My depression right now makes me unable to enjoy most things – so I tried to watch as many movies as I can this month, hoping it would help reignite some fire of passion. Unfortunately, to spoil it, no movie I have seen this month has done it; but honestly I don’t know how much of it is the movies’ fault or my depression’s fault.

But still – let’s see how these films measure up to the depression test.

Better Man (2024)

So, yes. I watched the Robbie William chimp movie. Yes, Pam went into this thinking it would reignite her love of cinema. And you can’t blame me too much – the review of this movie has been glowing; people on the internet have been continuously praising it as an underrated, subversive biopic that finally does something new – which is what I have been looking for for years. The repetitive nature of musicians’ biopic have been driving me insane, and I truly have some hope this film might hold something more subversive than just the gimmick of the monkey. 

To my surprise – I came out feeling underwhelmed. You might think, Pam, what did you expect from the Robbie William chimp movie to be underwhelmed – but usually I am truly at the front of the internet sub-culture that defends movies like this and find it so endearing. But to me – this film is just fine. 

I am not familiar with Robbie William, though I will have to admit that his humour shines through, and makes the film mildly enjoyable for my depression brain. But I just don’t find that subversive and creative spark everyone seems to find. 

There are certainly creative fantasy sequences in this movie, but to me it just is not enough in the structure and theme of it to elevate the movie above the typical biopic. 

Companion (2024) 

Similarly, I came out of this movie thinking it’s fine. It’s an enjoyable horror film that was entertaining throughout, and I would recommend it to any fan of the horror genre.  Not much more I can say about it, really; this film’s biggest strength is that you go in blind. It has the strength that I think most well-made horror film shsould have; thoroughly entertaining and have some nice theme to it for you to chew on afterward. 

Nosferatu (2024)

Now, this one – this one I have a lot to say about. I have been a fan of Robert Egger’s film since his debut, and this film is as visually stunning and thematically rich as his other works have been. Unfortunately, though there is much to analyse, I can’t say that I am in love with it still. 

 I have a whole very long review on the theme that resonated with me – but to me the feeling I have for this film is just not love. It’s not a film that is entertaining enough for me to rewatch eithe

 Again, keep in mind that this could really just be the depression; this is a very amazing film. The visual alone is worth the price of admission. If you like rich atmosphere, folklore with deep thematic elements, or are a fan of the many symbolism a vampire story can have – I think you will really like this film. 

Conclave (2024)

 Believe it or not – out of anything I have seen in theater, this film came the closest to passing the depression test, I think. However, this is mostly because I found the fandom it spawned so thoroughly entertaining. The film itself was marketed to me as the election of the Pope portrayed almost like a murder mystery; a concept which would be incredibly right up my alley. In reality, though, I found that the twist and turn the story takes and themes behind it leave much to be desire – which makes the whole movie fall short for me. It’s simply not entertaining or thematically rich enough for me at the moment.

 What I like the most about the film is the performance; I think all the leads are incredibly endearing. So, though my review of the filmis – again – that it is fine; I will definitely continue to participate in this little fandom it has spawned. If you would like to try for yourself if the twist and turns of the movie would grab your attention, or just want to spend some time with really charismatic characters – I would definitely recommend this film. 

September 5 (2025)

Honestly, I only went to see this film because I didn’t want to do work that afternoon. I did not know about the real story behind it – being too young, or too ignorant. And, I don’t do this very often at all, but I unfortunately have to say that I had to walk out of the theater; this thriller just didn’t grab my attention at all. I found what it has to say about the role of news in media coverage of political event to be too vague to make any point. And, what surprised me the most about it, is how radically unpolitical it chooses to be. It does not even attempt to tackle the timeliness of the Israleli-Palestinian conflict at all. The event at the center of the film could be replace with any terrorist act; it doesn’t matter to the film at all. 

 

Again. I can’t critique it with complete ethics as I walked out on the film; but I would not recommend this film. Simply, I find it boring. It could have as well belong to the 2000, rather than now. For a film that could say a lot more in this age of media coverage and war, I think it says so remarkably little.

