Three Sentence Movie Reviews – Page 4

Rocky Was Not at All What I Was Expecting

Rocky

?Directed by John G. Avildsen?
?Written by Sylvester Stallone?

The review:

My delighted feelings about this film stem from the fact that I grew up in the 80s and what I knew of Rocky* was not what this film was. I was ready for thuggish posturing, best of the best, underdog win-it-all and what I found was a meditation on mediocrity, a mostly sweet love story,** and a main character who knew exactly how subpar he was.*** While the writing was good**** Stallone himself wasn’t great, and that kind of sunk the movie for me.*****

The verdict: Skip

(Though honestly, it’s a piece of Americana, captures an interesting period in the US (Philadelphia looks run-down and trashy and all the cars are so very big) and was much better than I thought it would be, so you should probably see it at some point.)

Cost: Free from the Multnomah County Library
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

The Fighter
Fighting With My Family
Girlfight (the movie where Michelle Rodriguez imprinted on me)
The Quiet Man

Further sentences:

*I’ve never seen a single film in the franchise, but I loved Survivor’s “Eye of the Tiger” from Rocky III and growing up I for-sure saw a lot of ads for the movies.
**With an underdeveloped female and a “charmingly persistent” male. Neither have aged well, but I loved the mousy Adrian we began with.
***Favorite scene: Rocky is invited to fight Apollo Creed and have the chance to become the heavyweight champion of the world. His response and reasoning were exactly right and exactly not what I was expecting.
****There are some really great speeches in this film, mostly coming from Apollo Creed, but also Burgess Meredith has his day too, as does Rocky.
*****I see how he channeled all his feelings about failing as an actor into this script. The problem is, that I think he did fail as an actor; his insistence on being Rocky made for a lesser movie.******
******But this was a huge hit, so clearly many people didn’t have a problems I did with this film.

Questions:

When did you first see Rocky? What did you know about it.
Rocky and Adrien’s relationship, yay or nay?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Most of the scenes of Rocky jogging through Philadelphia were shot guerrilla-style, with no permits, no equipment, and no extras. The shot where he runs past the moored boat for example, the crew were simply driving by the docks, and John G. Avildsen saw the boat, and thought it would make a good visual, so he had Sylvester Stallone simply get out of the van and run along the quays, while Avildsen himself filmed from the side door. A similar story concerns the famous shot of Rocky jogging through the food market. As he runs, the stall keepers and the people on the sidewalks can clearly be seen looking at him in bemusement. While this works in the context of the film to suggest they’re looking at Rocky, in reality, they had no idea why this man was running up and down the road being filmed from a van.

(A lot of the lore around this film makes for an ever more compelling narrative.)

Other reviews of Rocky:

Guess how hard it is to find reviews of Rocky written by women.

Orange background with a white frame. Text: Women weaken legs!—Rocky. Read the three sentence movie review at 3SMReviews.com

Kunis and Timberlake Sparkle in Friends with Benefits.

Friends with Benefits

?Directed by Will Gluck?
?Written by Keith Merryman, David A. Newman, and Will Gluck?

The review:

This film worked for me because I was in the mood, I like both Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake,* and I was amused by the recurring joke.** However, this is one of those romantic comedies written for women by men and I can’t help but wonder how much better it would have been if a member of the audience it is aimed at was part of the team that created it.*** Ultimately, it’s good at what it does,**** but I want more.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee $8.99/month
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Plus ancillary performances by Richard Jenkins, Jenna Elfman, and Patricia Clarkson, also always delightful.
**It has to do with Capitan Sully’s historic landing.
***Or, gosh, all of the people who created it?
****And memorializes the flash mob thing, which is fun.

Questions:

Do planes more or less land themselves?
New York or Los Angeles?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Although Jason Segal and Rashida Jones are technically uncredited in the film, their real names can be seen on the cover of the DVD next to the TV when Dylan and Jamie are watching it.

Other reviews of Friends with Benefits:

Dana Stevens, Slate
Kimberly Jones, Austin Chronicle

Orange background with a white frame. Why don't they ever a make a movie about what happens after they kiss?—Friends with Benefits. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com — Psst. It’s called Revolutionary Road.

Top Movies March 2021

6 movies watched, 3 movies rewatched.

Rewatched:

The Duff (Good)
Thor (Good)
Almost Famous (Recommended) (Though has some problematic things due to the time passing)

March. Where one movie blew me away.

Click on any title to read the full review.

This Gun for Hire

Aside from those two on the left, hey look! He’s a what? He’s a what? He’s a music man!

Playing It Cool

Chris Evans’s character would like to think he was starring in a noir.

Ben is Back

Being the mom of an addict is no fun.

