Hi from Austin, Texas! I am currently in the Lonestar state for SXSW Film Festival, so make sure you are checking my social media and youtube shorts for all my reactions to what I’m seeing at the festival.
In addition I have some quick other reviews to share with you. Sorry these are a little late. It’s just been a crazy time between being sick and then planning this trip. Here goes:
MICKEY 17
Even though I’m not the biggest sci-fi person I was really looking forward to Mickey 17 because I have enjoyed all the films from director Bong Joon-ho I’ve seen (even the sci-fi ones.) Unfortunately this film proved to be a massive disappointment and is nearly unwatchable.
It’s a shame because Robert Pattinson is giving his all in an unhinged performance at the lead as a man who is deemed an ‘expendable’ on an alien planet in the future. I just wish the script gave him a more interesting narrative but instead he’s given little compelling to do for not only one but multiple versions of his character.
At the head of this space colony is a Trump clone named Kenneth Marshall played by Mark Ruffalo and his controlling wife (who seems to be mocking Jill Biden more than Melania but who knows?) played by Toni Collette. This would be fine if they were given anything funny or interesting to do or say. It’s especially discouraging because Bong’s previous film Parasite had so much insight into class and politics but it was still entertaining and engaging for the audience. This is just repetitive, obvious and annoying.
Other people seem to be enjoying Mickey 17 more than I did but I can only speak for myself in that it was a rough sit. I couldn’t wait for it to be over and definitely do not recommend the film. Save your time and money for something actually worthwhile.
Frown Worthy
BARBIE & TERESA: RECIPE FOR FRIENDSHIP
If you don’t cover the Barbie movie scene like I do you might not realize that a new Barbie movie came out a few days ago! It’s called Barbie & Teresa: Recipe for Friendship. You can see my review above but this is a pretty good entry from the Netflix era of Barbie movies.
In the film Brooklyn and Malibu Barbie (they are recurring characters who are both named Barbie Roberts so they go by their city names) go to NYC to help their friend Teresa’s cousin open her Mexican restaurant. While there Brooklyn’s other friend Emmie needs help with a workshop for a play she is putting on which leaves Brooklyn torn between helping both of her friends.
While I wonder how much little tykes will be interested in such grown up problems for Malibu and Brooklyn but there’s enough songs and fun friendship moments to hopefully help them enjoy the film. I’d say this is the best Barbie movie since Dolphin Magic. It’s available on Netflix and I’d definitely give it a watch.
Smile Worthy
PICTURE THIS
I was actually quite hopeful when I sat down to watch Picture This that it would be a fun little romantic comedy. I was a big fan of Simone Ashley on Bridgerton s2and the premise sounded cute. Unfortunately this was another let down and was more tedious than charming.
Ashley does what she can playing a woman who finds out she will meet the love of her life in the next five dates. She is very likable on screen but the screenplay doesn’t take advantage of that charisma. Nothing funny or engaging happens so it becomes a real slog to get through each of these dates. The 101 minutes feels much longer than that and she also has no chemistry with any of the guys including Hero Fiennes Tiffin.
Unfortunately Picture This is a romcom you can skip.
Frown Worthy
QUEEN OF THE RING-
Finally we have a more successful female story in the biopic Queen of the Ring. This film tells the story of pioneering women’s wrestler Mildred Burke played by Emily Bett Rickards. I know absolutely nothing about wrestling so can’t speak to the movie’s accuracy but it’s told in an entertaining and believable way with good performances throughout.
This film doesn’t break any biopic molds and is fairly conventional but I’d say it’s a good example of this kind of rote storytelling. They do spend too much time on Burke’s tumultuous marriage with Billy Wolfe played by Josh Lucas but they are both so good in their roles I can forgive the cliches.
Writer/director Ash Avildsen does a good job creating a believable world and the performances are real enough to be entertained and inspired throughout.
Smile Worthy
So there you have it! What have you been watching? Have you seen any of these films? Let me know!
Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.
Hi friends! Things have been so crazy I forgot to post my blind spot for February. Manda and I did do our episode on Punch Drunk Love, which we both liked. It’s a rare instance of me liking the style more than the story but it’s got such a unique look about it that it makes sense. Almost every frame is backlit making it an unusual film visually. It’s also not a long film so it makes me more tolerant of its experimental story.
Hi friends! I know the Sundance Film Festival ended over a month ago so my apologies in finally getting a post up for you with my thoughts on all the films. I did do a podcast breaking them all down with my friend Alex:
I also did a live stream over on Hallmarkies Podcast in the middle of the festival talking about the films I’d seen and my favorite indie romances:
I ended up seeing 32 films at the festival this year which is a new record and something I’m proud of because they only had 2 venues this year for the Salt Lake pass. It helped a lot that I was approved as press so had full access to the digital platform. Thank you so much to Sundance for giving me this access and allowing me to cover the festival.
