Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Without Remorse - *spoilers* Truly the epitome of a forgettable, mediocre action thriller. I *think* that I've read this book because the plot seems very familiar, but it could also be that it's just so generic that it feels that way. I like Michael B. Jordan (a whole lot), but I think he's been miscast lately (I hated him in Black Panther - like it genuinely makes me angry to think about). I think he's one of those actors who gained popularity very quickly and they just put him in everything without any regard to if he's actually right for the role. I also, suddenly, really like Jamie Bell. I watched Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool a few days before this movie and I almost fell in love (it was the dancing bit that did it. Help!). But his character is way too obvious as "the bad guy" that you obviously know that he's not "the bad guy", and then Guy Pearce shows up and you're like "obviously he's the bad guy because...duh". It's all just so...unoriginal. And I actually laughed out loud when the one guy in the beginning got hit by the van, and I'm certain that it wasn't supposed to be funny. And I cheered when Volchok dies because fuck that guy (poor Cam Gigandet will never overcome his O.C. fame, for me at least). It's just never a good sign when you're rooting for pretty much everyone to die. There is also no real sense of time, which is always frustrating for me. It would have taken him years to recover from those kinds of bullet wounds, but it seems like he's ready for action within a months time. They were definitely trying to set up a new franchise with this, akin to the Bourne movies, but they did a really poor job. It will likely be among my worst films of 2021. 

2. The Mitchells vs. The Machines - What an unexpected delightful surprise of a movie. It's just wonderful. It's not only just a super cute, family friendly film; it's also genuinely funny with so many visual gags and jokes (the kind where you end up missing the next joke because you're laughing so hard at a previous joke). I'm considering a rewatch, but it is unnecessarily a full two hours long. And, yup, I'm still that person that complains about runtimes, but it will always frustrate me when something should have been shorter and is stretched out. It would have only benefited the story to tell it in a slightly more concise way - and there is definitely some nonsense in this that could have been cut. But that's really the only fault I can find - otherwise it's pretty perfect. My favorite gag is probably the scene where everyone loses their wifi and chaos ensues, but also the furby scene had me crying with laughter. The other hugely positive aspect is that it's a nice step forward in representation, but it never feels forced. I highly recommend it; definitely the best animated movie that I've seen in a long time. It will likely make my Best of 2021 list, but it's obviously super early for that. 

3. The Nest - So I started finally watching the Young Pope show and I hate it but it forced me into a Jude Law spiral (I've been here before like 15 years ago...). He's another one of those actors that is just consistently overlooked, but always good (he does have 2 Oscar nominations under his belt, at least, which is more than some actors of his same caliber). And the show isn't bad, necessarily, but it's just really not my thing. It is really stunningly beautiful, though. Anyway, I was excited about this movie because it's him and Carrie Coon, who is also an incredible actress. They have great chemistry together, the story is really strong, and I love how quiet and subtle it is. It's also a really believable struggle that happens within a marriage - there's this pressure on men to not only "provide" for their family, but to also constantly have "more", causing so many people to live above their means and it's so scary to watch it all fall apart. There are so many moments that will live in my memory forever, and that happens so rarely now. Like the moment when he tells the taxi driver "I had a million dollars once". Can you even imagine having that much money and spending it all just to show off? It reminds me of this woman that I met a few years back when I was telling her about traveling to London and how I was planning a trip to Iceland and she said "I wish I had money to do stuff like that", while wearing a Van Cleef & Arpels matching diamond necklace, earrings and bracelet (the necklace alone cost $15k, yes, you read that right), a Louis Vuitton handbag, and a gigantic diamond engagement ring. Not to mention her hair, nails and tan were all professionally done. I added up how much she was literally worth in that moment and I guestimate that it was about 60k. We were at a very fancy dinner, to be fair, but I highly doubt my worth even broke a thousand. And yet she doesn't have money to travel?? It's just weird what people prioritize. Anyway, sidetracked, but my point is that I feel like this movie is unfortunately very realistic. I also loved Carrie Coon's whole vibe - the way she calls him on his shit - it's just perfect. I did not need to ever see how they bury a horse, but other than that I enjoyed this movie very much. 

4. The Midnight Sky - *spoilers* I knew Clooney was in this, but I didn't realize that he directed it, too. I was actually interested by that because I feel like his previous directorial efforts were very much just copies of the Coen brothers, but with this sci-fi drama it seemed like he had to break away from that mold. And he does - it's very quiet and it's beautifully realized, but unfortunately it's....soooo...boring. And it makes me seriously sad to see how old Clooney is now. My best friend in high school was OBSESSED with him back in the 90s. We used to watch episodes of E.R. on repeat and that movie with Michelle Pfeiffer - One Fine Day, which I actually remember liking. I wonder if it holds up? Anyway, he was old then (like waaaay too old for her at the time), but now...it's just...like I feel exhausted just looking at him. But, anyway, back to the movie. I liked most of the bits with the group, but I felt like the timeline was really jumbled - none of it flowed smoothly. The bits with George were just painful to get through - it's obvious that the little girl doesn't exist, and it's obvious that he's projecting his own guilt etc. But, again, some of it is really beautiful and just downright cool for a space movie. I feel like Clooney did something really personal, which is always appreciated. I just wish it had more of an interesting hook that moved quicker. Or at least, had some interesting characters to care about? I don't know...it's just missing something. Felicity Jones, though, delightful as always. 

5. Monster - I jumped on the Kelvin Harrison Jr. train last year and I never looked back. He's so good, and severely underrated. I've been waiting for this movie to be released because it was just sitting on the IMDB page without any updates for what seemed like months. Technically released in 2018 (at Sundance), it's wild to me that it took 3 years for this to see the light of day. I usually follow the "technical" release dates (for the U.S), but I'm going to count this as a 2021 film since there has been no way for a general audience to see it at all until now. Overall, it's not great, but there are things about it that I like. Specifically, I really love how grey the movie is - it's kind of a morality tale, but it has a lot of complicated pieces. Also, the performances definitely elevate it. John David Washington is in it too, and I've been up and down with his performances, but he's strong here. I was actually looking down when he first appeared and I legitimately thought it was Denzel. They just sound identical, it's so crazy to me. I have a mini crush on Kelvin, even though I know he's too young for me (born in the 90s...), but his youth was really drilled into me having Jennifer Hudson, who is my age, play his MOTHER. I also think the ending is wonderfully unexpected. But, as much as I did like in this movie, there are equally things that I didn't like - the VO is absolutely unnecessary and a bit overdone. I also think the story is fantastic, but they just didn't make it as interesting as it should have been.