A chance hometown meeting of high school sweethearts launches this two-people-walking-and-talking-style story that you like or you don’t.* Tentative in their conversation at first, Paulson and Duplass crank up the stakes as the hours pass. It’s a quiet movie, populated with good acting and the sadness of nostalgia.
Cost: Netflix monthly subscription ($7.99)
Where watched: at home
Consider also watching: Before We Go, Before Sunrise, Gerry
*I like. Matt doesn’t.
Various problems with DVDs and many holds at the library meant that watching this classic was a long time coming. However, once I successfully did press play, I was thrilled to find that this is a classic for a reason. Almost filmed in real time, the tension increases with each scene as we find out more of why Marshal Will Kane’s story.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home
Consider also watching: Rudy, Battle of the Sexes, the Martian, Legally Blonde
And here is our scratch-off poster roundup:
This clock will be familiar to all who watch this movie.
I tend to be less impressed with scratch-offs that just reproduce obvious things like this iconic picture.
And this one.
Into everyone’s life some not-very-good movies must come,* and this falls in the not-good category. I think what it was lacking was the spark that made me want to root for the characters, though Bell and Grammer tried their best. The Newlywed Game scene was amusing, but other than that, this movie was a big thumbs down.**
Cost: Netflix monthly charge ($7.99)
Where watched: at home.
*And as I watch a lot of movies I see a goodly number of so-so features. I watch them so you don’t have to.
**On the plus side, it’s a movie written and directed by a woman. Let’s hope Lauren Miller Rogan has some more directing opportunities in the future.
Consider watching instead: Dan in Real Life, Hanna, Father of the Bride, the Descendants
It was fun to revisit this film and the Ocean’s 11 gang, especially since I had forgotten all but a few details of the plot. The European locations were gorgeously filmed and the heist was more unbelievable, but still fun. Vincent Cassel was very fun to watch as Francois Toulour.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home with Matt who enjoyed.
Consider also watching: Ocean’s Thirteen, Point Break, The Italian Job, Fast Five
This movie was very pretty to look at, from both a scenery and actor perspective, plus it took place in Singapore, which is an area I’m not at all familiar with, even cinematically. However, the pacing of this film was very slow, which made for not quite the enjoyable movie going experience I was looking for. Awkwafina perked up whatever scene she was in, but otherwise this was a little bit of a slog.*
Cost: $5.55
Where watched: Regal City Center Stadium 12 with S. North, who fell asleep.
Consider also watching: The Incredible Jessica James, Maggie’s Plan
*Also, by the time a person has been in a relationship for a year, the time has long passed for them to disclose any things about their family that might matter to the other person in the relationship. The lack of such disclosure bugged me and made it hard to root for the couple.
As an adolescent who wrote and then did not send letters to boys I liked, this movie was right up my alley. Aside from the fun not-relationship setup, we also got family life and some less fun social media harassment issues. While this movie has a few flaws,* it’s been a very good summer for romantic comedies (mostly due to Netflix) and I’m happy to add this to the list of solid rom-coms.
Cost: Netflix monthly subscription fee ($7.99)
Where watched: at home, and it was exactly what I needed on this particular Sunday evening.
Also consider watching: Warm Bodies, Everything Everything
*If they are lounging on their couches, why do they watch media on a laptop and not some sort of TV device? Don’t tell me they don’t have a TV, because they must. Also, when one gets into a hot tub in one’s nightgown, one does not then get to walk in a dry nightgown back to their room.
This was not such a good movie to watch while giving myself a pedicure as there is not very much dialogue and a lot of action. However, Matt Damon as a confused assassin was a bit win for me and I easily got caught up in this film, to the detriment of my pedicure.* I look forward to seeing if the next two movies can carry on the engrossing nature of the story.**
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home, in preparation for 2019 Filmspotting Madness
*Which is really no big deal. It’s my favorite thing about pedicures. When you get nail polish on your toes and not the nail, it comes off the next day in the shower.
**When I first moved to Portland and was living with my aunt, I used to ride my bike to the Burlingame Fred Meyer on Sunday mornings, then take the bus downtown to church. I always had some time to kill, so would read the magazines while I waited. I have a clear memory of standing in Fred Meyer and reading an article about Matt Damon’s upcoming movie, which was this movie. It was to be his first action film and there was speculation if he could carry his winning streak to the action genre. I remember being very nervous for him to do well in this movie. I need not to have worried.
I haven’t seen a ton of Spike Lee movies* but the ones I have seen drag a little, and this one was no exception. Aside from that, it was well worth watching and provided tense moments, moments of relief through humor, great acting** and really awesome costumes. And the ending was frigging amazing.
Cost: $8.00
Where watched: McMenamins Baghdad Theater with Matt. It was the first showing and a nice August day, so the theater was mostly empty, which was the opposite of what I would have wanted for this particular film.
*Need to rectify that
**John David Washington is very, very good.
Of note. I’ve found a good site for movies such as this: History vs Hollywood. It drills down to the details of “based on a true story.”
I was only mildly interested in this movie because I don’t tend to prioritize movies where I have to spend a lot of time watching the antics of chauvinist pigs (especially lately–I get more than enough of that in the news.) But this movie did a great job of making everyone–even the chauvinist pigs–three dimensional and it turned out to be very much worth watching. Emma Stone as Billie Jean King did a great job of balancing the tennis pressure with the might-be-a-lesbian pressure and the movie never got bogged down in too much of anything.*
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home with Matt. (When I bring home a movie with Emma Stone, it’s a sure thing that Matt will suggest watching it.)
*Our DVD copy had a short interview with Billie Jean King that was wonderful to watch. She remains realistic about the situation of women’s equality, but reminds people “you have to start somewhere.”
Chock full of actors I enjoy (many from Downton Abbey), based on a book I quite liked, and featuring an interesting subject, this was a great example of a Sunday Afternoon Movie.* Lily James draws you in, and look! there’s Michiel Huisman, enjoyable in so many projects.** The stakes are somewhat high, but presented in a pleasant manner, and all things come out fine in the end.
Cost: Netflix Monthly Subscription ($7.99)
Where watched: at home, after an exhausting day
Also consider watching: Before We Go; Under the Tuscan Sun, The Grand Seduction
*The type of movie that is pleasant and soothing, best watched on a Sunday afternoon, before you start gearing up for the week.
**The Age of Adaline, Irreplaceable You, Treme
