Truant’s Film Reviews

About me: All-time favourites include The Matrix, Fight Club, Legally Blonde.
My website: www.heathergaye.nz.

89 Films have been rated or reviewed by Truant.

Vox Lux (2018): Was more like watching a behind–the–scenes doco than a movie. I really enjoyed it, but it's a weird watch, so I imagine it won't be for everyone
Puzzle (2018): Plot sticks to a formula that could be described as "coming of age", but it was interesting & enjoyable.rnrn
Personal Shopper (2016): Intriguing
Arahan (2004): Korean Matrix; DVD $29.95
Barking Dogs Never Bite (Flandersui gae) (2000): Good, funny, but kinda grim.
I Used to Be Normal - A Boyband Fangirl Story (2017): Utterly joyous, but only for the strong of heart.
Americanization of Emily, The (1964): Enjoyable enough, but it's a bit clunky & the sexism hasn't aged well.; DVD ~~$15~~ $11.25
Southland Tales (2006): Was checking my watchlist & was sure I really enjoyed this, but took ages to remember anything about it. Even now I can't remember the plot. Make of that what you will. I blame the nothing name, but I guess "2001 A Space Odyssey" was already taken.; DVD $24.95 | Blu-Ray $29.95
Supermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (2013): Talking heads doco about a guy everyone seemed to like. I really enjoyed it.
Submarine (2010): Oh, another movie that evokes those solemn novels my high school english teachers made me read.
I, Tonya (2017): Everyone in this story is so horrible that it's actually really easy to feel a considerable amount of empathy for Tonya.
Disaster Artist, The (2017): Goes without saying you need to watch The Room first, then watch this movie. Post–credits they have the original scenes side–by–side with reenactments, so great.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $18.70
It Boy (2013): This was pretty cute.
Skin I Live In, The (2011): This is one of those movies that you really enjoy, but you describe the plot to a friend who's all "that sounds hideous", and you keep saying "nah, it was actually really interesting" & they're still all "I'll pass".
Ant-Man (2015): I remember the trailer making this look ridiculous, but fortunately he's got more super powers than just being really really small. This was actually pretty great.
Haunters (2010): The best thing about Koreans doing Die Hard movies is that their storytelling is so weird.; DVD $29.95
Mr. Holmes (2015): Reminds me of the weird slice–of–life novels I had to read for English in 3rd form, except I hated this kind of stuff when I was 13.
Double, The (2013): Surreal, great lighting; Blu-Ray $24.95
Seven Samurai, The (1954): didn't check the running time before I started, & had to have a nap in the middle. Languid, methodical storytelling.
Hudson Hawk (1990): Funny, & Bruce Willis is kinda dreamy
Brand New Testament, The (2015): REALLY REALLY CUTE
Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016): Very stylised, all the characters are caricatures.; DVD $29.95 | Blu-Ray $34.95
Good, the Bad, the Weird, The (2008): A lot of parallels with the Blues Brothers, except Korean, and a western. Lots of slapstick & goofiness.
Computer Chess (2013): THIS IS GENIUS every programmer needs to watch it. Guaranteed it'll feel too famiiar
Me and Earl and the Dying Girl (2015): I was expecting another hipster movie, and it is, but it's also very funny and cute
Lemmy (2010): Some interesting stories from Lemmy himself, but all the other rock/metal heavyweights just seemed to be there to blow smoke up his arse
SPL (Sha Po Lang) (2005): Couldn't get into this. Muddy exposition & it took a long time to get to any fighting.
Do I Sound Gay? (2014): Interesting "personal journey" doco, was light on the hard science but I think that's because there isn't any.; DVD ~~$24.95~~ $12.50
Tooth Fairy (2010): Sticks to the formula. See The Rock in a tutu tho
Off The Charts - The Song-Poem Story (2003): Interesting doco, but the song poems themselves are awful, so sometimes it was a bit hard going.
Tangerine (2015): Character piece. Took me a little while to warm to it, but after 20 minutes I was totally invested.; DVD ~~$20~~ $15
Kung Fu Hustle (2004): Feels like he tried to make a slapstick pastiche of a martial arts movie, but ended up making a really good martial arts movie.
