Thoughts on 5 Films

1. The High Note - This is the worst case of "convenient storytelling" that I've seen in a while, but there is still something very likeable about it. I'm a big, big fan of Kelvin Harrison Jr. (and the more I think about Waves the more I love it) and, guess what?! HE CAN SING! *swoons dramatically* I also have a soft spot for Dakota Johnson - she was THE WORST in the 50 Shades movies, but I think she was supposed to be like that? I don't know, she's not the greatest actress, but she's adorable and she won me over in The Peanut Butter Falcon. She is very charming in this - and maybe this is the type of role that she should stick to? She's got this great flirtatious energy to her - it's coy but not in an annoying way. Tracee Ellis Ross rounds out the main cast - I haven't seen her in much, but I used to watch Girlfriends waaaay back in the day. It's important to note that these two actresses come from very famous families (Johnson's mom is Melanie Griffith, but even more iconic - her grandmother is TIPPI HEDREN; Ross is the daughter of a living legend, Ms. Diana Ross). This is kind of part of the story - and probably why it all seems so obvious. It's weird that they try to hide the twist, even though it's RIGHT THERE in your face. Like I said though, I weirdly enjoyed it. The cast seem very natural in their roles, it's really sweet, and I screamed out loud when it shows that her father lives on Catalina Island - one of my absolute favorite places in the world! It used to be one of my dreams to live there (population of less than 5k, there is a 25 year waiting list to bring a car to the island so people drive around in golf carts, and it's just fucking beautiful). 

2. Pieces of a Woman - *spoilers* I knew very little about this movie before watching it - just that it was getting a lot of positive reviews and that Vanessa Kirby is great (and that they pulled all of the award consideration marketing for Shia - even cropped him from the posters!). From the very first moment, I was in awe. I haven't had a movie fully sweep my attention...in a long time. It's a very triggering topic for a lot of people, but a topic that has recently gained attention due to several famous women opening up about their own experiences with having miscarriages, stillbirths, and neonatal deaths. I never really understood why this life-altering, devastating event that happens to thousands of women every year, is kept to such a hush-hush whisper. The biggest problem with this is that so many (most?) of these women suffer in silence because of this weird tradition/superstition of not telling anyone you're pregnant until after your first trimester (which is when most women suffer miscarriages). So, once it happens, it's almost easier to just go about your life as if nothing happened, but trauma needs to be felt otherwise you don't heal. I try to stay out of this particular topic because I've never been pregnant, and therefore can never know what these women go through. But it seems like people are finally opening up about this, and it seems like a positive step to help women feel like they aren't alone. This movie focuses on the tragedy of having your baby die right after giving birth - and it is just absolutely devastating. It has been noted by some that the first 24 minutes is let down by the rest of the film - and I agree with that, to an extent. But first, let's talk about those first 24 minutes because they are glorious. It's a 24 minute single-shot scene of a childbirth that ends in complete and utter heartbreak. It's a rare time in which I was so focused on the story in front of me, that I actually didn't even notice the technical masterpiece of the scene. As I looked at reviews that mentioned the single-shot, my mind was blown - I actually questioned its existence (like, there's no way that was a single-shot, so I replayed it and was blown away again). As many have also noted - Vanessa Kirby is stunning (I actually looked up to see if she had children because I fully believed she must have been through this before). I think the reason that its so effecting is because it focuses on the actual trauma of just giving birth - even if the baby ended up fine, it's still soooo stressful. I'm not sure why anyone would choose to do this at home (why take the risk? with all of the medical advances we have now, it just doesn't make sense to me, but again, I've never been pregnant or have had to make these kinds of decisions - so what do I know? I do know that if I got pregnant I would absolutely beg for a C-section and, like, an induced coma for a week after the birth. Do they do that?). Anyway, as for the rest of the movie - I agree with some that it doesn't feel as raw and intimate as this first scene, and instead turns a bit melodramatic. However, I still feel like it does a great job of showing the aftermath of tragedy - of having people tip-toe around you, judging your reaction or non-reaction, deciding for you how you should feel. And, it does a satisfying job of showing how relationships are effected. I think it fails in its attempt to show a male perspective - while it's absolutely necessary to show his frustration, it also almost excuses his actions (he suffered a tragedy too, but it's still not to the same extent). His character turns into an abusive, cheating, just all around scummy human, so the audience is forced to think it's probably better off that he didn't become a father? And speaking of human scum - I say this with a heavy heart because I've always been a big supporter of Shia, but what a fucking disappointment. While, I've always admitted he was a shitty person, he's also an incredibly talented actor (two things can be true at the same time), but this is the final straw. I was hopeful that he turned his life around and learned from his abusive past, especially with how personal Honey Boy was, but it seems he's just really an asshole. I truly hope he has someone in his life who is guiding him to seek help (he's still so young - and I will always have hope that people can turn their life around - look at Marky Mark!, but he still has to acknowledge the pain that he has caused and suffer the consequences). Anyway, overall I love this movie - it will stay with me forever and that is always a welcome result. 

