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Togo (2019)
A Sweet Family Movie to Watch With Your Dog
I don't know if it's the pregnancy hormones or if I just really loved this movie, but I'm practically tearing up writing this review. It was such an unexpected gem - and I learned something I never knew about. I just happened to turn it on one evening as I was sitting with my toddler who loves dogs and thought it would be something good to have going on in the background while we played and hung out. And then Willem Dafoe's face came up on the screen and I was like "Okay, you had my interest, but now you have my attention." The film struck the right balance between moments of suspense, heartwarming scenes, funny moments where Togo is being a mischievous pup, and the few scenes that had me vigorously wiping away my tears before anyone could see. It wasn't too heavy handed in any of these areas, in my opinion, and I appreciated the history lesson that came with it. I also appreciated that it had an overall happy ending. I generally refuse to watch animal movies because they piss me off when something happens to the animal, but this ending had us walking away feeling happier and more connected to our own mischievous pups than before we started watching. Dogs truly are man's (and woman's!) best friend!
The Banshees of Inisherin (2022)
Such a bizarre film
If I take off my rational-thinker cap and just consider the acting, the eerie but beautiful pastoral backdrop, and the artful cinematography, there is a lot to appreciate here. The issue I have is the struggle to understand the reasons behind any of the characters' actions and the overall nonchalance of the townspeople with the horrifying events that take place during the film (all done in a dark comedy fashion). Clearly the civil war looms in the background but it's never clear (at least to me) what meaning we are meant to derive from it, as even the townsfolk don't seem to be bothered too much that it's happening. My husband and I watched this film and we both had plenty of giggles throughout as the main characters plod through the plot with funny little witticisms in their charming Irish lilts, but the overarching story was incredibly unpleasant and the ending was frustrating. Barry Keoghan (Dominic), Kerry Condon, and a miniature donkey named Jenny stole the show. I would have rather seen a larger story about the island or town than this sordid tale about untreated mental illness.
The English (2022)
This completely wrecked me
Gut-wrenchingly beautiful and tragic. Everything, from the script, to the gorgeous big sky backdrops, to the way the story unfolds, to the music composition and selection, to the casting, to the costuming--everything is meticulously designed and artfully pieced together. I had to look up Hugo Blick because I had never heard of him before. I cannot believe that someone with so few credits to his name created this epic masterpiece and got so many things right. This film captured my attention and interest from the first episode and kept me on the edge of my seat wondering how the next chapter would unfold. I fell in love with the two heroes almost instantly. Emily Blunt was radiant and evocative in this role; it was easily the best perfomance of her career. She played Cornelia with such heart and while I feel like she has instant chemistry with anyone she is paired with, the chemistry with Chaske Spencer felt so real and palpable. They were the perfect pairing in this series and I wished the adventures would continue with the two of them riding into the sunset together. The last episode wrecked me emotionally and psychologically. As a mother and as a woman, it captured so much of the inner turmoil we go through and the paradoxical feelings of joy and despair, love and pain, selfish desire and ultimate sacrifice. The end is tragic but somehow still beautiful. I don't resent Blick for ending it the way he did. It's reminiscent of a favorite poem of mine "Ode on a Grecian Urn". The way it ended is the only truly romantic ending for this story. But in traditional Westerns there is usually a clear winner in the end...here there doesn't seem to be one. I feel like this one will haunt my thoughts for a while. Really looking forward to seeing this series win some major awards next year.
Ferdinand (2017)
Cute moments but not that good of a movie
I actually found this movie depressing and stressful in a lot of parts. It's basically about the horrid practice of bullfighting and the bulls who don't get selected get carted off to the slaughterhouse. It's hard to set those details aside and enjoy the moments of Ferdinand sniffing flowers or the mildly humorous moments. I guess we should be grateful the film exists to shine a light on this disgusting "sport" that kills an estimated 35,000 bulls a year but I really don't think a children's film is the place to do that. Aside from this issue, I found it boring most of the time. The dance scene with the horses was cute and the ending was happy, at least.
Jungle Cruise (2021)
Great cast, messy plot but still fun
I love pretty much everyone they put in this film. I felt the chemistry between Blunt and Johnson through the screen, which was surprising since they don't seem like each others type IRL. That said, I think Blunt was perfectly cast for her role but I had a hard time believing Johnson as Frank. I don't think the serious scenes are his strong suit and I suspect there's a sassy Spaniard out there somewhere who would have fit that role better. But I do love DJ in general, so it's not like it totally ruined the movie for me. The plot and the flow of the movie was a little scatterbrained at times and I kind of checked out here and there, but overall, I thought it was fun. I loved Jack Whitehall's character; he and the leopard (obviously CGI) stole the show. I would recommend for an easy family watch.
