Best Movies of the Decade

September 5, 2019October 9, 2019 | Rachel's Reviews

A few weeks ago I saw a video or article about the best movies of the last decade. Most of the choices were hipster indie choices, which is fine, but they definitely didn’t capture my favorites of the decade. It gave me the idea to make a video of my list but that felt boring. On a whim I decided to reach out to my fellow youtubers on twitter and see if anyone else wanted to contribute. I asked each person to make a 1-2 minute video about their favorite movie and to my shock the response was massive. I ended up with 14 contributors and it made for a video I really love. I love how different everyone’s picks are and how heartfelt their explanations behind their picks. It’s definitely one of my favorite videos I’ve ever done on my channel so check it out.

My favorite can be no surprise to all of you: 2016’s anime masterpiece Your Name. However, I thought I would give you the rest of my top 10 for here on the blog. I am not going to include a pick from this year because they haven’t had a chance to sit long enough but if I did I would probably pick Avengers: End Game, which is a film I love.

1. Your Name– beautiful in every facet with a layered story about what happens when we understand the humanity of the people around us

2. Wonder Woman– not just a superhero story but a story about why God loves us mortals despite us being pretty awful towards each other. I loved Diana. I loved the message. I loved everything about it

3. Perks of Being a Wallflower– my favorite coming of age movie. I love the message. I related strongly to the group of teens and its not about finding love but believing we deserve love in the first place

4. Inside Out– brilliant metaphysical film that has the guts to teach us all that sadness matters. It’s funny, sweet, with devastating yet effective endings for 3 of its characters- Joy, Riley and Bing Bong

5. Spider-man: Into the Spiderverse– I loved the animation. It still blows me away on each watch. I loved the character of Miles. I loved the meta story with the different Spider-man. I loved how funny it is. Perfection!

6. Tangled- Disney’s first romantic comedy and done so well. I love the witty banter between Flynn and Rapunzel. I love how indecisive she is and how he grows and changes. I love Mother Gothel as a true dishy villain and I love the songs.

7. Sing Street– Speaking of songs few films filled me with more musical-enhanced joy than Sing Street. What a lovely film about growing up, making music and finding love. The original songs are super catchy and the relationship between the brothers feels so authentic

8. Paddington 1 and 2– Paddington and Paddington 2 are near perfect family films. They both have humor, huge hearts and characters that are so charming. I wish we could get one each year.

9. Song of the Sea– Song of the Sea is the film I cried the most in the theater. What a touching film about grief and how little Ben can learn to forgive his Mother for dying and his sister for being the cause. The animation and music are stunning. So lovely.

10. Arthur Christmas– For my money the best holiday film of the last decade is Arthur Christmas. Such a sweet, heartfelt movie that captures the innocence and kindness of Christmas. Even the “villain” brother is just trying to run things well. It’s perfect to watch at Christmas

Honorable Mentions- Mary Poppins Returns, Crazy Rich Asians, STEP, Hacksaw Ridge, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, Lean on Pete, Boyhood, Frozen, Moana, The Avengers, Paranorman, Mud, The Martian, Hidden Figures, The Lego Movie, Harry Potter 7 pt 2, Toy Story 3, Gravity, Edge of Tomorrow, Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor Ragnarok, XMen Days of Future Past, Interstellar, American Sniper, Pitch Perfect, Brooklyn, 45 Years, Creed, Cinderella, and many more.

What would be your favorites?

SUNDANCE LOG: DAY 8 (LEGO MOVIE 2, BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON, BLINDED BY THE LIGHT, THE MUSTANG)

February 3, 2019June 6, 2019 | Rachel's Reviews

Today is what you might describe as a marathon event for movie fans like myself. It started not at the Sundance Film Festival but at an early screening for the upcoming film Lego Movie 2: The Second Part. Naturally being animation and a sequel to one of my favorite recent films I had to take time to see it and it ended up being a lot of fun.

My friend Tyson met up with me and he’s a real sweetheart. We went to lunch afterwards and had a nice time talking about movies and our lives.

