Tag: 10s

Knives Out Left Me With That Good-Movie Boost

The review:

Rian Johnson shows he has skills with yet another genre* by directing Knives Out, which is 130 minutes of delight. This movie could have been weighted down by its stellar cast,** but everything clicks and jibes along as the pieces fall into place. The mystery is well-crafted,*** the movie is funny, and the mansion shows off some great set decoration, including an amazing chair.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: St. Johns Twin Cinema with S. North

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Noir (Brick), sci-fi time travel (Looper), franchise action/adventure/sci-fi (The Last Jedi), things for the band the Mountain Goats
**There’s something enjoyable about watching actors who seem to be enjoying the acting they are doing. Ana de Armas is the linchpin who makes the movie work, and I especially loved Noah Segan as the fawning Trooper Wagner. Also, hasn’t Christopher Plummer had a good run lately?
***Though what do I know? My brain isn’t good at solving mysteries. I’m always surprised when it comes time to figure out who done what.

Questions:

  • What was the most egregious action performed by any member of the Harlan Thrombey’s family?
  • If you had to live with one of Harlan Thrombey’s family members, which would you choose?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Despite playing his mother in the film, K Callan is actually six years younger than Christopher Plummer.

Other reviews:

The Art of Self-Defense is Dark, Amusing

The review:

Riley Sterns directs Jesse Eisenberg* in The Art of Self-Defense a dark comedy that feels more intellectually funny than viscerally funny. While that first sentences feels like damning the film with faint praise, it was an enjoyable film experience and I especially enjoyed Alessandro Nivola’s** straight-faced Sensei whom I couldn’t quite get a bead on. This was one of those films that felt removed enough from the world I couldn’t fully settle in, but its artificial environment and subtle commentary and humor were well done.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $1.25 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Eisenberg was excellent as always; I don’t think I’ve ever not liked one of his performances.
**I also caught another excellent performance of his this year. He was Rabbi Dovid Kuperman in Sebastían Lelio’s Disobedience.

Questions:

  • What is your favorite dark comedy?
  • Has Jesse Eisenberg ever not been the tense and introverted character?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Writer and director Riley Stearns trains and teaches Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Other reviews:

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore: Scorsese, Without the Wise Guys

The review:

Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore is Scorsese without the wise guys and the good fellas.* This movie is firmly set in the 1970s, and is a great hardscrabble mother-son film.** Packed with tons of period details*** and good performances by both Ellen Burstyn and Alfred Lutter (plus a very young Harvey Keitel**** ) this was a Scorsese treat.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Although Alice has the lip that we’re used to from the wise guys.
**I’ve just googled “mother-son film” and, based on those results, I can say that it might be one of the best.
***Including what was probably considered a happy ending when the film was released; in 2019, I gave it the side eye.
****It’s probably worth watching just to see him eventually suck all the air out of the room

Questions:

  • Alice’s parenting style is not currently in fashion. Is this a good or a bad thing?
  • What would have been an actual happy ending for this for this film?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Hot off her success with The Exorcist (1973), the studio granted Ellen Burstyn total creative control over this project. She had two goals: to make a movie about woman with real-life problems, and to secure an up-and-coming filmmaker as the director. Upon selecting the script, Brian De Palma brought Francis Ford Coppola to Burstyn’s attention, who suggested she consider Martin Scorsese. While impressed with Scorsese’s talent after viewing Mean Streets (1973), Burstyn still hesitated to hire the director, fearing he could only direct men. When she asked Scorsese what he knew about women, Scorsese replied, “Nothing, but I’d like to learn.” Satisfied with his enthusiasm, Burstyn immediately hired Scorsese.

Frozen II: A Worthy Successor

The review:

Jennifer Lee and Chris Buck’s Frozen II is a worthy successor to the the animation triumph that spawned a generation of children who know every vocal inflection of “Let It Go.”* This is an adventure story, a sister story, a story about coming to terms with things other people did in the past, and a story firmly focused on the female experience.** I don’t think there is a generation-defining song in this film, but there are plenty of good songs, both enjoyable and moving.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: free due to passes (Thanks, Danielle)
Where watched: Roseway Theater (Our first time. It was a nice neighborhood theater.)

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*2015: the year Bre’s 4/5 class sang that song often and at a volume that easily came through the walls to the school office.
**We’re not quite to the point where we can have a story focused on the female experience where the women wear flats instead of heels, but I have faith that time is coming.
***My favorite amusing song was Kristoff’s “Lost in the Woods” a homage to 80s music videos where the singer has many feelings.

