_Bones and All_ is one of the most unique movies I have ever seen. It somehow simultaneously disgusts me while filling me with intense emotion capable of drawing tears to my eyes. It is a perfect blend, that I was unaware that I needed. The journey our characters take in immense in terms of emotion and distance. I had such a great time watching our leads travel across country going wherever their hearts desired or wherever their noses took them. There were some creepy and intense encounters that had me on the edge of my seat but that was balanced with intimate moments between our leads. These scenes fill the majority of the 2 hour and twenty-minute runtime, and while that is a decently long film, it flew by, and the pace never seemed to lull. There were some scenes that could have been cut to save some time, but I argue that they were essential for character development and to make the film whole. Throughout the course of the runtime there are intense introspective themes of morality that are at constant play. Watching the characters balance desire and need was so heartbreaking and real. Despite the horrific acts our main characters are performing, there is a deep hidden shame that seeps out as our character learns more and more about what she is. These are very complex emotions to handle on screen and our two leads absolutely nailed it. Both Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet were brilliant! I will be honest, Timothée Chalamet is one of the big reasons why I wanted to see this movie so much and while he did an excellent job, he was outshined by Taylor Russell. She was so excellent, honestly perfect! This is the first film I have seen her in, and I was blown away. She deserves all the award recognitions for this film. Bones and All is a masterpiece and needs to be seen in theaters. This is a hard movie to sell to an audience, but it was done perfectly and deserves all the credit, awards, and viewership. **Score:** _94%_ | **Verdict:** _Masterpiece_

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"Maren" (Taylor Russell) sneaks out of her home to visit her girlfriends one night only for one of them to discover that she has a peculiar appetite - and I'm not talking sexually! Forced to flee with her father, who subsequently abandons her, she decides to try to track down her mother. A few bus journies later, she encounters the enigmatic "Sully" (Sir Mark Rylance) with whom she shares a snack and from whom she discovers a little more about her nature. Still, he makes her very nervous so she continues her journey alone where next she encounters "Lee" (Timothée Chalamet) after an altercation in a grocery store. He also has the same nourishment predilections and so the two start to bond. He helps her with her familial quest before an unexpected visitor throws quite a spanner in their plan. At times this is little better than a derivative road movie. The characterisations are all just a bit too contrived, and the narrative is hardly original - but, that said, there is a quirkily spooky performance from Sir Mark - who looks like he would not be out of place half way up an Alp and Russell offers a reasonable effort as the conflicted and confused young woman trying to reconcile her innate desires with her aspirations as a woman. Chalamet presents us with one of his more natural and charismatic performances here, even if - shirtless for much of it as he is - he still makes me want to force feed him a bowl of fries (indeed the title could have been applied just to him!) Lots of dialogue, too much really, but the story has layers of complexity to it surrounding issues of identity and purpose - especially amongst the American young, some fine photography and it plays the accruing sense of affection between the youngsters without cringing sentimentality before an ending that seemed a little unnecessarily brutal. I suspect this may get better with another viewing.

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MORE SPOILER-FREE MINI-REVIEWS @ https://www.msbreviews.com/movie-reviews/mini-reviews-2022-edition "Bones and All holds committed, chemistry-filled performances from Taylor Russell and Timothée Chalamet, telling a complex, interpretive story about true love and what we really need to survive. Trent Reznor & Atticus Ross' score shines and is the work's greatest chance of receiving an Oscar nomination, taking into account the shocking approach to cannibalism - it partially affects the connection with the protagonists - and horror aspects. A thought-provoking screenplay by David Kajganich and unrestrained direction by Luca Guadagnino elevate a film that deserves to be seen - and felt - on the big screen." Rating: B

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