Dude Rates Movies

MaXXXine

B
Poster of the movie
Ti West | 2024 | USA, UK, New Zealand
Saturday 24 August 2024 (watched, at the theater 📽️)

Who is this director Ti West, that nobody talks about, and who just pays tribute to Hollywood with style and elegance matching what the Oscar usual favorite pets do? Who is this actress Mia Goth, who, in the space of one opening scene, showcases a sheer talent in a mise en abime, on par with similar performances we have seen with DiCaprio or Emma Stone. What is this trilogy, "X", that seems to have stayed under the radar, while being very original, very well-made, and just overall solid and consistent?

I loved the mask fitting scene where Maxine has a panic attack while remembering the events that happened in X. I initially thought it was sort of inconsistent in tone, considering that those events had a sort of "wild" "unserious" tone to it, and it was weird to revisit them with 100% psychological seriousness. Then I remembered that Maxine was a cocaine addict, and figured that those differences in tone might actually represent whether she's currently in a high or in a low.

The main weakness of the movie is the crime plot, and notably when the police are involved, which feels kind of weak. I thought it remained acceptable enough to enjoy it pretty much.