Here is my ranking of all 32 films:
32. By Design-
I’m not opposed to movies about people becoming chairs. I enjoyed Suzume a couple of years ago, which has that as a plot. Unfortunately By Design does nothing interesting with that concept and is everything you dread going into Sundance. It really had no story and I felt embarrassed for all involved.
31. Endless Cookie-
I was very disappointed in this film because it is the only animated feature of the festival and while some of the animation is bright and colorful the story is bland and aimless making me feel like I had wasted 97 minutes of my day.
30. One to One: John & Yoko-
This documentary is frustrating because there are some good concert clips of John and Yoko’s final concert in Greenwich Village but it’s padded out with filler that gets old quick. I understand using some clips to give a sense of time and place but there was so much seeming randomness that it becomes extremely tedious. I would say there’s about 20 minutes of good material in this 100 minute documentary. No thanks!
29. Bubble & Squeak-
The problem with this aggressively indie comedy is it just isn’t funny. It’s an obvious attempt to try and mimic what Wes Anderson does but honestly that only works for me about half of the time so your mileage my vary. In a comedy when I’m not laughing the pacing starts to feel real sluggish and the two leads don’t have chemistry to make up for it. It’s just a slog.
28. Jimpa-
Oftentimes at Sundance one can tell a movie is made with the best of intentions full of love and heart. Unfortunately those good intentions can sometimes be undermined by poor storytelling choices and such is the case with Jimpa. The director Sophie Hyde has her heart in the right pace trying to tell a sprawling story about a multi-generational queer family. The problem is it tells too many stories and none of them feel finished or satisfying. There’s also some very strange choices like multiple sequences with the teenage character taking a bath with their mother which I can’t imagine any teen doing even in Europe!
27. Sunfish (& Other Stories on Green Lake)-
I probably have this anthology of 3 stories at Lake Michigan higher than most because I’m a sucker for pretty lake footage but these feel like all set up and no payoff. Like we are being given the pitches for features that haven’t been made yet instead of complete finished stories. There’s some good moments but it just feels complete.
26. Folktales-
Folktales is what I would describe as a mixed bag experience at the festival. This documentary follows teenagers in Norway at a special school to learn traditional Nordic ways particularly with the sheepdogs in the bitter cold. I like the documentary doesn’t forget to have a sense of humor and I did feel like I got to know the teens quite well by the end of it. Unfortunately it also feels repetitive with sluggish pacing that I grew tired of after a while. One of those Sundance documentaries that would be better as a short, but we get a feature.
25. Twinless-
Twinless was a big hit of the festival so my placement is definitely an unpopular opinion. The key for this movie working is if you can tolerate James Sweeney’s character and I struggled. Sweeney directs this film and Dylan O’Brien is very good as the victim to Sweeney’s manipulations but I just couldn’t come around on the characters or forgive what he does to O’Brien’s character. Not for me.
24. Prime Minister-
This is a very fluffy documentary about prime minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand. If you don’t want to be challenged at all than it’s a pleasant enough biography but they show the movement that finally ousted her from power as if they are total villains without having a single interview from that side. Not one. It just feels like propaganda when it’s so obviously one-sided but it’s well made propaganda so there’s that.
23. The Thing with Feathers-
It’s beyond bizarre we have gotten 2 movies with bird/death metaphors in the last year and I didn’t like either. I really disliked Tuesday and now we have The Thing with Feathers. This one I liked a little better because it is a spouse dying not a child and that’s easier to connect with but this movie still can’t decide what it wants to saying or the tone it wants to have. At one moment it feels like a horror movie with a jump scare and then it abandons such attempts to full drama. Benedict Cumberbatch is good as are the child actors but it doesn’t come together.
22. Omaha-
There are a lot of aspects of Omaha that work quite well especially the little girl Molly Belle Wright. Unfortunately I don’t think the ending felt earned and worked the way it is supposed to. I just didn’t buy the father would do what he does but I can see why many loved this film if you like slice of life type narratives.
21. Sally-
This is an interesting documentary about astronaut Sally Ride, her career and her relationship with a female life partner. A perfectly pleasant documentary about a cool lady.
20. Animated Shorts-
This year for the festival I had the chance to interview 6 of the creators behind the animated shorts at the festival. These interviews were published on my youtube channel and podcast as well as at Rotoscopers.com. I love animated shorts and it was super fun to talk to each of these animators/directors and give them their moment in the sun.
