Reviews

Based on word of mouth alone, I basically expected this movie to be a sweaty sexy love triangle. Granted, three people kissing while playing tennis didn't seem like enoughy to fill 130 minutes, but that is what I expected anyway. And as a result my expectations were low.

Well, I got more than I bargained for. First off, the movie just flew by for me - I couldn't take my eyes off all three of the stars, and both the synth soundtrack and kinetic camera work pulled me in immediately and never let me go. Second, instead of the usual underdog story, the sports setting offered the backdrop for an interesting reflection on what success looks like, how we each make sense of it, and whether we really want it as bad as we think. So yes, there was sweat, sex, and tennis (and a heavy dose of campiness that seemed quite intentional). But there was more than that too. While the movie followed a familiar formula, it also subverted it enough to keep me interested and entertained throughout.

This movie was anything but consistent. Some scenes were ridiculously endearing, some were ridiculously annoying, some were ridiculously laughable, and some were just ridiculous. (I think the one commonality is self evident.) Gluck clearly wanted to bring back the big budget RomCom and update Shakespeare all at once - the movie version of a genre novel that leans all the way into all the tropes, but is smart enough to make good literary references along the way. Much like with any somewhat self aware story, there were times when the camera winks amused me and times when they had the opposite effect. Regardless, there is no denying that Powell and Sweeney make the most of every scene. Even if it never fully comes together for you, I bet you will still find yourself at least a little charmed.

I somehow skipped this member of the 90s RomCom Hall of Fame. Watching it now, there are so many elements that feel extremely 1994 and so many elements that have been repeated ever since, as well. Richard Curtis found something here - in letting the group of friends become the main relationship, in finding moments of screwball comedy along the way (thank you, Mr. Bean), and in centering his perfect muse, Hugh Grant. I still think Notting Hill is when Curtis perfected his take on the genre, but I would take this one over Love, Actually any day. Bigger (casts, concepts, runtimes) isn't always better. This was the movie that subverted the formula just enough to create a whole new formula. The charm was undeniable, then and now, even if it suffered from diminishing returns.

If you didn't already recognize the formula of "based on a true story" underdog tales, 2023 probably changed that. We love our business stories these days, and this one had the advantage of a timely topic, a Ben Mezrich narrative, and a Big Short template to follow. The first act had lots of explaining to do, the second act cooked thanks to the stakes, and the third act was when I noticed some of the script issues. But Gillespie used real footage skillfully and the cast was strong from top to bottom. Even some of the sillier moments and lines sung when delivered by actors like Dano or Woodley. I was not surprised at any point, but that doesn't mean I didn't enjoy myself.

Also, seeing that the Winklevoss brothers produced a movie written by Ben Mezrich really cracked me up. Maybe it is no big deal - I guess if they were the inventors of this movie, they would have invented this movie?

If Cord Jefferson's Oscar acceptance speech wasn't enough to entice you to watch this movie, I don't even know what to say. This film is an absolutely wonderful blend of a hilarious (and incisive) satire with a tender family drama. Not only that, but the cast may be even better than the writing, which really says something. Wright and Brown take every scene to another level. I just kept laughing and feeling and laughing and feeling. Scene by scene, this film's two stories become closer and closer until they are one and the same. I walked away thinking and moved all at once, which is no small feat.

Villeneuve picks up right where he left off, in terms of plot and in terms of approach. All the same elements are here - visual world building, overwhelming soundscapes, centuries-long histories that get shown rather than told - but this time they are accompanied with heart-pounding action sequences too. It is the pay-off fans of the first movie (me included) have been waiting three years for. Not only that, but the movie manages to offer a fascinating reflection on the role of messianic tales in both disrupting and perpetuating power...it is an action movie about something, which is rare. Not everything is perfect. The action towards the end starts to feel almost Star Wars like (not a compliment): hapless bad guys, shields that are conveniently not on, heroes who never feel threatened. Plus, it's hard to adapt a book series that went on forever and maintain any sense of closure movie to movie; in some ways, Part One had the advantage of everybody knowing things would end unresolved. I never expected anything but build up. Still, Villeneuve seems born to tell this kind of story, and the cast dives into this space opera like it is Shakespeare. The three hours flew by for me, and I would happily line up for Part Three.

