Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Another Simple Favor - *lots of spoilers ahead* I remember really liking A Simple Favor - and I actually remember a few things about it! Like that dope white suit that Lively wears in the cemetery. But I wanted to refresh myself before watching this sequel and I was blown away by the Wikipedia plot summary because it turns out that I don't remember like 90% of that stuff happening. I'm really glad I did this, though, because I wouldn't have understood this sequel at all (I didn't even remember the whole triplet thing! or the incest! Both essential plot points in this). Unfortunately, this movie is just bat-shit crazy and not in a good way. It could have been decent if it were 100 minutes. But those extra 20 really bloat it - and some of it is so non-sensical (like how this kid's dad dies and they still make him attend a wedding?). The plot is just so over-worked. Then, the sister reveal is even crazier in this because her sister rapes her??? WHAT?! What the fuck am I watching? But there is some good stuff - the fashion is, once again, spectacular - the 3d floral crop top is to die for! There's a great supporting cast (Henry Golding, Elizabeth Perkins, Allison Janney), and Kendrick & Lively have really great energy together. It's funny too. But, the plot is too insane for it to be considered a good movie. And not to be nitpicky, but twins, even identical ones, don't have the same moles on their face. 

2. Love Hurts - Welp, I guess I was being hopeful when I thought Holland and The Gorge would be the worst films I see this year. This one is FAR worse, unfortunately. First of all, Ariana DeBose needs a new agent because no actor should not have this many misses so close after WINNING AN OSCAR (This, Kraven, I.S.S, Wish...I liked Argylle but she was a minor character). Second, Hollywood needs to get over the whole nostalgia "comeback" thing - the only reason that the three actors from EEAAO won Oscars is because of this, and the only one who deserved the win (Stephanie Hsu) was paid dust. But this is what happens - Ke Huy Quan was a cute child actor in a very famous 80s movie, and now he's the lead in an action romance even though he's not a good actor. It's fascinating that there are TWO Oscar winners in this movie and the acting is, by far, the worst part. Better actors could have made this work - actors who know how to command a screen, create chemistry and sparks with their scene partners, etc., but these two are fucking duds. I'm actually shocked that they released this into theaters. There's no way it passed any screen tests?! It should have been buried or thrown on Netflix. There is very little plot - it's just people fighting for some reason and then there's random poetry thrown in?! It makes no sense and it's just absolutely painful to watch. I do enjoy Lio Tipton and Cam Gigandet, though. I wish they were in a better movie!

3. Novocaine - Now this is a fun but dumb action film. It was actually way better than I was expecting. And Jack Quaid is in two of my favorite films of the year (so far, but it's way early) with this and Companion. The action is so good, but even more important - it is hilarious. Like, laugh-out-loud funny in multiple parts. *Spoilers Ahead* But the most successful part is that it pulls off a really unexpected twist half-way through the story *incredibly* well. Like, so well that both my husband and I both exclaimed "OH NOOOooooo!!!" at the reveal because the reveal is a bit of a heartbreaking moment. I'm not sure if it was obvious to others, but it certainly didn't cross my mind at all. And I'm usually fairly astute at figuring out where a story is going to go (I've taken a LOT of screenwriting classes and I used to do script coverage for an independent production company. I read about 2 screenplays a day - so 10 a week times 6 months. That's 240! At least.). I've been thinking about why it works so well, and I think it definitely boils down to the performances by both Jack Quaid and Amber Midthunder. The chemistry is instant, and it feels genuine. I also just think it's advertised as an action/romance - a damsel-in-distress and an unlikely hero has to overcome his own issues to rescue her type story. And that is the story *from his point of view*, but the layers to it make it really interesting. I'm still trying to be vague in case someone ignored my spoiler warning and hasn't seen it. It's not a twist I would want revealed to me beforehand. Anyway, I also think it feels a little different - the stakes are high with his rare genetic condition of not feeling pain. People assume that would be a superpower, but he could literally die by doing something so simple - like eating. It does take this whole gimmick a little too far - some of the situations he gets himself in are so ridiculous, but it makes it fun if you don't take it too seriously. 

4. Paddington in Peru - Not as good as the first two, but it's still cute. It's kind of crazy how well reviewed the first two films are, though. I think the second one has one of the highest RT scores ever. Just insane. They are both 3 star films (I also rated this one 3 stars, but it would rank last among them). It's also kind of crazy how stacked these films are in terms of casting - this one adds Olivia Colman and Antonio Banderas, but I don't have much else to say about this movie. It's definitely not as charming as the first two, and it's a little predictable in its twist. I also don't appreciate movies that show animals almost drowning (and I watched this not that long after I watched Mufasa, so that was still raw in my mind. It just makes me SO sad). I do appreciate that they actually filmed some of it in Peru. I would love to go there - it's on the list! We're doing Australia/New Zealand/Fiji this year, and then Greece next year, but maybe Peru in 2026? Machu Picchu is one of those bucket list travel spots that I hope I get to before my legs completely give out on me. Anyway, I did laugh a few times (the El Dorado gag really got me), so that's always a plus, but that's all I got. 

5. The Brutalist - This is one of those weird cases in which I recognize that this is a stellar film, but I also didn't love it. Is it in my Top 10? Sure. For a lot of reasons that I'll get to. But I also didn't find anything super original about the storytelling, and it's not something I would ever sit through again. I think I was expecting something a bit more experimental, so I was left feeling a little disappointed. I also find Adrian Brody insufferable - so a THREE HOUR movie starring him is just not ever going to be a movie that gets me excited. BUT, there's some really great stuff here. I'm a fan of Brady Corbet as a director - I didn't necessarily love Vox Lux, but I loved parts of it, and those parts that I did love are incredible. What I love the most about Corbet is that he's bold and takes risks. They may not always work, but I just like that he's trying to do something different. And that boldness is expressed right from the beginning of the film - with the stunning shot of the Statue of Liberty and the opening credits that move across the screen instead of scrolling up, as the camera moves forward along with the bus. It creates a really interesting effect that is hard to describe but I LOVED it. I also like the literal "hands that built America" immigration story - with the clear "villain" taking advantage of immigrants in their most desperate times. It's all a little in-your-face obvious, but that's not always a bad thing. And Brody is, unfortunately, fantastic (I'll never argue against his acting, it's his personality that I can't stand). I don't really think the supporting cast did anything special - Guy Pearce, Felicity Jones, Joe Alwyn - all pale in comparison to what Brody is giving. I know there was a slight controversy about the use of AI for the accents, and I'm not one to argue for the use of AI, but I don't really think this is a big deal? Accents are HARD and it can make a break a film for me if the accent is bad. I kind of appreciate that they wanted it *perfect* so they tweaked it using this technology. I do think that this is a slippery-slope though. It's also clearly a pro-Zionist message. I hate getting political on here, but maybe this wasn't the best time to make and release this film? Children are being murdered.