Like dentists and their Trident, we at Flavorpill want to bring you authoritative recommendations, but we can’t quite stick the landing when it comes to consensus. In this regular feature we spotlight the most worthy new movie release with four reasons why you should see it… and one why you shouldn’t. This week’s selection: The Beaches of Agnes, which opened yesterday in New York.
See it! 1. We just watched the preview and, no exaggeration, it was one of the weirdest ones we’ve ever seen. Guess which one of the following wasn’t in the preview? A) People with bags over their heads making out. B) A giant cat (relatively the size Clifford the Dog might be in real life) in the middle of Paris. C) Agnes driving a cardboard car. D) Harrison Ford. Give up? Ya burnt, ’cause all of those are there, and more. In a good way.
2. The movie is a memoir-istic look back on the life of Agnes Varda, a French filmmaker who looks and acts like a grown-up version of Dora the Explorer.
3. Varda was one of the only women involved in the French new wave, and along with her playful outlook on life and love of whimsy, she’s got some seriously impressive film credentials, including a Venice Film Festival win.
4. Here’s what A.O. Scott of the New York Times says: “It’s a remarkable history, rich in comedy and occasionally heartbreaking, filled with wise reflections and strange digressions about the wonders of life. It’s a life she has come close to perfecting, I think, mostly by keeping her mind as blissfully and enduringly open as her round eyes.”
…Or don’t. 5. This sounds a leeeeetle bit out there, we admit it. Isn’t Independence Day weekend a time for popcorn movies? Transformers 2 beckons.
It’s up to you. Check out the trailer here: