Review: "I'm Thinking of Ending Things" is a Special Kind of Frustrating

Scene from I'm Thinking of Ending Things

If you were to describe Charlie Kaufman's filmography in one word, it's headache. Not cerebral or surreal, just headache. Over a career spanning 25 years, he has taken a look inside the human condition and asked the profound questions about how our brain works. With Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, he explored romance in one of the most creative dramas of the 21st century. More recently, he explored loneliness in Anomalisa by turning a hotel full of people voiced by only three actors. He's an oddball who takes risks, but at the end of the day, you'll understand why these ideas make your head ache at night, causing you to toss and turn at night. He may not always say it directly, but those willing to listen will find something satisfying in his frustration, finding profundity in the mundane conversations as we transition to the next phase of life.

This is what makes I'm Thinking of Ending Things a particularly unique ride even within his filmography. While every story has these twists and turns that reveal themselves to us, this Netflix collaboration is one that requires an insubordinate amount of patience, requiring audiences to get through a 20-minute car ride full of seemingly inconsequential conversations. Why does any of this matter? Kaufman has gotten to a point in his writing career where he sprinkles nuance so gradually that you might miss it entirely. It may be why this is a difficult film to understand, let alone enjoy. Is it actually a journey to visit family, or is this an attempt at Kaufman's grander existential crisis magnum opus? The answer lies somewhere in the middle, maybe blurred out in a cloud of snow in the rearview mirror. While the film eventually gets there, the road there requires an effort that not everyone will be willing to face. 

Charlie Kaufman Returns with the First Neurotic Trailer for "I'm Thinking of Ending Things"

Scene from I'm Thinking of Ending Things

On the one hand, this year is so screwed up that its impossible to have any idea at how to look at this awards season. Considering that we're months out from the usual launch, there's no surety that anything will even be out. Most of the big films have moved to 2021 at the hopes that this pandemic will be over. For now, we just have to treat everything with a certain sensitivity, treating what would be a longshot as a serious contender. Given that streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ have been releasing quality work, there's a good reason to argue that this year's winners will be digital.

Following in the path of Da 5 Bloods, Netflix is releasing their next high profile movie I'm Thinking of Ending Things. No, it's not a title meant to imply how we feel right now. It's the latest film from Oscar-winning screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. Considering that his neurotic gifts have made some of the most interesting existential dives into the human condition over the past 20 years, it's always a delight to know that he's back out there doing stuff. After watching this trailer, that uncertainty clearly shines through. The only question is if audiences will be ready for a neurotic, depressing family get together. For those who are, this is a great and refreshing film in a sometimes dour period.

Review: How "Knives Out" Reinvents the Whodunit is a Clear Success

Scene from Knives Out

The world of Agatha Christie is alive and well in director Rian Johnson's Knives Out. This murder mystery is an original story that pays tribute to the whodunit's of yesteryear while applying a glossy coat of 21st-century idealism over it. With the introduction of detective Benoit Blanc (Daniel Craig) out to solve the murder of Harlan Thrombley (Christopher Plummer), the story goes about the journey that makes for one of the most enjoyable films of 2019. On its surface, it's a familiar story where everyone's a suspect and the comedy thrives when people have their own grudges being yelled from across rooms in a form of defense. Their egos will never be put in check, however, so who will go so far as to reveal themselves in this mess? The answer is only part of the reason that this film succeeds as more than a Christie pastiche. It's the story of a modern society coming to terms with its own changing tides, and that elevates the film's relevance to something more than mystery fodder.

A24 A-to-Z: #67. "Hereditary" (2018)

Scene from Hereditary

In case you didn't know, A24 is one of the great purveyors of modern cinema. Since 2013, the studio has found a way to innovate independent cinema by turning each release into an event. As a result, A24 A-to-Z will be an ongoing series that looks at every release from the studio by analyzing its production history, release, criticisms, and any awards attention that it might've received. Join me on a quest to explore the modern heroes of cinema by exploring every hit and miss that comes with that magnificent logo. They may not all be great, but they more than make A24 what it is and what it will hopefully continue to be for years to come.

Failed Oscar Campaigns: "The Sixth Sense" (1999)

Scene from The Sixth Sense

As awards seasons pick up, so do the campaigns to make your film have the best chances at the Best Picture race. However, like a drunken stupor, sometimes these efforts come off as trying too hard and leave behind a trailer of ridiculous flamboyance. Join me on every other Saturday for a highlight of the failed campaigns that make this season as much about prestige as it does about train wrecks. Come for the Harvey Weinstein comments and stay for the history. It's going to be a fun time as I explore cinema's rich history of attempting to matter.

Composing Greatness: #1. Rachel Portman - "Emma" (1996)

Scene from Emma

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

In Defense of Laika's Hidden Gem "The Boxtrolls"

Scene from The Boxtrolls

This weekend marks the release of stop motion maestros Laika's latest film Kubo and the Two Strings. To say the least, the reviews have been positive - arguably the best for the studio since their big debut Coraline in 2009. When looking at reviews however, there seems to be one film that is left out of the average critic's summary of the studio: The Boxtrolls. While it is done in part for succinct summaries, it also is telling that their third feature maybe doesn't have quite the reputation of Coraline or ParaNorman. Even reviews at the time that would suggest that the 2014 release was their first misfire. However, there's something that should be noticed about The Boxtrolls. It may not be the prettiest film in Laika's collection, but it has a lot more innovation and heart than it gets credit for. It's the underrated gem worthy of a second glance.

At 10 Years Old, "Little Miss Sunshine" is Still a Proud Super Freak

Scene from Little Miss Sunshine

It was the Little film that could. When one reads the plot description to co-directors Valerie Faris and Jonathan Dayton's Little Miss Sunshine, you'll be forgiven for thinking that it's stretching for laughs. The central cast features a beauty pageant dreamer, a failed salesman father, an aspiring fighter pilot son who remains silent, and a drug-addled grandfather. It's the stuff that would barely work in Arrested Development, yet somehow came to define an unprecedented indie hit that among other things received a Best Picture nomination along with a Best Supporting Actor win for Alan Arkin. It was a comedy that challenged the notion of dysfunctional families while also connecting on something deeper and more human. After 10 years, it still is a film that captures the essence of following your dreams, even if you're shut out for being different. It may have a lot of bizarre tassels to get over, but what it ends up being is sweet, sincere, and one of the most original independent comedies in recent history.

Will "The Boxtrolls" Continue Laika Studio's Best Animated Film Nomination Streak?

Continuing with the third piece on films in the Best Animated Film category for this week is a look at the trailer for Laika Studios' latest The Boxtrolls. Readers will undoubtedly remember my admiration for ParaNorman and the studio's impressive stop motion techniques. In fact, I eagerly await whatever their next move is. While this isn't the first trailer to pop up for the film, it is the first to give a strong grasp as to what the film will be about. In true form, it looks equal parts innovative as it does entertaining, pushing boundaries of animation into new and interesting places.

The "Hitchcock" Trailer Shows the Acting Fields Filling Up Fast

Anthony Hopkins

Today saw the release of the trailer for what has long been considered "the other Alfred Hitchcock film." That's right, first the HBO film The Girl directed by Julian Jarrold and starring Toby Jones and Sienna Miller focusing on Hitchcock's relationship with Tippi Hedron (Miller) and more specifically The Birds. Now comes the less inspired title Hitchcock, directed by Sacha Gervasi and starring Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, and Scarlett Johansson focusing on the making of Psycho. Despite the dueling banjos aspect of these two films, buzz has been around Hopkins and his portrayal, which is pretty uncanny in the trailer. However, is the film capable of landing more credibility than this?