lee pace broken in body & heart telling a story both to & with a radiant little girl with a broken arm is in turns striking in its imagination & scope & sheer beauty , & devastating in how his deep sadness seeps into the gorgeous fantasy he‘a creating for them both . tarsem takes a childlike emotional truth & pairs it with some of the most stunning imagery i’ve ever seen in a film (& all shot on [24] locations) there’s truly nothing else like it even 18 years later . if you can , try to catch one of the showings of the new mubi 4k restoration that’s still making its way through repertory/art focused theatres .
as an aside the costumes are also absolutely incredible thanks to the genius of eiko ishioka
second rec is columbus which i’ve talked about before but i think is under seen . quietly beautiful & thoughtfully crafted gem of a movie that encourages you to take care & contemplation in the way you view your surroundings , your relationships with others , & yourself .
as a bonus you may find john cho incredibly charismatic & hot in a sad way in this which i enjoy in a movie but your mileage may vary
Related Recs
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i am on a mission to get anyone who can to watch this movie! directed by tarsem singh and starring lee pace, it’s bold, incredibly shot, heart wrenching, and just straight up pretty.
May 4, 2024
dir. Tarsem Singh
It’s about an injured stuntman in the hospital telling a little girl stories to manipulate her into helping him. Genuinely, I’ve never seen a movie so visually and conceptually intriguing.
Back when I first watched it, the licensing had lapsed so you couldn’t buy or stream it anywhere, except for a $50 eBay dvd. It became my life’s mission to find it SOMEWHERE, and the only place was in a library on the other side of the state. The gratification of tracking down physical media and being rewarded with this masterpiece….. I can’t even tell you.
Last I heard, it’s now streaming on Mubi. I so highly recommend looking it up.
Mar 6, 2025
Aug 27, 2024
Top Recs from @seiji
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there’s that little jolt of joy when you discover that you’re having the same experience as another person
5d ago
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it’s the perfect length for me to watch after work , i can start a movie at 11 or even 12 & get to bed at the (mostly) reasonable hour of 1:30 at the latest . sometimes i will extend this to 100 or 110 min if i‘m feeling indulgent or ambitious .
i could watch an hour of tv but this gives me a whole story in only a little bit more time .
Sep 11, 2024
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morning
go to george st diner for breakfast if you’re in the east end , the people are the best there & i’ve never had a bad meal , they also turn tables at a truly impressive rate while never making you feel rushed .. real professionals at work 🫡 [irish breakfast is fantastic in all 3 sizes it’s offered in] -> {afterwards go across the street to window shop at haven if you’re into beautiful but expensive clothing}
in the west end go to the federal it’s quick & reliable & cute , small menu but nothings bad [cubano & eggs federal are standouts for me]
if you want a coffee i think hamers is the best in the city , they really care about what they’re doing & the prices are surprisingly reasonable in a world where a coffee can easily scrape $10 if you’re not careful ... rooms coffee also has a couple locations across the city & the spaces are thoughtful & beautiful & filled w/ the city's creative directoriest types
afternoon
ossington is a ridiculous street but there’s a couple great stores there if you like shopping , lost & found is great for high end basics & i miss you is one of the best designer consignment stores in the city . sonic boom probably has the biggest vinyl selection in the city but it’s also home to toronto‘a only genuine film photobooth , it’s so cute & fun to squeeze into the booth & get a little strip of photos to take home
while around there you can walk around bellwoods & watch the dogs or get some great fruit & oysters from the farmers market if you’re there on a tuesday & head down the street to get a glass of wine at grape witches gorgeous back patio [they’re open from noon]
you could also head west to high park which is huge & a great place for a picnic or a stroll
museum wise the textile museum is small but always has something that takes my breath away , truly special exhibitions if you’re into textile arts
for a snack stop by le’s sandwich [cash only] for a stunningly cheap & surprisingly good banh mi from the owner’s living room or make the trip up to st clair to go to futura granita + gelato exceptional vibrant flavours & unmatched textures .. best in the city & so worth the trek
evening
if you’re west you can go roncesvalles & catch a movie at the revue [the citys best theatre] , just go see whatever is playing the editorial team there is fantastic & the crowd is always fun ! pre movie you can browse vinegar syndrome if you’re into under seen/under distributed movies of all varieties , lots of beautiful re editions here by the house label as well as others
for a nice dinner go to stop or mhel my two favourite restaurants in the city , seasonal & chef driven , both have small but passionate & kind teams who really care about the food & experience , definitely worth the admittedly high price to portion ratio , beautifully considered dishes & drinks but no fussy pretension behind them .
more mid priced options are le swan or bar vendetta [both from jen agg the city’s most publicly opinionated restauranteur who is also one of the best] , dotty’s or cafeteria [one of the new dinner/dance club hybrid spots that are mysteriously becoming a thing here now] cafeteria in particular is headed by eric mcdonald who has been my favourite chef since she blew my mind with what she was doing at sakai bar a few years ago
for drinks go to archive or little jerry for beautiful & interesting wine [little jerry in particular has fantastic warm sound & atmosphere & great vinyl dj’s setting the tone] or black dice for a fun japanese rockabilly cash bar
this is so long sorry … but i love my city & i especially love the food & drink scene/community here i think it’s really something special 🥲
Sep 17, 2024