Questions:

  • When do you think everyone will come to the sensible conclusion that high heeled shoes are dumb, and then stop wearing them?
  • I’ve just noticed that Martha Plimpton is in this movie. Have you seen her in anything else, of late?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

During Kristoff’s “Lost in the Woods” number, there is a moment where Kristoff sings and three reindeer behind him in a triangular arrangement in front of a black background. This resembles the music video for Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody“.

Other reviews:

Let it Snow Is Pleasant, Unchallenging

The review:

Luke Snellin directs a gentle Christmas movie adaptation of a YA Novel* with some utterly delightful moments.** A cornucopia of young people*** plus Joan Cusack (in a coat and hat festooned with tinfoil) wander through the snow-covered landscape of generic middle America. The multiple stories are well balanced, everyone finds what they are looking for, and it made for a solid Sunday Afternoon Movie.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*The book is also named Let it Snow and it consists of three short stories written by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle. Many things have changed from the book to the movie.
**My favorites: Shameik Moore charming Isabela Merced’s grandfather with his love of the Rolling Stones, Kiernan Shipka and Mitchell Hope’s duet of “The Whole of the Moon”
***Isabela Merced (the teenager in Instant Family), Shameik Moore (Miles Morales aka Spider-Man in Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, also the main character in Dope) Odeya Rush (the rich, vapid kinda-friend in Lady Bird and the best friend in Dumplin‘); Liv Hewson (Before I Fall); Kiernan Shipka (Sally Draper in Mad Men); Jacob Balaton (the “guy in the chair” in Spider-Man: Far from Home, Spider-Man: Homecoming, and one of the many actors who portrayed A in Every Day); Miles Robbins (the guy who was the drug connoisseur in Blockers)

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite movie set in winter/in the snow?
  • Which of the actors in this movie do you think you will still be watching in fifteen years?

Favorite IMDB trivia:

Port Authority of Allegheny County’s Light Rail Vehicle 4201 is the trolley used in the Beechview Scene.
(The IMDB trivia page is a bit light right now)

Other reviews:

Jojo Rabbit is the Funniest WWII Movie in Decades (And Also Sad)

The review:

Taika Waititi’s Jojo Rabbit continues his streak of really great movies focused on children.* This movie is both funny and heavy** and does a great job of showcasing all the talents of its stars.*** Sure, you may have been living your life thinking there would never be a movie with Adolf Hitler as an imaginary friend, but now that there is, you must see it.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: Free for me (we used my birthday dinner money)
Where watched: at the Baghdad, where there was robust clapping as the film ended.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Or as Waititi puts it: boys with dad issues.
**There are so many dark World War II dramas; this was a breath of fresh air.
***Roman Griffin Davis carried the film, despite being eleven, Thomasin McKenzie got the nuances of a young woman in hiding, Rebel Wilson and Sam Rockwell did their thing as the comic relief, Waititi made an excellent imaginary friend/Adolf Hitler and Scarlett Johansson vacillated between a solid mother figure and one unhinged by war (though I think the choice to do the German accent was a mistake) (People who are annoyed by accent choices may have some problems with this film).

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite film with a child star?
  • What’s your favorite WWII film set in Germany?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Taika Waititi discovered in his research that WWII Germany was very vibrant and fashionable, and was interested in shying away from traditional war films showing it as dreary and dark, instead presenting the town as a seemingly celebratory place and dressing characters as stylishly as possible. He liked the idea that everything seems happy, but just underneath the surface “the third Reich is crumbling, and, you know, the dream is over.”
(This was true. Aside from great costumes, I also thought the house Jojo lived in was gorgeous.)

The King is Overly Long, but not Interminable

The review:

David Michôd crafts an overly long* tale of Henry V** with some good performances.*** As someone who has only vague knowledge of English history, I wasn’t troubled by potential historical inaccuracies.**** Overall, this movie wasn’t a stunner, but a sedately paced royal-succession-and-battle-type movie that left me feeling like I hadn’t wasted my movie-watching time.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*At 2 hours and 20 minutes I fell asleep for about 15 minutes and am pretty sure I didn’t miss much.
**Or Hal, if you are one of his drinking buddies.
***Joel Egerton’s Falstaff was a restrained drunkard (It took me about 30 minutes to wonder aloud, “Is that Joel Egerton?” though I was dealing with a beard and that weird haircut.), Timothée Chalamet’s Hal/Henry hit both the wild and the serious; and Thomasin McKenzie’s small role as Phillippa was a nice treat. (I’d like to see more of her. She was so great in Leave No Trace)
****Was Henry V really such a peacenik or was that something inserted for the purpose of plot?

