Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Wolf - I really like George MacKay. Like...a lot. I feel like him and Lucas Hedges should be getting all the roles that Timothee Chalamet and Tom Holland get. Although, I guess I like that they do all of these super weird, interesting roles instead. The premise of this movie is a bit like that Jamie Dornan movie where he thinks he's a bee, but this is taken far more seriously. It's about people not being born in the bodies that they belong in, as in they feel like they are other species (the main character believes he's a wolf), so it's obviously a trans allegory. I didn't know that going in, but was not surprised to find out that a trans woman wrote & directed this. I think there's a lot of good stuff to dissect in this; especially the dangers of conversion therapy. However, I find it weird to use this as a story for trans rights because it plays into the backlash for those fighting against these rights. Anti-trans activists tend to justify their narrative by exaggerating a moot point - and I've definitely heard the argument of "where does it end? what if someone identifies as an animal or a different race" etc. It's a distraction method that often, unfortunately, works far too often. You end up arguing about things that aren't happening instead of focusing on trans rights. Another example is when someone argues about prisons letting male prisoners identify as women, so they transfer to a women's prison and then rape a bunch of women (which has happened). And they ask, in a most exaggerated fashion "you don't want women getting raped...do you???". Uhh...what?? Nobody should be raped and it happens all the time in prison (mostly to men). So your problem is with the prison system and with rapists. Literally nothing to do with trans rights. Don't people have common sense anymore? Anyway, I just feel like this movie plays into the anti-trans argument. BUT, I do think it's a necessary point of view - and also about just having empathy for every living thing. MacKay is wonderful. Paddy Considine, also always wonderful. I've seen Lily-Rose Depp in a few things, and she's never really stood out (other than her stunning bone structure). I'm not really a fan of her here - she's sort of blank compared to the emotion that MacKay is putting out there. I did like this movie - it's definitely interesting, well-acted, and feels urgent. I'm just not sure it's putting out the message that it wants to??

2. Breaking News in Yuba County - I saw someone compare this to Fargo so I added it to my list. It is a ridiculous dark comedy, but Fargo it is not. The cast is great - Allison Janney (I really miss Mom, so much), Wanda Sykes, Samira Wiley, Ellen Barkin, Mila Kunis. And, unfortunately, Awkwafina. I just have to give up and face facts - she's going to be in stuff. But, am I supposed to buy her as...threatening??? I would absolutely laugh at her. I just don't know how any of these actors read this script and thought it was worth their time? It has a current popular trend of dealing with tragedy porn - as in someone invents a tragedy to get attention. The problem is that, as a dark comedy, it's kinda dark (but nothing that hasn't been done before) but never funny. I don't think I laughed once. The dialogue is absolutely awful - especially Awkwafina's. And Regina Hall with that haircut is...well, it's hard to look at. There's really not much else to say about this - it's very ridiculous, but not in any sort of memorable way. 

3. Everything Everywhere All at Once - I loved this, but am also somehow really disappointed with it. The hype was just so hard to ignore and it's far from perfect. I'll try to focus on the good, though, because overall, it is very good. It has a somewhat original, fun, sci-fi premise of a multi-verse - but more "realistic" than the superhero movie version. I do feel like it's just a live-action version of an episode of Rick & Morty (as others have pointed out), but it's still really fun and interesting to watch. The production design is flawless. Michelle Yeoh is an absolute legend. Yeoh, plus the rest of the cast just knock it out of the park. It's so nice seeing Ke Huy Quan all grown up! He literally looks the same as he did in The Goonies. So insane. I also really like Stephanie Hsu - she may actually be the highlight of the movie for me. Completely different role than what I know her from (The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and The Path). She has this really interesting, funny, sinister quality while being really likeable. There's also Jamie Lee Curtis, Jenny Slate, James Hong (another legend!), and Harry Shum Jr in a small role. All are perfect in their roles. I think my only real problem is the length. I put off watching it for so long specifically because of how long it is (2 hrs and 19 mins). It feels even longer. They could have EASILY cut 20 minutes without effecting anything within the story - in fact, it could have even helped make it a little more cohesive because there are definitely a few parts where the story starts to meander and loses itself before it comes back. I know it's uncool to complain about the length of films, but, to me, this could have been a perfect movie if it had some tighter, more efficient storytelling. It's just frustrating! But overall, super fun movie - not my #1 (I still have After Yang as my top movie of the year), but it will likely be in my Top 10 of the year. 

4. Crimes of the Future - Cronenberg and that cast - seems like you can't go wrong. I did read some pretty tough reviews, though. It's pretty safe to say that if you're not a fan of Cronenberg's earlier work, then you won't like this. There's this weird dichotomy to it, in that it feels like old school Cronenberg, but it also feels extremely modern and relevant, which, I think, is super-duper cool. It's body horror mixed with romance and sexual desire. Surgery as not only a sexual act, but also a way to emotionally and spiritually connect with a partner - which seems "out there" as a concept but it's not far off from Cronenberg's previous efforts of discussing the connection between violent acts and sexual desires. It's certainly fascinating. I think his aim is to make the audience uncomfortable and he succeeds every time. This is why I feel like I have to respect it - it almost doesn't matter if I liked it or didn't (I did like it, but I tend to like his films - The Fly, eXistenZ, Crash, A History of Violence - there's just nobody doing it like him. Well, maybe his son, but it's a little early for such talk). The cast do a great job of selling the story - even Kristen Stewart. I'm not always on board with her performances (some are definitely far better than others), but her fast, whispered dialogue combined with the rhythmic blinking really works for her. I just think she's one of those actresses that you can tell is acting - like nothing ever feels genuine within her performances because she tries too hard to prove she can do it. On a side note: I would kill for a bed that anticipates my pain and adjusts accordingly. Seriously, who do I have to kill? 

5. Emergency - Really taken by surprise with this one - I thought it was going to be a fun, college party comedy, but it is sooooo much more than that. First, it's hilarious. The "don't be a sexist, coward, wiener" scene is definitely my favorite. I also laughed at the line "where's Princeton?" "It's in New Jersey"..."oh FUCK". LOL. And the scene where they all run after finding out "her name is Emma and she just told me that she's in high school". Just hilarious. Second, it's extremely believable with is really heartbreaking and scary. It's basically Superbad, but like, if there were actual real world consequences - one wrong turn creates a myriad of problems. The only big difference is that they don't really do anything wrong, they just happen to not be white (and if you think about Superbad, it would be a far different movie if it was two black kids getting up to those hijinks) - the premise is that these two college-aged black guys find a white girl passed out in their apartment. Along with their 3rd friend (who is Hispanic), they decide that calling the cops is out of the question, so the come up with a plan to get her help without involving the cops. Things escalate from there - and I won't spoil it, but it sets up a really interesting commentary on this gigantic portion of the American population that don't feel safe calling the cops in emergencies for fear of their own lives. There's also great dialogue about the black experience (it's combined with the "don't be a sexist, coward, wiener" scene. And along with being very funny, it's also thoughtful and resonating). The cast is fan-fucking-tastic, of mostly newcomers - and that is always exciting. I recognize RJ Cyler from my favorite movie of last year, The Harder They Fall, and also Me, Earl, and the Dying Girl. I loved him in both of those movies, and this is no exception. He's a talent to watch, for sure. Oh wait, one more scene that I really loved was the "Staying Alive" CPR scene - I laughed, but I also wanted to cry because I knew the movie was coming to a conclusion and it was, for sure, going to be devastating (and it is, but it also gives a bit of a hopeful feeling to it as well). This will definitely be among my Top movies of 2022.