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Funny Face (1957)

 I watched this as a part of the Classic film club at Churchill College – and, like all musicals from this period, it was such a good experience to see this with a crowd (of 5-6 people in the film club. But still.) I think if I have to be objective, it is not a good film. It feels like a series of musical scenes strung together by a story that can barely be called a plot – just a vehicle to move from one set piece to the next. The musical scenes, to me, also go on too long; and the songs are not memorable at all. 

However, I have a great fondness for Audrey Hepburn and Fred Astair – and I think this would have been such a fun movie to watch with my brother; it is a type of film you need to watch with a friend, point out all the silliness of it all, and laugh together. 

And, for such an unremarkable movie, the church scene in this is one of the most beautiful scene in cinema that I have seen. I would get married here. This is what I want to see in my dream every day from now on. There is a shot of Audrey Hepburn’s face in front of that Church that might be the best shot in her entire filmography. This church scene is all I can think about now.

To Be or Not To Be (1942)

Now, this one, I failed to catch at the film club; which is a huge mistake. I would have loved to see this with a crowd – it’s such a fun and silly time that is so charming in exactly the way that I find old comedies to be. Obviously, my love for Jack Benny contributed hugely to my enjoyment of the film. Him and Carole Lombard made for an absolutely adorable couple; it is so rare to see a comedy with older leads that are already married, which I find to be so nice. The parallel to Jack Benny’s real life acting wife also makes that extra enjoyable. 

Again I would have love to discuss this at the film club because there is something interesting to note about the way Jack Benny’s comedy is played on him having feminine trade (on his show and being cuckolded as a running joke in this film and his efforts to state his masculinity being played off for laugh) but I’m too tired to go into all that in writing. Overall it’s just a charming time; however, sadly my depression is too strong to say this held my attention throughout as a comedy. I tend to find older comedies charming rather than outright funny – hich is what Jack Benny’s comedy is for me; a comfort. 

Wings of Desire (1987)

How do I even begin to write about this film?

I think this is one I will come back to when I’m in a better state. I think the film is a meditation, and certainly requires a level of attention that I do not possess at the moment. As it stands in my experience, I find it to genuinely be too slow for me. But I really get what it is trying to do; it asks you to simply observe the Berlin of that time – just taking in the thoughts of the people, as the angels in this film do. I find the idea that angels are in libraries endlessly charming, comforting and just pleasant. There is a comfort about the film that is rather hard to describe. The cinematography is, of course, incredible and unlike any other film I have ever seen. It is a beautiful film.

I truly wish I could write about it better. I think one day I will try again.

It’s definitely one of those movies that are more fun to analyse than to watch for me.

 I was of course so surprised and delighted by the role Peter Falk plays in this film; overall, actually, I would say – watch it if you are a Columbo fan. Seriously. 

Edit : I DID go back to it in a better state – read my full review here

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A Real Pain (2024)

I thought this had left the theater but I managed to catch the last screening. I didn’t end up liking it as much as I thought I would, sadly. It is another film that is too slow for my current state, perhaps. I feel like too little happens in it that I can chew on, even though the themes that I do catch are ones that resonate with me quite deeply. 

 For me, the theme that got me is when Jesse Eisenberg said that his and Kieran Culkin’s grandmother survived the Holocaust through a thousand miracles – so how did the product of a thousand miracles end up overdosing on sleeping pills?

 I can say in its favour that this line made me cry. That is not a hard accomplishment these days, but that theme of your pain not being real in the face of much more serious pain got me. In the world so full of very “real” pain, like the Holocaust, perhaps our pain is unexceptional – and we shouldn’t even talk about it (like Jesse Eisenberg’s character chooses to do)  This really got me; especially feeling like my struggle with mental illness is not really worth anything compare to the much more real pain other people experience. I relate to feeling like a failure because why does a girl who is so fortunate, born in such a  good family with wealth to spare, whine about depression and end up overdosing on sleeping pills? 

 If you are interested in exploring the theme of pain, as the title suggests, there are some interesting bits here that might generate some emotions and discussion – even though I found it to be not quite enough. 

 Credits : Images from IMDB and https://www.timeout.com/movies/better-man-review-2024