Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Babylon - Well, I LOVED it. This is Chazelle's fourth film in a row that has ended up on my Top 10 of the year lists (not to mention - they are his only four films). I don't think any other modern director has accomplished that for me (Affleck had three and then bombed with Live by Night). I understand why others might not like it - it's obscenely grandiose, loud, messy, and over-stimulating, but at its heart it is about the love of film-making, and loving something is accepting all of the things that you hate about it as well. This film is definitely not made for the masses (the first 20 minutes sure make that clear), but anyone with an affinity and/or understanding of film-making and acting will definitely have more of an interest in it. I feel like Chazelle is making a strong point about the "movie star" aspect of making a movie, as we watch the rise (and fall) of the movie star within the transition of silent films to films with sound, and that's the part that interests me the most. Margot Robbie proves the vital acting ingredient is an often ignored aspect in modern films: screen presence. As she says "You don't become a star. You either are, or you ain't". And let me tell you, Robbie is a STAR. I don't think acting is necessarily hard, but there is certainly a skill to it. Robbie shows this skill, while still showing that her actual presence is what makes this movie work so well. Her character becomes the biggest Hollywood silent star, but then once the business changes towards films with sound, she fails miserably. I also think showing the difference in how films are made pre and post sound, is a striking contrast. The chaos of the first production is sort of mind-blowing because as someone who has been on a few film sets - I baulked at the wildness of it all. There are so many scenes happening at the same time - there's a randomness to it all, but it also looks like A BLAST. But once sound is introduced...guess what? Film sets are not fun. You can never film a production like that again because the noise would just bleed into everything. I know technology has changed a lot, and now they can isolate noises and clean up sound in post, but it's still kind of a miserable experience. There's so much standing around on film sets - waiting and waiting. And then when something is actually finally filmed, they film it a MILLION times (at least that's what it feels like). I think you have to have a specific personality for finding that fulfilling, but I just couldn't do it. I'm going off-topic a bit, but my point is that the scene that they film later within this film, with sound, is painstakingly accurate. Anyway, back to Robbie, because she is stunning in this (I definitely would have put her in the Best Actress Oscar category - I would have picked her, Rebecca Hall, Thuso Mbedu, Ana de Armas and maybe Mia Goth? Although I did just watch Official Competition and Penelope Cruz is an acting force! My point is that neither Yeoh or Blanchett deserved that spot and that's coming from someone who loves them both. And I haven't seen Till yet). I don't necessarily like her NY/NJ accent (she did it well in The Wolf of Wall Street but then everything else has been way overdone), but otherwise she proves here how incredibly diverse of an actress she is. While this is Chazelle's fourth incredible movie, I do still feel like I don't know who he is yet - I still see inspiration from other directors like Luhrmann & Tarantino with this, while I've seen references to Spielberg and Greengrass in his previous efforts. But I also think that's the difference between someone who studied filmmaking - it's harder to become an auteur or do anything unexpected and/or experimental if you're constantly pulling from the other filmmakers. I do think he has a knack for incorporating music and/or sound (it's a theme in all four films) - and he's fully aware of how to make a film an experience. And those sets are gorgeous. This definitely should have swept a few Oscar categories (Production Design, Sound, Cinematography). 

2. Luther: The Fallen Sun - I'm a big fan of the Luther tv series - it was a pre-cursor to Killing Eve (which was a great show until it wasn't). Luther is one of my favorite television characters EVER, and Idris Elba is perfect in this role. I was a little disappointed to find out that Alice (Ruth Wilson) isn't in this, although ****spoiler**** did she die in the series??? I can't really remember. But it's a little weird that she isn't even mentioned in this considering that she's such a major character. But I like that they gave Luther his own story and this feels just like an extended episode. Plus, Cynthia Erivo is in this, and I love her probably just as much as Ruth Wilson. And Andy Serkis is an excellent bad guy. I have a funny Andy Serkis story, though, because my husband and I were trying to finish Andor (ugh...such a chore) and he turned to me when Serkis was onscreen and said "what do I know him from?". My husband doesn't watch a lot of movies/tv so I thought of what the most obvious thing would be and I said "Gollum?" and he said "Jesus Christ, you're so mean sometimes! He looks like a normal man, stop being so judgmental!" and I was super confused until I realized that he thought I was saying that Serkis was ugly and looked like a Gollum type creature. I almost died from laughing so hard, which made my husband even more upset. "It's not funny! You're really mean!". Through my laughter, I said "NOoooo. He's Gollum. Like actually did the mo-cap for Gollum. I thought that's why you might recognize him." "OHHHHHH, yes....that is where I know him from". LOL. I'll never forget it. Annnnyway...he's great in this (the wig...is...not good), and I think sometimes he's overlooked as an actor just because he's so good doing the mo-cap stuff that he does. The story is very dark, as expected, and it moves very quickly. And I love how they ended it with this Bond-esque teaser - he's definitely being recruited into...something, and with all the Bond rumors that have surrounded Elba for years (that are obviously not happening. I'm pretty sure Aaron Taylor-Johnson has that in the bag, unfortunately), it's cool that the Luther story is just going to create their own version. 

3. Armageddon Time - Such a forgettable movie - I watched it a few weeks ago and barely remember it! *must refer to my notes! And apparently, I wrote a lot of notes!* As soon as I started watching it, I realized that this is the project that Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong were working on when she tried to defend him for his method acting nonsense (sorry, but I think it's nonsense. I think Taron Egerton had the best response to it recently when he also called it nonsense, and remarked that it can sometimes lead to wonderful performances but a good actor should be able to act without using this method. He also pointed out that he would prefer to have a respectful working environment and sometimes method acting gets in the way of that. I'm paraphrasing because I don't feel like looking up the article right now, but it's close enough and he's right. And perfect, but that's another topic.). The hilarious part of this is that I've always loved Jeremy Strong, but lately, I've found his acting almost cartoonish (while I like Succession, I don't think Strong is the highlight). In this, it's almost unbearable to watch - and it feels like he's doing a Ray Romano impression. Like full-on Ray Romano. But, he sort of matches what everyone in the cast is doing. I love Anthony Hopkins (obviously, doesn't everyone?), but this is the worst casting decision I've seen in a while. There are plenty of actors in their 80s who would fit this bill (Jewish New Yorker), and I don't always believe that you need to cast to specific identities, but Hopkins does nothing to convince me he is a Jewish New Yorker (he doesn't even try to hide his Welsh accent). Anne Hathaway, somehow overdoes her New York accent, even though she's FROM NEW YORK. It's all just cringe. Just major cringe. And it's not even a good story - it's basically trying to conflate the plight of Jews with the plight of black people in America, but as they even talk about in the movie, Jewish people can assimilate, we can change our name, etc., but you can't change your skin color. And I'm saying that as a someone who is from a Jewish family with a very Jewish last name. The film takes place in the 80s, but I don't think that much has changed (unfortunately), so I feel like this story, which is based on the writer/director's (James Grey), own childhood is kind of racist. It's like this white guilt, "but it's not my fault because I'm not racist, I had a black friend growing up!", combined with "but my life was also difficult" BULLSHIT. His life is basically a dramatic version of The Goldbergs and if you've ever watched that show (you should - it is hilarious), you'll know that those kids have the fucking best life imaginable. Like I'm supposed to sympathize with you because your parents love you and want you to have the best education? OH NO POOR GUY. *some spoilers ahead* I do feel bad when his grandpa dies, but, I mean...that happens to everyone? My grandfather also died of bone cancer and was a big presence in my life as a child. He died when I was 16 and it sucked, but it's not interesting enough to make a movie about! Also, not interesting - the fact that he and his black friend commit a crime and only his black friend got caught. I feel like this happened/s to every white kid who had/s black friends (definitely happened to me. And yes, I still feel guilty about it, but I wouldn't make a movie about it. LOL). Anyway, as you can tell. I hated this movie. Actually it's not memorable enough for me to hate it, but I definitely hated watching it. I will say, though, that the two kid actors are wonderful (and completely superior to the big named co-stars). Oh and Jessica Chastain shows up in a *blink and you'll miss it* moment as Donald Trump's sister! How weird. 

4. Lady Chatterley's Lover - I watched this for Jack O'Connell. He's just dreamy. (I HAVE A TYPE OBVI). I've been a fan since Skins, but I thought *for sure* that his career would really take off after Unbroken. I mean, he's been steadily working since then, but nothing that has really made him a star (at least in America. I can guarantee that I know *maybe* two people in real life who would know him by name. Anyway, I will watch anything that he's in (and I've only seen one bad performance from him, that's not even worth mentioning the title). However, as you may know already, I think Emma Corrin is a terrible actor (is the non-binary word for actor/actress just actor? That seems wrong somehow?). I hated them in The Crown, I don't care how many awards they won for that performance, it was God-awful. And I've seen a few other things now to make a solid judgment call that I'm not a fan. I've never read this novel, but the story is definitely familiar (maybe I've seen a previous movie version?). There are aspects of it that I really, really like. It's super horny and the sex scenes are explicit, which is somehow being scrutinized these days, but I love a good sex scene between hot people! I wish these two had a bit more chemistry, but there's a lot of nakedness and hot sex. Love it. It also has a really consistent pace and interesting dialogue - like the line "the mechanical act of sex is nothing compared to a life lived together". I do think that sex is an important part of a relationship, but certainly not *the most* important. It would definitely suck if your partner was injured like that or sick etc., that would prevent a satisfying sexual relationship, but that's kind of a part of the whole "marriage" thing - to accept that and to promise to still be there. To live a life together, no matter what happens. It's interesting that he encourages her to seek pleasure outside of their marriage (I don't think that's an acceptable solution for most nowadays. Or maybe even then, I guess), but if you think of sex as a "mechanical act", then this would make sense. Realistically, though, for most, sex is not a mechanical act, it's more often than not, a very emotional act. Anyway, I definitely found myself enthralled by the whole plot for its entirety, which surprised me because it's a romance drama that is over 2 hours long. I just wish I liked the lead more (I would have loved if Ella Hunt was the lead instead of a side character!) and there are a few too many scenes of characters pining dramatically (like looking out the window at the rain *rolls eyes*). Overall, though, I liked it. 

5. Women Talking - Uhhhhhhhhhhhhh I did not like this and I hate that I have to admit that. I love Sarah Polley so much. I've been a fan of hers since Go! (I was a big fan of that movie, in general, but specifically Sarah's character). Take That Waltz is superb - a film that I often think about. And Stories We Tell is one of my favorite documentaries EVER (I don't really like the genre, but she addresses why I have problems with it - perspective and memories are never absolute truths). I realize nowadays that people find it difficult to criticize things they love (it feels like that, anyway), but that's just not my personality. I can dislike this movie and still adore Polley. I still rooted for her at the Oscars (I mean, it was up against Top Gun: Maverick and Glass Onion for fuck sake - narrowed down the choices considerably). I certainly didn't expect to dislike this (and by dislike, I don't really mean it's bad - it's a 3 star movie but my disappointment is overwhelming), with this cast - Claire Foy, Jessie Buckley and Rooney Mara is an incredible triple threat (and Foy should have received some awards love for this performance), and the story is gut-wrenching but one that needs to be told. But, my first problem, is, once again, this movie about the rape and abuse of an entire community of women, is produced by Brad Pitt (if you don't understand why this is a problem, I'll explain: He absolutely knew that Weinstein was abusing young actresses, his own wife became a target. There's all these articles about how he "heroically" stood up for her (great!), but then HE CONTINUED TO WORK WITH HIM FOR DECADES. So he only cares about women if they are married to him??? And with Jolie's accusations, I'm not even sure that's true. It's embarrassing that we keep letting him produce films about women's stories). I also just feel like the story is a little repetitive - they all list their reasons for whether to stay or go, and then they...just keep repeating themselves. It's very bland and colorless, too, so my attention just dissipated after about 30 minutes. Foy has, by far, the more interesting role - as the one who is visibly the angriest ("I will become a murderer if I stay"). And I like that they end with this sort of questioning of how we teach our children (the future men of society). I do think that *this* is where change is actually going to happen. And I think that some are viewing this as a "weakening" of masculinity, but there has to be a compromise, surely? We can teach boys to be proud of their strengths as men (men are great! They are generally protectors and providers! Nothing wrong with that!), while also teaching them to not rape and abuse women? How is it that complicated? 

