I Don’t Feel at Home in This World Anymore (2017)

Impression:  I’ve fairly recently become reacquainted with the fine acting of the kiwi actress Ms. Melanie Lynskey through an amazing and short lived series called Togetherness written and directed by the Duplass brothers. At this point I am thinking I really should make an exception to only reviewing films here and review that show as well, because it very much deserves it, and I keep feeling compelled to bring it up in multiple reviews. I have of course originally seen her as a teenager in an amazing and disturbing little film called Heavenly Creatures more than 20 years ago where she starred alongside a young Kate Winslet.
In her latest acting reincarnation, Ms. Lynskey’s gift is basically looking like a frumpy middle aged mom, lulling the audience into believing she is playing a really boring, yet likable character and then doing something to shock them. She does this both in Togetherness and in this movie in different ways. But while this is something the script calls for, her unique talent is in being so damn believable as both: a frumpy mom AND a badass. So, yes this movie is worth watching for Melanie Lynskey first! But also for an amazing role for Elijah Wood who plays a nerdy heavy metal listening, martial arts practicing, church going loner, who becomes her sidekick. And the premise, and the hilarious writing. The only unfortunate thing is the ultraviolence that takes place in the last 30 minutes of the movie, which will probably turn off some of its potential audience, but then also earn a cult following with the people who dig it. I am definitely not a fan of pointless ultraviolence, but in this movie, it is in some sense inevitable. The movie starts with a very basic premise: the main character is annoyed with people, and the way they treat each other. She tries to confront people who are assholes in hopes of changing the world, or at least changing the world that surrounds her. But at every step along the way, the consequences of her actions are more and more amped up until she gets involved in a mass carnage scene at the end. But since the premise of the movie is that every action leads to some over-reaction, there was no where else for the plot to go, but to more and more extreme ends. In conclusion, the first 2/3 of this movie are fabulous, the last 1/3 will probably not be everyone’s cup of tea.

Facts: A nerdy nurse, tired of people being assholes to her, goes out seeking vigilante justice and  gets messed up with some sketchy characters.

Presumed Guilty (2009)

Impressions: Mexican documentary about the inner workings of the legal system, might seem like a relatively dry topic, but it was actually fascinating, and compelling throughout. My favorite thing about documentaries is coming across one on a topic I know nothing about, and would not have even contemplated seeing, until I was already there. “A Great Day in Harlem” was another great example of this. This film follows a guy accused of murder through the whole ordeal including living in prison, his appeals, and a face-off with the witnesses. Some of the processes are mind boggling, especially the witness face-off, and the fact that once convicted no amount of evidence can convince anyone of anything is frustrating.  The two young lawyers who took on the case, use the filmmaking process itself as a tool in their fight to free an innocent man. Very interesting and really well done, you should see it! If you ever had your doubts, this one definitely makes you not want to end up in a mexican prison!

Facts: Two young Mexican lawyers fight to free a man convicted of a crime they have ample evidence he did not commit.

Extras:  I originally had very brief notes which I wrote in 2009 after seeing this film at TIFF. In order to write a more meaningful opinion, and jog my memory some,  I looked at the wikipedia page on it. It’s apparently become the most watched documentary in Mexico, breaking box office records, and was eventually banned in 2011, causing it to be even more popular. It would be very interesting to see what someone from Mexico thought about it. The system and the process were all very new to me, and made me wonder if it’s common knowledge that this is how the system works.