Kid 90

All those child stars from the 80s are middle-aged now and so, perhaps, are you.

Laura

38 years later he would be the guy who laughed at the end of “Thriller.” But here? Shelby Carpenter.

Promising Young Woman

The best vehicle for Paris Hilton’s “Stars Are Blind” ever.

The Promise of Promising Young Woman

Promising Young Woman

?Directed by Emerald Fennell?
?Written by Emerald Fennell?

The review:

If I tell you this movie is a revenge thriller you’ll probably get a very specific picture in your mind.* But it’s not that movie at all, it’s a candy colored confection that is funny, sweet, and can spark some incredible conversations about consent and the things we tell each other.** Carey Mulligan is a chameleon, putting off and taking off personalities, and she’s backed by a talented cast.***

The verdict: Recommended.****

Cost: $1.30 from Redbox (I waited so very patiently for the $19.99 price to drop, and then had a Redbox Coupon that saved me 50¢)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Dark, moody, angry, and either containing a ton of spattered blood throughout or at least a massive bloodbath at the end.
**Ideally things are starting to change, but this is the kind of change we need now, not eventually. Also, it will make you like a Paris Hilton song.
***Me during the opening credits: Beau Burnham is in this?!! Alison Brie! Laverne Cox! Connie Britton!
****The movie ended, the bonus features started, the bonus features ended, and I started the movie again. Then watched it for a third time the next night with Matt.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The title is a reference to Brock Turner, a Stanford University student who was convicted of sexual assault in 2016. Despite his conviction, he was referred to by some as a “promising young man.”

Other reviews of Promising Young Woman:

Kristy Puncko, IGN
Roxana Hadadi, Polygon

Orange background with a white frame. Text: It's every man's worst nightmare, getting accused of something like that. —Promising Young Woman. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

A Bunch of Men Talk about Laura in Laura

Laura

?Directed by Otto Preminger?
?Written by Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Elizabeth Renhardt?

The review:

Dana Andrews* is our hard-boiled detective investigating the murder of Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney,**) a charismatic and beloved career woman shot in her apartment. Like all good noirs, somthin’ ain’t right and we can place our bets as we learn more about Laura through flashbacks narrated by Clifton Webb,*** Vincent Price,**** and others. This movie has great dialog and a great twist I didn’t see coming that made this a very satisfying story.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $3.99 via Google Play (I could have gotten it from the library, if I had planned ahead.)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I found him to be flat in this, though I’ve liked him in State Fair and his performance in The Best Years of Our Lives (that movie is slow, though and I don’t recommend it.)
**Incredibly likable!
***The single-and-fussy (and you can use your 1940s translator to understand what that really means) columnist who adores Laura.
****He was once young!

Questions:

It might be fun to have a marathon featuring movies from the 40s through the 60s with women who have careers. What comes to mind?
Would you have dated Shelby Carpenter?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Despite the Oscar snub of the score, David Raksin’s music proved to be so popular that the studio soon found itself inundated with letters asking if there was a recording available of the main theme. Soon, sheet music and recordings of the instrumental music were released and proved to be a huge hit with the public.

Other reviews of Laura:

Lucia Bozzola, All Movies
Emma Bung, Anna, Look!

Orange background with a white frame. Text: I can afford a blemish on my character, but not on my clothes. —Laura. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

Were You a Kid in the 80s? Kid 90 Might Be Your Deal.

Kid 90

?Directed by Soleil Moon Frye?

The review:

A slight documentary, and your interest will vary depending on your exposure to the kid actors who populated your 80s and 90s television and movie screens* and how interested you are in learning about that transition from being a kid actor to an adult. Because Soleil Moon Frye has hours of VHS video and cassette tapes, plus her copious journals, we get at-home glimpses of a bunch of child stars that you may or may not have had crushes on.** There are a lot of scenes that depict drug use,*** and Frye’s eye is constantly turning toward another yet another boy**** while letting us in on some negative experiences.*****

The verdict: Good

(If you were a teenager in the 80s and 90s.)

Cost: Disney+ Hulu bundle monthly charge ($12.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Kids
Dazed and Confused
A bunch of 80s television shows

Further sentences:

*I watched Soleil Moon Frye in Punky Brewster on prime time network television, so that’s exactly me.
**And then you get to see some of them as they look now. Back in 1990, my heart tripped over Balthazar Getty in Young Guns II. Now, he looks like a youthful middle-aged man.
***So much so that it felt cliched.
****If I had captured my teenage years with a video camera, the result would have been the same.
*****There’s a sexual assault recorded in her journals that wasn’t in the forefront of her memory. Her first sexual experience she seems happy with, though the age difference had me squirming.