Thoughts on 5 New TV Shows

1. Animal Control - I only watched the first few episodes, but it's super cute. I doubt it will last very long because none of Joel McHale sitcoms last very long, aside from Community. Obviously, the animal aspect is a big part of my enjoyment (kangaroos! bears! snakes! cougars! rabbits! I love them ALL!), but I also really, really instantly adore this cast. Aside from McHale (who plays a similar character to....uh...every sitcom character he has done, but he's really good at it), there are GREAT supporting characters and it's already so hard to pick a favorite among them - although I'll probably pick Grace Palmer as Victoria because she's super hot and she has an accent (check and check!). I also love that Vella Lovell is in a much chipper role than My Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (although she was hilarious in that role, she reminded me a bit of April Ludgate from Parks & Rec). They all have such great chemistry so quickly, which I think is rare for sitcoms (a LOT of sitcoms need a whole season for the chemistry to work - Parks & Rec is a perfect example of this). It's also laugh-out-loud funny. 

2. Copenhagen Cowboy - This is exactly what you'll expect if you're familiar with Nicolas Winding Refn projects. You can literally put on any scene in the mini-series and instantly know that it's Refn's.  It's a neon soaked noir-thriller - a visual feast with Refn's signature camera-work, a measured pace, an excellent soundtrack, and perhaps most importantly, a really memorable outfit for the main character (that cobalt blue track suit & puffy jacket is so intense and memorable). The story starts off really strong (I watched the first three episodes in one sitting), but it meanders a little too much for my liking and unfortunately I just got a little tired of it - it also hurts that it's in Danish because the combination of it being really slow, and having to read the captions just really falls apart by the 5th episode. BUT, I still think it's worth watching if you are a fan. There's some terrific acting, especially the lead actress (Angela Bundalovic), and some scenes that are absolutely stunning. It just probably could have been condensed into 4 episodes. 

3. Cunk on Earth - Uhhhhh this is hilarious. I don't really see many people talking about it and I don't think Netflix has advertised it at all, but it's really, really funny. I watched it because I recognized the woman from that Ricky Gervais show After Life, and she was my favorite character on that show. Her name is Diane Morgan and apparently she did a version of this show a few years ago called Cunk on Britain (I'm going to have to seek that one out!) and has played this character, Philomena Cunk in other projects and seems to be pretty popular in the UK. Maybe with this and After Life, she'll become more popular over here because she is absolutely hilarious. This series is basically a satire of history channel docuseries type shows about the history of civilization, but she asks really silly questions and is a bit of an airhead about it all. I have to emphasize how insanely silly it really is, but it's also sort of refreshing to just laugh at the dumbest things imaginable. I literally cried from laughing so hard, which hasn't happened in a while. I find it hilarious that she brings up "Pump Up the Jam" regularly and then plays a snippet of the video for absolutely no reason at all - it gets me every time. I also think the experts are just really good sports - nobody seems to want to hurt her feelings or call her dumb, they just look at her a little bewildered and skeptical, but still try to answer her in a serious way. I can't wait to watch more of her. I wish she was my best friend. 

4. Daisy Jones and the Six - I can't even express to you how much I didn't enjoy this book. Just so poorly written, contrived, cliched, and lacked all emotion necessary to click with these characters. I adore Riley Keough, though. So, I decided to give this a try. I watched the first four episodes and I'm not convinced that it's any better than the book. The casting is a HUGE problem. First, I'll focus on Keough as Daisy because in theory I can see why she was cast - as the granddaughter of the biggest musical act of all time, I think she must have an inherent understanding of this rockstar lifestyle. But, a big part of this character is that she's one of those women that has a *presence* that you can't ignore; that California cool girl who rolls out of bed not knowing what day it is but somehow succeeds in everything she does. Keough does not fit that description - her Daisy feels measured and planned. There is zero chaos to her. After I read the book, I looked up some more reviews (because I was baffled at the praise), and I found out that it's thought to be based on Stevie Nicks. So, basically Fleetwood Mac fan fiction and for some weird reason people like to read fan fiction (isn't that how that Fifty Shades of Grey book came about?). Changing the character to someone a little more smarter and nuanced, isn't necessarily a bad thing, but in this case, Daisy also becomes very, very boring. Next, Sam Claflin (how on Earth did I not know his last name Claflin? I always thought it was Caflin). I think I've mentioned it before, but I'm in shock that he's as young as he is. He's late 40s in my head (which is not an insult - men almost always look better as they get older). He's a strong actor, but watching him play someone in his 20s is laughable. There is also a scene in which I think he's supposed to be a teenager (LOL). The two of them are supposed to have this INSANE chemistry, and while their interactions have been limited in these first four episodes, I just don't think it's going to happen for me. Also, both of them have nice voices, but....not anything to rave about?! The supporting cast is Suki Waterhouse & Camilla Marrone, both of whom are only as famous as they are because they dated Bradley Cooper & Leo DiCaprio, respectively. I've seen Waterhouse in something else before and she was terrible, she's even worse in this. I also think it's funny that she made a point in an interview that she reached out to her friend, my husband, Taron Egerton (they were in a movie together - the one that she was terrible in), for advice on taking on a role as a musician, as if she's undertaking some big challenging role and...uh...she's barely in it and I don't even think she's had any performance based scenes??? (and also, STAY AWAY FROM HIM. I think she's dating RPatz now? Hopefully.). But Marrone is the only interesting actor of the whole bunch. She kind of reminds me of Diana Silvers (who I love), and she's acting circles around everyone else in the cast. Anyway, I probably should not have watched this considering I don't like the book and the story is dumb and cliched, but as I said, the cast really dragged me in and now I'm even more disappointed. 