Andrew Scott is such a god-level actor that he just about turns this somewhat maudlin ghost story into something truly profound. Basically every time the camera closed in on his face, I felt like crying and laughing all at once. And the cinematography almost matched his brilliance - so many wordless scenes in this film managed to convey deep feelings and realizations with a simple reflection, refraction, or hue. The story itself felt a bit too simple and earnest at points, but the direction and performances elevated it to another level. By the end, I sincerely felt the pangs of loss and hope that thrummed through the whole thing. Of course, I felt the emptiness as well. I wanted something more, just like Andrew Scott's protagonist. Maybe that was the point or maybe something was missing at the center of the story? Either way, it is hard to complain about a Sixth Sense-y movie that is more about love than fear.

I have been listening to friends rave about this movie for decades...and now I can see why. This film is an absolute delight. It is so perfectly simple, but also so perfectly layered. Each character is as rich as an Italian feast and each scene plays almost like a one act - the dialogue, the subtext, the character development, the tension. There are entire scenes where barely a word is spoken and yet an entire story is told. I'm kinda surprised Tucci didnt become known as an author as much as an actor. Regardless, the whole thing cooks (pun intended). You may not get sucked in immediately, but I guarantee it will get you eventually.

Not to make a French pastry analogy about a French movie, but this film is very much like a buttery dough that keeps getting folded over and pressed and folded over again. Each and every time the question is the same: who gets to tell the story? Who gets to tell the story in print? Who gets to tell the story in court? Who gets to tell the story in families? Every time the ingredients get folded and compressed, new layers emerge. By the end, I wasn't sure which version of events to believe, but the movie wasn't entirely interested in that either. After all, we don't make sense of our lives and circumstances through a clear objective account. We tell stories...to ourselves and those around us. Everyone here did just that and their performances are absolutely staggering. I believed their doubt and their conviction and their moments of being caught in between. Do we ever really know what happened? Do we ever really know what we meant or didn't? Everyone's interpretation gets its moment on the stand and all of them fall short.

At one point in this film, Driver's Ferrari expounds upon the essence of racing with table-smashing and plate-clattering violence. The moment rivals any driving sequence (in this film or others, honestly) for both intensity and clarity - two vehicles compete for a single outcome, knowing that success for either could mean death for themselves or the competitor. The scene establishes the stakes and the metaphor of this movie all at once. Mann's clearly interested in capturing many things at once. The movie's about competition and tragedy and grief, all with scene-eating cinematography and performances...but there is more to it than racing. The writer and director both saw something more than just cars in this man's story. It took time to get cooking, but kicked into gear over the last half.

This movie dials pretty much everything up to 11 - the wit, the rudeness, the production design, the gruesomeness, the performances, the sex...and the humanity too. I knew the basic set-up, but nothing could have prepared me for the 140 minutes after that. It is a movie that wants to make you laugh and cringe while thinking deep thoughts about what it means to be alive and have a conscience and feel things like pleasure and guilt. While some scenes leaned into certain elements more than others, Lanthimos succeeds at making the audience come face-to-face with questions that are not typical at the movies in 2024. And he gets a lot of help bringing his vision to life from the amazing performances. Stone and Ruffalo are especially good. It is a bizarre ride, but you won't regret going on it. (Or maybe you will, but i guarantee you won't have seen anything quite like it!)

2023 was a good year for the masters. From Scorcese to Miyazaki, a bunch of true legends came back with new works. This one captivated me from the very first scene. The way he brought to life the fires of war, the pain of youthful grief, and the mysteries of the grown-up world was absolutely mesmerizing. And that is before the world building even got going. That's not to say that there weren't moments when the trippiness tripped me up or when the story either lagged or rushed. There absolutely were. Still, the ability to take my entire family to the theater for a new Miyazaki release is a gift after all these years of watching his older works together. A few years back we saw Spirited Away when it was re-released in theaters and this experience was akin to that. The movie wasn't my favorite Ghibli film, but I won't forget it anytime soon either.