Dark Horse, The (2014): Very moving. Also I love watching kiwi movies, they feel like home, even when they're about bad stuff. Note: based on a true story.
Turandot Project, The (1998): THIS WAS SO FREAKING INTERESTING, watch it if you like docos, even if you don't care about opera.
House of Flying Daggers (Shi mian mai fu) (2004): Crazy colourful. Stunning to watch, but I didn't particularly care for the romance. I preferred Hero
Ruby Sparks (2012): Interesting premise, and nice twist on the manic pixie dream girl, but it felt a lot like a mash–up of about three other hipster movies I've already seen.
Skeptics - Sheen of Gold (2013): I didn't find this as interesting as I wanted to, but that's my fault, not the doco's. Would be great for fans more familiar with the band.
Mad Max II - The Road Warrior (Mad Max 2) (1981): For a movie crammed with so many action sequences, it didn't ever feel like much was happening. Nice world–building
Sione's Wedding (2006): Pretty standard & kind of innocent bro–com, you know what you're getting. Lots of fun, & I got a kick out of seeing my local hangouts in a movie.
Wrong Cops (2013): Underground comedy, deliberately edgy, but felt like a near miss. For the number of times I laughed, the rest of the movie wasn't worth it.
Living in Oblivion (1996): This was so great. Really funny one–roomer.
Pi (1998): It was good, but I probably would've enjoyed it more if I watched it when I was still 20something.
Thieves, The (2012): Felt like it was trying to be Oceans 11. Way too much exposition, & utterly gratuitous not–really–sex–scenes. I stopped watching after 20 minutes.
Best Offer, The (2013): Intriguing story, but by the end I was kind of angry.
Crimson Peak (2015): Visually stunning & occasionally gruesome grown–ups' fairy tale. Thoroughly enjoyed it.
An Education (2009): Great cast, no surprises.
Romeo Must Die (2000): Low–key great blockbuster, I love this movie.
Torn Curtain (1966): Cool story, but everything seemed to take a really long time to happen.
American Ultra (2015): This was great. I watched mainly to see Jesse Eisenberg beating up people, was sorry there wasn't more of that.
Punk Singer, The (2013): Really enjoyed this, nice comprehensive biography. Must–watch if you like punk & feminism. If you hate feminism then avoid, go watch an adam sandler movie or something.
Werewolf Boy, A (2012): Don't be fooled by the title, this is a romance & a real tearjerker.
Spy Kids (2001): Wholesome family action movie, but some of the stuff in it is pretty dark. Leans toward "zany" & slapstick. If it wasn't Robert Rodriguez I probably wouldn't have liked it as much.
Toy Love (2003): Whimsical. All the characters are both interesting and obnoxious.
Master, The (2012): Long. Good performances, but everyone's playing to type.
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013): Stunning, a pleasure to watch. Not much happens.
Mad Max (1979): Melodramatic, a bit camp, riddled with cinematic cliches, very weird. Some kind of perverse genius but I don't know who I'd recommend it to. Not set in "the future", curiously.
Master, The (1994): Standard kung fu movie, very well done. I like the cultural elements highlighting a foreigner's experience in the US. Why are all bad guys in these movies such unmitigated arseholes?
I Am Big Bird: The Caroll Spinney Story (2014): Comprehensive. Really lovely.
Jodorowsky's Dune (2014): Fascinating, although with zero cinematography to show off (since the film was never made) it's occasionally a little dry.
Turbo Kid (2015): As an 80s pastiche & nostalgia trip (including the stolid, dated narrative) it's brilliantly executed.
Hero (2002): Sumptuous & stylish. A joy to watch the story unfold.
Chocolate (2008): Loved the story, & it was an effective vehicle for some awesome fight scenes. Granted, can't help thinking that if you're attacking a little girl, with a meat cleaver, over a paltry amount of money, you should probably question your life choices.; DVD ~~$29.95~~ $19.95
Serial Mom (1993): Hilarious. I watched it with my 75–year–old Dad, who laughed a lot, proclaimed it "a real hard case", then insisted we put on Rocky Horror again
Shihad: Beautiful Machine (2012): Shihad's career is just interesting enough to be good doco material.
