The Red Shoes

The Red Shoes (1948)

A Technicolor Dreamworld Come to Life

by Ray Manukay

★★★½☆

Watched 26 Jan 2024

Breathtaking and glorious Technicolor provides a feast for the viewer's eyes in The Red Shoes, directed by the legendary duo Pressburger and Powell. Famously renowned as one of Martin Scorsese's favorite movies, it's not hard to see why—it acts as the polar opposite to his own gritty, working-class style.

🎬 Production Credits

Directors: Michael Powell, Emeric Pressburger

Writer: Emeric Pressburger

Cinematography: Jack Cardiff

Editor: Reginald Beck

Music: Brian Easdale

Based on: Hans Christian Andersen

The film feels like a kaleidoscope and a rainbow had a baby in the land of Oz and it was transported into the tapestry of The Red Shoes. — Ray Manukay

Visual Sumptuousness vs. Melodrama

The film is a dreamworld of magical ballet sequences, enchanting music, and vivid, dreamlike lighting. However, the story dips into shameless melodrama with operatic performances in a tragic third act that might elicit some unintentional laughter or unsympathetic eye rolls. The rushed execution of the ending gives it a "cult classic" vibe rather than grounded realism.

💡 Fun Facts

• The film's 17-minute ballet centerpiece took six weeks to film and features over 50 dancers.
• Cinematographer Jack Cardiff won an Oscar for his revolutionary use of Technicolor in this production.
• Martin Scorsese helped fund the 2009 restoration of the film to preserve its vivid color palette.

The Performers

• Moira Shearer: A professional ballerina whose casting ensured the dance sequences were authentic and technically flawless.
• Anton Walbrook: Delivers a sharp, demanding performance as the obsessive impresario Boris Lermontov.
• The Ensemble: Features zany, clown-like side characters with brightly colored costumes that pop against the meticulously detailed sets.

✅ Pros

• Arguably the most beautiful film ever made.
• Breathtaking ballet sequences.
• Unrivaled use of Technicolor.

❌ Cons

• Third act dips into operatic melodrama.
• Rushed, unearned tragic ending.

Read the original review on Letterboxd

🏆 Final Verdict

It is not hyperbole to say it is legitimately one of the most visually sumptuous films in history. While the narrative nuance of the Actors Studio is absent, the delight to the audience's senses is absolute.

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom

 

Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)

★★★ 

Official Synopsis

Black Manta returns with the Black Trident, forcing Arthur Curry to forge an uneasy alliance with his brother, Orm, to protect Atlantis and the world from destruction.

Perhaps unintentionally reminiscent of a pre-CGI children's cartoon. Complete with giant bugs and bright colored sea creatures, including an affable octopus sidekick named Topo. Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom doesn't pretend to be taken even remotely serious.

If the audience thinks of this content as a tribute to 80's Saturday morning cartoons, the movie becomes much more tolerable. - Ray Manukay

Production Info

Director: James Wan

Arthur Curry: Jason Momoa

Orm: Patrick Wilson

Studio: DC / Warner Bros.

If the viewer is looking for the dark atmosphere and adult themes of the Zack Snyder DCEU, they will find nothing except massive disappointment. I hesitate to use adjectives like good or bad to describe the film; it's not fair to the film or the viewer.

The film is handsome and fun to look at. Director James Wan knows how to tell a fun, if uncomplicated story. He deserves credit for making chicken salad out of this thin material.

THE PROS

• Zany visual design
• Momoa/Wilson Chemistry

THE CONS

• Zero narrative tension
• Jarring tonal shift

Seen Them Before?

Jason Momoa: Game of Thrones, Dune, Fast X
Patrick Wilson: Watchmen, Insidious, The Conjuring
Nicole Kidman: Moulin Rouge!, The Others

READ FULL REVIEW ON LETTERBOXD

THE VERDICT

This is escapist background entertainment. Best watched while doing chores or letting the kids play. To experience it any other way would be insulting to one's intelligence.

Poor Things

Poor Things (2023)

A Wild and Unfiltered Feminine Perspective

by Ray Manukay

★★★☆☆

Watched 18 Jan 2024

A unique tribute to the Frankenstein tale, told from a wild and unfiltered feminine perspective. Striking and colorful storybook visuals enhance the enjoyment and accentuate the first-time experiences of the lead character Bella, played with joyous abandonment by Emma Stone.

