Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Call Me by Your Name - What a disappointment. I don't have any idea what everyone was praising this movie for. It's a really boring love story about an entitled boy and an even more entitled man (both are complete assholes and I have no idea why anyone roots for them to be happy???). Yes, Timothee Chalamet is good (not even close to the best performance of last year), and Yes, Michael Stuhlbarg is a treasure. That doesn't make this a good movie. Armie Hammer is adorable and that little dance that he does just about stole my heart, but again, this does not make this a good movie. Romance is not necessarily my favorite Drama sub-genre, but a great story is always welcome. This story felt very disingenuous. I never felt like they actually liked each other until *suddenly* they are in love/lust. Their interactions from the very beginning don't seem like real people talking to each other - they are very argumentative for no apparent reason and the scenes are cut really short. Also, I would never root for a relationship about an adult taking advantage of an impressionable teen who is at a critical moment of discovering himself. It's all just a really boring. That last shot, though, is perfect.

2. Only the Brave - Better than I thought, but still a little bit of a cliched "based on a true tale of heroic men" story. It's the type of movie that you would expect Marky Mark to star in, but the cast is actually great (for the record, I love Marky Mark, but I'm tired of him in these types of roles). Josh Brolin is an incredible underrated actor - he can do it all, from big blockbusters to indies to biopics, and he is brilliant in all of them. Miles Teller, Taylor Kitsch, James Badge Dale, Jennifer Connelly, Andie MacDowell, and Jeff Bridges - you really can't go wrong with that cast. So this film tells the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots - a group of 20 firefighters who battled the Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona, in which 19 of them died (*sorry for the spoiler, but it's a pretty famous story). I think they did a good job with development of characters and relationships - they created a good  amount of tension, but also camaraderie among them. They also did a great job with the drama between Brolin and Connelly's characters (as husband and wife) - there is very realistic fighting between them, but there is a still a deep love between them (and the fight is based on something big, not just bickering and drama for drama's sake). I really love how they edited the end credits with the real people, though. I think that will be the most memorable part of the movie.

3. Blockers - Cute, funny, semi-original, fully satisfying comedy. I laughed out-loud several times - my favorite scene is definitely The Notebook scene. I've mentioned my love for Leslie Mann many times before, but this movie just continued to solidify that love. She is one of the funniest actresses around, but still so charming and sweet (and GORGEOUS). I also really loved the girl who played Sam, and I figured out why! She's the wonderfully talented Pamela Adlon's daughter!! I can't wait to see more from her. John Cena definitely steals the spotlight, though - he has all of the really gross-out humor scenes that are (unfortunately) the most memorable scenes. He does it with an awkward, endearing ease. All of the characters are given moments and allowed to shine, which is great. The premise is a little wacky to me (my mom was never, ever invested in my personal life when I was a teenager. I think she always just assumed that I knew what I was doing and it was none of her business...). Also can they not say "Cock Blockers"? Because the title Blockers is odd, but it makes sense with the picture of the rooster in front of it. It's a weird, but brilliant way to circumvent the standards for film titles.

4. A Bad Moms Christmas - I liked Bad Moms for many reasons, and I was also frustrated by it for many reasons. Yet, overall, my memory of it is that it's a cute movie in which 3 talented women get to shine (actually 4 including Christina Applegate, but she wasn't in this one! How disappointing!). This one is...not so cute. It's also not funny. It's about these really entitled, wealthy people who I guess we are supposed to feel bad for because their Christmas doesn't go exactly as planned? I thought the first one had a good message about teaching your kids to be independent and grateful. This one didn't really have a message. Did Christine Baranski's character learn to not be a racist bitch? No...not really? So, what's the point then? Anyway, the only good thing about this movie is the end credits. Super cute. Oh, and Jay Hernandez.

5. Ready Player One - I haven't read the book (added it to the list!), so I didn't really have any of the expectations that people seemed to have. I know it's Spielberg and therefore, expectations are automatically high, but that hasn't been the case for me in....years. I honestly thought I would be bored to death, so I'm happy to report that I had so much fun with this movie! I mean, I guess as much fun as one can have with a movie set during a global apocalypse. Is it 90s Spielberg? Not even close. However, it felt closer to it than any movie of the last decade. I think many people are disappointed because it has so much potential to be more than it is - it's a 3 1/2 star film that could have easily been 5 stars. If they developed the characters a bit more, had a few more moments of wittier dialogue, edited the ending down, etc. it could have been perfect. But, it is what it is, and I enjoyed the Hell out of it. Partly because of the incredible cast - Olivia Cooke and Tye Sheridan are perfect. Partly because it felt like it was made with love and affection for pop culture. But mostly because it's just a solid, straight-forward summer blockbuster type flick.

