seem like it to me. What stood out to me is that through all of the drugs and kidnappings and murders and who knows what else, Doc manages to return a guy to his family. Which is kinda nice. What the rest of it all means is still kind of a mystery, but it’s a wonderfully made and unique film all the same.
So those were my rewatches for August, no spectacular revelations but nothing to shake a stick at, either. Enemy was still disappointing by the time the final frame rolls around, Nightcrawler actually improved slightly on a rewatch, and Inherent Vice was as great as when I first saw it. Here’s to hoping there’s some good rewatches in store for September, too.
The Soul of the Plot 