This movie is an acquired taste. At first, I thought it was just silly. Then I thought it was extremely silly. Eventually I laughed my butt off. There is no scene that they don't take over the top. Whether they are mocking teen movies or parodying David Fincher or using Marshawn Lynch to comment on feminism, the entire cast completely goes for it. The humor and raunchiness are extreme, but my family laughed so much that I think we missed 25% of the punchlines. Ayo Edebiri and Rachel Sennott absolutely kill this one (no pun intended).

PSA - Just be careful watching this one with your parents or children. It is rated R for a reason.

The first half of this movie felt a lot like "Dazed and Confused"...the second half felt like a Shakespearean tragedy come to life. Both worked for me, honestly, even if the transition was slightly abrupt. The cast is fantastic, and the filmmaking manages to make both wrestling and family to feel like a true contact sport, not to mention war of attrition. It does take a while for the toxicity (of wrestling, of expectations, of masculinity) to devour the Von Erich brothers. Durkin streamlined the story a bit, which not only serves the narrative flow but leads to gut punch after gut punch for the audience. About 2/3 of the movie, I literally thought "Oh no. Not again." And I was familiar enough with the story to be somewhat prepared. In true wrestling fashion, the movie got a bit melodramatic towards the end, but I didn't mind too much. The actors earned those moments, and so did Durkin.

Shane Black basically never strikes out. That's not to say he hits a homer every time...this movie is not Lethal Weapon (truly classic) or Nice Guys (his best IMHO), but it is still endlessly entertaining. It strains credulity and it tries too hard and it is a little too cute, but this movie exemplifies a bunch of storytelling strategies that have been overdone for a reason in the couple decades since. The narrator is simultaneously unreliable and hilarious. The script is knowing/meta enough without going too far over the top. The relationships feel almost silly, but also never stop feeling familiar. Movies like Deadpool don't exist without Shane Black, who knows that stories with heart and stories with excess/pulp can be one and the same.

Earlier this year I went into Oppenheimer with some trepidation because biopics aren't generally my thing. I almost always feel like the stories wind up super simplified: great man encounters and overcomes challenge - wash, rinse, repeat. Oppenheimer departed from that formula, and this one does too. Cooper not only finds surprising beats within the story of Leonard Bernstein, but he finds surprising ways to bring those beats to life. The performances and cinematography create a story that feels wholly original from the very first (truly gorgeous) shot - no character needs to explain which moments matter because the audience can tell. The key scenes just pulse with music and life, and Cooper's cast dance along to it. I went into this movie knowing little about Bernstein beyond West Side Story, but I walked away captivated nonetheless.

I'm sure many folks will tell you this movie is too earnest or too simple. A curmudgeonly teacher and a wiseass student are stranded at their boarding school over winter break and learn some lessons? I know, I know. But Alexander Payne has been reminding us for a long time that simple stories can also be great stories when told well. This movie took a handful of flawed and relatable characters, put them into circumstances that aren't that tough to imagine, and let them navigate the Christmas of 1970 together. The end result may not be perfect and may veer towards cliché, but it is absolutely moving. By the end, I had laughed and cried and cared. The story took it's time, the vibes were immaculate, and Giamatti made the most of every scene. So believe the people who say this movie's simple, but remember that doesn't mean it isn't really good too.

I wasn't sure what to expect from this film given the mixed reviews and my relative unfamiliarity with Esme's previous work (never watched Mr Robot or Homecoming, though I'm kinda tempted now). Initially, i thought the dialogue was clunky and the movie was trying a bit too hard, but I was impressed with the way the filmmaking ratcheted the suspense and amplified the characters' paranoia. The camera work in particular takes over to the point where I barely noticed some of the sillier or less effective moments. In many ways, it is reminiscent of Knock at the Cabin (both definitely aspire to Hitchcokian vibes), but you don't have to make as many leaps of faith - this one is less about what we believe and more about what holds us together when things fall apart. Regardless, the suspense works and the movie is effective.

