Together Together, Dead Pigs, and peak anthology
Transactions and relationships, plus The White Lotus, renewed
Hello!
On this week’s episode of Criticism Is Dead, we discuss Together Together and Dead Pigs, two films about what money can or cannot buy.
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04:25 Together Together, streaming on Hulu, is a gentle exploration of how an intimate process like pregnancy can sit awkwardly as a transactional affair.
The film follows the unconventional relationship between Matt and Anna from the point of conception to childbirth. Especially at the beginning, it’s clear that Matt sees Anna as more of a vessel for his baby than as a wholly sentient human being. This odd power dynamic is never quite truly resolved, but they do become genuinely close, although that blurring of boundaries also brings with it headache and heartache.
Overall, despite some gaps in background and character motivation, it’s a pleasant watch, especially seeing Patti Harrison stretch herself as an actress. Fertility movies are honestly kind of underrated!
19:19 Dead Pigs, available VOD or on Mubi, puts a wry slant on familiar themes in modern Chinese cinema: urbanization, globalization, and ultimately money.
A very good showing from writer and director Cathy Yan, this bleak delight of a film draws from real-life events and trends that have happened in China — from the actual dead pigs incident to how white expats can grift their way to prosperity — to paint a portrait of a changing country. It’s a real pleasure seeing how all the disparate threads and characters are revealed to be connected, and seeing how the overarching themes apply to their respective storylines.
Our main quibble is that there’s a bit of an odd tonal shift that occurs following the climax; afterward, the film never quite recovers from this. But still, this is worth a watch, especially if you’re interested in “Sixth Generation” filmmaking and how some truths (or at least inspired-by-true events) are stranger than fiction.
36:51 Plus, culture notes about this abundance of anthology series we’re seeing.
Starting with the renewal of The White Lotus for a second season.
(And this is the 2017 Vulture piece we reference btw.)
Bonus links
A smart analysis of the White Lotus finale by Alison Herman.
P.S. Speaking of White Lotus… :)
And:
Okay this is fun:
That’s it for this week. See you next time!
— Jenny
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Some credits:
Music: REEKAH
Artwork and design: Sara Macias and Andrew Liu