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Zenith (2010)
A Wild Ride
There is so much to unpack in this film. I saw it a decade ago and followed some of its meta-narratives online when it came out. I saw it again now. It's bewildering to think how much the context is the same but also different from ten years ago - from Anonymous to conspiracy theories to the pharmaceutical references and everything else- reality is truly stranger than fiction. I'll leave it at that, so as not to spoil the fun of discovering this unique film. Zenith is even more timely now than when it was initially released. Lots of comparisons to dystopian films and books have been made, but I would say James Graham Ballard is the most apt one. This film is a wild ride for free souls and open minds. If you take it literally and think that it doesn't make sense that people would take medication to feel pain, or that Jack's inner monologue is not a tongue-in-cheek literary reference, or trust his father to tell you the truth about that famous psychological experiment and consider the ending to be a cop out, you are missing the point. It's like saying why doesn't Godot show up in Waiting for Godot. Duh.
The Irishman (2019)
Overhyped and too long
Like a faded memory of Casino and Goodfellas, The Irishman covers the same ground in a similar vein (longer and slower) and doesn't add anything new. There are some entertaining exchanges and lines, some interesting scenes and moments, visuals and editing, but half-way through, the film becomes really boring and repetitive. If you've seen your Coppola and Scorsese mafia flicks before, you've seen it all. Yes, the CGI doesn't really work, but that's not even the main issue with the film. The exploration of loyalty, friendship, family, etc. has been done in so many of these films - I kept thinking about the scene between De Niro and Ray Liotta in the diner and Liotta's Voice Over in Goodfellas, which basically sums it all up. In the end I was utterly exhausted by the Irishman's overlong resolution and denouement, which again, didn't add anything new or noteworthy to the genre.