5. Poker Face - As expected, I love this! It's a very fun mystery-of-the-week series, with a loveable lead and interesting characters. I think I just get blown away by the hyperbole that some projects have thrown at them, though. My friend from work kept telling me I HAVE to watch this, it's the best show ever, Lyonne is a QUEEEEEEN, etc., etc., etc., and when I finally started it (I say "finally" but I literally started it maybe a month after it started airing), I told her that I like it and she was like "Isn't it the best?!" and I was like "no, but it's good", and she couldn't compute. I think it's a societal effect of social media - to massively exaggerate everything, so saying something is "good" somehow means it's awful. Anyway, I do love Natasha Lyonne and I've been a fan of hers since Slums of Beverly Hills which came out when I was a teenager. But also, my husband is IN LOVE with her. I find it fascinating, because he doesn't really like any celebrities (I can name the most beautiful women in the world - Scarlett, Angelina, Halle, Salma and he's like "meh"). He didn't really know of her until I was watching the first episode of Russian Doll and he came home and sat on the couch and watched the rest of the episode. I figured he hated it (he hates everything *rolls eyes*), but after it ended he was like "who is that??" and also "I want to watch the rest of this so don't watch it without me", which rarely happens. He now listens to all her podcasts and interviews and when this was announced he was like "DO NOT watch that without me". When I made fun of his crush, he said "oh yeah, so surprising that I love a sassy, Jewish, New Yorker who has wild hair and a filthy mouth" and then STARED at me. And then it all made sense. I'm not saying that I'm like Lyonne (I'm certainly not as cool), but there are a lot of similarities. Maybe I'll dye my hair strawberry blonde and take up smoking. I'm sidetracked now, but back to the show - I like a lot about it. I like that it has a strong overall story that is the background of each episode, with her on the run, driving through small town America and solving different crimes. It has a great pace, a distinct style, and I like that the audience knows more than her so the fun part becomes about watching her figure it out. And Lyonne is PERFECT in this - I definitely agreed with the internet push to get her cast as a modern day Colombo. I think this is as close as we're going to get. 

3 Thoughts on The Oscars

1. The Show - It seems like I might be in the minority in this, but I hated it. I appreciate that it felt like it was back to "normal" after the weird Covid production in 2021 and then last year's show that managed to celebrate film while also insulting actual filmmaking. But I can't stand Jimmy Kimmel - I don't think I've ever laughed at a single joke of his ever. He's (and I know this is a trendy word to throw around but I think it applies here) basic. I get that they want to play it safe with a more broad comedian, someone they can trust (as opposed to someone like Ricky Gervais), but then go with someone more beloved. Billy Crystal is always great. Same for Steve Martin. But they're really sticking behind Kimmel, huh? I think the only thing he did well was address "the slap" by focusing on the Academy's reaction to it, as opposed to either Will or Chris. His advice if it happens again "do what you did last year...nothing". And if you participate in any violence we will "give you an Oscar and allow you a 19 minute acceptance speech". Other than that, though, his jokes just didn't land. And he became particularly unfunny when he went into the audience and made SO many mistakes. Trying to rope Malala into a bit about Chris Pine & Harry Styles? Telling Colin Farrell you can't understand him when you're surrounded by Irish nominees? Bringing up your stupid as fuck feud with Matt Damon? It was all so embarrassing. The rest of the show was just very boring. Only two presenters were actually funny - Hugh Grant (always the best. And his pre-interview with Ashley Graham was fucking hilarious if you ask me. I've never heard her speak before and she definitely should stay away from interviewing people. This was a disaster. She also "corrected" Pedro Pascal when he said Rihanna was performing. She said she wasn't, which wasn't true? It was announced that she was performing and their own person interviewing celebs wasn't informed enough about the show. It was polite of Pascal to not point out that she was, in fact, wrong. For the love of God, can we get some actual journalists to do red carpet interviews?) and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (maybe let her host?). Also, the performances were all so dry. I was really looking forward to "Naatu Naatu", but even that seemed off with the weird lighting. I laughed HARD at Lady Gaga's stripped down performance (does she think she's Nirvana or something? Absolutely hilarious). I don't know who Sofia Carson is, but she's in Taron's next movie (Carry On), so I am forced to love her (good thing she can sing!). But, the worst part of the whole show was making the the release of a trailer part of the show! WHAT THE FUCK? Isn't that like a conflict of interest or something? How is that ok? It was for The Little Mermaid, which still looks terrible btw. Halle Bailey can sing, and I'm rooting for her, but that trailer did them no favors. 

