Gloria Bell (2018): It’s taken me a while to watch Sebastian Leilo’s remake of his own movie, the very well received Gloria (2013). I don’t remember much of it, but it seemed to me that Gloria Bell was very similar in all aspects – and worked just as well. Actually, it worked better, but that’s on me, because ten years and veering towards my 40s makes the story resonate that much stronger. Julianne Moore is, as always, exceptional in the lead role, portraying Gloria with warmth, openness and resoluteness, a character that’s so well written that it effortlessly holds the movie together. Gloria’s struggles within her family and her love life feel painfully real, which makes her ability to maintain her joie-de-vivre ever more touching. It’s a slow paced movie, but with deliberateness and grace. 8
Infinity Baby (2017): A mashup of ideas, Bob Byington’s movie fundamentally deals with the matter of growing up. In a near-future society where people can acquire babies that never age, we follow two bumbling baby “salesmen” and their boss, a man-baby unable to commit to grown-up responsibilities, faking his way through life. It’s a shame that the ideas seem only half explored, but there’s enough here to claim this is an interesting watch. If for nothing else, then the exceptional cast featuring the likes of Kieran Culkin, Nick Offerman, Kevin Corrigan, Martin Starr, Megan Mullally or Noel Wells. 6
Big Trouble in Little China (1986): One of those classics that are so cooky they barely make sense, BTiLC sure has a crazy plot, a likable cast and the magic of the 80s working in its favour. Led by peak Kurt Russell, reunited here with The Thing director John Carpenter, we follow a run-of-the-mill trucker who finds himself in the middle of an, erm, abduction situation that involves Chinese gangs and eternal beings. The way the movie walks the line between the possible and the absurd is fun to watch, but it just never felt more than an amusement to me. 6
Tigru (2023): Andrei Tănase’s debut feature tells the story of a tiger on the loose in a Romanian town and the efforts made to capture it. When it focuses on this plotline (inspired by true events which occurred in 2011 in Sibiu), with attention to detail, carefully designed set-ups and strewn with local “fauna”, Tiger is at its best. Its inclusion of a poorly written and, frankly, unengaging personal drama works against it though, as Vera’s (Cătălina Moga) and Toma’s (Paul Ipate) sketch of a relationship takes away rather than brings anything to the story, undermining its focus. An uninspired score also doesn’t help much, but at just eighty minutes long and with a nuanced performance by Moga, Tigru proves a functional enough package to have merits. 6
Half-Life: 25th Anniversary Documentary (2023): On my last 1hr+ flight, I suddenly remembered I had downloaded this documentary off YT, and so its time had come. As far as corporate documentaries go, this one’s got a bit of heart, but it doesn’t go into any serious depth. It does however manage to document the origin story of one of the greatest PC games ever made, with its chapter structure, a kudos to the game’s own structure, easy to follow. What makes it in some way stick beyond just a YT video is the time warp enjoyed with all the protagonists telling their stories, which are usually interesting details from the production process. Its limited scope doesn’t allow the Anniversary Doc to shine, but it did leave me with a nostalgic craving. Or maybe I’ll finally run Black Mesa. 6
tributary stu 