Tag: three sentence movies

An excellent coming of age allegory with the incredible and aptly named Royalty Hightower as Toni, a girl who has put in her time training as a boxer.  But the dance/drill team calls to her, even after some of the older girls start having unexplained fits.  There’s not a lot of dialogue and not a lot of action, but there is a lot of of coming-of-age stuff I don’t usually see on film, and I could not get enough of this movie, or Hightower’s performance.

Cost: $5.00
Where watched:  Living Room Theater with Matt

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/fits_ver3.html

I found the original movie hilarious and this one was funny too. It had the added bonus of quasi-female empowerment (quasi- because it was written by five guys–nary a woman in sight).  It was ridiculous in its ridiculousness and I had a very good time watching it.

Cost: $5.00
Where watched: Jubitz Cinema.  All alone in the theater, laughing like a crazy person.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/neighbors_two_sorority_rising_ver3.html

Walt Stillman’s Damsels in Distress left me cold, so I was a little wary of this film.  But it turns out that he just needed the proper setting for the stodgy manners on display in Damsels.  This was a complex narrative carefully told and Lady Susan was delightful in her unabashed selfish villainy.

Cost: $10.85 (I know!  I just really wanted to see a movie, so I paid full price at Regal.  And bought popcorn.  And was reminded I don’t really like movie theater popcorn. Again.)
Where watched: Regal City Center Stadium 12.

poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2016/love_and_friendship.html

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