2. The Winners - I think I'm most disappointed that there were no surprises. It's always fun when there's a big surprise in at least one category. But I think this year it came down to two nominees in every category, with one having a pretty clear edge if you've been paying attention to awards season. It all came out exactly how I expected. It's weird to watch it all go down among "film twitter" especially when someone shows sincere shock - like when All Quiet on the Western Front started sweeping the technical awards (I thought that was a given? Have you all not been paying attention?) and Sarah Polley winning the Adapted Screenplay award (she's won most pre-cursors; this was not shocking). I can't really say that I'm upset by any of the awards - most are people who deserve accolades, but most are not who I would have chosen. The only ones I'm happy about are del Toro winning for Pinocchio and "Naatu Naatu" winning for Original Song. I also think Ruth Carter deserved the Costume award for those funeral outfits alone (it was one of two categories I was rooting for EEAAO to win, but it was a tough category). I really liked Everything Everywhere All at Once (I think it could have had some tighter editing, so the editing award is kind of funny, but...uhhh...that guy is really hot so give him all the awards), but the only performance I saw in that film that grabbed my attention is Stephanie Hsu. It's insane that she went home empty handed, while her three co-stars won. She's had a great year, and I think she'll have a huge career after this, but it still sucks. I think the biggest lesson for anyone wanting to get into Oscar predictions is the old saying that Hollywood loves a comeback story. They love patting themselves on the back for giving attention to someone after ignoring them or shunning them for decades. Literally, look at all four acting wins. It was fun seeing Ke Huy Quan through this awards season - he is just pure joy to watch, and I loved his speech and that he mentioned being a part of the seemingly elusive nowadays "American dream". We have A LOT of work to do here in America, but this "dream" still exists and anything is possible here. We tend to forget that sometimes. BUT how can you watch that clip of Barry Keoghan's performance and tell me he's not the winner?! And Farrell deserves an Oscar. If you're going to give one to Jamie Lee Curtis for a NOTHING performance - clearly a legacy win, then why not Farrell? He gave an incredible performance and has been doing so for the last 20 or so years. I've not seen The Whale yet (and I'm a big fan of Aronofsky, so I think I'll probably love it), but *don't hate me internet* I hate Brendan Frasier - as an actor, at least. I'm sure he's a lovely person. He seems nice and genuine, but he is a terrible actor (facts are facts). I would have also liked if some of the awards were spread around a little - the fact that Banshees of Inisherin and Tar are going home with zero awards? Even Elvis could have won for makeup? Babylon could have easily gotten Production Design. Anyway, my point is SPREAD THE LOVE. It's so boring watching the same movies winning every award. 

