“ You don't want to add a flower shop?” “ I hate flowers.”

more owen wilson filmography gifsets can be found here

One Dress a Day Challenge

October: Black Redux

Dune / Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam

A great example of costume as worldbuilding, the Reverend Mother's robes and headdress evoke tradition, mystery, and power. The robe is made of some heavy, rich material with a subtle pattern that is hard to see in the dim lighting of the scene. The tall headdress suggests high rank and also confers an air of authority, while the coarse net veil hides her features just enough to make her inscrutable. All in all, a very effective costume that contributes to making this scene very memorable.

To see all that gravitas turned into something completely silly, check out this video:

IDRIS ELBA in The Harder They Fall (2021)

Violet (2021) dir. Justine Bateman

LAST NIGHT IN SOHO

Dir. Edgar Wright (2021)

Dune (2021)

Even upon a rewatch, 2021’s Dune: Part One is spectacular. The memorable, foreboding score by Hans Zimmer, the costumes that bring this world to life, the scale of the action and the unique sets, ship & weapon designs all come together to complement a story of mythical scale. After seeing this film, two thoughts start competing for your brain’s attention. 1) If Frank Herbert’s Dune was adapted this successfully, then no work is unfilmable and 2) the sequel can’t come soon enough.

In 10191, the universe is ruled by an Emperor who assigns the exploitation of planets to powerful ruling houses. Interstellar travel is possible through “spice” a substance found exclusively on the harsh desert planet of Arrakis. For 80 years, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his house have overseen the harvest of spice. Now, Duke Leto I (Oscar Isaac) of House Atreides is the new steward of Arrakis but only for as long as the flow of spice continues. This shift puts House Atreides, particularly the Duke’s son, Paul (Timothy Chalamet), in danger.

At 155 minutes, you’d think this movie would feel long, but it doesn’t. One of the reasons is that there’s a lot within to keep your mind busy. What’s a Freman? What’s a Kwisatz Haderach? What’s “the voice”? If director Denis Villeneuve tried to cram this story into 90, or even 120 minutes, it would move so quickly that all these questions would leave you in the dusty sands of Arrakis (that’s the planet, right?). By taking its time while moving at a good pace the film allows you - in time - to answer all of your questions. Since you understand what’s happening, you’re engaged. It helps that if you can’t remember what each name means, the visuals pick up the ball. The grotesque, scheming Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is clearly a villain. It's particularly obvious once you see his nephew, the psychotic and childish Glossu Rabban (Dave Bautista). You know you can’t trust the Bene Gesserit because their leader, Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) makes Paul take a painful, life-threatening test to prove he isn’t a threat himself. These are only a few of the many examples I could choose and they show how the story is both complex and easily digestible.

Even without the gripping story filled with backstabbings, political intrigue, violence, quests for revenge and harrowing struggles for survival, Dune would still have you tightly in its grip. Throughout, Paul’s psychic abilities give him visions. They foretell the future… sort of. They give hints of what’s coming but hints are not the same as clear answers. These all tie to this planet he’s on; a world that doesn’t end where the screen does. The details in the dialogue, sets and costumes make you wish the Harkonnens would just chill, and save their grudge for later. This way, you’d have time to see House Atreides befriend the Fremen and familiarize themselves with their customs.

There’s so much happening in this film that some of it you won’t “get” until later. For example, the early assassination attempt on Paul’s life. The would-be killer? A Harkonnen cutthroat, hidden in a bedroom wall. What kind of wealth, power and/or terrifying influence could persuade someone to take on that sort of assignment, knowing they would have to wait in darkness for weeks, slowly starving to death, just to kill a boy?

The passion within Dune is as clear as its ambition. You’re only getting half of a movie with it, but this choice feels like a necessity, rather than a Breaking Dawn-type of cash-grab or an attempt to start another franchise for a money-hungry studio. It certainly doesn’t feel presumptuous. Everything we see feels important; like it’s building up to not just one, but many bigger character arcs in a world that contains hundreds of stories. You know the threads that are left hanging will be tied up - that’s the kind of confidence all of the artists at work instill in you. Dune/Dune: Part One is a film that’s going to be remembered. (March 1, 2024)

Cary as Roger Towers in 'Last train to Christmas ' (2021) ✨️🎄

BOILING POINT (2021)

★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆ (8/10)

m əmor ᴉa, dir. Apichatpong Weerasethakul, 2021

Ninjababy, directed by Yngvild Sve Flikke (2021) 🥷👶 Rakel 💓 Mos' relationship feels like a big, warm hug 🫂

Ratcatcher || The Suicide Squad

One Dress a Day Challenge

September: Bond Films

No Time to Die / Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann

Over the course of surveying several movies by now, I'm struck by how often "Bond girls" wear white, especially for day wear. Here's a simple but effective example from No Time to Die: a button-front dress by Spanish designer Massimo Dutti, made of soft ribbed material (knit?). As designed, the dress comes with a belt, but Madeleine doesn't wear it. With the white dress, Madeleine wears white Castañer Chiarita Espadrilles wedge sandals and carries a Tod's Double T Bucket Bag Mini purse. I didn't spot any jewelry.