19. The Dating Game-
This is a fun documentary about a dating expert in China trying to help young men improve their chances of finding a partner in their highly competitive environment. It’s nothing too profound or weighty just a light frothy dating documentary.
18. Atropia-
I am very surprised Atropia won jury prizes because it feels like something left-leaning Sundance would turn their nose at. In the satire a simulation has been created to help train soldiers for Iraq and Afghanistan but a woman becomes too immersed in the world of the simulation. It’s unexpected to have something so pro-soldier and military at Sundance but it’s also satirizing the military and especially the press, which makes it interesting.
17. Seeds-
If you like documentaries that immerse you in a time, people and place you’ll love Seeds. A stunningly shot documentary about the Black farmers in the South and their stories. Will be too aimless without a plot for some (and it is undeniably too long at 123 minutes) it’s still a beautiful historical document of the people it photographs.
16. Coexistince, My Ass-
This is a pretty funny and insightful documentary following comedian Noam Shuster Eliassi as she is torn between the Israeli and Palestine conflict within her own heritage and family. She’s a likable lead to follow and her standup is pretty funny making for an enjoyable documentary.
15. Plainclothes-
I’m not the biggest fan of shaky cam footage but this film uses just enough to help me from getting too nauseous. It is about an undercover officer in the 90s who helps catch gay men pursuing hookups in public. The problem comes when he falls for one of his assignments. Tom Blyth is very good in the lead and I was engrossed in the story but the shaky cam will be too much for some. It was on the edge for me.
14. Rebuilding-
This film certainly felt of the moment with the LA fires still being fought during the festival. While it does have a slow pace, Rebuilding is about the human need to form communities, sometimes in the most unexpected places. Josh O’Connor finds his chosen family after a fire and a group of friends gathers when they are all assigned FEMA trailers. There won’t be enough story for some with this but I enjoyed it for what it is.
13. Come See Me in a Good Light-
This is the first of two cancer documentaries I saw during the festival. It tells the story of couple Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley and what happens to them as a couple when Gibson is diagnosed with cancer. It’s heartbreaking but also reaffirming to see such a loving and kind couple persevere together.
12. André is an Idiot-
The other cancer documentary which is also good. It gets the slight edge because André really has had a crazy life that is entertaining to watch. It’s of course very sad but the film does have a surprising sense of humor. It’s certainly a reminder to get your colonoscopies!
11. Selena y Los Dinos-
I know there is a huge fanbase around the singer Selena Quintanilla and I’m sure a lot in this documentary is old-news to those fans but it was mostly new information for me. I like the personal approach to the documentary focusing on her family and loved ones memories over the tragic way her life was unfairly ended. Plus, lots of great singing fans will love.
10. Marlee Matlin: Not Alone Anymore-
What’s cool about this documentary about actress Marlee Matlin is the main events take place at the same time as another documentary at the festival Deaf President Now! making an insightful double feature on the deaf experience. I had no idea Marlee was so important outside of acting being one of the people responsible for things like closed captioning on network television. Also it will make you love Henry Winkler more than you ever thought you could. Entertaining.
9. DJ Ahmet-
This is your classic Sundance coming of age story about a boy in Macedonia who loves music much to the chagrin of his strict father. There’s nothing new here but it’s a pleasant story with nice chemistry between the brothers.
8. Middletown-
Now this is not a documentary about the Middletown I grew up in (that’s Middletown Maryland) but it is entertaining nonetheless. It chronicles a journalism class in Middletown, New York that in the 90s and early 00s began looking into a toxic waste-dump in their town and successfully sought for change with even the mafia getting involved! It’s probably 20 minutes to long but an entertaining little documentary with engaging interviews and a story that surprises throughout.
7. Cutting Through Rocks-
This is a documentary about Sara Shahverdi who is a motorcycle riding modern woman in Iran. She’s even a local politician and I’ll be honest I didn’t think women like Sara were allowed in current Iran so this documentary is quite eye-opening. Plus, she’s a very entertaining lead figure for a documentary.
6. Train Dreams-
Train Dreams is probably the prettiest movie I saw at the festival (it along with Seeds.) It follows a man named Robert Grainier who works as a logger in post-war America. Everything seems so old-fashioned through most of the movie that it’s kind of shocking when towards the end it’s the 60s and everything looks pretty modern. Joel Edgerton is very good and has nice chemistry with Felicity Jones. It’s very sad and the pacing is leisurely but I enjoyed it.
