Thoughts on 5 Films

1. The Electrical Life of Louis Wain - Benedict Cumberbatch in another movie. Again. Playing some quirky, emotionless, slightly autistic type character. I'm not sure if Wain was autistic, or maybe even, more likely, schizophrenic, but my point is that Cumberbatch is once again playing the same character. He doesn't show any range very often (I'll give him The Power of the Dog, but it's certainly not an Oscar-worthy performance *rolls eyes*). I will overlook Cumberbatch in this, because of his co-stars - Claire Foy AND Andrea Riseborough! It's like a dream come true! And while I usually hate the narrator device, Olivia Colman's voice is always welcome. I was under the impression that this movie featured an adorable cat, but 30 minutes in and...NO CATS. So I squealed out loud when Peter finally appears. He looks like a little like my boyfriend's cat (named Tess after Nicolai Tesla, which is fitting with this movie's focus on electricity. Also, yes, my boyfriend is a nerd. WHO NAMES THEIR CAT AFTER AN INVENTOR FROM THE 19TH CENTURY??). Anyway, the cat is cute, but the movie is just...ok. I like that it's told in this sort of fairytale style, instead of a straightforward biopic, but it got kind of dull and....sad. It did get me curious as to Wain's influence over the world's fascination with cats so I did a lot of googling afterwards, which I think is successful (anything that peaks my interest leading me to investigate further is always welcome!). Also, the use of lens flare is OUT OF CONTROL. 

2. Nightmare Alley - I did not like this, you guys. I believe it is a remake, so the originality issue seems like a moot point, but it is basically a (really, really long) episode of Carnivale (that HBO show. Not seen it? It's solid!). The cast is an absolute dream - Cate Blanchett, Bradley Cooper, Toni Collette, Rooney Mara, and many more. And I didn't realize that Cooper is the star (I know everyone is on the Bradley Cooper train now, but I'm a bit protective of him because I've been such a big fan since Alias! I even have the boxset of Kitchen Confidential! That's true love, right there), for some reason I thought Rooney Mara was the lead in this. They are all...fine. Collette is definitely the stand-out (and she looks stunning with that blonde wavy hair - it suits her so well). I've always thought of Guillermo del Toro as a super talented director - someone that has a visual flair that is distinct and oddly beautiful, but I've not liked a film of his since...Pacific Rim, so I may be rethinking my stance a bit. Specifically because this movie is so ugly looking (and his previous movie was beautiful, but it copied Amelie in so many ways, it was not "distinctly" del Toro's). I think it was supposed to have this film noir vibe set in a carnival, but it's all just very dark and yellowish. There is someone on twitter who I adore, and have high respect for their love and passion for movies, who absolutely LOVES this movie and has gone in depth about the beauty in every shot, but I just don't see it. Maybe because I was expecting more vibrancy, more color, more boldness, more something. Other than the visual aspect, I found the plot really predictable (again, it's just an episode of Carnivale). Nothing really interesting happens for the first hour, so a 2.5 hour runtime is a joke, surely? I did like the ending, albeit predictable. I also like that this was on HBO Max so soon after its theater release! HBO Max is definitely worth the $$. 

3. Willy's Wonderland - Nicolas Cage beating up some life-sized animatronic characters that have come to life, sounds like a blast, no? It's actually super weird and gory, and kind of original, but it's just...not fun. It should have been a bit campier, but it plays so seriously - mostly because Cage takes himself way too seriously here. He has barely any dialogue, just a lot of blank, angry stares, which I think is a huge mistake - some cheesy dialogue could have played really well. I really like the actress in this - Emily Tosta. She's from Mayans M.C. (which is a good show - not quite as good as Sons of Anarchy, but it definitely has me hooked). Also, you know who else is in this? Beth Grant, who will forever be known as the stupid lady who got off the bus in Speed. Imagine having 235 acting credits (seriously!) under your belt and only being known for that one thing? Anyway, there's not much else to say about this movie. 

4. Werewolves Within - Oh no! This is one of those posts where I don't really like any of the movies! I hate when that happens. I actually heard great things about this movie and was really looking forward to it. Horror comedies are way more my thing than straight up horror movies, because I'm usually never scared but at least with the comedies, I can laugh. And I did laugh a few times with this ("It's ANTIFA!" LOL). The plot is a fun "whodunnit" mystery, with a group of small towners stuck in a bed & breakfast together with a "murderer" on the loose. But the characters are the worst - all of them are soooo annoying and feel like caricatures instead of real people. It definitely could have been much funnier with this cast, too. Michaela Watkins is usually a highlight, but she is so grating here (which seems like a directorial choice, not her fault). I do have a new crush, though. Milana Vayntrub. Holy shit. When she comes into the room singing "The Sign", with THAT tank top on - my heart. It hurts. I think it's fairly obvious who the actual werewolf is - it's a case of "who is the least likely one" and BAM...it's them. Also, there is a HUGE clue right in the beginning (hint: it has to do with a specific wardrobe). Overall, I think I was just really disappointed with this. I thought it would be in the same vein as What We Do in the Shadows (which, by the way, isn't there supposed to be a sequel with the "werewolves not swearwolves"? Is that still happening?), but it's not nearly as entertaining. 

5. Don't Breathe 2 - Obviously, I was not expecting this to be good. But the first one, was kind of good? I mean, it made me really angry because the twist is gut-wrenching and very difficult to watch, but it's also something memorable and I thought the cast did a really good job portraying a very real terror. But, quite frankly, a sequel should never have been made. Maybe they felt we needed to see a conclusion to this man's life, since the first one let him free, but I don't feel like that's necessary. Nor do we need to see any sort of redemption arc for such a horrific monster. It's just wild. I'm not sure the plot actually makes sense, either? *slight spoilers* Maybe I wasn't paying attention enough, but apparently there is a group on the loose stealing people's organs, but then later we find out that they are just after the little girl specifically? So why were they taking other people's organs or was that a different group and it's just a coincidence? I'm so confused. I also don't understand how this old blind man gained guardianship over this little girl? Did he steal her from the fire? And why is the woman who helps him, not concerned about this little girl's well-being? Wouldn't she go to the authorities to question this man's motives? Keeping a little girl locked in your house is surely a red flag?? And if the organ stealers were just after the little girl, why did they wait for the woman at the end of the road and kill her? Wouldn't they just wait for her to leave? Aside from the mind-numbing and baffling plot points, this one is terribly acted - the villains are all outrageous in their over-acting. There is just nothing here worth watching. tyuhj-021-0tgrf