3. Like a Boss - I watched this for Rose Byrne, but I also thought I would give one more chance to Tiffany Haddish since people seem to love her (I did not like her in Girls Trip or The Kitchen), even though the movie itself looked awful. I'm disappointed to say that it is, indeed, awful. Like, really, really terrible. And I just don't think Haddish is funny. To each their own, I guess. The first 10 minutes are just so cringeworthy - and if women ever actually talk like this I would just leave the conversation instantly. So many vagina jokes - and none of them are funny. And the plot doesn't really even make sense - they are shamed by their friends as being the "unsuccessful" ones but...they OWN their own business and live in a house that is bigger than most people dream of. The only positive aspect of the movie is the discourse on makeup - it never really goes as deep as it should, but it's still an interesting discussion. When asked "who" they do their makeup for, one says "myself" and the other says "each other", but it's important that neither of them say "for men". From my experience most men say they prefer women without makeup, yet makeup is a billion dollar industry because women, myself include, don't wear makeup for men. It's to look how WE want to look. Also, if men had any idea how much makeup it takes to look "natural" they would be stunned (and yes, I realize that I'm talking in very heteronormative scenarios). Also, Salma Hayek is a goddess (her scene in From Dusk till Dawn will live in my mind for eternity - I think, at 15 years old, it was the sexiest thing I had ever seen at that point). She looks terrible in this movie - that wig does her no favors, but in real life - she is still absolutely stunning. And I'll never forget when someone asked her how she stays looking so young and she spent the whole time talking about her neck routine - and how it doesn't matter how young your face looks if your neck looks old, so she does these intense neck moisturizing and massaging techniques. And it's totally true (mostly for women) sometimes I think someone is very young, but I look at their neck and realize the truth! So I now consistently moisturize my neck. Side-tracked once again, but this movie sucks. As expected. 

4. I Used to Go Here - I really wish Gillian Jacobs would take on something more challenging, but she's really good at this immature, "I make terrible choices", early-to-mid-30s woman. In this, she plays a writer who just published her first book to less than desirable results. She accepts a speaking gig at her alma mater, not because she wants to engage with the dialogue around her book, but because she has a crush on the professor. I think it's supposed to be a cute, let's reminisce about college hijinks, type tale, but it's all very dull and unrealistic. It just gets too ridiculous to be taken seriously. The audience has no choice but to root against her because she consistently makes terrible choices and then to top it all off she sleeps with one of the students - this is awful for two reasons: (1) while he's technically legal, he's very obviously vulnerable and she takes advantage of that and at 35 years old she SHOULD KNOW BETTER and (2) she's considering taking a teaching job at his college so that's not cool or ethical at all. There is also a character named "Bradley Cooper" (why??) who tells her "you were my number one jerk-off", and she doesn't immediately leave (and I think we're supposed to think it's funny?). It reminded me that a few months ago, I had someone on Twitter DM me to tell me that I was his "first twitter crush" and referred to a picture of myself that I posted over 7 years ago. Like, dude, I know what that means and ew. Also, thanks for making me feel a million years old. I know he wasn't trying to be gross - and just genuinely trying to give a compliment, but my God men are just terrible at communicating with women. ANYWAY, this movie feels pointless - I don't really feel like she grows, or changes, in a genuine way - it's more like 'I keep fucking up because I'm terrible so I'm going to prove to everyone that I'm not terrible' (even though everything leading up to this has proven the opposite). 

5. Evil Eye - WHHHYYYY are these Amazon/Blumhouse movies so mediocre? So far the three that I've seen share one thing: a very strong concept that goes nowhere and feels amateur. It's hard to distinguish between Feature Films and Made for TV Movies these days, and I think that's where the problem is. I went into these movies expecting a certain quality, but if I had the mindset of watching a Lifetime type movie, my expectations would be levelled (and I probably wouldn't watch to begin with). This movie tackles a very interesting subject - reincarnation, but it's too silly to be taken seriously. This woman becomes convinced that her daughter's new boyfriend is actually a man who tried to kill her 30 years earlier. I like certain things about it - the way it shows this young woman balancing her mother's traditional Indian culture and beliefs, while also living in America, is very well done and it felt very realistic. Sarita Choudhury is a fantastic actress and she really pushes to make this movie better than it is. And I think it does a respectable job of depicting PTSD - and how sometimes people who suffer from it also develop a sort of intuition to avoid future traumatic events. But, there's also a lot to criticize. Like, the incredibly dumb ending (which could have been better with a very simple revision). Also, it's never interesting to watch two people talk on the phone...over and over again. Finally, I adored Sunita Mani on GLOW and I think she's super adorable, but this is a terrible performance - especially in the phone scenes. It's so awkward watching her try to make those scenes work. This one is definitely the worst of the three, and apparently there is five more? And I somehow still want to watch the rest of them? What is wrong with me?