5. Lurker-
I didn’t know what to expect with Lurker but it ended up being a very satisfying and clever little thriller. The trick that it pulls off is the lead character seems innocent and nerdy but is actually calculating and cold. We as an audience come to realize that bit-by-bit right along with the characters in the movie. All the acting is excellent and it will make you tense as you watch!
4. Sorry Baby-
I said to my friend after seeing Sorry Baby that it feels like Napoleon Dynamite in current times but a slightly older woman. It has that same dry humor of Napoleon and the same way both lead characters take bad things happening in their lives with a sense of humor. Writer/director Eva Victor stars in this and she is very funny but it doesn’t shy away from some tough topics like rape and PTSD. Lucas Hedges is super charming as her boyfriend neighbor.
3. The Ballad of Wallis Island-
This folksy tale is definitely the charmer of the festival. Carey Mulligan and Tom Baaden play a former singing due who are brought together by a remote islander for a special reunion concert. Tim Key plays our charming local and we maybe get too much of him but still it’s a really cute story with lots of good songs. It feels like a John Carney movie that’s not a John Carney movie.
2. Deaf President Now!-
Director Davis Guggenheim really knows how to put together an issue focused documentary and make it entertaining and exciting. That’s what he does here telling the story of 8 days of protest at Gallaudet University- a deaf university that has a new President who not only isn’t deaf but can’t even sign. It’s crazy and makes for a very entertaining documentary. It’s particularly impressive given much of the interview footage is with non-vocal deaf individuals but they make it work well.
1. Kiss of the Spider Woman-
You all know I’m a sucker for a musical and this new adaptation of the Broadway musical of the same name is just up my alley. I know it won’t be for everyone with clashing tones between the fantastical and realistic settings but I found it fresh and exciting. Diego Luna and Tonatiuh are terrific as cellmates in 1981 Argentina. Tonatiuh tells his new friend about glamorous Hollywood movies which then play out in the film starring Jennifer Lopez. I loved the cinematography, dance and music throughout and the chemistry between the 2 friends really works.
So there you have it! All 32 films I saw at Sundance. Let me know if you got to see any of them and what you thought. Do any sound intriguing for you? Thanks again to Sundance for allowing me to be press this year. I am so grateful.
Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.
Hi friends! I have quick thoughts on 2 new releases to share.
PARTHENOPE
First up is an Italian film called Parthenope that is actually being distributed by A24 so it may get a pretty decent release schedule. It is from director Paolo Sorrentino who directed The Hand of God a few years ago. He knows how to make a pretty movie and capture the beauty of Italy. Unfortunately I wish his storytelling was as strong as the images he puts on screen.
The main problem with Parthenope is it feels so derivative of countless other coming of age movies in a similar style and feel. One can’t help but think of Call Me By Your Name or Cinema Paradiso, The 500 Blows or even The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. All of these do what Parthenope is trying to do but do it better with more interesting characters, better dialogue and less self-indulgent moments from the director.
Parthenope can be a very sexy movie but since I wasn’t attached to the characters it wasn’t escapist or enjoyable. Just honestly quite dull and plodding. I am sure some will like this movie more than I did for the visuals but it just isn’t for me.
Frown Worthy
THE UNBREAKABLE BOY
It’s always frustrating when it seems like the marketing for a film isn’t really selling what the actual experience watching it is. Such is the case with The Unbreakable Boy. The trailer makes it look like a cloying story of a precocious and plucky boy it’s actually a lot better than that.
The strongest part of The Unbreakable Boy is not on the boy (who is perfectly adorable played by Jacob Laval) but the portrait of the marriage between Zachary Levi and Meghann Fahy’s character. This is a realistic, raw marriage with highs, lows and the blessings and challenges of having a special needs child. The focus on the marriage gives the film a grounding that anyone will be able to relate with.
I had the chance to interview Kevin Downes producer on the film and the CEO of Kingdom Story Company after I had seen and enjoyed the film. We had a great conversation about faith-based films, the making of The Unbreakable Boy and what makes it a special movie.
I’m not going to say this film is Oscar-level or anything like that but it’s a sweet, inspiring portrait of a family and a marriage that was a lot better than I expected it to be.
Smile worthy
Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.
Hi friends! I have a few quick movies to update you on. Let’s start with the latest from our friends at Marvel Studios:
CAPTAIN AMERICA BRAVE NEW WORLD
I used to be a consistent fan of the MCU and loved the puzzle-piecing aspect of the franchise. Unfortunately, however, the more bloated they have become the harder it is to follow along and enjoy what they are doing. The latest bland film they are offering up is Captain America Brave New World. This new entry is the kind of blockbuster you forget you’ve seen mere minutes after exiting the theater. That wasn’t always the case with the MCU.
