Palm Springs (2020) | Directed by Max Barbakow

4/5
Max Barbakow’s Palm Springs is a thoroughly enjoyable addition to the time loop comedy genre. It’s especially refreshing to have the narrative handed off between the two leads, allowing us genuine moments of surprise as the story is told from multiple viewpoints. The comedy is tightly executed and just absurd enough to work within the premise without ever spinning too far out of control. Samberg and Milioti play off one another beautifully, and J.K. Simmons makes for a perfect third player. As the film reaches its conclusion, the script does try to explain the “science” of the scenario more than is needed, bogging down the final act with nonsensical particle physics for dummies. But in reaching for an explanation, the film does provide some nice moments for Milioti’s character as she tries to take control of her life and navigate this endless purgatory. Even though it was made long before the pandemic was a blip on our radar, it’s the perfect film for this moment, stuck inside during a health crisis for months on end in an endless repetition of the same routines, reaching out beyond our wall, looking for connection.

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Da 5 Bloods (2020) | Directed by Spike Lee

5/5
Spike Lee’s Da 5 Bloods is absolutely incredible – another masterpiece from one of America’s greatest living filmmakers. As he’s done so beautifully in recent years, Lee draws such clearly defined lines between the past and the present, working in archival footage, fictional narrative, pseudo-documentary, and direct address to craft a rich narrative quilt that looks at the legacies of racial and colonial violence, deep generational trauma, and the communal effort it takes to heal and rebuild from these deep wounds. And the fact that it’s all wrapped up in a rip-roaring adventure story makes such incendiary material more accessible for the average viewer than it otherwise would be. Working with an impressive cast of Lee veterans and newcomers alike, the filmmaker and the performers are all working at the top of their game – especially Delroy Lindo who gives a career best performance in a lifetime of incredible work. Like so many of Spike Lee’s films, it manages to be both highly experimental in form and deeply moving in its content. As I continue to dig into his filmography, I continue to be astounded by Lee’s work.

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