The Devil All the Time Brings the Ick

Picture of Tom Holland in the film The Devil All the Time

The Devil All the Time

Directed by Antonio Campos
Written by Antonio Campos & Paulo Campos

The review:

While politicians during election season like to talk about the United States of America as a Shining City on a Hill, directors like Antonio Campos do their duty to remind audiences that the USA was born in violence and wacko religion and that reality has passed through every generation.* This was a chance for a lot of actors to work on their accents** and bring their best Midwestern Gothic, which I found they succeeded at across the board. This was one of those violent films*** where I was entranced by a lot, and also intrigued because I wasn’t sure how the stories were going to come together.****

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly charge ($8.99)
Where watched: at home. I watched this because my “recent activity” page on Letterboxed was full of this poster. Having not heard of the film, I googled. Seeing the cast, I made plans to watch it that very night.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*There’s an overarching icky feeling from the first frame of this film to the last. I enjoyed the contrast with the setting of the 1940s through the 1960s, which, when rendered in film, tends to lend itself to a peaceful nostalgia.
**There are a lot of not-from-the-US actors in this: Tom Holland (British), Robert Pattinson (British), Harry Melling***** (British), Mia Wasikowska (Australian), Bill Skarsgård (Swedish), Eliza Scanlen (Australian), Jason Clarke (Australian). In fact, of the top cast, only Riley Keough and Haley Bennett were born in the US. Sebastian Stan came to the US at age twelve by way of Austria and Romania. Donald Ray Pollock, who wrote the novel the movie is a based on and serves as the narrator, is from Ohio.
***“How is your violent film?” asked the boyfriend. “How do you know it’s violent?” I asked instead of answering. “I could hear it,” he told me. Aside from a host of people being killed, a dog is also among the murdered.
****They did come together in the end.
*****Mr. Melling seems to becoming a reliable Netflix film dude. I’ve seen him in this, The Old Guard, and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. He’s sung in two of those roles.

Questions:

  • Who was the most magnetic character?
  • Movies that feel icky. Yay or nay?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Real spiders were used.

(I wondered)

Other reviews of The Devil All the Time:

Murder on the Orient Express is Ensemble Fun

Picture of the cast of Murder on the Orient Express including Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench, Olivia Coleman and more.

Murder on the Orient Express

Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Written by Michael Green

The review:

First off, two things: 1) I congratulate myself to have made it this far in life not knowing whodunnit, thus making for a fun film experience 2) What was up with all the swooping camera stuff?* I enjoyed the ensemble cast, and though I just lambasted his directing, Branagh was great as Hercule Poirot.** The film made the most of the tight quarters and clues revealed.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $1.43 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It looked gaudy and like the director was scared to deal with actual camera angles that would tell the story.
**I thought the mustache was very fun, but there was a lack of continuity in whether he wore his mustache guard while sleeping.

Questions:

  • Who was your favorite suspect?
  • How distracting was Johnny Depp for you?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Johnny Depp asked Sir Kenneth Branagh to apologize to Sir Derek Jacobi for him after filming their scene together. “Because I had to shout at him, I don’t want to shout at Derek Jacobi.”

Other reviews of Murder on the Orient Express:

Orange background with a white frame. Text: I am of an age where I know what I like and what I do not like. What I like, I enjoy enormously. What I dislike, I cannot abide. For instance, the temporary pleasantries before what is determined to be a business discussion. --Murder on the Orient Express. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

The King of Staten Island is Okay?

A picture of Alexis Rae Forlenza, Pete Davidson, and Luke David Blumm in The King of Staten Island

The King of Staten Island

Directed by Judd Apatow
Written by Judd Apatow, Pete Davidson, Dave Sirus

The review:

It was hard for me to separate Pete Davidson the person, from Scott Carlin, the character* and this made for depressed feelings while watching this film, despite its funny moments. It was also a film where the character development seemed to have more to do with Scott finding out about his dead father rather than developing or changing on his own. But I did get to see Bel Powley** and Marisa Tomei,*** so that was a nice treat.****

The verdict: Good?