The biggest problem the movie has is it feels like all build up and no payoff. Literally the last 30 minutes feels like one exposition dump after another. Plus, the movie expects me to remember every detail from Marvel films like The Incredible Hulk which was nearly 20 years ago. Not likely!
Harrison Ford is fine as Thunderbolt Ross but the Red Hulk we see in the trailers is used sparingly. The script also doesn’t give Anthony Mackie many moments to shine as the new Captain America. It’s all quite stiff and difficult to connect with. If anything I think Danny Ramirez as the new Falcon is given more charismatic moments and I wish we got more of them.
Captain America Brave New World isn’t an awful MCU entry. It’s just really bland and forgettable.
Frown Worthy
PADDINGTON IN PERU
The Paddington franchise has delighted moviegoers with their first 2 entries (especially Paddington 2) and we have now been given a new entry Paddington in Peru. This latest entry has a new director with Dougal Wilson and Sally Hawkins has been replaced with Emily Mortimer as Mary Brown but none of those changes have diminished the charm of this new entry in the franchise.
I heard some people say this is a step down for the Paddington movies. It’s hard when the previous film is a near-masterpiece but I didn’t perceive any big difference. We still have our wonderful characters and the message of family and unconditional love is all there. This entry gives our family more of an adventure heading off to Peru for Paddington to help his aunt Lucy in the Amazon jungle.
My only major flaw is the middle section with the adventuring with Antonio Banderas could be a little tighter but Paddington in Peru is a film that should delight the entire family. It also has something to say about the way we treat people and what the definition of a family is. Go see it in the theater when you have the chance.
Smile Worthy
BRIDGET JONES: MAD ABOUT THE BOY
The only thing that frustrates me about Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy is the fact I had to watch it at home and not in the theaters. This would have been such a fun movie to watch with a crowd but alas it is a Peacock Original here in the US.
That said I really enjoyed this latest entry (and it is really hard to do rom-com sequels so the fact that 2/3 in this franchise have been good says something!) In this film Bridget has been widowed and she struggles to push forward with her life and help her 2 children deal with their grief and loss.
In the meantime she meets a young man named Roxster (Leo Woodall) who is just the fling she needs and she becomes friends with teacher Mr Wallaker played by Chiwetel Ejofor. Everyone in this movie is charming and funny and the script has a warmth and heart to it that is endearing. If you think there’s no way you will enjoy another Bridget Jones movie it might actually surprise you. It might be my favorite of all of the sequels!
I wish I could tell you to go to the theater but since that’s not an option watch it on Peacock. It’s a delight.
Smile Worthy
So there you have it. What have you been watching? I would love to hear.
Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.
Hi friends! i hope you are all doing well. I’ve been very busy covering Sundance and a million other things but I have watched a lot of non-Sundance movies as well, which means there is lots to update (some of these I watched for my upcoming 2024 romance ranking so look forward to that!)
YOU’RE CORDIALLY INVITED-
Most of my readers know I am always going to be pulling for the success of the romantic comedy. It is beyond depressing to see the genre be almost universally either forgotten or sent immediately to streaming or cable tv. This is why I took time out of my Sundance schedule on my birthday and went to the theater to watch You’re Cordially Invited. Unfortunately the movie did not reward my efforts with an enjoyable film.
The biggest problem with this movie is writer/director Nicholas Stoller (who has made some fun movies in the past) seems to have forgotten what makes a romantic comedy work. The biggest key factor is we have to like the lead characters at least a little bit and there has to be some degree of chemistry. Will Ferrell and Reese Witherspoon fail spectacularly on both these fronts in this film. It leaves the supporting cast to try and ring whatever humor they can out of the scenes. It seems like the movie wants us to judge Reese’s family but that’s hard to do when she’s the one being judgmental!
In the end the biggest problem is it’s just not funny. It might have worked if Stoller had kept Reese and Will as unlikable adversaries throughout the movie as a dark comedy but trying to sell them as a love match is completely ridiculous. He destroyed her sister’s wedding and then literally tried to kill her with an alligator. Give me a break! You’re Cordially Invited is unfortunately a movie to be uninvited from.
Frown Worthy
DOG MAN-
There perhaps is no studio more inconsistent than DreamWorks but when they hit they really hit ala The Wild Robot or Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Their latest Dog Man isn’t on that level but it is a fun zany story families will enjoy.
With such a bizarre premise (based on the novels by Dave Pilkey) it’s amazing the movie works as well as it does. Ostensibly it’s about a dog that is merged with a man to create a super dog man type character. They face off against the evil Petey who has an adorable clone mini-Pete to help him in his villainous plans.
