Category: Three Sentence Movie Reviews

A repeat viewing on my part to introduce the boyfriend to Sharon and Susan, and women of all ages being catty.  This is one of those movies I can’t objectively review because I watched it many times during my youth, and thus always find it enjoyable. “The soundtrack tells you what to feel,” was one of the boyfriend’s observations, which left me contemplating when that orchestral mood-setting technique of movie making was dropped.

Cost: streaming via Netflix
Where watched: at home with Matt

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1961/parent_trap.html
What in god’s name is going on with this poster?  The header title?  The fact that Maureen O’Hara is in a wedding gown?  The woman who looks nothing like the child bride and her electric hips?

Having never seen this holiday classic, we filled the traditional Movie-on-Christmas-Eve-Afternoon slot with Will Ferrell as-human-raised-as-elf.  The theater was sprinkled with families, so I was clued into the parts that kids found hilarious, and did a lot of laughing of my own. It was a good way to spend the penultimate day of the Christmas season.

Cost: $4.00
Where watched: Kennedy School

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2003/elf.html

A repeat viewing, partially to loop the boyfriend in, and partially because I can’t get enough of Lucas Hedges, post-Lady Bird. This held up nicely on second viewing, remaining as sad and tragic as it was the first time. I’m happy to report that the sometimes overwhelming soundtrack I experienced in the theater had been pulled back to a reasonable level on the DVD.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home, with Matt.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/manchester_by_the_sea_ver4.html
(My hatred of this poster remains the same. Michelle William’s total screen time?  Like five minues, max.  And who got a best supporting actor nomination for this?  That’s right Lucas Hedges.  At least put him on the poster.  Also, this scene? They were standing by a wall.)

Year two of two I’ve fallen asleep during a Star Wars movie.* However, I enjoyed the parts I was awake for (I missed the First Law of the Jedi, or something like that?) I thought were very well done, especially since the plot divided our main characters for most of the film.  There were some good fight scenes,** the final battle was stunning, and in this “me too” era, it was incredibly empowering to see so many women driving the plot arc of the Star Wars universe.

Cost: Matt paid for us both, because he was tired of my kibbitzing about movie prices and just wanted to see the film.  His total price: $19.90
Where watched: Regal Lloyd Center.  We attempted the Baghdad, but it was sold out. I was angling for our usual Regal Vancouver City Center, which is cheaper on Sundays.  This was the theater in between the two, geographically, with a convenient showtime.

*To be fair, the hours of 1:00-3:00 PM are not the best for me in terms of: alive, awake, alert, enthusiastic.
**This coming from a person who isn’t enamored with fight scenes

 

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2017/star_wars_the_last_jedi.html

While I had a poor quality print with random classical music songs* (beginning with the graduation earworm “Pomp & Circumstance”) the actual story overcame these handicaps. Buster Keaton’s antics were fun to watch (and exhausting when thinking about filming them.) For a movie that is over 80 years old, this holds up nicely.**

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home

*Because this is a famous movie filmed in Oregon, it’s not unusual for it to play at one of our many theaters. I’d like to see it again, with a sensible score and a crowd to help fuel the laughter.
**Aside from the fact that if you sympathize with Keaton’s plight you are rooting for the Confederacy, which depending on which side of “heritage not hate” you fall on, might or might not be a minus.

This is also a movie on my scratch off poster. I get to scratch this one, and two I’ve already seen. Here they are:
words

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poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1926/general.html
Do you want to scratch your movie poster itch? Get the scratch off poster here.

I can see all the early-90s comedy things going on here, meaning this film’s comedy is over-exaggerated.  It’s a nice time capsule back to Target-in-the-90s, which doesn’t look that different than Target in 2017.* Frank Whaley gives it his all, but this was, alas, not a star making turn for him, though it was a solid resume builder for Jennifer Connelly.**

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home, catching up with a John Hughes film I had missed.***

*Though I am not a regular patron of Target, so perhaps there are nuances?
**It’s also one of those movies where the female motivation (specifically, her relationship to Whaley) doesn’t really make a ton of sense, but is, instead, a plot device.
***Sadly, John Hughes in the 90s is a like Cameron Crowe after Almost Famous: not nearly as satisfying as before.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1991/career_opportunities.html

This movie does a couple of thing very well. For one, it’s very gripping, what with all the things going on.* Also, every time I thought I had a good bead on them, each of the character would take a small turn, making for the most well-rounded characters I’ve seen in film this year.**

Cost: $9.00 (I know!  I was invited, though, and I don’t mind throwing $$ to this particular theater.)
Where watched: at the Hollywood Theater with Kelly.

*It would make a nice study in upping the dramatic tension.
**For a very funny film, I did also walk out of the theater with a very dark feeling in the pit of my stomach.  I think Martin McDonagh excels at tapping into something icky about the human condition.

 

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2017/three_billboards_outside_ebbing_missouri.html

This movie purports to be a remake of the play the Reluctant Debutante, rather than a remake of the 1958 movie, and I can see why.  Very little remains of the 1958 plot.  This was clearly developed as a vehicle for Amanda Bynes and she does her Amanda Bynes best, as does Colin Firth,* but nothing is going to save this mediocre movie.**

Cost: $2.99 (I could have watched it for free on some site called bmovies, but I feel less okay about finding free versions of movies from this century.
Where watched: on my computer.***

*Apparently, there was a time in Hollywood when Amanda Bynes got top credit and Colin Firth wasn’t even mentioned on the poster.
**I do always appreciate a sighting of Anna Chancellor, whom I first encountered in Four Weddings and a Funeral.
***This will probably be the last movie watched on my desktop computer.  I bought us a brand new TV the next morning on Black Friday.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2003/what_a_girl_wants.html