White is a bit of a signature color for the character, as she also wore white in the previous film, Spectre. In this particular scene, it has the effect of making her look angelic and wronged when Bond accuses her of betraying him.

Although this film was released in 2021, it was filmed in 2019, so I'm filing it under 2010s fashion.

Great Freedom (Große Freiheit) dir. Sebastian Meise, 2021

Rookie-Critic's Top 20 Films of 2021: #12 - The Sparks Brothers (dir. Edgar Wright)

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if Edgar Wright (in his second appearance on this list) made a documentary? How would his frantic editing style and penchant for fast-paced storytelling translate to a non-fiction setting? Well, if the subject of the documentary is 70s/80s pop/rock duo Sparks, the answer is absurdly magnificent. Edgar Wright makes zany films about the things he loves; whether that be comics, heist movies, or giallo horror, he'll find a way to put his signature spin on it. However, the absolute behemoth of personality that is Ron and Russel Mael simply cannot be contained to a fictionalized retelling, so Wright made one incredible documentary about their story. Admittedly, I had never even heard of Sparks before watching this film about a year ago, but after Wright's very loving depiction of two of his idols, I can say I'm a full convert, having now listened to every album they've ever put out. Do yourself a favor and pull this one up. Even if you don't like the music, you'll be endeared to the brothers Sparks before the first 15 minutes are even done.

Score: 10/10

Currently available on DVD & Blu-ray through Universal Studios.

Licorice Pizza, 2021 Dir. Paul Thomas Anderson

Godzilla vs. Kong (2021)

I might’ve been a little starved for blockbusters the first time I saw Godzilla vs. Kong and rated it. In my defense, it was during the pandemic and the other movies I was able to see during lockdown were mostly disappointments. Reviewing the film again, I recognize that the human’s plot is undercooked while everything with the monsters is spectacular. Well, at least the movie knows where its priorities stand and considering what its audience wants to see…

When Godzilla suddenly attacks Apex Cybernetics’ Pensacola facility, conspiracy theorist Bernie Hayes (Brian Tyree Henry) becomes convinced they somehow provoked the titan. Madison Russell (Millie Bobby Brown) - an avid fan of his podcast - shares his suspicions. They rope her friend Josh (Julian Dennison) into investigating and confirm their fears aren't entirely unfounded. After the attack, Apex insists mankind needs to develop a weapon against Godzilla and asks Monarch to give them access to Kong. They believe the titan ape can lead them inside the vast caverns below our world to a power source formidable enough to take down the king of the monsters.

Though Godzilla’s name appears first in the title, this film is about Kong much more than the radioactive dinosaur. It’s a good choice, as the ape is resourceful, an underdog in this fight and intelligent enough to communicate with Monarch via sign language. Godzilla might’ve protected the Earth/humanity in the previous movies, but was it really a heroic character, or was the nuclear reptile just killing its rivals? Kong, on the other hand, has actual human friends. Even though the Iwis we met during Kong: Skull Island have been wiped out (seems like a missed opportunity), Kong still has a link to them in the form of Jia (Kaylee Hottle), a deaf-mute Iwi survivor adopted by Dr. Ilene Andrews (Rebecca Hall). Nonetheless, his situation gives him a very relatable quest: he wants to know if there is a new family for him out there.

One-half of the human's story fares fairly well. With the help of Apex Cybernetics, Dr. Ilene Andrews, along with Jia and hollow-earth scientist Nathan Lind (Alexander Skarsgård) follow Kong into this hidden world beneath our feet that houses all sorts of monsters and an ancient rivalry between Kong and Godzilla (seems wacky, but it does lead to some fun developments). These characters are following Kong on his journey so when the 8th wonder of the world is put in danger, they are too. The other humans, however, feel like they only appear to deliver exposition or to give us some familiar faces. You could easily re-jig this story to remove them.

But of course, you didn't come to this film for the human element. Yes, kaiju films are better when the "tiny" protagonists are compelling, but if there's one aspect of this movie director Adam Wingard had to get right, it was the Godzilla and Kong stuff. I'm happy to say you won't be disappointed. The Titan battles are varied, clearly shot, tense and action-packed. You get three rounds between Kong and Godzilla, with a clear winner at the end that will leave fans of either camp satisfied. I know a lot of purists will say a Godzilla film isn't the same without rubber suits, but this picture does so much with modern special effects. Varied locations, varied angles, moves no human could do, etc. That last brawl in the neon-lit Hong Kong will make you say "wow!".

There have been a lot of Godzilla films since the character appeared. Some have been dramatic, others comedic or somewhere in the middle with an emphasis on dumb fun. None have featured action scenes as good as the ones in Godzilla vs. Kong. Even if you only have a passing interest in the characters, the highlights are strong, strong enough to make you forgive the parts that could've been strengthened. It's not even a guilty pleasure; it's gargantuan fun. (On Blu-ray, March 27, 2024)