The animation is by the same team that did the Captain Underpants movie (also from Pilkey) and there are even some CU easter eggs scattered throughout Dog Man. There are times that it goes too far and becomes too chaotic but those elements are countered by themes of friendship and kindness in the script.
Dog Man should be entertaining for kids and clever enough to entertain adults. Especially if you are a fan of the books you’ve got to see this in theaters.
To prepare for my 2024 romance ranking I had to watch the unusual film Humanist Vampire Seeking Consenting Suicidal Person which is a charming horror comedy about a teenage vampire who hates killing people for food so she decides to find someone who is suicidal to be her ‘victim.’ This turns out to be a young man named Paul and the 2 have a relationship together.
If you like movies like Warm Bodies or Anna and the Apocalypsethan you’d probably like this movie. Sara Montpetit is charming as Sasha and she has excellent chemistry with Félix-Antoine Bénard’s Paul. Your Monster is a similar movie that came out last year and I enjoyed both of them. It was a good year for romantic comedy horror!
Smile Worthy
LOVE HURTS-
When I go into a movie like Love Hurts I know I am stepping outside of my comfort zone. Super violent movies are usually not my favorite but when they are done well I can enjoy them. I enjoyed Strange Darling last year and had it as one of my favorite movies of the year and that had severed limbs and other violent scenes. Anyway, Love Hurts is admittedly not normally my thing but it did not win me over like other films have done.
I do appreciate the film is a lean 83 minutes and so it doesn’t feel bloated like so many action films today. That said, it still feels very repetitive with the action and the narrative is scattered all over the place making the connection with Ke Huy Quan’s character challenging and the action less compelling. I hate to say it but Ariana DeBose is awful in this film, and I’m beginning to wonder if she belongs more on the stage than screen (outside of West Side Story of course.) At the very least her team has not been picking good projects for her and her acting has been flat and uninspired in this and other films.
If you love gross over-the-top action you might enjoy Love Hurts more than I did but the script wasn’t there, making the whole film underwhelming.
Frown Worthy (We see Adam Hurtig as a homebuyer in a few scenes. I interviewed him here.)
LONELY PLANET
As part of my romance ranking I also caught up with Lonely Planet which premiered on Netflix last October. Even though I was late getting to this movie I was hopeful it would be a hidden gem because the stars Laura Dern and Liam Hemsworth are very likable and writer/director Susannah Grant has written some wonderful films like Ever After and Erin Brokovich. Unfortunately this film ends up on the long list of forgettable Netflix romances.
Part of the problem is Dern and Hemsworth have no chemistry together despite some steamy scenes. The spark just isn’t there but they aren’t given enough time to be unique and interesting characters. It’s just one bland scene after another with nothing to stand out or get invested in. I wish Lonely Planet was better but aside from Morocco looking nice there isn’t much here to recommend.
Frown Worthy
I’M STILL HERE-
When Oscar nominations came in one of the big surprises for me was I’m Still Here in for Best Picture as well as International Film and Best Actress. I had missed this one during awards screening season but finally got the chance to see it in the theaters this week and it turned out to be a film worthy of its nominations. I’m Still Here is a moving true story that is beautifully made and acted.
The film is based on a true story about a Brazilian woman named Eunice Paiva who in 1971 is devasted when her husband is arrested and subsequently disappears. Eunice not only has to lead her large family but becomes a lawyer so she can help fight the fascist regime and continue to look for her husband.
The cast for I’m Still Here is the its greatest asset. Fernanda Torres might win the Oscar and if she did it would be deserved. She’s incredible here as is her real life mother Fernanda Montenegro who plays the older version of Eunice. The whole family is very well cast and director Walter Salles creates a real sense of community and chemistry in every scene. It really feels like this is a family and that helps us be invested in what is happening to them.
The pacing can be a bit laborious in this film but there are so many positive aspects I can forgive it being a slower-than-needed burn. I’m Still Here probably won’t be in theaters for long so take the chance you have now to see this wonderful family drama.
Smile Worthy
So there you have it. What have you been watching? I would love to hear.
Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.
Hi friends! I just have a quick update for you today. I have been so busy the past few weeks with Sundance that I didn’t post on here my January blind spot even though I did get the podcast episode out before the end of the month. January was particularly fun because we were delighted to have Griffin Schiller with us to talk about the first James Bond movie Dr No. Griffin is a Bond expert so it was fun to get his perspective since we are both green on the franchise.
