Thoughts on 5 Films

1. The Shape of Water - Shockingly, this movie doesn't come close to my Top 10 of 2017. And it's not just because ***spoiler*** the monster horrifically eats a cat (someone should have warned me!). It's just sooooo derivative. You can call it "inspired by" if you want, but that doesn't change the fact that it basically takes parts of Creature from the Black Lagoon, E.T., The Little Mermaid, and Beauty and the Beast and made a very beautiful, but very unoriginal film. Also, while again, it's very beautiful, it reminded me of the film Amelie which I haven't seen in probably a decade, but that was the clear vibe that I got from the whimsical set design, cinematography, and adult fairytale storyline. It felt very French. This apparently isn't a coincidence - as the director of Amelie is suing Guillermo del Toro for copying parts of his films (I had no idea while watching it. Afterward, I googled "The Shape of Water Amelie" and was satisfied that I wasn't crazy in my comparison). I'm not really a fan of Sally Hawkins - she's not terrible, but I think she's very overrated. I'm also aggravated by her because while watching an awards show, my boyfriend pointed to her and said "wow who's that? She's like your twin", which I DID NOT take as a compliment. She's so pale and skinny and awkward and...oh wait...FINE I guess she's my twin. UGH. ANYWAY. Michael Shannon has done this role before (many times), but he's just so damn great at it. I could have watched a two hour movie that just revolved around his character alone and it probably would have made my Top 10. 

2. Unsane - You guys what the Hell happened to Steven Soderbergh retiring??? Did I imagine that? I mean, I'm glad he's still going because I tend to love his films. Unsane is no different. It is currently in my Top 10 of this year (but if it's still there by the end of the year, it will be a sad year for movies). There's a lot to unpack in this movie - the entitlement of men, the American Healthcare system (or lack thereof), how we, as a society, treat patients with mental health problems, the lack of protection for women being stalked/abused, etc. Everything is very black & white, with little subtlety, but maybe that's necessary? The ending is a very typical over-the-top, unbelievable mess with several plot holes, but overall, I really connected with the story. It helps to have such a fantastic actress carrying the film - Claire Foy is just absolutely stunning. She keeps your attention through the whole movie, and really sells the plot - even the dumb parts. Also, I had NO IDEA this film was shot on an iPhone. That's insane! Or...unsane? Side-note: Is this Matt Damon's new thing? To just show up in movies without warning? It's kind of weird.

3. The Glass Castle - Very forgettable film, which is sad because it could be incredible. The potential for greatness is all there. Two of the best actresses working right now - Naomi Watts and Brie Larson (Larson doesn't have the quantity that Watts has, but she is in two of my favorite films of the last decade - Room and Short Term 12), and an incredibly nuanced story based on the memoir of Jeannette Walls - a book that was recommended to me years ago, but I didn't make the connection until after I started watching the movie. The film is super melodramatic and predictable, and the ending is terrible - so I hope the book is better (it's still on my list). ***spoiler ahead*** I'm a big fan of forgiveness as a form of catharsis, but the fact that she "forgives" her father, which is implied by her visiting him on his deathbed, is horrifying. Ultimately, a big part of the story (that is kind of swept under the rug) is that her father was molested by his mother, but then as an adult he leaves his kids in her care for several days. WHAT?! Why would you ever do that? Only out of desperation...right? But then we also find out that they were never really desperate because they had access to money THE WHOLE TIME. How could you ever forgive your parents for that? Putting you in danger, causing you the mental and physical anguish of being poor, just for the adventure. Because...it's FUN TO BE POOR. Okay..now that I'm actually thinking about it, this film makes me downright angry. I don't even want to think about it anymore. I will just say two more things - Woody Harrelson is fantastic. I love when he actually tries (not hating, but sometimes he's clearly there for a paycheck). And who is the Emma Stone lookalike? I honestly did a double-take.

4. The Florida Project - Speaking of being poor...wow. This film gets it so right where most films fail so miserably. So often the words "poor" and "poverty" are thrown around in movies and then they depict a very romanticized middle-class life. Even if it's lower middle-class, it's still not poor (Lady Bird is a perfect example of this). This is a depiction of a young mother truly living in poverty. It's the "wrong kind of poor", meaning it's more realistic in its depiction of drug-use, prostitution, and terrible parenting. There's also no redemption. Or hope. I wasn't expecting to like this movie because I hated Tangerine. Like, really, really hated. This film has a lot of similarities (loud, rude, terrible people being loud, rude and terrible), but it has some redeeming qualities - the acting for one, and the clear advantage for me, is that I can connect with it. I also just really love the juxtaposition of these children living in poverty right outside of Disney World. It's tragic and beautiful. It's a stunningly realistic view of Florida. I don't understand why ANYONE willingly goes there. I think this movie will stay with me for a while, simply because I will always wonder what happened to Moonee. Does she break the cycle?

5. Wonder Wheel - Woody Allen has fallen back into the depths of mediocrity again. He hasn't reached his genius level since Midnight in Paris (Blue Jasmine was only good because of Cate Blanchett). This movie is one of his worst recent films. The cast is just...off. If you told me 20 years ago that Justin Timberlake and Kate Winslet would be in a Woody Allen film, I would have laughed hysterically. They are just not right for Allen's dialogue, plus Justin trying to do a NY accent is painfully hilarious. Also, Juno Temple is the worst (she was also terrible in Unsane). The film felt very stagey, and inauthentic. I get what Allen was trying to do - but in the end it's a typical 'women are jealous and crazy, men are cheating liars' territory (even though she is the cheater), with a little bit of 'women are incapable of aging gracefully' thrown in. Is it weird that I've never been to Coney Island? I've never even had the urge to go. I equate it with the Jersey shore (and I hate the Jersey shore, although everyone around me tells me of these mystical parts of the shore that I will like - but I've yet to experience these places). On a side-note, all 5 of the films in this post are female-driven stories - a total coincidence, but also probably a first? The best thing about this is how incredibly different these films are, and how unique these characters are. It's wonderful.