The BFG (2016)
Lovable Giant
This film starts out slow and then the characters begin to grow on you. I watched this while my toddler played in the living room and even he sat down to watch it for a few minutes. Some of the scenes are so beautifully illustrated, like the dream tree and some of the landscape. At one point I did wonder who the director was because it seemed a little too high quality of a production for a kid's movie. I was not surprised to see a familiar name. I haven't read the original source material so I am unecumbered by disappointment that this didn't live up to whatever books exist. For me, the cadence of the story unfolding was just right for a cozy morning watch with my coffee and my little boy. I was glad that the giants weren't too scary...heck, even the bad giant was kind of likeable. And the little girl was perfect for the part of a stubborn know-it-all type who ends up being brave and loyal. Really enjoyed this lighthearted film and its adorable, quirky BFG.
Blonde (2022)
Exploitative trauma porn
Wow, what a horrible film; I couldn't bear to finish it. Ana De Armas is stunning and a dead ringer for Marilyn; I have nothing bad to say about her performance, aside from the fact that I can't believe she accepted this role. I knew a little something about MM before sitting down to watch this and it's appalling how much license the writers and directors took in retelling her story. The mother of all hypocrisies is the way this film tries to portray her as nothing more than a plaything for men who exploit her for money and use her body for their own personal pleasure, but here these "Blonde" filmmakers are exploiting her memory for this horrid dumpster fire of a film that many people will watch simply because it has her name attached. The abortion scene has absolutely no basis in what is known about her life. She had fertility issues and it's believed she had endometriosis, which is an extremely painful condition and is believed to have caused the several miscarriages she had to endure. To insinuate that she would abort her baby when everyone knows she desperately wanted a child is wretched and cruel. The saddest part is that, since she left behind no children, there is seemingly nobody to stand up for her memory and sue the crap out of all the people who continue to exploit and profit off of her to this day. Do not support this trash.
Maiko-san chi no makanai-san (2023)
One of the sweetest things I've watched in a long time
This series is refreshingly light-hearted, wholesome and easy to binge watch. The food scenes highlight the intention and artfulness of Japanese cuisine and make me want to try more of it. The intimate shots of Kyoto make it feel like we're there on tour, seeing places we might not get to see if we were mere tourists. Though the dialogue and characters seem so simplistic and giggly throughout the series (something that would normally be a huge turnoff for me), there is something subtle about them and the culture that pulls you in and makes you want to be kinder, less selfish and more grateful for life's simple pleasures. While watching this series, I found myself wanting to elevate my own cooking of my family's meals and to be more appreciative of things I commonly take for granted. It's like the central characters are so exemplary in many respects, that their goodness permeates through the screen and rubs off on you. I also enjoyed learning more about geiko and maiko culture. Unfortunately, I was misled by Memoirs of a Geisha to think that Geisha/Geiko were more like high-end prostitutes but this series made it clear that that was a gross mischaracterization of the role these delicate and respected purveyors of tradition and historical art play in Japanese society. I hope there will be a second season.
Don't Worry Darling (2022)
Entertaining but ultimately disappointing and messy.
In the beginning of the film, the dreamy set design, gorgeous wardobe and makeup and the riveting sexual tension between Pugh (Alice) and Styles (Jack) pulls you right in and makes you long for a time when things seemed simpler, cocktails were more plentiful, and neighbors were good friends. Of course there is the big mystery surrounding Styles' and the other men's work looming over this seeming paradise, but you let that lie in the background while soaking in the beautiful scenery.
Then things start to get creepy and unhinged, and while parts of the climactic moments are shot well and pull you into Alice's terror like the window-cleaning scene, there are other aspects where Wilde's and Libatique's choices seem heavy handed and superfluous. For instance, the parts where the edges of the screen become glitchy and begin to separate from the main content on the screen were needlessly distracting and I don't feel it added anything of value to the eerie vibe or the plot; it was like slapping a billboard up saying "hey guys, the climax is here!" And there were other moments where the camera is quickly panning around the characters in an encircling motion...again it felt contrived and mismatched to the content in that scene.
Like other reviewers, the biggest complaint I have about the film is the ending. My husband and I jokingly refer to these kinds of issues in films as "plot hole details"...in this case, they made the whole technical underpinning of the plot unnecessarily complicated and didn't bother to fill in the holes with meaningful context or details. This could have been such an amazing film if the ending had been scripted differently or treated with more care. There were so many themes going on throughout this movie that had me lying awake in bed, thinking for a long time afterwards. Themes like what marriage can feel like for women - the fact that Alice was a surgeon and was reduced to a common housewife while her husband was nothing before and yet the marriage centered around him and he got to be a central figure in the Victory project...there's some element of those feelings in many married women I know who feel like they are juggling the doting housewife role and the successful yet exhausted, pre-Victory Alice role. And there were also sub-themes on the stigma of mental illness, how insanity-inducing gaslighting can be, and also the desperation of young men today.
Which leads me to another big turn off about this film. At some point in an interview, Wilde said she based Pine's character off of "incel hero Jordan Peterson" and through that comment, Wilde showed how poorly read and researched her subject was. She clearly doesn't know anything about Peterson beyond some clickbait headlines and she also showed that she didn't bother to try to understand the reasons for the gradual disenfranchisement of young men that might lead some of them to do the horrible and desperate things they do in this film. Meanwhile, she/writers want us to believe that yucky, incel Jack is capable of transforming into suave, sexy Victory Jack and being someone whom Alice can fall deeply in love with and have second thoughts about leaving, even after she finds out he has kidnapped her and held her there without consent--it's like he just needs the right change of scenery.