Once we were finished I headed over to the Grand Theater for 3 screenings at the festival. I contemplated going to the midnight screening but by the end of the evening I was too tired. I have realized through this week’s experiences that 4 movies in one day is my limit (I’d say that’s pretty good!). So, even though Lego Movie 2 isn’t technically part of Sundance I am going to include my review here because it feels like part of the experience.

Overall it was a pretty good day of movie watching and now that the festival is almost done I know I will look back with fond memories at all the great (and some terrible) films I got to see (I’m at 22 films seen at Sundance!).

LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART

Like I said, the original Lego Movie is one of my favorite recent animated films. I loved how it combined humor, heart, creative world building and stunning animation all into one film. Then it was followed by The Lego Batman Movie, which I enjoyed, although I think it started to lose steam in the last act. Finally they had Lego Ninjago, which was very boring, and I didn’t enjoy.

Fortunately the team at Warner Animation dusted off the miss of Ninjago and are back with another strong entry in the franchise with Lego Movie 2. While more kid-oriented than the original, it has a lovely message with animation that pops and a funny (if not as funny as the first) script.

The story follows Emmet (Chris Pratt) as he tries to save Lucy (Elizabeth Banks) from an alien captor (Tiffany Haddish). Batman, Spaceman and Unikitty accompany him as they try to fight off the destruction by the ”Systar System” (those darn sisters!). Along the way, we get some good pop culture jokes and a nice message about being kind and not leaving anyone out when you play. Any kid will be able to relate to the struggles the children have in getting along and dealing with annoying siblings. I certainly could have.

I also really enjoyed the songs. They have a fun riff on “Everything is Awesome” and then a funny song called “Catchy Song” which only has one line of lyrics “this song is goona get stuck in your head.” Tiffany Haddish’s character also has a fun villain song.

If I had any criticisms for the film, the central message is more for children so some adults may find it drags a bit. It also isn’t as funny as the original or as visually inventive but it’s still solid in those categories. I’m debating about whether I like it or The Lego Batman Movie better but regardless they are both definitely fresh.

7 out of 10

Smile Worthy

BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON

So now we get to the true Sundance films. I started the day with a favorite from the festival Brittany Runs a Marathon. This little romcom about an overweight girl that takes up the cause to run a marathon seemed perfect for me. As a plus size athlete who has completed 12 open water marathon swims I thought I would really connect with it.

Unfortunately I left the theater feeling disappointed (unpopular opinion time). The problem is being overweight or losing weight doesn’t mean you are a jerk which is what Brittany was in this film. Even at the start of the movie she was pretty unpleasant and then she gets thin and treats everyone around her like garbage. And she does have a redemptive arc by the end but my problem is her behavior didn’t feel authentic or genuine. It is particularly bad in a scene where she is very cruel and rude to an overweight friend of her sister who is joining them for a party. I just don’t believe someone would say the things she says to her. They try to claim she is drunk but it came across as very mean and she was like that to everyone. I have no idea why anyone would want to be her friend.

Because she was such a jerk to so many people and so judgemental it made her hard to root for and I didn’t feel much victory when she completed her goal because it was a selfish goal. All the performances are good and I can see why other people like it but I was disappointed. Not for me!

4 out of 10

Frown Worthy

BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

Ever since the release of John Carney’s Sing Street in 2016 I have been chasing its spiritual successor. Many times I have heard people claim ‘_____ is the next Sing Street” and they always disappoint. Well, finally Gurinder Chadha’s delightful film Blinded By the Light comes close to taking that spot in my heart. I absolutely loved it (and I don’t even like Bruce Springsteen that much).

Blinded By the Light tells the story of Javed (Viveik Kalra) who is a young Pakistani man in the 80s who discovers Bruce Springsteen in all his glory. He dreams of becoming a writer and Bruce’s words and melodies speak to him. Encouraged by his teacher (Hayley Atwell) he starts writing more and gaining confidence to assert his independence from his traditional father. He also gets the guts to ask out the beautiful edgy girl he has a crush on.