Emmy Nominations: The Good, The Bad, and The Snubbed

The Good 

- Could this be the year that The Americans finally has some presence at the Emmy awards? While it's received some nominations in the past, it's never been nominated for Series (which is shocking). I think it might pull an upset and win this year! I'm really pulling for Keri Russell (especially since her main competition was NOT nominated...). Although I didn't realize that Tatiana Maslany was still in the running - It seems like Orphan Black ended years ago!

- Other shows that seem like their seasons were more than a year ago - GLOW and Better Things (both would have been included in my Best of TV post but I didn't realize they qualified for this year). GLOW was great - fun, heartwarming, easy to binge, and well-written. I'm happy that Betty Gilpin was recognized. Better Things is one of my favorite shows! The second season was even better than the first, and that final episode with the dance number made my heart soar. Pamela Adlon deserves every award ever.

- YAY for Netflix! 112 nominations! That's so crazy. I'm a big fan of whatever Netflix does.

- I wasn't in love with season 2 of Atlanta as much as I was with the first season, but two episodes really stood out (and no, it wasn't "Teddy Perkins" for me). "Woods" and "FUBU" are just about perfect. Brian Tyree Henry is so good in "Woods", I almost cried. How were these episodes not nominated for writing??? (although "FUBU" was nominated for directing, which is well-deserved). I'm also happy that Zazie Beets was nominated - she's my favorite on the show.

-Yay for Darren Criss!! He's so good as Andrew Cunanan. I think he might actually win?? His competition isn't very strong - although awards shows do love to shower Benedict Cumberbatch with awards. UGH.

- Of course I'm happy for The Crown, Westworld, This is Us, Stranger Things, but those were all 'expected' nominations.

The Bad 

- I'm sorry, The Sinner was a "good" show (not great, and not award-worthy), but Jessica Biel is one of the worst actresses of my generation. She wasn't awful here, but a freakin' Emmy nomination??? For real?

- Why the fuck would Ozark show up on any awards show list? That show had some great moments, but overall is very mediocre compared to the competition. I'm ok with Bateman getting a nomination (although I would have chosen J.K. Simmons in Counterpart over him), but the show received TWO, I repeat TWO, directing nominations. FOR WHAT EXACTLY? I don't understand.

- I know everyone suddenly hates Modern Family now, but I don't. It's still consistently funny and that's hard to do after so many seasons. After 8 consecutive nominations and 5 wins, it's finally fallen and it makes me sad.

- How SNL is receiving so much love is beyond me. I haven't enjoyed it since the Tina Fey/Amy Poehler days. I don't know anyone who watches it. When I told my boyfriend that Kenan Thompson was nominated for an Emmy, he replied "The guy from Kenan and Kel?" Because that's how he's still known, even though he's been on SNL for 15 years.

The Snubbed 

- How is Killing Eve not nominated? Even more shocking - Jodie Comer isn't nominated??? I thought I was reading it wrong when I went through the list. I assumed she would be as Lead Actress in a Drama, but then when her name was missing, I thought maybe she submitted herself as Supporting Actress in a Drama, then I figured maybe the show decided to call themselves a "mini-series" or something. But her name is NOWHERE on the nomination list. It's the best performance of the year. HANDS DOWN.

- I'v recently watched the show Counterpart (which is why you haven't seen me rave about it before bc now I will be going on and on about it for months). It's soooooo good. And it's J.K. Simmons in two versions of the same person! I know it's not really on anyone's radar, so I wasn't expecting nominations, but the question is why? There are just too many shows. And too many good ones. If this show came out even just 5 years ago, it would be all anyone talked about.

- Nothing for Brooklyn Nine-Nine? I know the competition is tough but take away the nominations for Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt (which I like) and give them to Brooklyn Nine-Nine  - it is far superior.

- While Netflix dominated, the one show I expected to show up more was Mindhunter! I thought Holt McCallany would definitely be nominated, along with some writing or directing nods? (But sure, let's nominate Ozark lol).

- Alison Brie is what made GLOW great. What a fuck up. Seriously.

- I know no-one talks about it, but I would have loved for Dan Levy to get a nomination for Schitt's Creek. It's my favorite comedic performance of last year (and yes, that includes Andre Braugher from Brooklyn Nine-Nine, who is usually my favorite).

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Annihilation - I don't know...I'm a bit disappointed. It was just hyped so much, and overall I wasn't impressed. It has some really beautiful moments and the cast is great, but the story is predictable and it felt very repetitive. After watching it, I thought that maybe it would be one of those films that stuck with me; that maybe after thinking on it, it would improve. That's not the case, at all. It's spectacularly unmemorable. I watched it over a month ago now, and I'm struggling to remember it enough to write about it. There was a tense scene with a bear....maybe? I do remember how beautiful every scene looked - so colorful, dense, and detailed. And I also remember how great the cast is, especially Tessa Thompson and Jennifer Jason Leigh because they are awesome. I'm super curious about the book, though. I know someone who thinks the book is awesome and someone else who calls the book "the worst book I've ever read" (and I trust both of them). I'm adding it to my reading list. I've been reading a lot more this year, which is why I've had even less time for movies. I realized at the end of 2017 that I only read 4 books and that is disgraceful! So this year I have a goal of at least 25 (I'm on #13 right now so right on track!).