Questions:

Was this navel gazing or interesting insight into a unique experience?
What would your video camera have captured in your teenage years?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Soleil Moon Frye spent four years going through footage she had shot, diaries, and voicemails from when she was a teenager in the 1990s.

Other reviews of Kid 90:

Lauren J. Coates, Consequence of Sound
Adesola Thomas, Paste

Orange background with a white frame. Text: I think it's fascinating to be able to go back and have a true chronological blueprint of what it was like to grow up as a teenager in the 90's. —Kid 90. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

Ben Is Back: Julia Roberts Is The Mom You Want on Your Side

Ben Is Back

?Directed by Peter Hedges?
?Written by Peter Hedges?

The review:

This is a great movie to add to your Christmas-But-Not-Feeling-It list* as Julia Roberts is a fabulous steely mom character and Lucas Hedges does well while withering under his family’s appraising eye.** It’s not a film that’s reinventing film as we know it, but it’s a solid story of one family drama. Courtney B. Vance is excellent as the stepfather trying to make the best decisions.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Disney+ Hulu bundle monthly charge ($12.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*You know, it’s Christmas time, but things aren’t exactly warm and cheery.
**They are sizing him up for good reason as this is the second 2018 movie to deal with the parent-child relationship when the child’s drug use has become drug abuse.

Questions:

Is there a point where you think Julia Roberts should have made a different decision?
What do you suppose happened after the final scene?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

When Peter Hedges was developing the film he had no intention of casting his son Lucas Hedges in the titular role, and had already created a shortlist of other actors he was considering. It was Julia Roberts who, after seeing the younger Hedges in Manchester by the Sea (2016), insisted he be cast.

Other reviews of Ben Is Back:

Tiffany Tchobanian, Film Threat
Johanna Schneller, The Globe and Mail

Orange background with a white frame. Text: You don't know what you're doing. I'm not worth it. —Ben is Back. Read the three sentence movie review at 3SMReviews.com

Playing It Cool: Stylized Stumbling Through Love

Playing It Cool

?Directed by Justin Reardon?
?Written by Chris Shafer and Paul Vicknair?

The review:

Chris Evans plays “me” a man who has been burned by love so severely he’s sworn it off until the day he runs into “her” played by Michele Monaghan* and sparks fly. Only problem is, she’s in a relationship. Evans and his merry band of friends** stumble through love that doesn’t go quite right in this stylized romantic comedy that was much better than I expected.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: Disney+/Hulu bundle monthly cost $12.99
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*My main reason for watching this movie. She’s good in everything!
**Supporting cast = very good. Aubrey Plaza! Luke Wilson! Martin Starr! Topher Grace! Plus Anthony Mackie!
***I seem to be in the minority though. The Metacritic score is 30/100. Ah. I see the problem. Of ten reviews, only one was written by a woman. She didn’t like it either.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

At the end of the movie, Me (Chris Evans) is seen tap dancing. Evans’s mother owned a dance studio and taught him to tap. He has admitted in interviews that he does it when he is nervous.

(And here I thought they used a double)

Other reviews of Playing It Cool:

Sarah, Lainey Gossip
Gloria Daniels-Moss, heyuguys.com

Orange background with a white frame. Text: I'm gonna tell you this one from my point of view so you can put yourself in there. —Playing It Cool. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

This Gun for Hire Has A Lot of Elements.

This Gun for Hire

?Directed by Frank Tuttle?
?Written by Albert Maltz, W.R. Burnett?

The review:

Well this is a delightful mishmash of oddities.* Alan Ladd plays it tough as Raven, who has no room for anyone** and is the titular gun for hire. Veronica Lake doesn’t exactly dazzle as a performer, though she does make an impression*** and when the two come together, they do capture the eye.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $3.99 via Google Play
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It’s noir, there are two full music and dance numbers, there’s a spy plot, and a wealthy and weird rich guy.
**Though he does like cats.****
***Singing, dancing, and magic tricks? So many things crammed into one routine. This was my first time seeing a Veronica Lake performance. After hearing about her glamour for 40+ years, I have to say I was underwhelmed. Yes to the amazing hair. But she also looks like one of those underfed kids from Appalachia. Beauty standards. They don’t hold.
****Speaking of cats, one of them will be killed in the course of this movie. It happens off screen and didn’t bug me the way things like this usually do.

Questions:

Was this movie just a little too odd?
How did you feel about the ending?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

In Graham Greene’s novel, Raven’s psychological motivation for becoming a killer was that his mother disfigured his face. Paramount could not mess up Ladd’s handsome mug, so it was changed to his aunt disfiguring his wrist with a red hot poker.