🎬 Production & Cast

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos

Writer: Tony McNamara

Bella Baxter: Emma Stone

Godwin Baxter: Willem Dafoe

Duncan Wedderburn: Mark Ruffalo

Max McCandles: Ramy Youssef

Striking and colorful storybook visuals enhance the enjoyment and accentuate the first-time experiences of the lead character. — Ray Manukay

Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, and Ramy Youssef portray different characters that influence and shape her growing views of life. There is some humor in the early "fish out of water" aspect of the story, but it eventually gives way to the annoying and predictable naivety of Bella as she encounters the cruelties and challenges of real life. This is followed by the inevitable world-weariness and, finally, seasoned intelligence of life experience.

✅ Pros

• Emma Stone's fearless, joyous lead performance.
• Breathtaking and colorful production design.
• Exceptional work from the supporting cast.

❌ Cons

• Naivety of the character can feel repetitive.
• Lengthy runtime may feel predictable by the end.

The film is a surprisingly straightforward story from Yorgos Lanthimos, who is known for telling off-beat, non-traditional tales. The unconventional elements here are largely limited to the liberal, explicit sexuality and nudity throughout the film.

Thematic Divide

The enjoyment of the film will likely depend on the audience member's political view. Some may find the feminist themes annoying or preachy, while others might find it refreshing and inspiring. What is undebatable is that all the performers and artists are operating at the top of their game, making the film worthy of awards season consideration.

READ ORIGINAL REVIEW ON LETTERBOXD

🏆 Final Verdict

Visually arresting and fearlessly performed, Poor Things is a masterclass in production design, even if its narrative trajectory feels a bit predictable by the third act.

Busting

 

Busting (1974)

A Gritty, Authentic 70s Time Capsule

★★★½☆

Watched 12 Jan 2025 — A visceral, edgy crime gem that captures the authentic energy of mid-70s Los Angeles.

Directed by Peter Hyams, Busting is a standout representative of the character-driven crime films of the 1970s. Elliott Gould and Robert Blake deliver affable, grounded performances as grunt vice cops whose routine work on mediocre crimes leads them into a much larger case. The film boasts a grit and urgency that remains relevant today, utilizing on-location sets and a "lived-in" aesthetic where the performers actually look like real people rather than polished movie stars. It is a cinematic event that avoids the pitfalls of network television tropes through creative technical execution.

"When audiences remark that they don't make movies like that anymore, they are referring to films like Busting... It has that visceral, edgy energy of hungry artists trying to make their mark."

— Ray Manukay

🎬 Cast & Crew

• Director: Peter Hyams
• Starring: Elliott Gould, Robert Blake
• Supporting: Cornelia Sharpe, Antonio Fargas
• Cinematography: Earl Rath

The Vision

This is a pre-Baretta Robert Blake and pre-Capricorn One Peter Hyams, and that "hungry artist" energy permeates every frame. Hyams utilizes interesting tracking shots and unique camera angles to elevate the slice-of-life story into something genuinely cinematic. The vision focuses on authenticity; save for Cornelia Sharpe's high-class call girl, the cast feels authentic to the streets of LA. While the stakes might not reach the operatic heights of The French Connection, Hyams succeeds in making a "smaller" film feel vital and urgent.

🎬 Cinephile Fun Facts

• Directorial Debut: *Busting* was the feature film directorial debut for Peter Hyams, who would go on to direct *2010: The Year We Make Contact* and *Timecop*.
• The "Lethal Weapon" Blueprints: Many critics cite this film as a primary influence on the ["buddy cop" genre](https://en.wikipedia.org), specifically for its mix of banter and gritty realism.
• On-Location LA: The film features extensive footage of the now-demolished [Main Street in Downtown Los Angeles](https://www.movie-locations.com), serving as a valuable historical record of the city's 1970s landscape.

✅ Pros

• Authentic, gritty production value and on-location filming.
• Excellent chemistry between Elliott Gould and Robert Blake.
• Unique cinematography and tracking shots by Peter Hyams.

❌ Cons

• The ending feels somewhat rushed and anti-climactic.
• Lower stakes compared to blockbusters like *Serpico*.
• Occasional pacing issues inherent to "slice-of-life" narratives.

🏆 Final Verdict

A forgotten gem of 70s crime cinema that deserves way more recognition. It's the kind of film that inspires a deep binge of the era's gritty police procedurals. Authenticity at its finest.

View on Letterboxd