Thoughts on 5 Films

1. F9 - I honestly forgot that they released another Fast & Furious movie last year until it appeared under the *new* to free streaming movies list. I generally like them all (they all range between 2.5 to 3 stars), but I do admit that they all sort of blend together too. And I do feel like we are at the point in which they should just leave well enough alone. So there's not really much to say about this entry into the franchise, except LOL they go to space!!! But here are some random thoughts anyway: (1) John Cena is a perfect addition to the F&F cast. (2) I didn't think Charlize's hair could get worse than the previous movie, but that bowl cut is a choice. (3) I adore the hot guy from Mayans M.C., I wish he were in this more. (4) There are very few tiny female actresses who can believable beat the shit out of men twice their size, and Michelle Rodriguez is definitely one of them. She's always so much fun to watch. (5) There is something so fucking sexy about a black matte colored car. Okay, that's it. I'm done. 

2. No Exit - This is a very nice contained and concise little thriller. The catalyst for the story is that this young woman is trapped at a Visitor Center with a group of strangers during a snow storm, which is interesting enough, but then this woman discovers that there is a young girl tied up in the back of a van in the parking lot - with nowhere to go and having no idea which one of them owns the van, she has to do some quick thinking to save this girl (and herself). There are a few twists; the first is completely expected but I think the second is done really well to reveal a truly surprising twist of events. Usually with these things, it's the least likely person, but in this case the least likely person is Dennis Haysbert just because he's Dennis Haysbert (one of the most trustworthy actors of our time!), so it's definitely not him, so my guess was the woman (I won't tell you if I was right or wrong, though). I love how tense and unsettling it starts off, though, with a game of Bullshit (the card game) between our 5 stranded strangers. It sets the tone for the rest of the film, and it moves very quickly without wasting a single second. And I love how the game is referenced again when things start to hit the fan ("I'm going to call bullshit on that!"). There's also a nice story of redemption with our main lead (played by Havana Rose Liu - I don't think I've ever seen her in anything previously, but she is excellent!). There are also some pretty dumb moments, and obviously the plot is a bit ridiculous. And *slight spoiler* there is a huge plot hole with the kidnapped girl having a chronic illness (nobody would traffic a young girl with a chronic illness that they knew about beforehand). Otherwise, a solid movie. 

3. Turning Red - The controversy around this movie is quite something, isn't it? First, I think the most glaring problem is that film criticism has changed drastically. It's turned into something that is extremely personalized ("how do I feel about this movie", how do I relate to this story"). I don't think that's a bad thing - and it is exactly how I write about movies. But I also don't think it's...professional. If I were getting paid to review movies as a professional film critic, I would write very differently. So the film critic who declared that this movie was "not made for him" (if you don't know what I'm talking about, first, good for you! and second, just google it), and then reviewed the film through that lens was clearly deserving of the backlash, just not for his opinions, but instead, for the fact that he's terrible at his job. Second, it's a known distinction between men and women, that men tend to relate better to male characters, while women can relate to both male and female (and any other gender). It's a generalized theory, of course, but I think it's true - and it explains why more stories focus on male characters (there are obviously other factors too). The times they-are-a-changin', though, and it's fascinating to watch a certain group of people (mostly white men) have complete meltdowns about art being made that isn't geared towards them (and for the record this only the fourth Pixar movie out of like 30(?) that has a female lead. FOUR. Calm your nuts, guys.). Third, it's also extremely fascinating that this movie is being picked apart for being not appropriate for young children. And not just because of the period talk (I'll get to that part in a second), but because this young girl...defies her parents (which is a running theme in soooooo many Disney movies that I grew up with - The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, etc. but definitely a big part of seemingly every Pixar movie too, Finding Nemo, Luca, Coco, etc.). Why is this one being singled out for it? I definitely think it has something to do with the story revolving around a hormonal teenage girl and for some reason that is a terrifying topic. And, speaking of hormonal, I get that period talk is uncomfortable for some people, and I get that parents have to navigate that discussion with their children, but isn't it helpful to have it discussed more in popular culture? I just don't understand how that makes anything harder for anyone? And this isn't an adult issue, it's a KID issue - the average age girls get their period is 12 (aka a kid), but some get it as early as 8. If we want to get rid of the stigma or "taboo" of a very normal bodily function, this is where it starts. And, I know that parents don't want to think about it, but teenage girls are super horny. I don't really remember a lot from those days, but I recently went through a bin of my childhood stuff and found a bunch of notes from my friends that we used to exchange during class, and let me tell you, I was SHOCKED at how x-rated our discussions were. Just absolute filth. So, in short, this film is very relatable for teenage girls, especially ones who may have had a strained relationship with their mom. Also, as a teenager just a few years before this movie takes place, I could relate to all of the early 2000 aesthetic (the girl with the butterfly clips in her hair hit me hard!) and pop culture references (and I was a HUGE *NSYNC fan. But I will say that the movie's biggest plot hole is that these girls are able to buy tickets for a huge boyband at the box office the day of the concert. UM WHAT? That did not happen. I literally had to sleep outside the box office, months in advance, along with a bunch of other teenage girls - but I did get SECOND ROW tickets BABY!!). There's also a lot of commentary on generational trauma that I think a lot of non-white people can relate to (as proven by many reviews that I read). The odd thing is that I didn't actually think this movie was all that good, I just feel like I have to stick up for it. It's not bad, either. It's a very mediocre Pixar movie (I'm not really a big fan of Pixar, though, I think the only one I really loved is Brave). I don't like the animation style at all, and there are parts of the movie that are severely obnoxious and annoying. It's overly saturated in color and very busy. And honestly, any professional film critic could have a laundry list of things this film fails at, but being unrelatable is just not it. 

