Guillermo del Toro's THE SHAPE OF WATER (2017)

Some movies are for looking at, and I'd

Say this is one, for ev'ry gorgeous frame

Would look great on my wall. All that aside, 

This fairy tale for grown-ups plays a game

Of fantasy-nostalgia that's both real --

All analog and black and white and chrome

(Or rather, green and red and, of course, teal) --

And un-, as ol' Abe Sapiens is alone

No longer. Richard and Octavia got

Plain robbed, though, at the Oscars, but for me

That proves they were the best, as much as not.

I do not know I'll ever want to see

This one again, though. There is nothing wrong

Here though: but Pan's and Devil's play my song.

Robert Eggers' THE VVITCH : A NEW ENGLAND FOLK TALE (2015)

Bad parenting, ahoy! You didn't think

That only happens now, did you? A dad

Need not be violent, and needn't drink

To wreck a fam'ly's life. Then, too, a bad

Mom helps, especially when a big black goat,

With Chekov's giant horns, is also there. 

In truest ay-two-four style, you can vote:

Is this for "real" or did they all just share

Some ergot-madness? Too, it's well-conveyed

How ev'rything must stink, as well as why

(Yes, fetch the water downstream from the maid

Who's washing goat-shit from some clothes, oh aye!).

I'd like to see this done in black and white.

Such ambiguity might up the fright...

James Mangold's FORD V FERRARI (2019)

A car does not excite me; nor a race,

But competence is always fun to see

In action, as is friendship, and a base

Of function in a family. For me,

Though, who has really bad reactions to

Big crashes, unsafe driving (thanks a lot,

O PTSD), I stayed watching through

A lot of that because I really got

A kick from Christian Bale, a character,

And not a growl inside a suit, again!

There's the best fistfight that I've seen occur

In recent years, as well. There might have been

A bit too mighty sound for migraine types, 

But otherwise, it well deserves the hype. 

Harald Zwart's THE 12TH MAN (2017)

 

We've all been cold, but have we cut our toes

Right off our feet 'gainst gangrene, started when

They froze in winter seawater, then snows

That buried us for days? I haven't been

Quite there. Nor have I been a hero, passed

Around a nation like a living prize

That everyone's decided is their last

Best hope for freedom. Jesus, though, those eyes.

Throughout Jan Baalstrud's journey as portrayed

By Thomas Gullestad, now clear, now red

Like nothing should be red, from snow glare, stayed

With me for hours. There are sights to dread,

But also thrills to have, as when, at speed

A reindeer drags him racing in his need!

Rian Johnson's KNIVES OUT (2019)

Distracted by Dan Craig's ridiculous

And southern drawl, I almost didn't catch

The brilliance and insanity 'twas thus

Displayed, script-wise! I should have grabbed a snatch

Of clue that Rian Johnson made this pile 

Of craziness. The whole ensemble caused

Sheer excellence. We think that, all the while, 

We know whodunnit, but ere long must pause. 

Though oft the fun is watching as the sleuth

Learns what we know, it isn't always so.

I'm trying not to give away the truth

As we saw, as concludes that game of Go.

This film is perfect. Only Parasite 

Was better, and the diff'rence, was but slight!

Paul Thomas Anderson's THE MASTER (2012)

Joaquin looks like an album cover now 

(Specifically King Crimson's if you must

Know which) and I just can't account for how

I'm not to be distracted by this. Trust

Me, though, that he performs quite well, here, too!

Ol' PSH and Amy Adams hold

Their own with him, but have to hold on through

A hurricane e'en on dry land. I'm told

This film is based on something that attracts

Some lawsuits, but it's really not about

That church so much as how are formed those pacts

Of co-dependency. I do not doubt

They got mad anyway. This film is fine;

It's got the look right. Kudos on design!

Bjorn Engstrom's TANGENT ROOM (2017)

An acting workshop, cleverly disguised
As some stoned  physics student's lamest thought
Experiment, just slightly stylized
Should not be watchable, yet here we've caught
A right rare'un. I won't say I sat on edge,
My pulse a-pounding, but neither did I fall
Asleep, at any rate, or so I'd pledge;
No one was watching me. We cannot call
This bloated, as films go, at least; it's lean
On cast and set and story, true lo-fi
Sci-fi, or maybe student work. That's mean
But that's most what this felt like. You and I
Could better spend our time than watching this,
Unless we'd spend it watching the abyss.