As far as the movie I enjoyed it. Since I am most familiar with the Daniel Craig era it was interesting to compare this movie to those films. I like the over-the-top villain we get with Dr No and there are some tense scenes like when Dr No puts a tarantula in Bond’s bed. I also enjoyed Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder. She’s beautiful but has some personality and spunk as well that doesn’t make her a total pushover with Bond.
One surprising aspect was how fast and loose the movie is with the radiative contamination at Dr No’s island. I would think in the 1960s audiences would be a lot more sensitive to these elements with the Cold War and everything. Still, Dr No is an entertaining start to the franchise and one I am glad I finally got off of my blind spot list.
What’s your favorite of the early Bond films? I’d love to hear.
Director Leigh Whannell is in the midst of a fascinating project where he gives modern interpretations to the classic Universal Monster characters. In 2020 he gave us Invisible Manand this year we have Wolf Man. I don’t know what most will think but for this critic he’s 2 for 2 in this new franchise. I had a really fun time watching Wolf Man.
In the film Christopher Abbott plays a sweet Dad Blake to a young girl named Ginger in a struggling marriage with Charlotte played by Julia Garner. When his Dad is declared dead they go to see the property and end up having quite the night.
This version of the story is a simple one. It may be too simple for some but I think it expertly developed atmosphere and mood making each scare more compelling than the next. I was squirming like crazy in my seat because it’s never completely sure how far gone Blake has gone to the wolf and if he can be saved. There is always a sense of uncertainty of whether he should be helped or abandoned.
In many ways Wolf Man felt like a pandemic movie with most of the action happening in or around one house and that sense of isolation added to the tension. It’s also only one night so there isn’t a lot of time wasted with exposition or backstory. The film is also beautifully shot with very effective night time cinematography.
Smile Worthy
QUEER
Director Luca Guadagnino is one of those filmmakers I always want to like more than I do. He has such unique style to his movies that I can see why he’s appealing to so many but often times he loses me in the storytelling aspects and it feels like more style over substance. Such is the case with Queer. It’s a well-meaning but plodding story of how hard it is to have a meaningful relationship.
Daniel Craig is good as a man named Lee who in the 1950s falls for a young student named Allerton (Drew Starkey). The problem with this film is Lee and Allerton’s relationship feels completely vapid and full of talking about deeper meanings without the chemistry and emotion we need for those words to land. It ends up leaving the viewer feeling underwhelmed and bored.
In addition, the more creative directing choices feel more pretentious than authentic and the story meanders into the repetition of addiction and self-loathing that isn’t as insightful as Guadagnino wants it to be. I didn’t love his movie Challengers as much as many others but I certainly found it much more entertaining than Queer. I’d watch that one instead.
When I was in high school I used to keep up with popular music pretty well. However, in recent years I have lost interest in most new music (outside of showtunes.) Suffice it to say I had no idea going into Better Man who Robbie Williams was or what any of his songs are. Nevertheless I still really enjoyed it and found it was better than the gimmick it could have been.
The gimmick in question is having Williams portrayed as a CG monkey for the entire film. There’s not much reason given for this choice and nobody else in the cast is a also a monkey. Like I said, this is a gimmick and yet it oddly worked. Monkey Robbie is quite endearing and it made me root for him early in the story. When there is a more cliched element of the story it feels more interesting because he is a monkey. It’s wild but true!
Michael Gracey has proven himself to be a wiz at musicals after this and The Greatest Showman(which I really enjoyed.) He really knows how to stage crowd-pleasing spectacle musical sequences well. It may seem crazy but you just might find yourself tearing up at the monkey Robbie Williams movie after all! I did!
Smile Worthy
THELMA: THE UNICORN
I’ve been catching up on some of the animated films to do this year-end wrap up pod with my friend Mat (see here) and the next 3 are all in that group, starting with Thelma: The Unicorn on Netflix. This by-the-numbers animated film follows a unicorn named Thelma who wants to be a famous singer.
For the first 30 minutes of this film I was enjoying it. It was sweet and the music is decent. Unfortunately it isn’t content to give us a short but instead drags it out for another hour with a bland evil manager/I want to be famous dynamic. It’s not unwatchable but still bad
Frown Worthy
THE TIGER’S APPRENTICE
In a lot of ways The Tiger’s Apprentice is a bummer because there are strong moments in the action. I can see if they had a stronger script the animation could have really worked but as is it feels episodic and unremarkable. Evidently they were hoping to do a spinoff series of this but there’s nothing special enough in the film to justify that kind of focus. Like I said, some of the animation is decent in the action but that’s about it.
