šæ27: Titane
It's Salty Popcorn's 1st birthday! Celebrate with a review of Titane and a roundup of the best films of 2021 š„³
āI may be old-fashioned, but I thought murder was against the law.ā
~ Strangers on a Train, 1951
Happy New Year (& Birthday!)
Salty Popcorn turned 1 yesterday and oh my has it grown! Thank you to everyone who has supported the first year of the independent micro-zine/newsletter by reading, sharing and even paying. No matter your level of support, SP wouldnāt have grown without you.
To round off 2021, letās recap some of the best and most memorable films from the past year in a handy list of the top five:
The Last Duel | Ridley Scottās first film of 2021 fell under the radar and has been overshadowed by House of Gucci, but itās a fantastic period drama with some truly raw (though sparse) violence.
Judas and the Black Messiah | I was surprised how quickly the world (myself included) seemed to forget about this film, especially with the BLM movement and the fact that it won two of the six Oscars it was nominated for.
Minari | This is a beautiful film and although itās not quite āfeel-goodā, it isnāt far off. The title and cast may give the impression itās a foreign film and if thatās not your vibe then youāll be glad to know there arenāt that many subtitles.
Sound of Metal | This filmās UK release was constantly pushed back as the producers wanted a cinema release and despite having waited eagerly for months, I was far from disappointed.
Another Round | When I look back on the best films Iāve reviewed for SP, this one is always the first to come to mind. At its heart, Another Round is a comedy but it explores some more serious themes that make it stand out against any other comedy Iāve seen in recent years. For the best experience, watch with a cocktail (or 10).
If youāve not watched any of the five films above, Iād start with the bottom and work your way up - you wonāt be disappointed. Though Iām also interested to know what your favourite film of 2021 was, so be sure to let me know in the comments.
Itās something of a slow news week, but here are the headlines:
A scene in Donāt Look Up that featured a cameo from Friends star Matthew Perry (and would have been his first big-screen appearance since 2009ās 17 Again) didnāt make the final cut. Read more.
The decision to cast Aria Mia Lobreti, a blind and untrained actor, in the upcoming Netflix film All the Light We Cannot See (based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning book of the same name) has been applauded by disability rights activists. Read more.
Spider-Man: No Way Home grosses $1bn at the global box office. Read more.
Salty Popcorn is 100% free but you can support this independent publication by paying just Ā£5 per month. In return, youāll be the first to access upcoming premium features.
Upcoming Releases
The House
UK: 14 January // USA: 14 January
As with movie news, there arenāt a whole lot of new trailers this week, but The House really caught my eye a couple of weeks ago.
This eerie-looking animation features the voices of Helena Bonham Carter, Miranda Richardson and Matthew Goode as it tells three separate stories all centred around the same house.
BigBug
UK: 11 February // USA: 1 February
From visionary French director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet (AmƩlie) comes a new comedy sci-fi that sees a group of suburbanites locked in their homes (for their safety) by their household robots, while an android revolt rages outside.
Fact(s) of the week
In memory of the late Jean-Marc VallƩe, the director of Dallas Buyers Club who sadly passed away on Sunday at the age of 58, it felt fitting to share an interesting fact about what is arguably his most famous film.
The budget for Dallas Buyers Club was so low that the makeup department was given just $250. Despite being so low, the filmās artists found a way to work with what they had and managed to bag the 2013 Academy Award for Best Makeup and Hairstyling.
Review: Titane
Star rating:
3.5 (out of 5)
Where to watch:Ā
USA: Apple TV ($6.99)
UK: Only in cinemas
Runtime:
1hr 48m
Director:
Julia Ducournau
Blurb:Ā
For the sake of not offering anything more than the director intended, hereās the official synopsis: āFollowing a series of unexplained crimes, a father is reunited with the son who has been missing for 10 years. Titane: A metal highly resistant to heat and corrosion, with high tensile strength alloys.ā
The review (NO spoilers):
From Julia Ducournau, the award-winning director of cannibalistic horror Raw, comes Titane. This surreal arthouse body horror, for which Ducournau won the coveted Palme d'Or in Cannes 2021, is not for the faint of heart.
Mark Kermode called Titane āan adult fairytale about love, rage and loneliness, that operates on a visceral level, employing outlandish physical metaphors to describe down-to-earth emotional truths.ā
Despite Kermodeās praise and the fact that it won one of the highest honours in cinema, I canāt say I was blown away. Though thatās not to say that Titane doesnāt have its strengths.
For instance, Agathe Rousselle (a newcomer to the big screen) is fantastic as there isnāt a moment where the spell of her performance is broken. She lives through every twist and turn regardless of what the role demands of her.
This film will undoubtedly continue to divide audiences as it has critics (there are equally as many 5-star reviews as there are 1-star on Google), if youāre a fan of gruesome horror and enjoy (or can at least cope) with far-fetched imagery and metaphor then this will be right up your street.
Scroll down for The Criticās Cut and to see whatās in the next issue.
If you likedĀ Titaneā¦
Possessor
2020 | UK: Amazon Prime (Ā£2.49) // US: Apple TV ($3.99)
An elite corporate assassin, Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough), uses brain-implant technology that helps her control other peopleās bodies and carry out high-profile hits.
This sci-fi horror is wildly original and while itās not as disturbing as Titane (which is probably a good thing) its reality is much easier to believe.
Taking a slightly different approach, many critics are drawing parallels between Titante and David Cronenbergās 1996 Crash, in which a group of people fetishise car crashes. If youāve not seen it, that might also be one to add to your watchlist.
In the next issue:
Boiling Point
UK: 7 January // USA: 19 November (2021) |Ā Watch the Trailer
The Criticās Cut šØSPOILER ALERTšØ:
Iām not a huge fan of deep cinematic metaphors, so it will come as no surprise that with Titane, I struggled to accept Alexia (Rousselle) being impregnated by a carā¦
However, I did enjoy watching the relationship develop between Alexia and Vincent (Vincent Lindon) as he accepted her as his son and continued to love her unconditionally even as he realised she wasnāt.
While I was expecting a high-octane, sexy, dark, disturbing and murder-filled joyride, it was this blossoming relationship as both characters, broken in their own way, found what they needed in each other. The surprise of finding this almost-wholesome (and yet completely twisted) relationship is the greatest part of this film.
Congratulations, SP š„³
Wow. 1 year old! Congrats Tom.
Lol. I always get surprised when film budget run so low.