It’s right on the edge. It’s not quite bad enough to be a Skip, but not quite good enough to be Good

Cost: $1.42 via Redbox (take that, VOD price of $19.99 back in June!)
Where watched: at home

Consider watching instead:

Further sentences:

*It doesn’t help that like the main character, Pete Davidson’s firefighter father was killed when he was seven years old and I know that Davidson has mental health problems. It also might have to do with the humor stemming from Scott Carlin’s sub-par tattoos he gives to his friends and family. Those things don’t rub off, and they made me sad. I think I was supposed to find them funny.
**Would you like to watch Bel Powley in other films that are more fun than this? Cool. Check her out as Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out, a minimally supervised teenager in The Diary of a Teenage Girl, and a floundering post-college existence in Carrie Pilby
***Remember when I wished she was the focus of this film? I feel the same way about the King of Staten Island.
***Also, hooray for Moises Arias! He was great in the Kings of Summer. And also in Five Feet Apart. Plus, his presence in this film led to a funny height gag.

Questions:

  • Would you eat at a tattoo restaurant?
  • What was your favorite moment in this film?
  • Which was the worst Scott Carlin tattoo? My vote is for the Moises Arias one that incorporated his navel.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The film was scheduled to open in about one-hundred theaters, mostly drive-ins. Due to the 2020 pandemic, two days before the release date the theaters were abruptly informed they would not able to show the film. Instead, the release was limited to video-on-demand.

Other reviews of The King of Staten Island:

Orange background with a white frame. Text: We're like the only place that New Jersey looks down on.—The King of Staten Island. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

Nope. Didn’t Fit.

One day sitting in the new chair told me that despite all my careful measuring, it did not fit in the space the folding chair occupied. This meant reorienting my bed.

I don’t like beds jammed against a wall because that position makes it difficult to change the sheets. But I happened on a good solution by moving the cat tree over against the wall. When it comes time to change the sheets, I can push the cat tree out of the way.

Sentinel approves of this new setup.

New Desk Chair

Since being laid off in March, I have spent 30-40 hours per week at my desk. For that entire time, I’ve been sitting on an Ikea folding chair. This week my body said, “No more!”

The problem with finding a replacement is that the space between the bed and the desk is very small and the Ikea chair works because the back legs can partially sit under the bed. I took measurements and headed out.

(The red sheet that I usually have over my comforter is in the wash.)

At the used office furniture store I looked around and found this cube to help the cats get onto the bed. Sentinel has been using the folding chair to jump onto the bed for months now. I think he can still jump from the floor to the bed if he tries, but I don’t really want him to try. He took to the fabric cube right away.

I also found this little blue chair that does fit in the small space between the desk and the bed. I think? Stay tuned.

The Hustle’s Stars Are Entertaining

Picture of Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway in the film The Hustle

The Hustle

Directed by Chris Addison
Written by Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning, Dale Launer, Jac Shaeffer
(One questions how much funnier this film about female con artists would have been had any females been among the writers or director.)

The review:

I greatly enjoy both Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson so your payoff* for this female con artist film may vary. But I was in need of a palate cleanser and this silly romp provided a nice cap to my evening.** Astute viewers of con artist films will probably pick up on stuff, but if you’re there for humorous antics by two comedians, it doesn’t really matter the predictability of the plot.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Hulu monthly fee ($11.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*See what I did there?
**Also, Alex Sharp was so much fun! He reminded me of early Miles Teller.

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite Anne Hathaway comedy?
  • What’s your favorite Rebel Wilson comedy?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

When Penny first meets Josephine on a train Josephine is reading the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Alex Sharp, who co-stars in the film, made his Broadway and acting debut in the play that was the based on the novel.

Other reviews of The Hustle:

Orange background with text: Why are women better suited to the con than men? —The Hustle. Read the three-sentence movie review 3SMReviews.com

Down Terrace Is Up and Down

Picture of Julia Deakin in the film Down Terrace

Down Terrace

Directed by Ben Wheatley
Written by Ben Wheatley, Robin Hill

The review:

The blurbs told me this was a dark comedy and a comedic British version of the Sopranos and at the beginning, I had a lot of “Ah, I can see how that would be funny” moments where I didn’t actually laugh.* However, something shifted midway through and while I never laughed aloud, I did perk up wondering how things were going to play out.** This film has an incredible soundtrack, some of it voiced by star Robert Hill and friends, and if you’re into diegetic performances of folk-style music you might want to look this film up.

The verdict: Skip

(Unless you are in it for the soundtrack or are trying to watch all of Ben Wheatly’s films before Rebecca is released.)

Cost: Free via Hoopla, Multnomah County Library’s lesser streaming service.
Where watched: at home

Consider watching instead:

Further sentences:

*It was a trying film because Karl, the main character, is so clearly out of his element and incredibly whiny. His theatrics are not endearing, though the movie made clear how he got that way. I’m also guessing that elements of this film went over my head because I’m from the US, not Britain.
**It also managed to make turn I didn’t anticipate, which I found satisfying.

