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cover of episode Pick 3: Justin Chang’s Downer Movies for the Holiday Season

Pick 3: Justin Chang’s Downer Movies for the Holiday Season

2024/12/3
logo of podcast The New Yorker Radio Hour

The New Yorker Radio Hour
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贾斯汀·张认为，好的电影不会令人沮丧，而所有烂电影都会令人沮丧。他推荐的三部电影——《少年尼克尔》、《野蛮人》和《残酷真相》——虽然主题沉重，但却非常精彩刺激，值得在影院观看。 《少年尼克尔》改编自普利策奖获奖小说，以第一人称视角讲述了20世纪60年代佛罗里达州一所改革学校里两名年轻黑人的故事。影片以其独特的拍摄手法和演员精湛的演技打动人心，展现了这段痛苦的历史。导演罗梅尔·罗斯和摄影师乔·马弗雷采用第一人称视角，让观众身临其境地感受主人公的经历。安贾努·埃利斯-泰勒的表演也十分出色，为影片增色不少。 《野蛮人》是布雷迪·科贝特的第三部长片，由艾德里安·布劳迪主演。影片探讨了资本主义、移民、犹太人同化以及战后美国对犹太人天才和劳动的剥削等重大主题。影片时长3.5小时，但情节引人入胜，不会让人感到冗长。 《残酷真相》是迈克·李的最新作品，玛丽安·尚-巴蒂斯特的表演精彩绝伦。影片探讨了幸福分配不均以及人们为何快乐或不快乐的复杂性。虽然影片主题沉重，但同时也具有娱乐性，玛丽安·尚-巴蒂斯特的表演更是让人印象深刻。 大卫·雷姆尼克与贾斯汀·张就年末电影进行了探讨，肯定了贾斯汀·张推荐的三部电影，并表达了对这些电影的期待。

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Key Insights

Why does Justin Chang recommend 'Nickel Boys' as one of his top picks for the holiday season?

Justin Chang recommends 'Nickel Boys' because it is an adaptation of Colson Whitehead's 2019 Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, directed by RaMell Ross. The film uses a first-person point-of-view approach, which creates a powerful and unique viewing experience. It also features a standout performance by Anjanue Ellis-Taylor, who plays the grandmother of one of the boys sent to a reform school.

Why is 'The Brutalist' considered a significant film by Justin Chang?

Justin Chang considers 'The Brutalist' significant because it is a deeply ambitious film directed by Brady Corbet, starring Adrian Brody in a powerful performance. The film explores themes of capitalism, immigration, Jewish assimilation, and the exploitation of Jewish genius and labor in post-war America. Despite its length of three and a half hours, it is incredibly absorbing and well worth seeing on the big screen.

Why does Justin Chang recommend 'Hard Truths' despite its heavy subject matter?

Justin Chang recommends 'Hard Truths' because it is directed by Mike Leigh, known for his unique workshop process with actors, resulting in tightly structured scripts and exceptional performances. The film features a standout performance by Marianne Jean-Baptiste, who plays a profoundly unhappy character. Despite the challenging subject, the film is both entertaining and devastating, offering deep insights into the uneven distribution of happiness.

Chapters
Justin Chang, film critic for The New Yorker, shares his unconventional holiday movie picks, emphasizing quality over feel-good themes. He counters the typical holiday movie expectation with a focus on thrilling and thought-provoking films.
  • Justin Chang's movie recommendations are not typical holiday fare.
  • He prioritizes quality over feel-good themes.
  • His picks are described as 'downers' but 'thrilling'

Shownotes Transcript

If “Wicked, Part I” and “Gladiator II” are not getting you into the theatre this weekend, Justin Chang, The New Yorker’s film critic, offers three other films coming out this holiday season which are “among the most thrilling that I've seen this year.” He recommends “Nickel Boys,” based on the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by Colson Whitehead and directed by RaMell Ross; “The Brutalist,” starring Adrian Brody; and “Hard Truths,” directed by Mike Leigh. These are heavy subjects—not traditional holiday fare—but “I returned to the words of Roger Ebert,” Chang tells David Remnick. “No good movie is depressing. All bad movies are depressing.”