Inside Llewyn Davis (2013): Went right over my head. I probably would've enjoyed it more if I liked folk music. Not quite redeemed by that scene where they put Oscar Isaac, Justin Timberlake and Adam Driver in a room together.
Decline of Western Civilization Part III, The (1998): Just what you'd expect from interviewing a bunch of young punks – their views are a pretty blunt axe, but Spheeris knows the right questions to ask, & there's some interesting/poignant insight.
Blood Simple (1984): Lost interest pretty early on, never regained it.
Once Upon a Time in China (1991): Didn't really get into it. Lots of national politics I think, but mostly PWP. Probably shouldn't have tried to watch and play Candy Crush at the same time, granted.
Ong-Bak (Muay Thai Warrior) (2003): I only watch for the gratuitous acrobatics (SO gratuitous), but it's nice to have a story and be funny as well.; DVD $19.95
Middle Age Spread (1979): Slow. Lost interest.; DVD ~~$29.95~~ $22.45
I'm Not Harry Jenson (2009): Some of the characterisations were a little ham–fisted, but all up the movie works. I liked the resolution, it made sense.
Quiz Show (1994): Really good period piece.
Decline of Western Civilization 2: The Metal Years (1988): Great interviews. After watching it I kind of want a 90s hair metal revival. Who wants to help make that happen?
Best Worst Movie (2009): Cute, lots of interesting ordinary people. Interested to watch Troll 2 now.
Dr. Strangelove (or; How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb) (1963): WAY better than I was expecting. Fun and interesting.
Stoker (2013): Stunning cinematography, good pacing, I found the plot a bit... plain. Worth watching.
Hudsucker Proxy, The (1994): Witty & warm. I re–rented because I watched it in the 90s & loved it; still just as good as I remember.
Blerta - The Return Trip... (Blerta Revisited) (2001): Oddly endearing. I can see the roots of some contemporary kiwi comedy acts. Music was ace, after watching I wanted to go find Beaver's back catalogue.; DVD $40
Broadway Idiot (2013): The music sounded great, but the camera just followed around a bunch of thespians talking & rehearsing. Nice but boring.
I'm Still Here (2010): Method acting at its most mind–boggling. Prompted a folder full of voluble blog drafts about authenticity.
Humpday (2009): There was a lot of talking in this.; DVD $14.95
Chaser, The (Chugyeogja) (2008): Builds tension without the narrative tropes common to an American thriller. Leans toward hammy & one–dimensional (eg, commentary on corrupt police begins & ends with overt "if you can't find any evidence then make it up!"), but a good character piece.
Housebound (2014): "Kiwi horror–comedy" is its own genre now. All the expected elements are there.
Upstream Color (2013): Beautiful & fascinating movie. Not as confusing as Primer, but that's like saying "sexier than tinnitus"; DVD $29.95
Under the Skin (2013): I watched it, and it was really beautiful and compelling, but I still don't really know what I watched.
What Maisie Knew (2012): Right at the start this threatened to be an another annoying divorce movie; it evolved into an ultimately satisfying, if slightly convenient, rollercoaster of vicarious emotion.; DVD $29.95
Doctor Who (TV Documentaries) (An Adventure in Space and Time; The Ultimate Guide) (2013): An Adventure In Space And Time is a lovely period piece. The script and David Bradley together depict William Hartnell as high–maintenance but sympathetic. Smudge of fan service at the end, but you don't necessarily have to be a fan to enjoy it.
Empire of the Sun (1987): Felt weirdly light–hearted for a war movie. When the credits rolled and I saw Tom Stoppard did the screenplay, my first reaction was "no wonder I found the kid so annoying at the start"
Mistaken for Strangers (2013): Rockumentary and redemption movie rolled into one. Started slow, but was saved by the family dynamics in the second half. I also tied myself in knots with the meta–ness of watching a movie of someone editing the movie I'm watching.; DVD $29.95

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Truant’s Film Reviews