I wasn’t really sure what was going on with this window display near my work.
But then I got closer and discovered it was made from…
…many, many envelopes that hold parking tickets. And then the message was clear. The cat was a reference to Parking Kitty which lets people pay for parking from their phone.
I don’t drive to work, so I don’t have to pay for parking, but ever since Parking Kitty has appeared, the days of my coworkers running up and down the stairs to feed the meter have ended.
I’d seen a preview for Brady Corbet’s Vox Lux and I thought I knew what it was about, so I was utterly confused when the movie opened with a brutal school shooting* and the main character was not Natalie Portman, but Raffey Cassidy. It’s a story told in two parts, the first as 13-year-old Celeste is on the precipice of fame, the second as 31-year-old Celeste is preparing for an important hometown concert. I can see Natalie Portman giving it her all,** but it comes off as scenery-chewing, plus the pacing is off and the movie ends with an endless concert performance that adds nothing.***
Skip unless you are super into Natalie Portman, or are looking for reasons you don’t want to be famous.
Cost: $5.99 (a lot for a not-good movie) via Google Play
Where watched: at home
*And also, some end credits that ran backwards. They were very confusingly art-y and subtracted more than they added to the film.
**Raffy Cassidy is also quite good. Plus Willem Dafoe was the narrator and that worked.
***It’s great those backup dancers got some work, I guess, but after about five minutes, it’s like “I get it, I get it, move on.” Unfortunately, there is no resolution. Those end credits return. But rolling in the normal direction.