3. The Fashion - I've never seen a worse fashion line-up than this year (ok, obvi Covid Oscars wasn't the most glamorous). It was my worst nightmare - the year of the wedding dress. THANKS I HATE IT. Michelle Yeoh, Andrea Riseborough, Emily Blunt, Ana de Armas, and so many more wore white (or white-ish) dresses. And Ariana DeBose and Eva Longoria were practically wearing the same dress...aren't stylists supposed to prevent that from happening? Since I started with the bad, I'll continue with the dresses I didn't like - I usually love Florence Pugh's unexpected fashion choices, but this feels like something she's already done before AND it looked like a big wrinkled mess. Mindy Kaling in that weird strappy dress with detachable sleeves - it's an ok dress but not for the occasion (also in white - but she changed into the SAME DRESS but in black for the show?? WHY?). But onto the good! My favorite dress is probably the actress from Top Gun: Maverick (do I have to look up her name?? Ugh...okay give me a second....). I also think Stephanie Hsu's dress is such a stunning color that I'll forgive the crinkled material. Sandra Oh also wore a beautiful color and I loved the relaxed Grecian style. Halle Bailey in that tiffany blue dress was perfect for the night and on theme for her Little Mermaid intro. I think my most surprising best dress (and overall look) is Jessie Buckley. Her style is usually wild and she was no different here - but the Victorian goth dress with the modernity of her bright red bob hair style was just *stunning*. It was so perfectly her. Same for Sarah Polley I love that she did menswear and didn't try to make it sexy (like with no shirt under it or something), she opted for classic but made it a little more feminine with the flower pin. Love it. As for the men - Barry Keoghan in that lavender - LOVE. And I really liked Samuel L Jackson's champagne colored blazer with matching bowtie. Okay, her name is Monica Barbaro (from Top Gun) - the color combo on that dress is so unexpected and beautiful. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. You People - I actually thought this was kind of cute. It's a little overdone, and the leads have absolutely zero chemistry together, but I like what it's trying to do and there are some laugh-out-loud moments that makes it worth the watch. It's like a modern day Guess Who's Coming to Dinner without being a direct remake. It also has a fantastic cast. Eddie Murphy, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Duchovny and Nia Long!! Sign me up. Plus Molly Gordon and Andrea Savage (in way too small of a role). As I said, the leads don't have chemistry but I still like both Jonah Hill and Lauren London (she has THE BEST laugh). I will say, though, that this look on Hill, is not working. And when they show up on that first date together, they both look like fucking clowns. There are some really strong scenes and memorable dialogue that I think attempts to bring these two cultures together while also showing the differences and the microaggressions that happen between different cultures. Julia's character is the perfect example of someone who thinks they are being kind and open to diversity, but she's still racist. You never really hate her; she's certainly not a bad person, but she's still racist. When he tells her "you're talking to her as a black person instead of my girlfriend", and she is so oblivious to it - it's just a really well-done character. I also like that it subverts certain clichés and instead opts for the unexpected - like when Murphy's character tries to humiliate him by taking him to the basketball game and then he ends up being really good at basketball (I cheered! It's a cute scene). I did have some issues with a few things - first, Sam Jay is not funny (the not funny announcer at last year's Emmys and a writer for SNL - enough said). Second, they lost me when she described her brand new mini-cooper as an "inexpensive car". I realize that money is not an issue for either of them, but I would never describe a *new* car as inexpensive (it's at least 20k? an "inexpensive car" to me would be a used car at least a decade old that you bought for 4k in cash). Third, Nia Long is not old enough to be Lauren London's mom. For real. They are only 14 years apart! And last, why do they keep talking about having kids so casually? She is 39 years old - unless she's got some eggs frozen somewhere that's not very likely to happen. I know that it does happen, but I feel like the more realistic conversation should be about how they can still do that and what the timeline looks like if that's what they want (not "well, if we have kids...", as if they haven't really thought about it yet). Anyway, overall I did like this more than I thought I would. It's cute! 

2. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022) - Just wonderful. The score is absolutely incredible - I couldn't get it out of my head for days. It's attention-grabbing and harrowing, much like the film itself. I'm honestly not sure if I've seen the original? I feel like I must have between my grandfather always making me watch war movies as a kid and taking a multitude of film classes in college - I think it's safe to say that I have, but I certainly don't remember it nor can I discern it from any other war movie I watched when I was younger. However, I do think that somehow the film industry is still able to make war movies interesting - between Dunkirk, Hacksaw Ridge, and 1917, there's still plenty of room for them. I will admit that I did start to lose interest about 1/2 way through because the story has been done so many times, but damn, it's still so beautiful to look at. The scene with the tank driving over the trenches - just stunning! Just a really well-made film that definitely should have been seen on a big screen (especially with that score and sound design). It's actually shocking that it's a Netflix movie. