1. The Invisible Man - *spoilers ahead* For some odd reason, I've been watching a lot of Elisabeth Moss stuff - this and
Shirley in the same week, plus I started & finished season one of
The Handmaid's Tale (it's great but so depressing and anxiety-inducing). I do not like her, but I can't argue that she chooses to participate in some wonderful projects. I heard some incredible things about this movie, which seemed hard to believe, but most of them are actually true! I am very critical of films that deal with domestic abuse (my college thesis project was a deep dive into films with this topic, like
Sleeping with the Enemy and typical Lifetime movies, and then I attempted to write a screenplay that fixed my issues. It was hard.). But I think this movie attempts to show how dangerous and psychopathic abusive men are - and it's not as easy to "just leave" as many seem to think it is. I *do* have to point out that this woman has the advantage of having support from her sister (in her initial escape, as well as figuring out shelter), AND she doesn't have children (which changes everything). But the beginning sequence is rightfully intense - with just the right amount of suspense, and horror movie jump-scares. Then, the movie successfully turns into a full-blown horror movie - it's a bit ridiculous, but it's also all done very well. I like the use of the camera as "the other" perspective - it makes it super creepy. The biggest success is that she figures out the *twist* that he is in fact alive, and invisible, pretty quickly so it's not a big reveal at the end. The movie quickly turns from a horror movie into a psychological thriller about this man actively destroying this woman's life (I did not see *that* scene with the sister coming AT ALL. Holy shit). Overall, I think this movie is very well done (even if I
still don't like Moss). I do have about a MILLION questions about some of the plot points - like - if, as she states "nobody knows I'm here" and she received a letter, then wouldn't they have moved her? Because someone obviously did if she received mail. Did she know that he was working specifically with invisibility? Because I would never just assume that an invisible person was stalking me. It's like believing in ghosts. I would assume that I was hallucinating and I would instantly be like "lock me away, it's finally happening". Also, why did the sister believe that nasty email? And speaking of the sister, why the fuck is she so rude to the waiter for absolutely no reason? And even something so minor as the *open* can of paint just laying around really bothers me. Great, now my brain hurts.
2. A Hidden Life - I'm such a fucking sucker for watching and hating Terrance Malick movies. This one is no different. It's just like EVERY OTHER Malick movie - way too long (3 FUCKING hours), absolutely stunning cinematography, monotonous narration, and repetitive shots of people laying in tall grass and petting each other and grasping hands (seriously, at least 6000 of these shots). I couldn't even tell you what the movie is about - other than he goes to war, and it's sad. It's all just pure torture. I don't even have anything else to say - it's just so tiring, and yet I just keep getting sucked in.
3. Replicas - This is a nice reminder for everyone that Keanu Reeves
can't actually act. He just got really lucky with some iconic roles that don't require a whole lot of emotion, and is therefore a legend. I mean, I'm a huge Keanu fan, but facts are facts. This is one of the worst movies I've seen in a while, which is a shame because it has a great sci-fi plot. If it was done well, it could have been really fun. Instead, it is a chore to sit through. Basically, this guy is scientist who is working on transplanting human neural maps into androids, when suddenly his wife and three children are killed in a car crash. He, logically, decides to transfer their neural maps into clones essentially bringing his family back to life. That sounds awesome...right? I mean, dumb, but awesome. However, there are only three cloning pods, so he has to choose. The biggest problem is that he chooses to save his wife over one of his children. I guess it has to be done that way because he can conveniently "erase" his daughter from their memories, but it would be impossible to "erase" the wife, because then where did the children come from? But I think he could have figured it out because killing off your kid will always be the wrong choice. Anyway, the dialogue is also really awful. And then the plot goes completely off the rails once the "bad guy" twist happens. It's just hard to watch, really.
Not technically a movie, but I thought I would include it with my film thoughts anyway since 2020 is such a weird year for the industry - anything goes at this point. I really had no interest in ever seeing this and I love going to Broadway, watching live productions (I was a Drama studies major for a reason). This just honestly looked horrendous to me, even with the almost unanimous praise for it. I still stand by my opinion that some of it is really...painful. Lin-Manual Miranda is obviously a talented writer, lyricist, and musician, but his voice is like nails on a chalkboard for me. I cringed during every one of his songs, and cringed harder during his rapping. I feel the same way with Leslie Odom Jr., so that's like two-thirds of the musical that I had a hard time enjoying. And the plot is...so...boring. HOWEVER, there is some great stuff to point out. The biggest highlight is Daveed Diggs and Jonathan Groff. Not only does Daveed have a stronger presence, he also can actually rap. And Jonathon has actually theater training that he puts to use - his voice has more power behind it, plus he has wonderfully exaggerated facial expressions that are necessary for live performances. I also enjoy Renee Elise Goldsberry (I recognize her from
The Good Wife, but more importantly from
Aly McBeal!). She has a great presence and strong voice, as well. Plus, her first song is one of the best of the whole production. I think the only other performance that I can say I truly enjoyed is the rap battle between Hamilton and Jefferson (simply because it's amusing). I will also say that the camera-work done to film this live performance is astounding, but I wonder if it hindered the live performance for the audience?
5. Enola Holmes - Super cute YA story. For me, I can't really say I enjoyed it because it seems a little immature, but I can see pre-teens enjoying this. There is a really sweet mother/daughter relationship in the beginning, and the mystery builds quite nicely. It's a little too long - there is just so much filler, so I got a little bored with it. The
Fleabag connection (directed by Harry Bradbeer) is quite clear with the constant breaking of the fourth wall, but Millie Bobby Brown does a great job making it work. She's wonderful in this. She's super cute, has some great comedic moments, and holds your attention even through the dull bits. Henry Cavill is super stiff and boring, as per usual. Hot, but boring. I have no idea why anyone would want a spinoff with his Sherlock (I've read it's in discussion, but UGH...HOW, WHY?). Originally, I thought this was a new TV series, rather than a movie, and I think that would have actually worked better? Maybe as a short 8 episode mini-series? I think it would have helped the "mystery" bits, and it wouldn't have felt as boring.
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