2. American Made - I wasn't really expecting too much from this movie. Just Tom Cruise charming his way out of some drug smuggling situations. I'm a big fan of the Netflix show Narcos (oooooh Narcos! How did I forget about this show when I was writing my previous post about the best shows from this past season??? It should totally be on there.), and they briefly mention this American pilot who smuggled drugs for Escobar. It's a crazy interesting story, but this movie doesn't really capture anything interesting. It also gets really repetitive towards the end. Cruise is perfect for the role, but I think they seriously underutilized the supporting actors (did Lola Kirke even have any lines?). They spent too much time trying to make us like this guy (which was obvious the second they cast Cruise in the role), but to me, it just made the whole thing boring. We get it, it's Tom Cruise - we already like him, just get on with the story!

3. Phantom Thread - Interesting story about toxic relationships, which is not what I thought this movie was about. I guess I didn't really know what this movie was about because I never saw the trailer - I only knew that Daniel Day Lewis is in it and it's directed by PTA (sold!). I appreciate certain aspects of the movie - the biggest is PTA's directing/writing style. The story is layered, subtle, and unexpected. It can be interpreted several ways. I've read a few articles about the film's "meaning" out of curiosity, and it's fascinating how contradictory everyone's interpretations are. Is it a film about toxic masculinity? The fragility of the male ego? Is it a film about feminism? The struggle for women to take up more space in a "man's world"? Is it a love story? I don't have the answers for you. For me, it's a film about a narcissistic asshole and this stubborn woman who thinks she can change him. They are both abusive in their own way and they need each-other. And I think that can be true of many modern relationships (I wouldn't call that "love" though). While the themes are all fascinating, my problem with the movie is that it is booooooorrrrriiiiing. And, man, those dresses are ugly.

4. The Disaster Artist - NOPE. I don't get it. I didn't think I would, considering that I haven't seen The Room, but from what I've read and seen about it and of Tommy Wiseau, I could tell it wasn't going to be my thing. The Disaster Artist is a well-made film, don't get me wrong, and James Franco is superb, but I just can't get into a story about an arrogant, self-absorbed, delusional, obnoxious asshole treating people like garbage in order to "follow his dream" and then everyone having a big laugh about it. It's actually fucking disgusting. There's a big difference between not caring what people think about you, and being so self-involved that you think it's ok to ruin the experience that other people are having. I'm talking specifically about the scene in the diner where they start loudly reciting their lines - the fucking nerve - people are trying to enjoy a meal with their friends/family, shut the fuck up! Tommy's point is that you shouldn't care if people are looking at you and judging you (true), but that doesn't give you permission to be rude. Anyway, even though the whole movie pissed me off, James Franco deserved the Oscar nomination (and maybe even the win) - the controversy hurt his chances, which is a necessary result BUT then Gary Oldman won, um....so....that's awkward.

5. Red Sparrow - Not nearly as bad as I was expecting - I actually kind of liked it? I think people were expecting something more action-packed and fun - and in that way, it would definitely be disappointing. But I liked that it is dark (like really fucking dark), and it's more about the harrowing abuse that these Red Sparrows had to suffer in order to serve their country. It's really interesting to think about in the context of other famous Russian spy characters (Elizabeth from The Americans comes to mind - because she is fucking ruthless and I LOVE it, but a character like this probably suffered the realities depicted in this movie). I don't think Jennifer Lawrence was right for this role - first, that accent was ROUGH - she was focused on the accent so much that her face did not move for the entirety of the movie; second, she seems so much older than she is, so when Joely Richardson is her mother and Matthias Shoenaerts is her uncle - it seems weird. The ending was twisty, but all sort of obvious (and I don't think it would actually make sense if I watched it again and put the pieces together). I do think it's an interesting concept, and an interesting start to something, it just never quite gets there, though.

Best Films of 2017 ***Updated***

It's that time of year again! Time for me to update my Best Films list, now that I've actually seen a majority of the movies that I wanted to see from last year. Like I predicted, my top 6 did not change. There are still a few movies that I didn't get the chance to see yet (the big one is last year's Oscar winning best picture, The Shape of Water), but a lot of the movies that I expected to add to my list didn't make the cut anyway (*ahem* Call Me by Your Name. What a snooze-fest). Anyway, here it is: 

1. Dunkirk
2. mother!
3. Baby Driver
4. Logan
5. Blade Runner 2049
6. Get Out
7. The Killing of a Sacred Deer
8. Colossal 
9. Lady Bird 
10. I, Tonya 
10.5. Wind River