1. Oxygen - Such a brilliant little sci-fi movie. I was not expecting it at all. I watched this for Melanie Laurent, but I got sucked into the intriguing plot immediately. I really fell in love with Laurent with
Beginners - she has great screen presence and she's just so beautiful. I feel like these claustrophobic "one actor" stories always star men so this is a nice change of pace, and Melanie is the perfect person to carry a film like this. Plus this is the perfect movie to create during a pandemic (filmed last summer) - minimal cast, and it feels relevant but it's not directly related to real world events. There's some really cool visual elements, both in technology and camera-work. I also did not guess what was really going on at all. I thought I had it all figured out, but then the phone call with her mother really threw me off. I really enjoy all the little twists and turns, and ultimately the end is quite strong and makes a whole lot of sense. Right now this movie sits right on top of my favorite movies of this year. I expect that it won't be there for very long, but I still highly recommend it.
2. Army of the Dead - Oh geez...where do I begin??? Well, I'll start off by saying it's not a bad movie. I don't really think someone as talented as Zack Snyder is capable of making a "bad" movie. But, it's just...quite dull for a zombie apocalypse movie. It's like
Ocean's 11 mixed with
Dawn of the Dead, and in theory that should be AWESOME. The plot is actually pretty solid - and having Las Vegas as ground zero for a zombie apocalypse is actually kind of genius if this were like 20 years ago when Vegas was literally just surrounded by the desert, but now there is a huge suburban boom surrounding it (my entire dad's side of the family moved there, so I know it well). Anyway, I think the only thing I like about the movie is Tig Notaro, which is kind of telling considering that she wasn't even originally part of the movie. And while I'm on the subject, digitally inserting an actor into a movie is the worst idea ever. I applaud Snyder for taking swift action against an accused sexual assaulter and child pornography solicitor, but the whole idea scares me. And it just feels
off. I wonder if I would have noticed had I not known in advance, but it was hard to ignore that she feels unnaturally inserted into the movie. I also liked the girl who plays Bautista's daughter. She reminds me of Marion Cotillard (which is obviously a compliment of the highest order). But, I pretty much suffered through everything else. Visually, it's really freakin' blurry. Obviously a stylistic choice, but I hated it. I don't need to be shown what to focus on. The emotional notes all fell completely flat. The character that, I think, is supposed to provide comic relief, Dieter, is really annoying. It's waaaay too long, and it feels like every scene is dragged out an extra 3 minutes, at least. And finally, the music choices are really obvious - everything from "Viva Las Vegas" to "Zombie", if the movie was better, this might have worked and added to the campiness and fun, but instead it feels obnoxious. Overall, objectively, it's a 3 star movie, but I just wanted it to be so much more.
I'm in love with this movie, honestly. It's odd and confusing at times, but the heart of it is so damn beautiful. I can deeply relate to the main character in the movie - played by Sienna Miller, in a very stripped-down performance. I think if you've ever had issues with your memory, or had the feeling of your brain "breaking" or just have had a feeling of being incapacitated, then you'll be able to relate to it, too. The film focuses on this couple basically reliving their memories of important moments in their relationship. It has the same vibe as
The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby (a very underrated movie) and
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. But, the innovation behind it is that you watch the scene - their "memory", but then they break "the moment" by talking about it while they are acting it out (I'm not sure this makes sense, but I'm not really sure just how to describe it - it's like a meta recreation of memories?). I find it so interesting how people can experience the same moment but remember it differently. There's a lot of mystery behind what is going on - Is she dead, alive, in a coma? Will it end darkly with her giving in to her feeling of being dead or will it end with hope? I felt very overwhelmed emotionally, and I actually had to wipe a tear away at the end. There's some really great dialogue too - my favorite was the zombie interaction "zombies? But you hate zombies...", "they are my people now", but the line that hit me really hard is "You keep trying to prove that I'm okay, but I can prove that I'm not". All of it flows so well, even when it's weird and confusing, but I do think some of it becomes a little repetitive. Otherwise, I love it so much. Also, Sienna and Diego Luna make a really adorable couple.
Super, super cute movie. I like Dylan O'Brien a lot. He reminds me a little bit of Logan Lerman, mixed with Cory Monteith, mixed with my high school boyfriend (all are good things). So many things I like here - the opening is great, the use of narrating the story through his letters is a perfect use of a voice-over device (you get inside his head, without it feeling forced), the monsters are super cool and imaginative, and THE DOG is the best dog in the whole wide world. There are really strong, emotional scenes - like the "sky jellies" falling with "Stand by Me" playing. It all just works really well. But then, the last 1/2 hour just ruins everything. *spoilers ahead* It's obvious that the new group are "bad guys", and this whole "humans are worse than the monsters" trope is really overused lately. I just don't feel like any of it is actually necessary? It could have ended a lot more simply and sweetly. It's still a really cute movie, though. It just turned a 4 star movie into a 3 1/2 star movie, and that's super annoying.
Sometimes it's inevitable to compare movies of similar themes and genres - and as this is a female coming of age tale about two best friends and one crazy night - it's easy to compare it to its most recent predecessor -
Booksmart, and I have to say that this is SO MUCH BETTER. It instantly feels more authentic and genuine. Sorry, I know I'm
supposed to like
Booksmart (all the elements are there), but I kind of really, really didn't. Sunny and Lupe felt like real people - actual teenagers that I would have been friends with in high school. With
Booksmart, I felt like I could not connect with those kids at all - and I assumed that it was just because of the generational aspect, but this makes me realize that, no, that movie just tried way too hard and it didn't work for me. I don't think I've ever seen the two main girls in anything before, but they are both hilarious and cute. I don't necessarily connect with the plot - as it takes place in South Dakota and it's a very different place than where I grew up (sex-ed was actually about sex-ed not abstinence) and I think emergency morning after pills became available in like 98/99, but it was so new it still didn't really feel like an option. Anyway, my favorite part about this movie is that I laughed really hard multiple times. Like when they are trying to read the map - "is that red line traffic?". And the Jesus rap is hilarious. Oh wait, actually, my favorite part is that the guy that Sunny likes is actually a genuinely nice guy who likes her. I kept waiting for the twist of him being an asshole like making fun of her or pretending like he doesn't know her in front of his friends, but he doesn't. It's the best.
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