Tag: 10s

Little Women: The Millennial Version

Little Women

The review:

By eschewing a linear narrative, Greta Gerwig manages to make the twists and turns of Little Women* into something I want to watch more than once.** As I watched the 1994 version in August, I’m heavy on the comparisons/contrasts,*** but I think this movie did what was needed to be done to the story to make this one of the best movies I’ve seen in 2019. It’s a film full of life and laughter and tears, not to mention several versions of cross-in-front sweater wraps (not quite these, but close****) that I need the pattern for.

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $9.00 (and I had to go to the theater two days in a row because the first day was sold out)
Where watched: Hollywood Theater with an audience who gasped aloud in places, proving they hadn’t recently watched the 1994 version.

Consider also watching:

  • Little Women 1994
  • Frozen
  • Your Sisters Sister
  • Sense and Sensibility
  • The Virgin Suicides

Further sentences:

*A story I’ve never liked.
**True story: after the movie ended, I checked my bus arrival time, found it wasn’t coming for another 17 minutes, and snuck into the later showing so I could experience whatever scene I encountered once again.
***See below for my drilldown
****For those of you who are interested, here’s a handy article about how to steal the movie’s style without looking like an extra in a period piece.

Questions:

  • Which version do you think comes out on top? Aside from 2019 and 1994, there’s also the 2018 present-day one, the 2017 PBS one, the 1949 June Alyson one, and the 1933 Katherine Hepburn one (which I mostly remember because the sleeves were out of control!)
  • Which of the sisters are you?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Although they portray heroines of American literature, none of the four actors are American. Emma Watson and Florence Pugh are English, Saoirse Ronan is Irish, and Eliza Scanlen is Australian.

Other reviews:

1994 vs. 2019:

  • Meg: Trini Alvarado beats Emma Watson
  • Jo: Tie. I like both Winona Ryder and Saoirse Ronan for different reasons
  • Beth: Claire Danes knocks Eliza Scanlen out of the park. (I think Claire Danes is the best part of the 90s version.)
  • Amy: Kristen Dunst as young Amy beats Florence Pugh. Pugh did a good job acting younger, but she didn’t look younger. Dunst takes the win there. Florence Pugh beats out Samantha Mathis as older Amy. Best Florence Pugh scene: telling Laurie no.
  • Laurie: Christian Bale beats out Timothée Chalamet simply because Timothée Chalamet looks incredibly youthful and thus I didn’t fully believe he was grownup Laurie. Who did I enjoy watching more? Chalamet.
  • Marmee: Tie. Susan Sarandon brings more gravitas than Laura Dern, though Dern is not saddled with all that moralizing. She’s a hippie-style Marmee.
  • Aunt March: Meryl Streep beats out Mary Wickes (you know, because she’s Meryl Streep)
  • Professor Bhaer: Gabriel Byrne (IMDB has him ranked second in the casting lineup!) beats out Louis Garrel. Though I think the much older Byrne was closer in age (44 at time film) to the Professor Behr in the book (The internet is telling me 40) Louis Garrel is 36, but he doesn’t look it.
  • Mr. Lawrence: Tie. Both John Neville and Chris Cooper are good
  • Hannah: Florence Paterson beats out Jayne Houdyshell

The 1994/2019 verdict:

  • 1994: 6 wins, 3 ties
  • 2019: 2 wins, 3 ties
  • Yet somehow I enjoyed the 2019 version so much more! Directing matters!
Little Women

The Two Popes is a Good Conversation

The Two Popes

The review:

Considering that The Two Popes is a movie of basically two guys talking, Fernando Meirelles directs a very good film.* For those fans of walking and talking, wrestling with weighty issues, and sins of the past, this will be a treat.** For fans of good acting, you have both Anthony Hopkins and Jonathan Pryce bringing their A game.

The verdict: Good

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

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I mean, granted, the two guys talking aren’t dudes on the #6 bus; they’re men who became popes. The title doesn’t lie.
**Plus, you get to see the process for choosing a new pope, which I found interesting.

Question:

Do you think that the head of the Catholic Church should follow the Pope Benedict model (traditional, pomp and circumstance) or the Pope Francis model (reform, the carnival is over)

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Jonathan Pryce commented on his physical resemblance to Pope Francis at the Toronto International Film Festival: “The day Pope Francis was declared Pope, the Internet was full of images of me and him, and ‘Is Jonathan Pryce the Pope?’ Even my son texted me, ‘Dad are you the Pope?'”

Other reviews:

The Two Popes

Bombshell: A Movie For Actors to Disappear into their Characters

Bombshell

The review:

Jay Roach’s Bombshell is a movie about three women taking on Roger Ailes/Fox News that is written and directed by men.* It’s one of those movies that lets actors disappear into their characters and Charlize Theron is the best at this task.** This movie is worth watching just to see a current-day workplace where women cannot wear pants.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $8.50
Where watched: Century Theaters Eastport with Matt
(Another cheery Christmas Eve movie selection!)

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Count me as a fan of this film, but much like Bad Moms, maybe have some actual women involved in the creation process.
**It took me about 10 minutes before I was for-sure the Megyn Kelly person was actually her. Kidman and Robbie are also good (though Robbie’s character is a composite). John Lithgow also sank into the jowls of Roger Ailes.
***The sexual harassment was one thing—it was terrible to witness Margot Robbie decide to capitulate—but PANTS! They are a commonplace thing. Everyone should be allowed to wear pants to work. Everyone!

Questions:

  • What’s your go-to women-overcoming-in-the-workplace film? (I’m having trouble thinking of anything besides this and 9 to 5)
  • If someone has told you they have been sexually harassed, should your next question be, “Did you do it?”?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Charlize Theron and Mark Duplass co-star in Tully (2018).
(This is my favorite item because in post-movie discussion, I exclaimed to Matt, “Hey! Charlize Theron and Mark Duplass were a married couple in Tully too!)
(Also because I ADORED Tully and I feel like no one watched it. Go watch Tully!)

Other reviews:

Bombshell

A Christmas Prince is as Advertised

A Christmas Prince

The review:

I had Christmas cards to address and needed something Christmas-y while I was doing it,* and so I turned on Alex Zamm’s A Christmas Prince. It wasn’t terrible. I found that Theo Devaney (Simon) was more interesting than the Christmas Prince himself, so I wasn’t really rooting for the right person, but overall, I didn’t hate it.**

The verdict: Skip

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home (also, I had to pay more attention to this than It’s a Wonderful Life and thus kept making errors in addressing the Christmas cards.)

Consider watching instead:

Further sentences:

*I don’t own a copy of It’s a Wonderful Life, which is my go-to for this sort of thing
**I’ve really enjoyed Rose McIver in iZombie, and was surprised to see her coming off as so vapid in this film.

Questions:

  • Did you like this film? If yes, what worked for you?
  • Do you think this movie deserves to have two sequels?

Favorite IMDB trivia items:

The movie was filmed on the Peles Castle, a Neo-Renaissance castle in the Carpathian Mountains, situated in Sinaia, in Romania.

(I question your syntax there, IMDB trivia contributor, but I was wondering where that castle was.)

Other reviews:

A Christmas Prince

Motherless Brooklyn is Nearly a Very, Very Good Film

Motherless Brooklyn

The review:

Edward Norton makes a worthy detective story set in the 1950s and Motherless Brooklyn was nearly a very, very, good film.* While the Tourette’s aspect feels very much like Mr. Norton is shooting for an Academy Award nomination and thus, from that angle, is distracting, it is interesting to watch his performance and how the syndrome affects his character.** The movie is also populated with excellent actors (hooray for another good role for Gugu Mbatha-Raw!) and the mystery was engrossing.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: $6.00
Where watched: Jubitz Cinema

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It pains me to say that it’s the slightest bit too long, like maybe we didn’t need that much time watching jazz musicians at the club. As it is, it’s a very good film.
**I found it interesting that no one in the film made fun of him, or was repulsed by for his tics and twitches. I felt like that wasn’t quite up to snuff for film set in the 1950s.
***I figured out one thing before Lionel did, which made me feel very smart.

Questions:

  • Should Edward Norton direct more films?
  • How many favors do you think Mr. Norton called in to get all those really great actors? (Never mind. Answered in the IMDB triva item below.)

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

According to writer, director, and actor Edward Norton, the principal major stars all worked for free on this, his second directorial outing.

Other Reviews:

Motherless Brooklyn

Harriet is the Movie Harriet Tubman Deserves

Harriet

The review:

Kasi Lemmons directs the incredible Cynthia Erivo in Harriet, giving Ms. Tubman a worthy story that is painful, tense, and hopeful throughout.* Erivo leads an excellent cast and the movie keeps the focus on the former and current slaves rather than tells the story through the eyes of white people.** This is also a biopic that includes a fair amount of speechifying that never comes off as pedantic, it isn’t draggy and has no endless scenes of drug use.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: $4.00
Where watched: Academy Theater with Matt, who also enjoyed it

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*So rarely do we get to see women take the reins and steamroll over all the messages they are being told. That it’s a woman trapped in slavery makes this narrative all the better.
**I say this because so many movies about the black experience in the USA get co-opted by the white narrative (I’m looking at you Mississippi Burning)
***I’m looking at you Bohemian Rhapsody,and Walk the Line, and Straight Outta Compton. Though I had forgotten that Harriet Tubman experienced spells where she collapsed. So there’s a goodly amount of fainting.

Questions:

  • How do you feel about a British person playing a US hero?
  • Have you watched Kasi Lemmons‘ other films? (Black Nativity, Talk to Me, The Caveman’s Valentine, Eve Bayou) I’m thinking about a director retrospective in 2020.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

This is the first feature film to be made about the life of Harriet Tubman.

