Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Official Secrets - I don't feel like I've seen Kiera Knightly in anything in a really, really long time. Like, maybe since Begin Again? Has it really been that long? She is a very specific type of actress. There are things that I absolutely love her in (like Atonement), but I'm not a fan of her when she does more modern roles or when she attempts an American accent (ooof). She's really strong in this - as is the rest of the cast (even Matthew Goode looking super hot!). I really liked the story and I was not familiar with the true story at all (I'm glad that it had a happy ending, because if it ended with this woman in prison, I would have been devastated). It highlights the struggle of being loyal to and having pride your country but also being able to criticize it in equal measure (which is incredibly relevant to how many Americans are feeling right now - it's really hard to have pride in something that also needs to be burned the fuck down). It's also sickening how easy it is for the government to completely destroy your life within minutes - the threats she receives, the fear of her husband's deportation, etc. It's all very straight-forward, but it was intense enough to hold my attention. 

2. Radioactive - Definitely one of the worst movies I've seen this year (most have been mediocre, at best). I think Rosamund Pike is a terrible actress (I know, I'm in the minority on this once again, but I hated her in Gone Girl too). She's beyond awful in this as one of the greatest scientific legends - Marie Curie. The film itself is extremely reductive in its telling of her story - the fact that it's considered in the "Romance" genre really tells you all you need to know. It's like when they made a movie about Stephen Hawking and made it more about his relationship than his accomplishments. It's just so dumb to reduce such brilliant minds to "but what was their relationship like?". It's even more problematic with Marie Curie because her husband got ALL of the credit for her work (at first, and I'm glad that they showed his support of his wife. He was an actual good guy, from what I've read). And then they continue showing her personal life even after her husband dies, and how vilified she became by the public for her sex life. I get that they were trying to show how smart and accomplished women will always be picked apart, but this is exactly the opposite of what Marie Curie would have wanted highlighted in her life story, surely? AND THEN, the film also takes a pretty negative stance on her discoveries - practically blaming her for the worlds biggest tragedies (footage of the bombing of Hiroshima, and cancer patients). What in the actual fuck? I think it's important to show the internal struggle that Curie may have had when she discovers how her work could be used for destruction, and that her discoveries were making people sick, but the way the film is edited - it doesn't really show her internalizing it - it shows it as fact. It's infuriating. The ending shows her selflessly and heroically taking her work to the battlefields to save thousands of lives, but also heavily implies that she's doing it out of guilt. Maybe I'm wrong, and I've just interpreted the story very negatively, but the inconsistencies in the story and the way the film has no clear vision - I have no choice but to form my own interpretation - and in my opinion, it sucks.  

3. Little Woods - Help, I had no idea that a movie existed with Lily James and Tessa Thompson! I feel like I'm pretty up-to-date with movies and filmmaking in general, but these movies keep sneaking up on me out of nowhere and it makes me feel so out of touch. This is also the first film written/directed by Nia DaCosta (I assumed she had a longer resume? People seem really excited for her Candyman remake and for her directing Captain Marvel 2, but why? Just because of this movie? That seems weird to me.). I liked this movie - it's quiet, reserved, and lovely. It's a great study on empathy - having empathy for people stuck in the cycle of being poor - leading them to petty crimes, leading to bigger crimes, leading to jail, leading to being poor again - it's hard to pull yourself out of that, even if you have the best intentions. It's also a story of sisterhood - the sacrifices one makes for family, etc. I think it could have gone a bit deeper, and it could have been a really effective film. I can't say that this is something I'll remember, but it's lovely all the same. Oh, and I really liked the music that is used. And on an irrelevant side note - they say in the movie that it costs 8-9k to have a baby without insurance, but surely it has to be more than that? I thought it was much higher than that, like 20k? 

4. Vivarium - Possibly the greatest sci-fi concept I've seen in a while, but they just do absolutely nothing with it. The beginning and end is so strong, but the core of the movie is sooooo boring. It starts with a young couple searching for a new house in the suburbs only to end up in a never-ending nightmare of suburbia landscape. There's a lot to unpack in its imagery and less than subtle allegories - the deconstruction of the "American dream", the dehumanization of a "productive" and "reproductive" society, the erasure of identity and uniqueness. It's all fascinating until...it's not. I currently live in the suburbs (not quite like the type in the movie - all the houses don't look the same, and I'm within walking distance of everything I need - although it's all chains like Chipotle and Whole Foods. I long for the days in which I could walk to the river and enjoy the view of NYC and then stop for somewhat authentic Thai food on my way home). It's honestly Hell sometimes. Our neighbors are annoying and intrusive, Sunday mornings are ruined by the echoing sounds of lawnmowers or snowblowers or leaf blowers, and I feel like the possibilities are limited instead of limitless. I think the movie misses the mark in showing all of this, partly because the characters are alone in this suburban labyrinth. It's great to showcase the isolation, but most of what makes suburbia so awful is the people. There are quite a few scenes that I liked, though (the one where they give the child the finger, for one). And I think Jesse Eisenberg and Imogen Poots make a very believable couple, and Poots gives a terrific performance of genuine horror and confusion (this may be the first time I've ever said something nice about her, but she definitely impresses me here). On another note, all of the posters for the movie are just superb. 

5. Tolkien - Extremely boring biopic about someone I care very little about. That sounds way harsher than I meant, but it's the truth. I know J.R.R Tolkien means a lot to a lot of people, but it's just not my thing. I mean, I appreciate the fantasy genre immensely, but I've never read the books and The Lord of the Rings and Hobbit movies are, in my opinion, generally good but...that's it? They aren't movies that I will ever revisit (because LONG - there is even a line in the movie about it "it shouldn't take 6 hours to tell the story of a ring" LOL.). I don't really understand making a biopic about someone who doesn't really have an interesting life. I do think they should have kept the focus on his imagining of this other world in order to survive the horrors of war - that's the only interesting part. Pretending something magical is happening is sometimes the best way to survive (which is why, in my head, I'm currently happily married to Taron Egerton. It's pure survival instinct.). The other stuff - like his friendships and the romance part is all just so dull (I guess we are supposed to see how he was inspired by them, but it's boring filler). Nicholas Hoult is getting better and better, though (side note: he is delightful in The Great - seriously, such a fun performance).