Frown Worthy
SAVING BIKINI BOTTOM: THE SANDY CHEEKS MOVIE
Every franchise has its duds and at least in the feature film department Spongebob Squarepants certainly does. This Sandy Cheeks movie is terrible. It really is unwatchable. Especially as it gets to the 3rd act with what they are doing to Wanda Sykes character Sue Nahmee. The humor doesn’t work and it all feels repetitive and dull.I really disliked this one!
Frown Worthy
So there you have it. What have you been watching? I would love to hear.
Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.
Happy New Year! I hope you are all doing well. I have been busy as ever before wrapping up 2024 movies and getting ready for new 2025 films. In particular I have begun planning for Sundance which will be here before I know it (the festival planning is bizarre this year with only 2 venues in Salt Lake!) Make sure you check out my Most Anticipated video for 2025 movies:
I have caught up on a few 2024 releases since I did my mammoth post last week.
Here we go:
And Mrs
I have been working my way through all the romances of 2024 and I stumbled upon this little indie from the UK, and I ended up really enjoying it. It tells an unconventional story of a woman (Aisling Bea) who after losing her fiancé decides to marry him anyway. This is obviously bittersweet, but I found it quite endearing with an excellent supporting cast. Billie Lourd shines as her pregnant best friend and Colin Hanks, Elizabeth McGovern and Harriet Walter all give entertaining performances.
And Mrs is also an R rated romantic comedy so it won’t be for everyone but I found it the right balance of emotion and laughs with a fresh perspective.
Smile Worthy
Chosen Family-
Everyone knows I am always rooting for a romantic comedy as I love the genre. Unfortunately they don’t always work out. Such is the case with Heather Graham’s directorial debut Chosen Family. She stars with Julia Stiles and John Brotherton (who I have actually interviewed here) and they actually have decent chemistry. The problem is the script doesn’t give them much to do. It focuses mostly on his extremely bratty daughter and their attempts to placate or get around her outbursts. We also have an array of supporting characters played by Thomas Lennon, Michael Gross and more.
The movie feels like it wants to be a Hallmark movie but then is too sexy and edgy for the sweet genre. It doesn’t know what it wants to be so it ends up being dull and uninteresting. It’s too bad because I do think these 2 leads have a good rom-com in them and I’d encourage Graham to try again.
Frown Worthy
Elton John: Never Too Late-
While there are definitely facets to like about this music documentary on Elton John it’s also frustrating with the amount the film skips over in favor of just telling John’s story from a pride perspective. While his journey in his sexuality and addiction is important it’s kind of crazy to get a documentary on the man on Disney Plus that doesn’t mention The Lion Kingeven once. Does that seem crazy to anyone else?
I feel like I learned more about John from watching the narrative Rocketman film than this documentary and that shouldn’t be the case. Still if you want to hear him sing and see his very cute family than this is fine. I was just hoping for more.
Frown Worthy
Music by John Williams
The better music-themed documentary on Disney Plus is Music by John Williams. It profiles the incredible career of John Williams starting out in his teen years with his parents making him take piano lessons and how he went from jazz musician to composing scores. I had no idea he was nearly 40 before doing Jaws. I guess that makes sense given he is 92 now but still it was interesting to learn about his pre-Jaws work as I was only really familiar with Fiddler on the Roof.
The documentary covers all his popular projects and franchises and includes interviews from Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Chris Columbus and more. It is much more comprehensive than the Elton John doc and I loved hearing about his inspiration for Star Wars, Harry Potter, Indiana Jones and more. This is definitely a must watch for any movie fan.
Smile Worthy
Babygirl-
Babygirl is a movie with a lot of erotic scenes that aren’t actually very sexy. There is no emotional connection between our couple so it feels clinical and not romantic hurting my investment in the story. I get it wasn’t trying to be a traditional romance but there needs to be some reason for me to be invested in this couple other than watching 2 attractive people have kinky strange relations.
It is very well filmed and the actors do what they can but it felt repetitive and boring when it is supposed to be sexy and intriguing. Antonio Banderas does what he can in an underwritten role (who ever thought he would be the fuddy-duddy husband in a movie like this!) but I was ready for it to be over pretty quickly. I certainly will never think of a glass of milk the same way again.
Frown Worthy
So there you have it. What have you been watching? I would love to hear.
Make sure you check out the patreon for perks, exclusive reviews and to be part of our monthly events and watch alongs. Find out more here.
I was actually quite hopeful when I sat down to watch Picture This that it would be a fun little romantic comedy. I was a big fan of Simone Ashley on Bridgerton s2 and the premise sounded cute. Unfortunately this was another let down and was more tedious than charming.