I suppose some might call such a film trite but I thought it was pure joy. I smiled from beginning to end. The music is so well incorporated into the story (even a musical song and dance number on the streets of town works!). Javed is such a lovable character that you immediately root for and all the teens have great chemistry (I loved him and his neighbor and his best friend who first introduces him to Bruce).

It’s funny. It’s sweet. It’s romantic. It’s just fantastic.

9 out of 10

Smile Worthy

THE MUSTANG

Mustang

The last film of the night is one I was skeptical about. I had heard good things about The Mustang and it was the final film at The Grand Theater but I was worried it looked dry and boring. Fortunately it wasn’t dull but quite a powerful character piece with a tremendous performance from Matthias Schoenaerts.

It’s a simple movie about a program at a Nevada prison that has inmates working with wild mustang horses to try and get them ready for an auction to sell. Matthias’ character Roman Coleman is a bitter angry man who starts out the film getting into a fistfight with a spirited horse. He tells the psychiatrist (Connie Britton) that he’s not good with people and prefers isolation but he and this wild horse form a powerful bond. I also enjoyed Bruce Dern in a small role as the man who runs the equestrian program at the prison.

As the movie plays out we learn about what got Roman in prison and see his strained relationship with his daughter. There’s a lot of powerful moments of rage, forgiveness, fleeting feelings of accomplishment and despair. I felt like I really got to know Roman in full technicolor and his transformation as he works with the horse was earned and very moving. Writer and director Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre did a wonderful job and I’m definitely curious to see more from her.

8 out of 10

Smile Worthy

So there you have it! Let me know what you think of these reviews and if the films look intriguing to you. Thanks! One more day to go!

La La Land Review

December 8, 2016March 8, 2017 | Rachel's Reviews

In 2014 Damien Chazelle directed the music-oriented thriller Whiplash to great acclaim. I liked that movie but not nearly as much as most people I know. His latest music-oriented romance La La Land I like much better, but I still don’t know if I love it as much as most. If there ever was a case of being a bit disappointed a film is only in my top 10 of the year than this is it. It’s lovely, nostalgic and a joy to watch but not the perfect movie I was hoping for.

La La Land starts out as an homage to old school Hollywood musicals like Singing in the Rain and American in Paris. In probably my favorite sequence, we are introduced to the world of LA through a musical sequence on the crowded LA freeway.

Then we meet our lead characters- struggling jazz pianist Sebastian (Ryan Gosling) and struggling actress Mia (Emma Stone). They meet through a series of meet-cutes and it is their dreams of artistic greatness that unite them and help them to fall in love. That is the theme of the movie that there is something noble about those who dream and keep trying to succeed in LA.

However, I must warn you guys. If you are expecting a Broadway style musical you might be disappointed. La La Land clearly shows Damien Chazelle’s jazz background. In fact, I would call it more a jazz/dance showcase than a musical. In the middle there really aren’t any songs aside from a song played by Sebastian’s band and him playing jazz at a piano. Ryan Gosling rarely sings in the movie and when he does it is more a gravely quiet voice not a Broadway style singing voice. I’m not saying this is a bad thing. It’s just what it is.

There’s more dancing than singing than I expected, and I particularly enjoyed a tap dancing sequence called A Lovely Night. This captured the nostalgia that Chazelle was going for.

The side characters including John Legend aren’t developed very well but it doesn’t really matter because Gosling and Stone have terrific chemistry. You bought them as these struggling artists and hoped they could find a way to both achieve their dreams. The cinematography by Linus Sandgren is lovely and I completely understand why everyone in LA is going so nuts for it- their city never looked better. It would be a funny comparison to look at this and Terrence Malick’s Knight of Cups back to back. You couldn’t get two more different interpretations of the movie industry and LA!