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite English Royal movie?
  • Does the extreme bowl haircut make it harder to identify the actors? Do you think it’s due for a comeback?
  • Do you know about the history of Henry V? If so, how accurate was this?
  • How did you feel the accent work in this movie was?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The scar seen on Henry’s cheek is historically accurate, as the real Henry V was struck by an arrow at the battle of Shrewsbury in 1403, when he was just sixteen years old. This is the same battle where Henry fights Percy Hotspur in the movie. The arrow was removed from Henry’s face, but left a permanent scar.

Also, in this article, it seems that the real Henry V didn’t have Mr. Chalamet’s chiseled good looks.

Cedar Rapids is a Gentle, Funny Movie

The review:

It’s a gentle comedy, Cedar Rapids is, and Miguel Arteta does his best to make an amusing and sweet movie.* Ed Helms perfectly embodies the somewhat emotionally stunted, completely tight-laced, Midwestern,** small-town insurance agent suddenly tapped to travel to Cedar Rapids for the big insurance conference. John C. Reilly, Anne Heche and Isiah Whitlock Jr.*** make great mentors, and the rest of the cast is stuffed with a laundry list of, “Hey, it was that guy**** who was in that thing.”

The verdict: Good

Cost: free from the Multnomah County Library
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It’s a Sunday Afternoon Movie—one that provides you with one last gasp of trouble-free weekend before the windup to the work week begins.
**In bearing, he very much reminded me of a co-worker.
***Who charmed me by describing himself as being married to his insurance business, but also that he takes part in community theater and enjoys the HBO program, The Wire.
****There are nearly no women in this movie.

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite gentle comedy that has more than one woman in it?
  • Which character had the best lines?
  • Of the “guys who were in that thing,” which is your favorite character actor?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Isiah Whitlock Jr.’s character Ronald Wilkes references the character Omar from the TV show The Wire. He played the character State Sen. R. Clayton ‘Clay’ Davis on the TV series. According to Whitlock, the Wire references were in the script before he was cast, and they decided to keep them in place as an in-joke for fans of both Whitlock and his former show.

Judy is a Great Movie About a Sad Time

The review:

Rupert Goold directs Judy, a tenderly sad movie—because what other kind of Judy Garland movie can there be?—with a masterful performance by Renee Zellweger. This movie got me thinking about what we expect of our performers—is it not enough to have the amazing singing voice?*—and how hard it is to reconcile those expectations with real life. This is also a film that captures the 60’s quite nicely, and not with the usual cliches.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: Laurelhurst Theater

Consider also watching:

A star is Born (’18)
A star is Born (’54)
The Runaways
Love and Mercy

Further sentences:

*The answer was no when Judy Garland was a girl, and is still no today.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Renée Zellweger was born the same year that Judy Garland died: 1969.

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite Judy Garland performance?
  • What’s your favorite Renee Zellwiger performance?
  • What does a performer owe the audience, aside from the performance?

For Insiders, the Downton Abbey Movie is a Gem

The review:

Michael Engler creates an excellent two-hour episode* of Downton Abbey which will be enjoyable to all who have watched the show and which also will probably incomprehensible to newcomers.** While I wasn’t particularly pining for the Downton gang, the movie reminded me how much I loved the characters, and the movie—unlike, at times, the series—had a tight, comprehensive plot that touched on nearly all of the characters.*** Overall, a great movie, assuming you have done your background research.

The verdict: Recommended

(assuming you are already a fan)

Cost: $11.35
Where watched: Regal Tigard Stadium 12 (where they waste time making you pick your seat)

Consider also watching:

  • Downton Abbey Season 1
  • Downton Abbey Season 2
  • After that, the plot gets very soap opera-y
  • If you like the characters, the rest of the series is worth watching

Further sentences:

*It’s not really a movie, just a longer version of the show.
**Who are all these people? If you haven’t watched the show, this movie isn’t going to enlighten you.
***Bates wandered in an out and otherwise wasn’t present, but nearly everyone else was around.

Trivia:

The mansion that King George V and Queen Mary visit after Downton Abbey, where the ball is held at the end of the film, is Harewood House. Although the name of the village is pronounced as it is spelled (Hare-wood), the House and the title Lord Harewood are perversely pronounced Har-wood, as was correctly done throughout the film.

Here’s a bonus picture because I just love it so much