4. Benedetta - OHHHHH how I love this movie! I am contemplating it as my favorite film of 2021 (it's definitely a tie right now between this and The Harder They Fall). I knew very little about it going into it, and I think that's an advantage to enjoying it, so I'm not going to say much. It's very typically a Verhoeven film - it's unapologetically very erotic and I would expect nothing less from a film about a forbidden lesbian love story involving a nun. There is absolutely nothing subtle about it and the imagery used, and I find it just hilarious (they literally carved a Virgin Mary statue into a dildo. I'm dead.). There is also a particularly disturbing torture scene that I will likely never forget (but oh how I wish I could). I'm stunned that this isn't among the International Feature Oscar nominees this year (it's far better than Drive My Car and The Hand of God, but also is far more controversial - again, a Virgin Mary dildo, probably not going to win over Oscar voters). The lead actresses are outstanding - Virginie Efira and Daphne Patakia have insane chemistry and their sex scenes are, like, actually sexy (sorry, but I'll never understand the love for the sex scene in Portrait of a Lady on Fire). Also, I, like most are focusing on the sex part, but it's actually got a lot to say about religion and the power that it holds over people. I read the movie as incredibly anti-religious, and I truly think that's the intent, which will likely alienate a large portion of its audience. My only *issue* with it is that it's a French language film that takes place in Italy (and is based on "true" events). It doesn't make a bit of sense to have them speak French (but it's a French financed film, so I understand why it's made that way, but it will never not be an issue for me). 

5. The Adam Project - This is a perfectly cute family movie. There's absolutely zero originality there, but it's...cute. It definitely copies Back to the Future the most, but also acknowledges it perfectly (the kid gives obvious Marty McFly vibes with that vest. It's blue instead of red, but we know the reference is clear). I obviously love the reunion of Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo (and the idea that this is in the same universe as 13 Going on 30 is hilarious and I will allow it). I've said it before, but I've never really been a big fan of Ryan Reynolds (he's great in Deadpool and The Voices), but he's perfectly Ryan Reynolds in this (yes, I realize that I've used the word "perfectly" three times already for a movie that is farrrrrr from perfect). The best part of this movie, though, is definitely this kid. What a find! He is definitely a future movie star - so adorable, charming, endearing etc., with great comedic timing. The plot is way overdone, and definitely gets a little repetitive. Also, the de-aging of Catherine Keener is terrifying and it hurts my brain. I think it's so hard for me to accept because we know what a young Catherine Keener looked like, so seeing a different version of that is hard to process. I would just prefer for a different actress cast in the role (I'm sure there are plenty of young women who look like Keener who could have played the role sufficiently. It's not like it's a challenging role or anything). Anyway, there's not much else to say. I had a good time watching it, laughed a bit, and felt a bit of the nostalgia for classic 80s family adventure films that this film relies on, which overall, is a satisfying watch.