However, the true star of La La Land is the score by Justin Hurwitz. It is without a doubt the best of the year. Especially if you love jazz music you will love this score! Most of the songs didn’t stand out to me the way the songs in Sing Street or Moana did but the score was beautiful. La La Land at its core is a movie about work, which is a subject close to my heart and something I often contemplate. The dreams of Sebastian and Mia are ostensibly about their jobs. They aren’t dreaming about families or possessions. In fact, such things are literally hindrances from achieving their dreams. They want to do something great- meaning they want to have their dream jobs in the movies and music.

The interesting question the film fails to ask (and fails in Whiplash also) is does this dream when granted equal a happy life? You will have to see how their dreaming impacts their love in the movie but in my experience happiness is more ephemeral than can be contained in ANY job. Perhaps the movie argues that art/music is where the real happiness comes from but that feels a little hollow to me compared to the happiness of family and faith. Also, the movie dove a little bit into the sacrifices of dreams couples must make in order to be together, but I could have used even more of that.

Anyway, that’s a bit of a tangent. La La Land is a beautiful movie about dreamers with a jazz showcase of songs and music. What’s not to like about that? It’s light, fluffy and very entertaining to watch. I did not connect with it as emotionally as Sing Street or Moana and none of the songs were as good as those movies songs but it still was a very enjoyable, engaging film.

I think a lot of people who don’t typically like musicals will like this film because the songs are fairly sparse and done in a jazzy way not a Broadway style. It’s something couples should see together- once on Netflix it will be the perfect cuddle movie.

I guess it might sound like I am being critical of it but I really did love the film. It was wistful, nostalgic and magical. However, I’m not sure how long it will stay with me and if it will be a favorite musical of mine the way I’m sure Sing Street and Moana will. But that’s just me. It’s still really good! You should all see it.

Overall Grade- B

My youtube review

Lots of Trailer Reviews

April 14, 2016April 14, 2016 | Rachel's Reviews

This week has been the week of trailers! I’m glad I stopped reviewing trailers on my youtube channel because I wouldn’t have been able to keep up. They are hard to do videos on because they are unpredictable and cut into work time. Also I don’t know how insightful I really am when it comes to trailers. I feel like I either love them or hate them and that’s about it.

I did write up my review of the Rogue One trailer last week and will be reviewing Angry Birds and Secret Life of Pets on my animated news video later today.

However, there were a bunch of other big trailers and let’s talk about them.

1.Suicide Squad.

I thought it was a good trailer. I particularly like Will Smith seeming like the old Will Smith we knew and loved. I want him to come back to us after disasters like After Earth (and no more of his son!). The Joker looks really intense and I’m curious to see how Batman is going to be involved. Overall I’m intrigued and don’t pay attention to the reshoots story. It turns out it is a whole lot of nothing.

2. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

I’m really excited for this trailer! At first when I heard about the film I didn’t know if it would be nothing but a guy playing hide and seek looking for magical creatures. This looks like an actual story. I liked the humor in the trailer and was surprised to hear mention of Dumbledore as I didn’t think that he was so old. It’s going to be interesting to have a story more set in the muggle world and I liked little touches like the Muggle Approved luggage switch. It should be a fun little movie.

3. TMNT 2

After a very promising Super Bowl trailer this did nothing for me. The humor and the action looks right out of Michael Bay’s playbook and the plot with the purple ooze looks lame. And sort of weird to show us Krang in the Super Bowl trailer and nothing here?

4. Sing Street

I wasn’t aware of this film and now am very excited about it. It is by the director of Once, John Carney, and looks like a combination of School of Rock and About a Boy. I wasn’t super into his Begin Again because it was too much of a copycat of Once but this looks different and sweet.

5. Dr Strange

This trailer was great! I’m so intrigued about this superhero Dr Strange. It looks like something really different for Marvel and of course I love Benedict Cumberbatch as Dr Strange! Tilda Swinton looks awesome and I love the Inception-like visuals with cities folding up and that one shot that looked like a kaleidoscope. This is a perfect trailer because it intrigues me without giving away anything.

So that’s my thoughts on all the trailers. I will have my thoughts on the animated trailers later today and will have my review of The Jungle Book up tomorrow!