Also, I know how Friends ends so I'm all set if things go south.

Electric feels like an understatement here. This movie absolutely crackles from beginning to end. It seamlessly weaves together a propulsive action story with the kind of character development that actually explains everybody's want and why (while moving the plot forward). I didn't just buy it...I couldn't take my eyes off of it or stop thinking about it. I watched a lot of solid action movies this year, from new stuff to classics, but this feels like a new category, a cross between blockbuster action and indie drama that draws from the best of both, even though I was never quite sure what to cheer for. Goldhaber is one to watch, and so is this entire cast.

It is hard to imagine an artist or a concert more built for the big screen than this one. And since Beyoncé writes, directs, and produces herself, you get something more than just a standard concert film. You not only get a view of the concert itself that wouldn't be possible in real life (really all the concerts on her entire tour because of the fantastic editing work), but you see just how much sweat, determination, and perseverance go into a performance like this. Part of me was mindful of just how carefully Beyoncé has been curating her public persona for two decades, including this film, and part of me felt like I was seeing something new...or maybe I just didn't care because I had so much fun. I'm glad I saw it on the biggest and loudest screen possible, and I highly recommend you do the same.

Todd Haynes really knows how to blur the lines between real and artificial, and that liminal space in between almost always yields something. Sometimes it is something insightful or something uncomfortable, but it is almost always something unique (and true). Moore and Portman are absolutely entrancing here. They both alternate between endlessly confident and totally terrified, but the end result is a story that has lots to say about how we perform for ourselves and others. I'm not totally sure I understood all the layers here, honestly, but I'm not totally sure they did either. One thing is for certain: you won't see anything else quite like this film this year.

The first half of this movie made me laugh out loud. Repeatedly. The last half? More than a little disappointing. In other words, it was only half a good movie...but that is still more than a lot of movies manage to be. There were high highs and lows lows, but the highs were worth it. I laughed more than i groaned (mostly).

Also, my kids loved it. Yet more proof that teenagers always love their generation's SNL movies way more than all the others. This is their Spies Like Us. This is their Three Amigos. You get the idea. Lots of flaws, but lots to love too. These guys find a chemistry that's pretty unique even for this kind of comedy.

This seems to be the year of the product movie. Whether it is Tetris or Nike or even Hot Cheetos, every famous product from the 90s seems to need its own movie backstory. And yet...this one feels different. Because you are never quite sure who to cheer for and because the story taps into much more than nostalgia (like humor and stakes and character arcs) by letting the audience watch the rise AND the fall. It felt way less like an advertisement, and way more like real human drama. It is both triumphant and tragic all at once. The story pacing works, and the actors pull it off; I was cheering by the first half and shaking my head by the end, just like they wanted.

This is not an easy movie to watch if you recently lost a family member to cancer. Then again, that probably says something about just how true the storytelling is here. Anybody who's gone back home under tough circumstances or claimed to be fine when they aren't or lost a loved one or found the humor in the most tragic moments possible (so basically anyone) will watch this movie and nod their head. It misses the mark at moments, but it also hits it more often than not, party thanks to amazing performances by Shannon and Plemons. And that's how we ended up chuckling through tears. Which seems pretty appropriate for us this year, honestly.

The first hour or so of this movie showed tons of promise - a simple but intriguing premise with flawed characters you wanted to pull for in an American workspace so toxic that some societal commentary along the way felt inevitable. There were solid performances and solid film making. The stakes were climbing, the insecurities were revealing themselves, and I found myself pretty sucked in. Then everything just went off the rails - the movie went for Fatal Attraction instead of Margin Call, and ended up failing at both. Some scenes left me genuinely dumbfounded. Instead of hoping the characters would make better choices, I was mostly just rolling my eyes at their stupidity. I get what the film was going for, but the end result was a first half and second half that felt like two different movies. And I only really enjoyed one of them.