Armando Ianucci's THE DEATH OF STALIN (2017)

O Ianucci, could you ever fail?

The evidence so far says surely not!

And even though our thigh slaps turn to wails

Of shock and horror, watching people shot

To "keep the peace(!)", still we laugh loud and long

At yet another stunning combo: script

And perfect improv. I can only long 

For when this crew takes on the 45th

White House. Meanwhile, I think Buscemi could

Hold on with Malcolm Tucker. Some things must

Be roundly mocked, if only for the good

Of humankind. Though, when the filmic dust

Is settled, one thing would improve the lols:

If Beale and Tambour could have swapped their roles. 

Mika Kaurismäki's THE GIRL KING (2015)

Christina, Queen of Sweden, long has dwelt

Rent-free inside my head, e'er since I read

Of her in my Horizon mags. I felt 

A little more a rebel, in my head

For knowing she had lived. And Garbo brought

Her e'en more forward, so my standards for

A film about her are perhaps too high. 

There's some to like,  here, sure, but there is more

To who she was and what she did, than (sigh)

Her Countess. There's some quite good dialogue

At least, and all looks pretty, as it should.

It's not a bad film, though; it's not a slog. 

Is that enough, though, that I'd call it good?

Her odd upbringing isn't shown at all, 

Nor post-crowned life. Not sure 'twas their best call.

Wash Westmoreland's COLETTE (2018)

I do not often like Miss Knightley, yet
I must admit, in this she's without flaw
As that wild woman we know as Colette,
A writer-dancer-actress worth our awe.
Dom West can barely keep up with her, which
Is as it should be. And the others cast
In many roles reflect quite perfect pitch
(Except for Tomlinson, but, at the last
'Twas really just the accent). All the art
Direction met our standards for this fare
Called Costume Drama, and the movie's heart
Is right where it belongs. If you would share
In awesome on this level, check it out,
Then write some saucy fiction and don't pout!

Dexter Fletcher's ROCKETMAN (2019)

He still is standing after all this time, 

And it's sure fun to see a version of

His story that's as flashy, fun and wild

As Elton John's stage shows. Of course we love

The songs, and Taron sings them very well

And he's a sensitive, expressive face

That pairs up nicely with one Jamie Bell

(I want him as Ray Davies ere our race

Burns out its fuse). A playful fantasy

With brief, dark moments, seems exactly right, 

As do the costumes. If this had to be

A movie, at least keep it moving, bright 

And soulful, like Sir Elton's greatest tunes. 

I guess that's why this film kept making news. 

Chris Butler's MISSING LINK (2019)

I do not love the character design, 

Especially the faces; they all look

Like they're in need of Kleenex, or less wine. 

At least the animators sort of took

Their physics lessons, and the backgrounds are

Magnificent and detailed. So why make 

The figures so damned ugly? It's bizarre. 

Then there's the shrewish lady lead. I'd stake

A modest sum the writing staff were male,

But really don't care near enough to check. 

Some neat ideas, though, like a haughty, pale

And racist vale of cryptids, and, on deck

A cryptic hunting Saqsquatch. Really, I

Just wished they'd made more effort on this try. 

Morgan Neville's 20 FEET FROM STARDOM (2013)

The giants on whose shoulders long have stood

The giants whom we hail as household names

Still walk among us, small, less known, and good?

Don't damn them with faint praise. A little fame 

Is overdue these ladies, and right here, 

Right from the ope'ning credits we receive

That message. All the art direction near

Distracts from these great ladies, but, believe:

They still stand out. A fine, harmonic whole, 

This film -- and even when it cuts to stars 

The spotlight stays on Lisa, Darlene. Know

I'll soon hunt down their vinyl from afar!

We're at our best when we are not alone. 

Now someone make this film but for trombone!

