A FEW (MORE) WORDS ON THE KILLER

The Killer has become my comfort movie. It's what I throw on when I can't sleep or just need something to watch. I don’t think it’s a masterpiece or any great cinematic achievement. It’s just a fun slick hitman thriller (emphasis on “fun” as there’s quite a bit of underrated humor that flows all throughout the film). I shared my initial thoughts on it last year (click here to read), but now that I’ve watched it ten more times or so – I have a little more to say.

First of all – this post is absolutely an excuse to share my throwaway Hitchcock/Fincher comparisons that didn’t make it in to my initial review (my main twitter account is still shadow-banned so perhaps someone will actually see my movie comparisons here).

I think the best Hitchcock is when Hitch is peeping - David Fincher, HITCHCOK/TRUFFAUT

Vertigo/
The Killer

Vertigo /
The Killer

Rear Window /
The Killer

Rear Window /
Vertigo

Rear Window /
Vertigo

Throwaway comparisons aside, I finally know why I enjoy this movie so much. If you’ve followed this blog for the last 2-3 years then you know my most consistent complaint about modern cinema is that I personally think most modern films are made for film twitter, tiktok and letterboxd film-brained people. It’s as if today's writers, directors and producers comb twitter and letterboxd and craft their stories to cater to those specific lanes of film discussion. And no that is not a good thing. You know the type of people that talk in to the camera phone with a forced snarky standup comedian voice (tiktok), or the types of folks/”critics” that put representation first before anything else (film twitter). The kind of folks with no sense of film history that don’t like a movie because they didn’t see themselves represented in any way therefore it couldn’t possibly be good. The people that can only critique something by saying “it’s just a bunch of toxic white dudes doing white dude stuff”.

Think about it. From Barbie (which I did enjoy) to the large majority of A24 films and everything else in between - you can tell these movies were made to get all the cringey think-pieces flowing as opposed to any genuine film talk.

Now…The Killer certainly has a main character that is white and is quite “toxic”. But that honestly isn’t what the story is about. And, going back to the humor in the movie, there’s plenty of material in The Killer to make for the typical cringey comedic letterboxd review but that’s collateral. I truly don’t believe this stuff was on Fincher’s mind like it is with other modern filmmakers. It is my belief that he just wanted to make a simple, styleish, Hitchcock-influenced hitman thriller and he succeeded in doing so. There’s no obvious message or anything having to do with social justice, race, gender or sexuality unless someone reaches to find it.

More movies like this please!

MY WINNIPEG

Last month we looked at Cowards Bend The Knee - Guy Maddin’s semi-autobiographical love letter to both Canada and some of his personal favorite filmmakers (click here to read). To me - this film serves as a buffer for My Winnipeg. Like Cowards, My Winnipeg is also an autobiographical love letter to his home country but this time, instead of Bunuel & Lynch, he pays homage to the likes of Abel Gance, Fritz Lang, The Lumiere Brothers and Dziga Vertov…

I was totally inspired by just how far [Abel] Gance was willing to go - Guy Maddin, cineaste magazine

J'accuse / My Winnipeg

I read about Abel Gance’s La Roue and thought I’d never be able to see it, so I decided to make my own version - Guy Maddin, Art Forum

La Roue / My Winnipeg

The early German silents seemed to work in ways similar to the best fairy tales, though with an external hipness that helped me see just how modern, cruel and eternally true these fairy tales are - Guy Maddin, The Globe and Mail

Dr. Mabuse The Gambler /
My Winnipeg

I loved THREE SONGS ABOUT LENIN and MAN WITH A MOVIE CAMERA - Guy Maddin, UAlberta 

Man With A Movie Camera / Three Songs About Lenin / My Winnipeg

Man With A Movie Camera / Three Songs About Lenin / My Winnipeg

Man With A Movie Camera / Three Songs About Lenin / My Winnipeg

I haven't seen a Lumière Brothers movie I haven't adored. And gosh I do wish I'd been one of the filmmakers who was invited to participate in that centennial project Lumière & Company - Guy Maddin, Offscreen

The Arrival of a Train at La Ciotat Station /
My Winnipeg

Maddin still does manage to sneak in a few Bunuel references…

One thing I do often - I watch a movie and I pretend Luis Bunuel is sitting beside me - Guy Maddin, Av Club

Un Chien Andalou /
My Winnipeg

Mexican Bus Ride /
My Winnipeg

Comparisons & homages are just one layer to this film. Maddin takes us deep in to his Canadian hometown...

Coward Bend The Knee doesn’t shy away from the sometimes negative reputation that precedes Winnipeg. While there are plenty of funny and/or quirky moments - this is a very cold & depressing story. Cold and depressing are sometimes common descriptors of Winnipeg.

Now...I’ve never been there so I wouldn’t know. This is why I’m choosing my words carefully because no matter how cold & depressing it might be - I have an immense sense of hometown pride myself and I wouldn’t want someone badmouthing where I come from (I wouldn’t compare the cold of western Massachusetts to the cold of Canada, but I know what it’s like to come from a cold place that often gets overlooked and/or misrepresented). But…I’ve had folks from Winnipeg tell me how cold & isolating it can sometimes be and Maddin’s film pretty much aligns with what I’ve heard firsthand.

I call Cowards a “buffer film” because My Winnipeg is an incredibly dense film that you don’t just blindly dive in to. It’s chaotic & funny and also depressing and informative in a dry textbook kind of way). I know that isn’t the greatest sell of a movie but if you like Guy Maddin or the aforementioned reference points - this is right up your alley (to be fair - I don't really consider what you're reading a "review" or an attempt to sell the movie. These are just my personal thoughts). In the film Guy Maddin mixes his personal relationship with his mother alongside the history of Winnipeg. He even goes so far as to cast his actual family members to act out scenes from his past in his former childhood home (Maddin really rented his Parent's old home from the present owners to shoot scenes in).

Imagine a tattered schizophrenic cinematic journal found 30 years in to the future. My Winnipeg is an honest attempt at originality but is also intentionally alienating. I mean, for those of you reading this right now that aren’t familiar with Maddin’s work - does this sound like something you’d just blindly watch? Probably not. I’m sure a handful of you would, but between the very specific Canadian history and not-so obvious cinematic references, I’m sure a lot of you would pass or get more familiar with Maddin’s filmography first. Either way, this is a personal favorite of mine but I recommend it with caution.