Other reviews:

Harriet quote
(I love this quote so much!)

Atlantics: Current Events With a Twist

Atlantics

The review:

Mati Diop’s Atlantics takes a current event topic* and crafts a unique story about the women who are left behind. This was a very atmospheric film that got more interesting as the movie continued. Mame Bineta Sane as Ada is a compelling main character.

The verdict: Good

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

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*People attempting to escape grinding poverty by sailing across the Mediterranean for the chance of a better life

Questions:

  • What elements of this film worked for you?
  • How did you come to watch this film? (I watched it because it’s a Filmspotting Golden Brick nominee)

Favorite IMDB Trivia Item:

Mati Diop, with her submission of “Atlantics” to the 2019 Cannes Film Festival, is the first black woman director in history to compete in the festival’s competition.

Other reviews:

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is a Fine Conclusion to This Trilogy

The review:

Coming off of Rian Johnson’s excellent The Last Jedi it is now time for J.J. Abrams to wrap up our third trilogy with (the official title is so very long!) Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker. And Abrams does wrap things up in a competent way that shows us the many Star Wars things we’ve come to love.* I think the strength of this trilogy is the Rey-Kylo Ren connection,** and that carries through to this film, which I did liked, but did not love.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: $9.50
Where watched: Baghdad Theater with Matt, Laurie and Burt.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Witty banter, dashing adventure, situations that always seem hopeless, plus a fun new droid to add to the canon.
**Their fight scenes added a lot to this film.
*** I am three for three for falling asleep. I missed the “here’s the plan” part.

Questions:

  • What movies that you first watched as a kid still hold up today?
  • Do you want more of the Star Wars world? If so, what would you like more of?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Disney’s sequel trilogy is the first trilogy in the Star Wars saga in which all three movies were released in the same decade.

Other reviews:

Parasite: With Whom Does Your Loyalty Lie?

The review:

The glee about Bong Joon Ho’s Parasite had me reluctantly adding it to my list; when I finally watched it, I was rewarded with a roller coaster of a movie that was just as good as I’d been hearing. Ki-taek and his family’s plight—living in poverty in a sub-basement—had me rooting for them* as Ki-taek seeks to better himself by taking a job as a tutor for a rich family. From there I cycled through so many emotions as the narrative shifted and twisted leaving me gasping aloud several times and reacting verbally** more than once.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost:$9.00 (though free due to gift card. I did buy $9.00 worth of popcorn and wine)
Where watched: Hollywood Theatre

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Throughout the film I loved the family’s interactions. They enjoyed each other’s company and were all in it together, no matter how dire their situation. I rarely see such close-knit families on screen.
**What? No! Oh my god!
***This review is intentionally unspecific because it’s best to just go in cold and be rewarded. It gets a bit bloody there in one part, but it’s doable to shield your eyes if you need to.

Questions:

  • What was your favorite scene in this film?
  • What do you think the title refers to?

Other reviews:

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The Parks’ house, said in the film to be designed by a fictional architect named Namgoong Hyeonja, was a set completely built from scratch.

Marriage Story : a Tense Dissolution

The review:

Noah Baumbach gets at the nuance of divorce* with Marriage Story and his script leaves a lot of room for incredible performances by Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson.** It’s a painful divorce, but not an overly angry one, which means the movie is tense throughout, but there isn’t much yelling.*** It’s also a movie that is a tiny bit too long**** and has humor sprinkled throughout; it comes with a very clear message about the strange nature of divorce proceedings.*****

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home with S. North, who didn’t like it as much as I did.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*There are a lot of examples of a couple in the midst of uncoupling acting very much like the couple they have always been, which is what I would guess makes divorce difficult.
**Azhy Robertson is also very good as Charlie and Nicole’s son Henry (he was also good as Ethan Hawke’s son in Juliet, Naked) and god bless Martha Kelly; her role as the social worker was the most painful and hilarious scene in the movie.
***I’m guessing a heart rate monitor would have had me at an elevated level for most of the movie.
****While one song from the Sondhiem musical Company was fine, the second wandered into indulgent territory
*****The lawyers’ interactions were fascinating, especially how they shifted from emphatically making a point to chitchat.

Questions:

  • Do you think the blame falls more on one person more than than the other in this film? If so, who?
  • What’s your favorite movie with a social worker in it?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The theme of theater is reflected in the film’s production design and the architecture. Charlie and Nicole have a proscenium arch in their apartment. In Nicole’s mother’s house, characters move in and out of rooms that interconnect to the kitchen like a backstage to the main stage. During Nicole’s monologue she walks in and out of rooms and similarly, Nicole and Charlie walk between rooms during the fight scene, these moments echo how actors move in plays.

Other reviews: