Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Halloween Kills - I didn't think Halloween (2018) was that bad. It was stupid, but still fun to watch. But this...is horrendous. It's overwhelmingly bad. The whole "evil dies tonight" mob is one of the worst ideas I've ever seen in a horror movie. It takes vigilante justice to new heights of ridiculousness. And the acting by this mob is so overdone it becomes really laughable. Actually, I laughed a lot during this movie, but mostly at parts I probably wasn't supposed to laugh at. And also the scene where the woman hits the gun against the car door and shoots herself - I laughed so hard that tears formed in my eyes. I also think it's funny that Michael somehow overpowers a dozen or so firemen after almost dying in a fire. But other than that, it's all bad. Bad dialogue, bad acting, horrible pacing, and not enough Jamie Lee Curtis. I still think Judy Greer was a brilliant casting choice as her daughter, but man, the girl who plays her granddaughter is really awful (I don't remember her being that bad in the first one?), and the really annoying guy from You is in this too, which is weird because I watched an episode that featured him heavily directly before watching this. Anyway, I don't really have much else to say about this, but it definitely makes me weary of the next installment. 

2. Finch - Quite lovely, really. It's heartwarming and charming from beginning to end. It's nothing really new - and had quite a few elements from other apocalypse and/or robot movies (from I am Legend to Short Circuit), but there are still some wonderful moments that keep it interesting. *slight spoilers* The plot is automatically sad - this guy survives the apocalypse (from global warming), luckily he's an engineer of some sort so he builds all this technology to help keep him alive. Along the way he finds a dog (in a gut-wrenching flashback) to keep him company and give him a reason to live. He gets sick and knows he's going to die so he builds a robot to take care of the dog. If that doesn't put a lump in your throat already, then you might be more robot than human. I really liked the way the technology looked somehow advanced and homemade at the same time. The robot looks a bit like Deadpool, but like, cute. But I really hated his voice at first (he sounded like Borat!), but as he becomes more "human" his voice softens and it's really interesting. I assumed it was computerized, so I was stunned when I found out that it's CALEB LANDRY JONES!!! How weird?! Tom Hanks is incredible as expected - he just commands the screen. I mean he can make talking to a volley ball interesting, so just imagine how he interacts with a robot. And of course, the ending is predictably sad. I don't know how I made it through the fetch scene without crying (maybe...I'm a robot??). 

3. The Harder They Fall - Welp, my film of the year, so far! I was definitely not expecting it to be, and it really wasn't even on my radar until I saw a few people discuss how stylized it was. I thought it was more of a traditional Western, and those have been disappointing me lately. I think some will be quick to describe it as "Tarantino-esque" and they will be right, but it also feels really fresh and exciting. I just fell in love with it during those old-fashioned opening credits, and it kept my eyes glued to the screen for its entirety (which admittedly is very hard to do nowadays). The cast is incredible. Jonathan Majors, Idris Elba, Zazie Beetz, LaKeith Stanfield - all wonderful. The standouts for me, though, are Regina King - she's a fucking boss and I love her so damn much. And the younger kid (he's Earl from Me, Earl and the Dying Girl, which I still think should have just been Earl and the Dying Girl) - he's just brilliant. Aside from the amazing cast, there are quite a few other things I really love about this film. First, I love that it's based on real people, but just reimagined into this story of revenge. Diversity and representation is such a gigantic topic within the film industry, and I think stories like this are what's going to change the course of film history (as opposed to just taking a well-known character/story and changing the race or gender of that character/story). Tell the stories that no-one is telling instead (this is proof that they exist!). Second, the soundtrack is incredible. It's got this cool Reggae/Hip-Hop mix, which is unexpected for a Western, but also somehow works so well with the world. It's interesting that the Composer is also the Director - Jeymes Samuel (also known as "The Bullitts", and he was a Musical Consultant on The Great Gatsby which is one of my favorite soundtracks of the last decade. Actually, I only listen to three (THREE!) soundtracks from the last 10 years consistently - Gatsby, Drive, and Rocketman. I think this one will be added to the playlist). Third, as I said in the beginning, it is endlessly stylish. Circular tracking shots galore! I also love the mix of classic Western tropes like the set and costume design and plotting, while also mixing things up with the soundtrack and also THE COLORS. Instead of the typical sepia colored/ washed out look, it is very colorful and bold. There are a few misses - it does get a little slow in the middle, which could have easily been avoided with some tighter editing. And it's probably not something I would watch again, but hardly any movie is. 

4. Passing - And the film I expected to be my film of the year, or at least towards the top...disappoints me greatly. It's a solid effort, has some really lovely shots, and an interesting subject but it's so slow and a little repetitive. And I don't really feel like it ever goes deep enough. It's always weird when everyone praises a movie and you just...don't get it (the praise, I mean, not the movie. It's very easy to understand even in all of its subtlety). It's like Nomadland last year (it's well-made, but really? This is what we're giving Oscars to?). Like I said, the story is an interesting discussion on racial identity - and something not often talked about or reflected on. But the actual dialogue is so unnatural and monotonous. It's obviously a stylistic choice, but it's just not a choice I liked. It all felt so forced. Plus, that combined with the black & white, it's just really hard to pay attention to. I would love to praise Ruth Negga and Tessa Thompson because I usually adore them both, but the dialogue and tone really just ruin their performances. However, it does have a spectacular ending. I think, overall, I'm just really disappointed, which makes me criticize the film a little more harshly, but it's certainly nowhere near my Top 10. It probably sits somewhere in middle of my current 2021 rankings. 

5. Vivo - Super cute. I didn't know much about it, so as soon as it started and I heard Lin-Manuel Miranda's voice, I wanted to bang my head against the wall (soooorrrry, his voice is like nails on a chalkboard for me - especially when he "raps"). But, he actually has a decent voice for animation (when he's not singing). And actually, I could have done without the songs altogether because the "bounce to the beat of my own drum" song is absolutely painful. And it's so...aggressive? And also, I feel like being "different" is actually the cool thing now, so it's always weird to me that they keep banging on about "outcasts". Why is she an outcast? Because she dyes her hair purple and wears a tie? That is a totally normal thing for teenagers to do nowadays. ANYWAY, I also think the plot is not really something that young people will connect with...not only because it feels outdated, but because it IS actually outdated. Anyone under the age of 60 would just be like...UM TAKE A PICTURE OF THE SONG AND TEXT IT TO HER (or Whatsapp or TikTok it to her?? I don't don't know how those things work). Instead of...traversing the fucking jungle to bring her this physical copy LOL. I feel like this post is not living up to my first statement of it being "super cute", but it actually is. The idea behind it is super cute, and the characters are cute, and I laughed waaaaay too hard at the environmentally conscious young girl berating the man for using a plastic bag ("I'm not a bad man, I just want a cookie"), and then again for driving his car two miles. I mean, I laughed so hard I had to pause the movie. Seriously, so hilarious. Anyway, I don't think it's something I'll remember too much years from now, but it was fun to watch.