Jeff Dolan's PHASE 6 (2019)

With just twelve minutes for to tell a tale,
Each aspect must be tight, all without waste.
Scripts must be tight, and dialogue can't fail
To be efficient, curt but still with taste.
And both of these prevail here, as do all
The SFX and art direction, though
The actors, as if Lucas made the call
To treat them like set-pieces, make this show
A bit uneven. Still, this harrowing
Account of med-tech turned to nasty ends
Is tense and good, is creepy, narrowing
The battle for the world to two young friends'
Own bodies. I do fear that wing-nuts
Will treat this as non-fiction, in my guts...

Celine Sciamma's PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE (2019)

Much could be made of what just isn't here --

No music and no men, and yes, no pow'r

Imbalances, except, eschewing fear,

Officially. 'Tis right that we did show'r

This wonder with awards, effusive praise, 

Superlatives. Within this ladies' world

It's all about the loving female gaze

Bestowed and, too, received in trust, unfurled

Among a set of equals. This is so 

Refreshing I near failed to notice that

They play Egyptian Ratscrew by the glow 

Of candles. And of course it's lovely; at

The very least it will pull at your heart.

It's also simply stunning vis'ual art!

Christopher Miller & Phil Lord's THE LEGO MOVIE (2014)

Oh god, please make it stop, that effing song,
So dumb it's smart, or, yeah, so smart it's dumb
I will say this, though, as things moved along
I hated Ferrell less than e'er my numb
And hateful heart could e'er allow. This tale
Of toys and how they're played with and of how
They get commodified and made a rail
Along which thoughts are shoved felt very now
Until the bit when Emmett, hailed as one
Unspecial leader with no talents, well,
It's not so funny, ne'er will be as fun
Since that November when we went to hell
In 2016. Oh well, it was cute
And I'm sure all the sequels are a hoot.

Robert Eggers' THE LIGHTHOUSE (2019)

If ever did a film need black and white
T'were this'un, as the light and shadows play
Across these faces, crazed and pure and right
Out of a William Blake book, I might say
(Check out those mad tableaus!), or, then again
From Goya. How did Jaren Blaschke not
Receive a shelf-full of awards, but then
I've not yet seen what beat him. Still, you've got
To hand it to him; nothing's looked like this
Since Hameister, perhaps. And yes, the cast
Chewed up the scene'ry well. I'd be amiss
To not shout out the gull unit, too. 'Vast!
I could go on and on about this one,
It's tense and crazy and it's lots of fun.

Ari Aster's MIDSOMMAR (2019)

The folk art that foreshadows from behind
Each scene almost distracts th'unwary eye
From double-you-tee-eff that blows the mind
As Wicker Man gets blown away sky-high.
How Florence Pugh expressed emotions which
Should not exist, I marvel! But look out --
Some graphic horrors wait. My brain doth itch
From what I saw, but yes, I think about
Another viewing soon. Just how much art
Foretold just how much plot? I saw a bear
On Dani's wall in act one, and a chart
Cartoon of how her beau was going to fare...
And yes, the camera tricks worked well, as did
The scenery. A re-watch I am bid!

Greg Mottola's PAUL (2011)

Encounters that come close to pure delight, 

As this one did, are few and far between. 

I'd rather focus on what they got right

Than on what made this miss (except that queen

Of off-tone awkwardness, Ms. Kristen Wiig).

The leads are charming, innocent and fun, 

The laughs to be had here are sometimes big, 

And money spent on SFX, for one,

Was not misspent. The slight twist at the end

Was good but maybe not a great surprise. 

That's fine. A film need not always depend

On that to work. The time spent viewing flies

At least as well as Paul's slow-rising craft.

It's sweet and light, and hey, it made me laugh. 

Marek Polgar's EXIT (2011)

The cam'ra does what we are not allowed

To do: look straight up in a city scape,

Or closely at small textures that the crowd

Around us shoves us past. Here we may gape

At these and more! And there's a story, too,

Of those who treat their city as a kind

Of puzzle to be solved. I like to move

Through urban spaces as they do, to find

What others miss in passing. Ghosts, they go

From shot to perfect shot, exchange remarks,

And take their cryptic notes. I want to know

The world they are escaping with their charts. 

Another fascination: talking scenes

Are strangely cut, as though these are my dreams.