MD: Paddington
If you told me 2015 would be all about a bear in a raincoat, I would have laughed heartily before turning on another slasher flick filled with gore, guts, and decapitations. But here I am, eating my words after slathering them in marmalade and placing them between two pieces of bread. Paddington, you’ve stolen this horror critic’s black, callous heart.
What’s most surprising is how equally adorable and sincere Paddington’s adventure is, yet there’s also an unflinching darkness brought upon by Nicole Kidman’s poacher villain. Paul King’s adaptation is first and foremost a children’s film, but there are actual stakes that heighten the intensity of the small bear’s survival, much more than most safely-outlined kiddie flicks. King treats his audience with maturity and respect, no matter their age. But most importantly, Paddington is a heartfelt family tale.
This is TRULY a sweet, orange-laced treat for all audiences, and a worthy cinematic appearance for the lovable, red-capped fuzzball.
SW: The Duke of Burgundy
You don’t need to be a fan of ‘70s European erotic thrillers to enjoy the surface pleasures of Peter Strickland’s decadent and devious new film. If you want to indulge in gorgeous imagery and a titillating central relationship, then The Duke of Burgundy’s voyeuristic pleasures are easy enough to grasp. But it’s with one word that a tale of sapphic sadomasochistic turns on a dime, and Strickland starts to tease out the fascinating, hilarious, and affecting humanity hiding in The Duke’s Trojan horse.
Remove the bawdy sense of humor, strip away the quirky setting, and erase Strickland’s dips into the experimental, and what you wind up with is a simple love story. The Duke of Burgundy is so much more for having all its eccentricities and fetishes, but it’s that earnest heart hiding beneath the tantalizing artifice that makes it great.
