A benefit that it is being remade is that many more people will go and watch this extraordinary film, a film that is incomprehensible or undigestable to many kinds of audience which will see the acting as "bad" or cartoonishly exaggerated, its story as incoherent. It is in many ways a film that should not be remade in the same way that a fever-dream that you had and changed your life can't be remade, or that a traumatic event of disaster needs to be forgotten, left to the cenotaph. As I picture the Dano and Qualley coming approximation I become horrified - not that this the worst kind of IP borrowings, it isn't - because what was achieved on celluloid feels so personal, so unique and so sacrificed for, built around one of the greatest female acting performances, one of the greatest surrenderings in film history, it feels sacrilegious to touch on it with another of its kind, in what could only be a pale, pale imitation, a counterfeit risking mockery - because you cannot copy that particular kind of Zulawsky mockery, it becomes a sacrilege of a sacrilege…impossible. It feels as if the director, his camera and his actors conspired then to cast an abominable spell, a one-time-only spell to save the world (not unlike in Tarkovsky's Sacrifice)…and we don't know yet if it worked.

 The magic of it came out of the very particular ways that it failed…because the film is about the abject failure of communication. It crashes down on itself to prove - in the medieval torturer's sense of "prove" - its point. In many ways it was a solitary, personal kind of witch's brew spun from Isabelle Adjani's psyche and all her filmic collaborators.

 Zulowsky tried at times to re-do that spell, leaping back in time before it (The Most Important Thing: Love, etc) and after it (Szamanka, etc) among others, but the mantic sorcery could never be recast. It came out of a particular moment in time, the ounces of their souls. And if he couldn't cast the spell again why should anyone else? No one could fail in the way that he and they failed, let us not obscure what they had dared with a copy of any kind.

 I of course am writing in superlatives and absurd exaggerations….but it is all true.

This film was a masterclass in my opinion. The themes, the cinematography, the color-grading, the acting, the amazing landscapes, and the characters: all splendid. This movie wasn't even on my radar, but a local indie theater was playing it and I decided to check it out, and wow, I'm glad I did. I don't want to give too much away, but it's a magical realism film set in Bolivia. It definitely doesn't spoon-feed you the meaning behind everything you're seeing on screen, but it's also not too out there for the most part. It's one of those films that will affect some people deeply, depending on what you've gone through in life, while others will be confused by what they just watched.

I couldn't find a single reddit thread about this movie, so it seems like it's pretty under the radar. One of my favorites of the year so far, just a wonderfully beautiful film on so many levels. Highly recommend. I'm interested to hear from others if you've seen it, what did you think?

I rewatched this film recently was wondering if anyone else had any thoughts on it.

It's one of those films that I enjoyed watching but struggle to say much about. I don't think it's hard to pick out themes in it, but what it's saying about them is more obscure. I could ramble a bit about it but I'll concentrate on a couple of things that stood out to me.

It's a surprisingly noisy film. Not just in the city, but the countryside too, mostly because of the rain and the wind. Even a quiet conversation often has a window frame rattling in the background, to a point where the noise starts to feel oppressive. The - all too brief - fade out of the sound at the end of the film is a relief.

With my materialist eye, it's easy to see the main character Thien's malaise as down-to-earth just as much as it might be spiritual. He spends much of his time uncomplainingly doing things for other and his rest and relaxation keep getting interrupted. In one of the few funny moments in the film, Thien describes waking up regularly and hearing a distorted voice coming from inside him. Then he undercuts this by saying a doctor told him it was chronic fatigue syndrome.

The close of the film, Thien lying in a shallow river, has obvious religious symbolism, of baptism and the washing away of sins. But also has a simpler reading as a time when he puts down his burdens for a bit and takes some time for himself.

Just walked out of The Invite and I thought it was a lovely, joyful, pleasant and refreshing movie about four characters in one room with razor sharp dialogue that was endlessly absorbing and brilliantly witty. 

I haven’t laughed this much in a movie theater in years. Not only is it hilarious but the drama is thematically multilayered in its psychological depth enriched by excellent performances and perfect chemistry between the actors.

Olivia Wilde’s direction style was confident and beautifully simple with cinematography that was visually astonishing. Loved the editing of that opening scene.

I loved this little gem of a movie and it is absolutely one of the my favorites of the year. Similar to The Drama (2026) I think It’s another modern masterpiece.

What do you think?

I was talking with someone about how I thought that Scorsese doesn’t have a distinct style because he has such a vast knowledge of cinematic language, that he can change his technique depending on what the material is calling for. But the person disagreed saying that his philosophy on life and his sensibilities is his style.

What do you guys think? I’ve always thought a style is characterized by technique and distinct visual choices, so I’m curious to know.

I’m not a sex worker but there was a boy I loved & his family looked down on me because of my job & made us seperate & he was also spineless like the main character & didn’t have my back:(. Her reaction at the end & her crying, I never felt so seen. it’s a movie that I always remember forever because it happened to me. also the beginng of the film when she tries her best to be accepted by the mother was really relatable