1. Miss Juneteenth - This quickly became one of my most anticipated movies after watching Nicole Beharie give a performance of a lifetime in
Monsterland - I'm still so sad that she received absolutely zero recognition for it (but I think that happens when a series is overall mediocre, which is what
Monsterland ended up being). I was so happy that she received at least a little buzz for this movie, and I was pretty confident that she deserved it. I am happy to report that I loved this movie and her performance. It feels really genuine and heartwarming, without being cheesy. I love the way the mother/daughter relationship is portrayed with love but also with a very typical tension that exists between mothers and teenage daughters. I'm not a big fan of the whole pageant thing (in real life, not necessarily in the film),
but when it's about a scholarship, I get the appeal (and there's usually a commitment to volunteering and service work that goes along with winning pageants, too, so I guess...they are ok? There are worse things in the world to focus on, I guess). I like how it plays into this story, though. How this mother projects her own "failure" onto her daughter, and also questions the reality of this "failure" (as in, it's not a failure at all. It reminds me of the quote from
Little Fires Everywhere, "You didn't make good choices, you
had good choices". I'm sure that quote existed before
Little Fires Everywhere, but the impact it had on that show is unforgettable). *spoiler ahead* I knew the daughter was not going to win, because that's not the type of movie that this is. I also knew she was going to do the dance, and I was HERE FOR IT. I love that she combined the poem with it - just absolutely stunning. And Nicole's reaction is perfect - a combination of being proud and frustrated at the same time. She is the real deal. I can't wait to see more from her.
2. How to Build a Girl - Worst movie I've seen in a long time. I don't usually update my annual "Worst of" list, but this would have definitely been on it. I like Beanie Feldstein (a lot), and she gives this movie her all, but this character and story is just so unlikeable (and I
think we're supposed to like her, for the most part...). Her accent sounds fine (to me, an American), but it just doesn't fit her at all, so I found it really distracting. And she's surprisingly convincing as a 16 year old, even though she's a decade older, but I think that's because I've only seen her in teenage roles (
Lady Bird,
Booksmart). I would love to see her in an actual adult role soon. Anyway, it's really the story that I have a problem with - the whole concept is that "a nice girl gets nowhere, but a bitch can make a comeback". Unfortunately, there is some truth to that sentiment - it is definitely more popular to write snark and make fun of things than it is to celebrate something, but there should be a balance. Criticism is essential (I get annoyed by people who are like "only talk about what you love", "stop being negative" - that's just dumb), but I do think sometimes it turns unnecessarily mean (I'm guilty of it myself, but I certainly don't do it for popularity...obvi...there are like 5 people who read this blog). The movie just takes this idea to an extreme and it's all really cringey. And it feels dated (it takes place in the 90s, but it should still feel fresh for an audience in the present day). And I don't understand why she dresses like a magicians assistant? Is she supposed to be fashionable? Or quirky? I don't get it.
This is the most divisive movie I've seen in a while - people I trust with movies have rated it either 1/2 a star or 4 stars and there doesn't seem to be any middle ground. I am the middle ground - I think it's an average 3 star movie that could have easily been 2 1/2 stars if not for some spectacular supporting performances and a well-done ending. I've said it before - so this won't be shocking, but I think Rosamund Pike is one of the worst actresses that is consistently over-praised. It's a very unpopular opinion, I know, but I stand by it. But, Dianne Wiest is spectacular (and delivers one of the best lines with such perfection "have at it, you little crock of cunt" - she deserves an Oscar for that alone), Chris Messina steals every scene, and Eiza Gonzalez is so fucking gorgeous it hurts. I also like the story - I'm not sure why it seems so controversial. Bad people doing bad things isn't exactly new territory. It's interesting the way it twists & turns into a story of karma (potentially) paying off. I'm not the sort of viewer who needs to root for a character to enjoy the story. And there is definitely nobody to root for in this story. I do have a problem with several critics describing the main character as "ambitious", though. That's just dangerous language to use for a criminal - you wouldn't call a bank robber "ambitious", right? I think my biggest problem with the movie isn't that the main character is ruthless, but that she's dumb - and actually, everyone in it is dumb. None of it is believable in any way. I know the American legal system is fucked, but it would take way more than one little hearing to just have this woman's entire life taken away from her. And, as if I couldn't hate Pike enough already, her thanking America's broken legal system in her Golden Globes speech, as if this story could happen in real life is kind of funny (and also if she thinks that and is thankful for it because it allowed her to win an award for a movie, I will kindly tell her to get fucked.). Also, it's the Russian mob for Christ's sake - I'm pretty sure she would have been dead within the first few minutes of them finding her. The fact that they don't kill her before pushing her car into a lake is just dumb. It's all just dumb, but entertainingly so.
Honestly, I had a feeling that I wouldn't connect with this, but I was hoping that I was wrong. It just looked so slow and painful, and someone described it as having "a Terrence Malick vibe", so that instantly put me off to it. Unfortunately it's exactly as I expected. It's very well-made, with some lovely shots, and a moving performance from Frances McDormand. But, it's also a very unmemorable, slow-moving character study of someone that I found little connection to. And to be even more harsh - to me, it feels elitist and exploitative. While this woman has a devastating story to tell (the loss of her husband as well as a financial downfall), it's a
story, and to use real people living like this (most of the supporting actors are "real" nomads) to tell a romanticized tale of "van life", just feels
wrong to me. Also, this woman has several people who try to help her, including family members, and she declines - which is a privilege that most of these people don't have. There are obviously people who happily choose to live off the land, but, again, it's just not something I connect to (sorry, I need stuff - electricity, heat, PLUMBING. I mean, really, who wants to see Frances McDormand shit in a bucket?). But on a positive note, I have an extreme hatred of the desert so it's hard for me to see the beauty in it, but this movie does have some really breathtaking cinematography. And there are these really small moments where Frances McDormand has these flutters of giddiness that are just pure joy to watch.
5. Black Bear - FUCKING YES!!! I love this movie so much. I went into it completely blind and I highly suggest you do too, so if you haven't seen it - please stop reading. During the beginning of this movie, I was convince that I was going to full-force hate it - the plot is just such a dumb love triangle between really annoying and unlikeable characters. The notes that I was taking just went into full rant mode on how I hate cliched jealous female characters and I'm so tired of these stories, but then the story just escalates so quickly and I could not for the life of me figure out where the story was going to go next - and I have to say that it completely shocked me. In such a good way. And if you love filmmaking, then you will absolutely love this. I'm still not going to spoil it just in case you're still reading this and you shouldn't be. I'll just say that the story is very trippy and circular in narrative, and can be interpreted in many ways, which is wonderful. Also, I'm still willing to give Aubrey Plaza another chance - even though I think she plays the same character (i.e herself) in every project (and yes, I've seen
Legion and I think she's terrible in it). But I feel like she's growing, and this is a great project for her to show her range - it's still not great (and I think this could have been
even better with a stronger lead), but I can see the improvement and I love that. Also, if you told me that Christopher Abbott would be in two of my favorite films from 2020 (this and
Possessor), I would not believe you. I'm highly interested in his next career move.
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