Questions:

  • What do you think would have improved Karl’s life?
  • Where do you think the turning point was?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The two stars are really father and son

(Trivia was a little light)

Other reviews of Down Terrace:

All Movies Watched on Kanopy March–Present

Kanopy. Quality films for free.

Because they are free, I take chances on Kanopy films. As the Recommended/Good/Skip split indicates, this does not always pay off. But that shouldn’t dissuade you from checking out Kanopy’s lineup which is packed with films I love. To encourage you, here’s a new feature where I highlight movies I’ve loved that you can watch right now. For free!

Five Really Great Movies on Kanopy Now

  • While We’re Young, Noah Baumbach’s I-am-too-old-to-be-a-hipster movie with sparkly performances from Ben Stiller, (he’s so great being uncomfortable) Naomi Watts, Adam Driver, and Amanda Seyfried.
  • Bernie, Richard Linklater’s dark comedy about a kind man in a small Texas town who becomes friends with a wealthy widow. Jack Black is great, Shirley MacLaine is her usual bitter character, and no one is better than the host of locals giving color commentary. Plus: two musical numbers!
  • Stories We Tell, Sarah Polley’s fascinating documentary about her family of origin. (Woman writer and director.)
  • Leave No Trace, based on a novel based on a true story that happened in Portland, Oregon where a father and daughter were discovered living in a city wilderness area. Ben Foster and Thomasin McKenzie are so very good. (Woman writer and director)
  • Her Smell, about the off-the-rails period of a 90s punk rock star’s life. One of my favorites from 2018, Elisabeth Moss is fully committed to being unhinged in a performance that has compared her to Courtney Love, but was actually based on W. Axl Rose’s darker days.

Recommended

  • Memento

Good

  • Girlhood
  • The Watermelon Woman
  • Picture of Evan Rachel Wood, Callum Rennie, and Ellen Page in the film Into the Forest
  • Picture of Dominique Fishback and Tatum Marilyn Hall in Night Comes On
  • Drawing of the stars of the Hitch-Hiker: Edmond O'Brien, Frank Lovejoy, and William Talman

Skip

  • The Lobster
  • Lady Macbeth
  • The Beat Beneath My Feet
  • A picture of Francisco Solorzano and Patrizia Hernandez with a sketch of NYC brownstones behind them
  • A picture of Kristen Wiig in the film Welcome to Me.
  • A picture of Cynthia Nixon and Jennifer Ehle in the film A Quiet Passion

A Quiet Passion Is Quite Dull

A picture of Cynthia Nixon and Jennifer Ehle in the film A Quiet Passion

A Quiet Passion

Directed by Terence Davies
Written by Terence Davies

The review:

Oh my god, there’s quiet, and then there’s glacial and uninteresting.* There is passion and then there’s randomly shrieking about stuff while your kind sister looks on.** Plus, acting that reminded me of very dedicated high school students of middling talents*** making for an overall excruciating film.****

The verdict: Skip*****

Cost: Free via Kanopy
Where watched: at home

Consider watching instead:

Further sentences:

*About twenty minutes in, I thought, “Uh oh, this already feels like a long movie.”
**I understand Dickinson’s passion was her poetry and staying true to herself, but I never felt like the movie showed me, or hinted at, what was causing her outbursts. Also, the switch to the older actors early had me very confused at how much time was passing between scenes. Watching fifty-two-year-old Duncan Duff (Austin Dickinson) introduce the wife he married while studying at Harvard was odd, to say the least.
***Catherine Bailey as Vryling Buffam was particularly terrible.
****One nice feature: the Dickinsons sitting for portraits and seeing them age into their older characters. That meant that 50-year-old Nixon played Emily Dickinson from age 20 onward. See above about confusion as to what year it was.
*****The movie included Mabel Loomis Todd, which is the interesting (and titillating) part of the Dickinson family story, but was still boring in this film. There’s another Dickinson film that goes in a different direction. I’ll see if it’s any good. I suspect we’re still waiting for a film worthy of the writer.

Questions:

  • What’s the thing to focus on with a Dickinson film?
  • Was Cynthia Nixon the right choice for this role?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Terence Davies first met Cynthia Nixon when auditioning actresses for a comedy film called Mad About the Boy that ultimately never got made.

Other reviews of A Quiet Passion:

Clarity is one thing; obviousness is quite another. —A Quiet Passion. Read the three sentence movie review 3SMReviews.com