Category: Three Sentence Movie Reviews

While not as funny as the first time I watched it, (the surprise factor was gone) I still enjoyed this sequel making fun of sequels.  This time I greatly anticipated the Mr. & Mrs. Smith scene and cackled at Jillian Bell’s weirdness.  This would also make a good movie for a discussion of male attitudes toward women sleeping around depending on if the women in question is the male’s daughter or not.

Cost:  free from library. (It was just sitting there. I couldn’t not bring it home.)
Where watched: at home.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2014/twenty_two_jump_street.html

Possibly the best movie about being a teenage boy since Kings of Summer.  It’s funny, it’s moving, it’s set in present day and has a 90s hip hop soundtrack.  Eventually, they will start making movies about girls coming of age, but in the meantime, sit down and enjoy this fabulous piece of movie.

Cost: $5.00
Where watched: Regal City Center Stadium 12 with Matt*

*Sweetheart, what are you doing Sunday at 6?  I have a movie I think we will both enjoy.
And we did.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2015/dope_ver2.html

It was interesting to revisit this film 25 years after I first watched it.  Overall, I don’t think the narrative held up, though I think Edward Scissorhands is such an iconic character, that this movie can skate by even without a solid plot.  Diane Wiest remains my favorite “mom” from 1980s films.*

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home

*see: Footloose, Parenthood, this movie.  Also don’t forget her overwrought actress in Bullets Over Broadway.  “Don’t speak!”

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1990/edward_scissorhands_ver1.html

While I would not have cast John Cusack as Brian Wilson (they seem to be two quite different people features-wise) I can say that after a while I stopped being distracted by his inability to look like Brian Wilson and eventually enjoyed his performance. The acting was first-rate here, with all the leads bringing their A-game to this back-and-forth biopic (Paul Dano plays the mid-60s Brian Wilson–he’s amazing–John Cusack plays the late-80s Brian Wilson).  And overall, this is an incredible film with lots to look at and be absorbed by.*

Cost:  Free due to Kelly’s Fandago gift card (given to her by regular commenter Jan) $10.17 worth of snacks were purchased also.  That was a pretzel for me and a soda for her.
Where watched:  Regal City Center 12, with the aformentioend Kelly.

*Slight downside.  You will have Beach Boys songs in your head for a very long time after seeing this movie. But it will be worth it.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2015/love_and_mercy.html

 

I never saw this movie in the theater because I was somewhat “eh” on the subject matter.  However, it didn’t quite go the way I thought it would go and John Hawkes  was fascinating to watch.  Unfortunately, Helen Hunt chose to go the route of attempting the Boston accent and that nearly sank the entire picture.*

Cost: free from library (a “Why not?” selection)
Where watched: at home.

*Honestly, I think that accent is acting kryptonite.  Only people from Boston should attempt.  Oh, and John Hawks,  born and raised in rural Minnesota, who did it so well that  I didn’t notice he was attempting one until Helen Hunt’s attempt caused me to wince.

http://www.impawards.com/2012/sessions.html

I was watching this 1989 feature for period details, of which there were many.  However, unless you also are interested in period details, I cannot recommend this movie, as the plot is insipid and the soundtrack is horrendous.*  And someone could probably write a thesis about movies portraying witches that end with them giving up their powers.

Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.

*Interestingly, the acting is not bad.

poster from: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0098453/

Kind of an ambling movie, in that it is in no hurry to get through its plot, but rather chooses to focus on acting and cinematography and such. I’m okay with that and those things were all done quite well, with the acting being just as undeniably impressive as the quote on the poster above promises.  Can we all just call for an official resolution stating that Casey Affleck  is a phenomenally underutilized actor?*

Cost: free from library (plucked from the shelf!  No hold necessary!)
Where watched: at home

*Thank goodness he’s a man and can just keep acting for the rest of his life instead of being shunted to the side at 30, as might happen to Rooney Mara who is also quite good.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2013/aint_them_bodies_saints.html
Do you not just love this poster?

The only person I’ve run across, critic or not, who actually likes this movie is my friend Hafidha, so I didn’t really expect to like this.  And I didn’t.  It had a good start, but got bogged down in boring action scenes (and endless fight that didn’t give me anything but wishing the fight either provided some character/plot development or would end) and ultimately was just good to have on while I made progress with the knitting.

Cost: free from library (a “Why not?” that perhaps should have been a “Nah”.)
Where watched: at home.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2013/elysium.html
Good poster though.

It’s a heist movie with magicians, which if neither of those things are your thing, this isn’t the movie for you.  But if one or both are, I encourage you to find this overlooked flick with fabulous actors all doing their fabulous acting thing, as well as special effects that don’t intrude and an excellent plot.  This also has the best character intros I’ve ever seen in a film, which, even if you think you don’t like heist films or magicians, you should watch the first part just to be schooled in that particular bit of movie magic.*

Cost: free from library (Ruffalo?  Eisenburg? Freeman? Cane? Fisher?  Why the hell not?)
Where watched: at home, and at home with Matt

*The intros were so good, when I showed them to Matt, he watched the entire movie in one setting which he never does.**
**This meant I watched it twice in one night, and yes, it was that good.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2013/now_you_see_me.html
It also has an excellent poster.  Is there anything this movie can’t do?
World peace?
Perhaps not that.

Regular commenter Jan recently watched this and I was intrigued enough by her review to put it on hold.  What I found was an engrossing depiction of both class and a frank (especially for 1951) depiction of an accidental pregnancy. Expertly acted by all three leads, with special props going to Shelly Winters, who had the tough job of walking the line between trapped/insistent/annoying and sympathetic.*

cost: free from library
where watched: at home

*Look at how awesome she looks on this poster!

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/1951/place_in_the_sun_ver2.html