Beyond all that, there are seemingly important loops in the story that they forgot to close like the plane crash, what happened the first time Alice "woke up", and the whole "how we met" story coincidences. It's messy and unfinished.
Scrooge: A Christmas Carol (2022)
Pay no mind to the Scrooges in the reviews
A Christmas Carol is a fundamental parable for modern western society; I bet more Americans are familiar with this story than are familiar with some of the bible's most famous parables. It is a quintessential Christmas message and as such, it gets updated and modernized regularly. And for some reason, that makes people very angry. Modern adaptations always bring out the curmudgeons who seem to think the version they grew up with in the 70s will never be surpassed. Well, this and the Spirited rendition I was also more than happy to watch this Christmas are going to be those unforgettable renditions for today's youth. I watched this version during Christmas break because I wanted to have something kid-friendly going in the background while at home with my son and I quickly found myself pulled in to the story. Yes, the cute dog and the more attractive rendering of Scrooge helped, as did his sob story around his beloved sister's passing. The musical ballads were captivating and powerful, and I appreciated the new and creative renderings of the ghosts. If we truly love this story, why should we not be thrilled when new life is breathed into it? I didn't find any of the deviations problematic...and I do see a movement currently in mainstream film toward re-examining villains through origin stories that tend to show a more empathetic view of the villains (i.e. Maleficent, Cruella, The Joker, etc.). Why? Because we know that bad people don't typically become "bad" in a vacuum. There tends to be trauma and early life experiences that push them in that direction. I'm not saying it's 100% always the case, but more often than not, there is something valuable to learn and understand about the origins of monsters. So, in short, I found this an enjoyable, captivating watch and you should not listen to the naysayers.
White Noise (2022)
Greta Gerwig can't act.
Greta Gerwig is a terrible actress and she's somehow managed to pull Adam Driver-a very skilled actor-down to her level of bad acting in this film. Even all the hideous clothing and disguises they have these two attractive people wearing couldn't save this performance. The opening scene shows the couple criticizing the rich people dropping their kids off at school while puttering around a beautiful Victorian home with like 5 kids; it struck me as myopic and out of touch. The children in this film are much better actors than the adults and come off more natural. To be honest, I couldn't watch more than a few minutes of this; the dialogue was just too contrived and cringey. If anything, this felt like it should have been a live play, not a film. Either way, I wouldn't watch it.
The School for Good and Evil (2022)
IMDB users are right, but needlessly harsh
The issues that others had with various aspects of this film seem legitimate, but I went in with much lower expectations and actually enjoyed the film for the most part, though I was a bit disappointed with the ending that felt rushed. Having never read the source material or watched the trailer, I wasn't sure what to expect except that Charlize Theron would be in it and she's one of my faves. That said, I found myself captivated pretty quickly by Sofia Wylie - she is absolutely gorgeous and steals the show. I also thought Sophia Ann Caruso played her role impeccably and I actually empathized with her character a bit, but I hate to admit that I kept getting distracted by her lips. (I really wish this unfortunate trend where every young woman in Hollywood needs to have huge lips would die). Kit Young comes off a bit too soft for a villain, in my opinion, and it is a bit creepy that he's like 200+ years old and trying to hook up with a teenager. The other A-listers have such small, ineffectual roles that it's difficult to judge their performances. I agree with others who say this easily could have been a series rather than a film and that the character transitions seemed rushed. However, I loved the costumes and the Harry Potter-eque set design. I giggled in some places and liked it enough to watch the whole thing. I would definitely recommend this film to other not-so-picky fantasy genre lovers with a caveat to not take it (or themselves) too seriously.
Mulan (2020)
Very disappointing
The original Mulan is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time - the characters, the story line, and most importantly the message are among the best to have ever come out of the Disney studio. This remake was a huge letdown. They changed pretty much all of the characters and the moral of the story to awkwardly make it fit into a kung fu genre film with an element of wokeness that nobody asked for. Ironically, the original story was far more empowering to women - it stressed that with courage, dedication, hard work and perseverance a woman can overcome all odds and run with the best of her male counterparts - she can even rise up to become a hero! The new version gives Mulan magical powers aka "Chi" that she apparently has from birth and that naturally set her apart. So the message here is if you are blessed with magical capabilities then (and only then) can you can fight amongst men and become a hero. That is not an empowering message for anyone without magical powers. Another message randomly thrown in: if you don't flaunt your "true self" or in this case your true gender identity, then you will die. The character development in the new version is underwhelming and you end up not particularly caring about any of the main characters, including Mulan. And they took out the comedic element of Eddie Murphy - which isn't the most tragic part even though I enjoyed the Mushu character in the original - but then they replaced him with underdeveloped characters like the witch who doesn't really add anything of value to the story outside of more magic, stunts, strange costumes and an odd last-minute relationship with Mulan. Watch this movie for free but only so you can tell Disney to stop ruining the classics. 1.5 stars for Donnie Yen (I enjoy the Ip Man series) and Jet Li.