A story of Alzheimer’s Disease and how the progression affects loved ones. It also had a lot to say about long-term relationships and how love changes over time. Julie Christie’s best actress acting nomination was well-deserved.
Cost: free via work-sponsored Netflix
Where watched: at home.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2007/away_from_her.html
I’ve resisted this for some time, for reasons unknown to me. But it’s the last one I need to see to have seen all of Kelly Reichardt’s films* so I watched it and I loved it. It’s a quiet meditation about a friendship that was that just really isn’t anymore and it’s very well done.***
Cost: free from work-funded Netflix
Where watched: at home.
*At least until Certain Women comes out this year!**
**I’ve just checked and I haven’t seen all her films. I’m short a couple. One of which (Ode) doesn’t seem to be available.
***Plus you get to see Bagby Hot Springs.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2006/old_joy.html
Being a great fan of Gerwig, Hawke, and Moore (as well as Maya Rudolph and Bill Hader) plus the fact it was written and directed by a woman had me at the theater on the first weekend. And I was rewarded with a complicated story (Maggie’s Plan was not what I thought it was at first) and among other things excellent quietly made observations about the divide of household tasks in this modern American life. Plus it was funny.*
Cost: $6.00
Where watched: Hollywood Theater
*Julianne Moore was hilarious as a Danish intellectual, and even Greta Gerwig’s clothing was low-level amusing.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/maggies_plan.html
A second viewing–so the boyfriend could take in the delight of this film–proved just as fun as the first one. There’s a narrative thread running throughout, but the underlying message is that movies are magic in their creations. It’s the details that make this movie great and the details are plentiful and amazing.
Cost: $4.00
Where watched: Laurelhurst with Matt
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/hail_caesar_ver4.html
Wow, this movie holds up really well! Sure, Keanu Reeves is employing his usual “acting” method of saying his lines really carefully and with feeling,* but damn, this movie is fun. Surfing, bank robbing, Lori Petty, skydiving, James Le Gros, a running chase scene Tom Cruise would be proud of, Patrick Swayze piking out of a plane, the most excellent line “I am an F.B.I. Agent” delivered most excellently by Mr. Reeves, plus, as the poster advertises: 100% pure adrenaline.
Cost: free from work-sponsored Netflix
Where watched: at home. (Had I known that Matt had never seen this, I would have insisted he sit and watch it. But he half watched it while playing a game.)
*But “acting” skills aside, there’s just something about him that draws the eye.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1991/point_break_ver1.html
(fold lines!!)
This movie was trying to be a less-twee Wes Anderson film and in doing so, completely failed at being interesting. It was a movie I gave my full attention to at first, but after 30 minutes decided that perhaps painting my toenails while watching was perhaps a better use of my time. The movie is now over and the toes are now silver.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2014/longest_week.html
5 total movies watched
Diary of a Teenage Girl
Coming of age from the female perspective! How often does that happen on film?
Lords of Dogtown
More going on than just skating. Although the skating is awesome.
It’s a boy-centered story about skaters from the 70s directed by a rock star female director. Thus, a movie that could have been an action bro-fest is still captivating in its execution, but is also overlaid with a depth of feeling I was not at all expecting. When it was over, I wanted more, so I partook in the rare action of watching ALL of the DVD extras* which were also** fun.***
Cost: Free from Netflix
Where watched: at home.
*In which Catherine Hardiwicke was described as a “method director,” a description I loved. The person making the comment talked about how in shooting the surf scenes she was in her wet suit in the water with the actors the whole time.
**Just hearing about how even the skate instructor had to learn on the skinny 70s skateboards was interesting.
***I also spent some time feeling sad for the loss of Heath Ledger. Man, that guy could disappear into a character.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2005/lords_of_dogtown.html
A perfectly fine illustration of a woman who bought a villa in Tuscany and all the interesting, funny and quirky things that happened there. Diane Lane was here usual solid self and everything just clipped along in a good and interesting fashion. Overall, it was the kind of solid Sunday afternoon movie you can watch with your mom and grandmother.
Cost: free from employer-funded Netflix
Where watched: at home.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2003/under_the_tuscan_sun.html
I’ve been having mixed feelings of late about the whole superhero movie thing and so I wasn’t chomping at the bit to see this picture show. However, the questions within the movie kept me engaged and the pace was masterful–I didn’t even notice it’s 2.5 hour run time. Plus, Tom Holland has me excited about Spider-Man again, something I never thought would happen.
Cost: $5.10
Where watched: Regal City Center Stadium 12 with Matt (who had already watched it on Friday)
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/captain_america_civil_war.html
