I’ve seen this before, and I didn’t like it much then. But that was a crappy pirated copy, so when I happened upon this blu ray release from the BFI, I bought it anyway.

And now I’m watching it. Perhaps it’s better this time.

Indeed.

So basically, the entire film happens in this hotel room? And it’s all philosophical discussions between a British journalist and an alien robot — about the Middle East conflict(s).

It sounds like it should be brilliant, right? But it’s not.

Very Vermeerish.

Peter Wollen was a film professor at UCLA, and had done a number of shorts before this movie — which is his final credit as director.

Perhaps he was a good teacher — but… er…

This movie has a lot of problems, but perhaps one of them is the stereotypical casting? In this movie, by an older male professor, the protagonist is an older male journalist, who is lecturing a young woman (OK, robot) about all kinds of things. It’s a kind of Mary Sue movie, really. Mary Wollen.

Perhaps it could have worked with different casting for the guy.

I wonder whether Wollen was thinking he was making something like Liquid Sky — that’s got an alien and strange things, too, but…

Man, this is even worse than last time I saw it. It’s just bone-crushingly uninteresting.

Friendship’s Death. Peter Wollen. 1987. ⚁

Oh, this is a cute little comedy about a high school reunion or something?

So it’s about a prissy gay dude and his old bully stuck in a car for nine hours? I guess hilarity will ensue.

It turns out that the high school bully was secretly bi?

It’s fun. It’s a very low budget movie, and it doesn’t have much of a plot, but it’s cute.

OK, now it’s just a bit boring. They totally forgot to write the movie — instead it’s just a series of random meetings that’s getting progressively more annoying.

Nice art.

This starts off as a pretty charming movie, but then it gets brutally — brutally — tedious.

The Thing About Harry. Peter Paige. 2020. ⚁

Oh, that’s why it’s called “the good house”… I’m so smart S M R T.

I’m not quite sure how I ended up with this movie — it’s probably just because it’s got Sigourney Weaver? It seems like a very undramatic drama — the kind of movie you don’t see much these days (except from streaming services). But this is apparently a real made-for-cinema movies, in 1.85:1 and all.

Oh, this is one of those movies where a character looks at the camera and talks to the audience… but it’s not a comedy! I think! Weaver is playing an alcoholic real estate agent?

Yes, lots of these shots.

What’s with the colour grading? Everything is really desaturated and dull… perhaps things are gonna pop once she gets all non-drinkey and stuff.

It looks so nice and warm on that beach…

Aww.

I’m quite enjoying this movie — it’s so down to earth… and I’m not able at all to guess the critical reception. I could see this both being totally panned (because it’s so old fashioned and sincere), and also being praised (because it’s Sigourney Weaver like duh).

Oh, people like it.

I mean, I know that this isn’t Mexico, but c’mon.

That’s more like it.

This isn’t my kind of movie at all, really, but it’s a very enjoyable movie to watch. It shouldn’t work, but it’s sensitively directed and has amazing actors. And there’s nothing annoying — no overbearing soundtrack or nothing.

I’m adding one ⚀ to what I was originally going to give this because it plays Down to Zero by Joan Armatrading over the end titles.

The Good House. Maya Forbes/Wallace Wolodarsky. 2021. ⚄