The Third Murder (2017)

This is something of a departure for Koreeda. Though there are some family dynamics here (father-son, father-daughter), they are not the focus of the movie. In fact, the introduction of some of these familial relations seem rather irrelevant. Instead this is a legal thriller. The themes raise grand questions about justice. The answers aren't apparent. But Koreeda does a good job at mystifying the truth. While the movie doesn't pack the same emotional punch as his family dramas, his writing is still careful and deliberate. And the mise en scene is still striking. I'm a fan of reflections in the glass.

Mommy (2014)

Xavier Dolan is certainly stylish in music and cinematography, but man is he pretentious. What's with the square aspect ratio? I swear it was all just so he could film that one shot where Steve extends his arms and stretches the aspect ratio. But then he does it again on a landscape shot, and I can't understand why. It doesn't have the same effect as the manual shift. The other obviously pretentious part is the copious amount of yelling and cursing, which works appropriately in the context of the movie. The dialogue is actually excellent. And the acting of all three leads is phenomenal. There are some really powerful scenes. I don't quite know how I feel about that final act. I think it very well could have ended with the scene in the store, as a final act of love. The last act is the only one in which the dystopian Canada comes into play-sort of unnecessary. The last act is for the love to be reciprocated, I get that and it makes the film so much more ethically complex.