Poehler & Rudd come together for a spoof on the romantic comedy genre. As with most spoofs, I found it amusing, but too long. There are a million cameos, so if you get board you can spend your time extras spotting.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2014/they_came_together.html
I took my mother to this second viewing of the film* and we both enjoyed it. This time, I paid attention to the sweaters, which were marvelous–the ones in Ireland seemed to be hand-knit. Still great acting, still great plot, still great Julie Walters as Mrs. Keogh, boarding house matron.
Cost: free due to Regal Crown Club payout.
Where watched: Regal City Center Stadium 12
*My Number 1 film of 2015, in case you have forgotten.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/intl/misc/2015/brooklyn_ver3.html
I’m sorry I watched this in 2015, rather than 2016, because now it has to wait an entire year to appear on my “best of” movies. Bre Larson continues on her fabulous streak* and Jacob Trembly manages his role as a kid marvelously. I’d heard that the middle was harrowing, but man, even with the warning, I had no idea.
Cost: $4.00 (although I think the woman gave me the wrong change so I only paid $3.00)
Where watched: Laurelhurst.
*Short Term 12? Have you not watched it yet?
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/intl/ireland/2015/room.html
I really dislike this poster.
I love to watch films that tell women’s stories. Sadly, they are not as prevalent as they could be. So here’s a supplement to my top list of 2015 films. These are the best films I watched this year that tell some aspect of what it’s like being a woman in the world.
A New Leaf
I’m quibbling with my choice of including this on my list, because the main character is Walter Matthau, but a woman wrote, directed and starred in it, plus it’s a pretty fun movie. So it stays.
Alien
Sigourney Weaver! She is awesome.
Begin Again
Another movie with a man as a (possibly the) main character, but it stays on the list because it also manages to capture several different aspects of being female in the music world. Or even just the world.
Brooklyn
Finding one’s way in life, in a new country, in a relationship. It’s all there.
Cinderella
The classic template for female existence, not reinvented, but incredible to watch. That dance at the ball!
Inside Out
It’s the inside of a girl’s brain and the two emotions we spend the most time with are voiced by females.
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Elizabeth Olsen is fantastic as a former cult member trying to find her footing.
Mistress America
It’s a screwball comedy with two awesome female leads.
Short Term 12
Bre Larson is in command as the head of a short term care facility.
Skeleton Twins
Kristen Wiig captures layers of depression with a nuance that hopefully means she will have a long career making movies.
The Intern
Surprisingly, a tale of a female executive who is trying to make the best choices for her company, her relationship and her family.
Unexpected
The first movie I’ve seen that directly deals with feelings around becoming a mother. (It’s very weird that there are not more films that deal with this subject.)
We Are The Best
Punk rock girls in Sweden are the best!
Zero Motivation
Hilarious and funny tale about being female in the Israeli army.
Here’s my top pick for the year. You must see this film!
I’ve got a top 17, broken into two categories:
Top 10 New Movies (movies I watched in 2015 at the movie theater)
Top 7 Discoveries (movies I watched in 2015 on DVD)
Top 10 New Movies:
(in alphabetical order)
Brooklyn
Dear White People
Ex Machina
Inside Out
Love and Mercy
Mistress America
Spotlight
The Big Short
The Intern
Zero Motivation
Top 7 Discoveries
(In alphabetical order)
Begin Again
Rudderless
Short Term 12
Tonight You’re Mine (aka You Instead)
Unexpected
We Are The Best
Whiplash
Honorable mentions New Movies:
Bridge of Spies
Cinderella
Dope
Furious 7
Skeleton Twins
Sleeping With Other People
Straight Outta Compton
Tangerine
The End of the Tour
The Man From UNCLE
The Martian
Honorable mentions Discoveries:
A New Leaf
Alien
All the Real Girls
Inside Llewyn Davis
Like Crazy
Martha Marcy May Marlene
Now You See Me
Only Lovers Left Alive
Thanks for Sharing
The Art of the Steal
The Grand Seduction
Two Night Stand
The story held together for me, and I find Jennifer Lawrence mesmerizing, so this was a successful film, as well as a good palette cleanser after the bloodbath that was the Hateful Eight. I was also a fan of the female-centered story. Hopefully there will still be parts for Lawrence when she’s the proper age to play the characters she is currently playing.
Cost: $7.00
Where watched: Hollywood Theater
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2015/joy.html
There are things I like* and don’t like** about Mr. Tarantino. I was excited to see this movie in 70mm UltraPanavision and for the first two-thirds I was reconsidering my anti-Tarantino stance, because everything was humming along nicely. But after intermission, I was reminded exactly why I don’t like him and the film stopped working for me.
Cost: $15.00 (Roadshow pricing, completely worth it.)
Where watched: Hollywood Theater with a bunch of other 70mm/Tarantino fans. (Mini review of Roadshow production: The Overture was fabulous. During the movie, it was weird, but fun, to have to look back and forth across the screen to see everything. I was surprised there wasn’t an “Intermission” title card during the intermission. Overall, really fun, despite my dislike of one-third of the movie.)
*His commitment to the magic and mystique of movies, his characters and dialogue, his humor, the fact that his movies have awesome soundtracks.
**I think his movies (at least the ones I’ve seen) are incredibly slow. Also, I don’t watch his films because the level of violence disturbs me, I don’t think it’s necessary, and I would prefer to go through life without those images in my brain.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2015/hateful_eight.html
11 total movies watched.
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
A great start to the newest trilogy
Cinderella
It made my “Top Movies” list once already this year and is still good enough to appear a second time.
The Big Short
Frustrating in all the right ways.
Whiplash
Tense in all the right ways.
Hey, remember how J.K. Simmons won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for this film?* It’s because he’s amazing, as is Miles Teller. This was tense and engrossing and one of those films I was glad I was watching at home so I could talk back to the TV.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.
*It was a really sweet speech, too.
(Also, having put in my time with bands of various forms, I can’t say that Fletcher as a character was doing any good as a teacher, but I was really impressed that when he cut the band off, everyone stopped on a dime. Back in the day, the inability of my bandmates to stop playing was a constant irritation.)
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2014/whiplash_ver3.html
(This was the only poster that pictured both main characters)
This is the kind of movie where I feel like I should take up a running program, just in case I become a computer hacker and need to run to escape from assassins. I was watching this because of that guy on the cover,* and had low expectations, which were met. I was pleased with the fact that the female characters (yes plural!) had stuff to do.
Cost: free from library
Where watched: at home.
*That Ron Howard whale movie has completely disappeared from theaters, which is too bad as I planned some Chris Hemsworth viewing over the break. This was a handy substitute.
poster from: http://www.impawards.com/2015/blackhat.html
