Pearl (2022)

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1. 

   Siskoid

   I didn't know I wanted X to become a trilogy, but I'm there for it. Pearl gives meaning to having Mia Goth play the old woman - unrecognizable under tons of make-up - in the first "Maxxxine" film, and just as X emulated the look of 70s exploitation horror, the prequel pays homage to Judy Garland's Technicolor dreams - the plot is out of A Star Is Born and several movies of that sort, but the iconography is right out of The Wizard of Oz (dancing with a scarecrow, a man with no brain, one with no heart, a wicked witch who gets water thrown on her...) - those movies, but demented. Since it's set in 1918, you'd think making it a silent film would be more appropriate, but those elements do exist as part of Pearl's fantasies (and those Starquest movies often WERE set earlier, everyone was auditioning for the Follies, etc.). Now normally, you don't think of slashers as an actor's showcase, but Ti West gives Goth a magnificent monologue. Seldom has an axe murderer been able to speak their truth in this way. She's amazing and elevates these films beyond what even the directorial flair manages to do. As with X, the slasher elements are kind of the weakest part of this, and I felt in this case like when it ended (and what a shot!), there was so much more to tell. 1 year 7 months ago
2. 

   CarlWinslow

   Mia Goth's performance is arresting. West makes informed editing choices and the flow of the film is quite enjoyable. I particularly loved the old Hollywood pastiche on display. Disarming in one scene and unsettling in the next. Glad I caught this one in theatres. 1 year 7 months ago
3. 

   HebrewHammarMan

   Perhaps Pearl is better than X.
   
   It's fun to compare Pearl with Baylon (2022). Both have a female protag who ruins their lives with the film industry of the late 1910s to mid 1920s. Perhaps these girls were destined to ruin their lives? Did society, their personalities, or what cause their lives to fall apart or not to "make it big" in film? I almost feel bad for Pearl and Nellie. They're like Icarus or moths drawn to a flame. 10 months 2 weeks ago

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