Thoughts on 5 Films

1. All the Money in the World - Not a movie that I will necessarily remember 5 years from now, but I was entertained while watching it. I remember all of the controversy surrounding it (Kevin Spacey being replaced & Michelle Williams not getting the same pay as Marky Mark for reshoots), but I don't remember hearing anything about the actual movie (which is a huge problem with film critics today). This story is incredibly interesting, especially because only very few know what actually happened, so we just have to trust their version of events even though there are so many rumors of the events happening differently. The Getty family is is one of those Untouchable One-Percenters (just like The Kennedys or The Waltons - they have some super sketchy dark history, but none have been held accountable - and the truth will likely never come out). It's weird to me that Balthazar Getty (from Brothers & Sisters) is one of the Gettys (I only learned that like a year ago). Anyway, I liked this movie - the acting is great, the story is obviously intriguing, but I do think the editing could have been a little tighter. They only touched lightly on the fact that The Getty kidnapping could have been a setup - and I think that is the far more interesting version. I'm now interested in watching the mini-series that came out last year, because I think they tell the other version of events.

2. The 15:17 to Paris - Honestly, this is one of the worst movies I've ever seen. I know that seems dramatic, but I would put it up there with Movie 43 and The Happening. This is a great lesson on how essential actors are to a film. I think people have this misconception that anyone can be an actor, but it does actually take a talent that not many people have. Also, they stayed true to the story - including the dialogue that occurred leading up to the event - and this is another lesson on why writers are so important, even for something that is a true story. You still need a writer to make it...interesting. The dialogue between these guys was so lifeless and it almost seems like a parody of how "dude bros" talk. It's absolutely crazy to me that an established director (Clint Eastwood for fuck sake!!) would watch the footage of this and think that he actually made a watchable film. The third lesson that one can take away from this movie is that not everyone deserves to have a film made about them. These guys are heroes - nobody can question that. It's fact. But their lives leading up to this point isn't very interesting. And the actual event lasted mere minutes, so stretching it all just feels bloated. In order for this to be an interesting film - there needed to be layers, different perspectives, actual actors, better dialogue - so pretty much change the whole thing or...go back in time and just don't make it.

3. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile - Lifetime movie material. I think that a lot of Netflix originals have a Lifetime movie vibe, and that's not necessarily a bad thing, but it's just different from a movie that should be released in a theater (not like I even go to the theater anymore, but still...my point stands). I'm a big fan of Zac Efron, and he got mostly rave reviews for this, but I would rather see him in comedies. He's not great at the dramatic stuff, in my opinion. I can see why he was cast though - charming little fucker. I think the film got a lot of flack for "idolizing" a serial killer, but Ted Bundy was also a charming little fucker, so it's historically accurate. It's how he was able to get away with murdering women for so long - and I think it's essential for young women to watch stories like this. I'm always a bit skeptical of men that are too charming (in real life, actors are different - like James McAvoy is charming with a Capital C, but he is paid to be that way). I feel like I can see the hate in their heart and it is terrifying. Luckily, I don't think we have to worry (as much) about serial killers, like they did back then. I recently read the late Michelle McNamara's book about the Golden State Killer and it was chilling to realize how prominent serial killers were back in the 70s (thank God for modern science!). I don't know much about Ted Bundy, but did he really escape from jail....TWICE?! What the fuck were they doing back then? The supporting cast is great - Lily Collins, John Malkovich, the woman from Westworld, and one of my favorite young actresses - Kaya Scodelario, rocking a wig only she could make work. I think that it could have been a much darker story - it felt very light for a movie about a serial killer. I did appreciate that it didn't go into too much of the horrific way he murdered women - it was a told from a different perspective (mostly from his long-time girlfriend - someone who didn't know how evil he was).

4. Suspiria - I have not seen the original (I'm a bad cinephile! And I don't give a fuck...). This version didn't really make me want to seek out the original. Although, it did hold my interest. It's weird and beautiful and dark, and that combination always makes great visual storytelling. I just think the "weird" becomes a little bit too much, and it's just overwhelming to keep up with the "what lies beneath" story. There is a scene that will stay with me forever (the scene). It's like nothing I've ever seen before (like if you take the scene from Hereditary and multiply it by a hundred). I actually had to look away from the screen, and that's not something I have to do very often. I'm not a big fan of Thom Yorke (I actually hate Radiohead. I was an outcast among my friends in high school for this stance, but his voice just gives me an instant headache), so the music really bothered me. I had a few other issues with this movie - I hate the old age makeup - Tilda Swinton can pull off a lot, but this is just ridiculous. I also think Dakota Johnson is not the greatest actress (I haven't written her off completely just yet, but she needs to step it up!). The editing is really where this film falters though, if it was just a little bit tighter and more concise - I would have been able to put up with the "weirdness" of it all. Instead, I got bored real quick.

5. Vice - I was one of those people that absolutely LOVED The Big Short. I understood the criticism of it, but it totally worked for me (I also adored Moneyball). I liked this movie - not as much as I was hoping to, but it still totally worked for me. This is the kind of editing that I can get behind - it's quick, it's concise, every scene feels important to the story. The acting is obviously brilliant - you can't get better than Christian Bale, Amy Adams and Sam Rockwell - three of the strongest working actors today. The story would be great if it weren't true, but man, does the truth fucking hurt. It's a great time to tell this story (even though it feels like it happened yesterday) because it's very relevant to what is happening with the presidency now. We have a Dick Cheney multiplied by ten as our sitting president and that should terrify everyone (but he still has supporters! which terrifies me even more). Cheney was a complicated man - I always thought it was interesting that he has a gay daughter, but is a strict republican. The whole family is a big oxymoron - such strong female figures who are also republicans. Conservative feminists fascinate me (although do they even consider themselves feminists? I don't think they like to use that word, even though I'm sure they believe in equal rights and equal pay for women. So what do they call themselves?). Anyway, Lynne Cheney is a fascinating woman (and LOL at her saying "we wear our bras!", did that actually happen? It made me laugh for like an hour). It's really sad that Liz Cheney chose her political career over supporting her sister (and really questions what she actually thinks vs her just playing to her "base". What a bunch of fucking liars, the lot of them. Democrats, Republicans, doesn't really matter - all a bunch of fucking liars just playing to their "base").