I was recently bamboozled online trying to search for the Bake Off start date this year when I was presented with an array of hokum. So, in the spirit of that experience, here are some films where the true world is hard to decipher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
The Matrix<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the big one when it comes to the unreality vibes. The groundbreaking special effects and amazing action sequences may have been slightly overshadowed by the right-wing retconning of the red pill concept, but the Wichowski\u2019s work still stands the test of time as a maverick journey into the unknown. It cemented Keanu as the cool with his iconic shades and sweeping black cloak, and also showcased great performances from Hugo Weaving and Lawrence Fishburne. The former\u2019s speech about humans as a virus is vintage dialogue that reminds you how inferior the sequels are. True, we\u2019d never have the classic ending fight sequence in Step Brothers without the second film, but still.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Truman Show<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of Jim Carey\u2019s finest performances, blending the comedy he\u2019s already well-known for with heartfelt angst and attitude that we\u2019re slightly less used to. The premise is fairly simple, but Carey gives the central character so much heart and gravitas that he just elevates the whole procedure. The film\u2019s dystopian focus on reality television and social media also did a fine job predicting the future, with shows like Big Brother subsequently taking over our screens with mass viewing audiences. Beyond that, it comments on the nature of voyeurism in a really profound way. Not the tired, sexist voyeurism that you tend to get in a Brian de Palma joint, but actual meaningful commentary on our obsessions with poking our noses where they shouldn\u2019t be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Inception<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I could fit a lot of Nolan films into this category, but Inception\u2019s the big boss here, so I\u2019m going to focus on that. The high-end premise of exploring and infiltrating other people\u2019s dreams without their knowledge makes for seriously compelling drama and action, especially with that nail-biting final image. It doesn\u2019t get discussed enough, but it\u2019s the side characters that make the biggest impact, not Leo. Controversial? Maybe. But it\u2019s Cillian Murphy that forms the big emotional beats here. He\u2019s the one getting conned here, and even if the reality he believes in by the end is a false one, you still feel like he\u2019s maybe better off with the lie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shutter Island<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lots of people seem to like this one from Scorsese. Newsflash? I don\u2019t. It\u2019s not because of my internal bias against Leo, it\u2019s just that the final \u2018I\u2019m not who I think I am\u2019 reveal isn\u2019t that revelatory. The build-up isn\u2019t worth it , and it\u2019s just disappointing. Oh, and it besmirches the good name of Max Richter\u2019s \u2018On the Nature of Daylight\u2019, too. That song\u2019s been used to death at this point to evoke emotional heartbreak without words, and it just ain\u2019t effective here. You know what is super effective at using that song in a meaningful, profound and emotionally gut-wrenching form? Arrival. On that subject\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Arrival<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is the best \u2018On the Nature of Daylight\u2019 use out of all these fools, trust me. Director Chloe Zhao claimed that the inclusion of Max Richter\u2019s song in Arrival inspired her use of it in Hamnet. But, try as she might, the tune didn\u2019t have the same impact as it did in Dennis Villeneuve\u2019s sci-fi classic. Uses in both the opening and final scenes, \u2018On the Nature\u2019 acts as a sonic bookend to Louise Banks\u2019 journey of self-discovery as she deciphers her understanding of time and self through an alien language. The whole marketing scheme masquerading the film as just a generic alien invasion joint is pretty darn cool too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fight Club<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Another classic \u2018you\u2019re not who you think you are\u2019 joint. You should\u2019ve watched this flick by now, but anyway, I won\u2019t spoil it. But the real kicker, like Arrival, is the use of music to signal the identity change and the main character\u2019s acceptance of their newfound reality. The Pixies have produced some banging tunes, but it\u2019s impossible to think of \u2018Where is my mind\u2019 without linking it to this iconic movie.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Winner? There are some absolute bangers to choose from in this competition, but the golden gong\u2019s got to go to Arrival. That\u2019s a film on a whole other level.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
I was recently bamboozled online trying to search for the Bake Off start date this year when I was presented with an array of hokum. So, in the spirit of that experience, here are some films where the true world is hard to decipher.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2084","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2084","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2084"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2084\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2086,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2084\/revisions\/2086"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2084"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2084"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nancyepton.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2084"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}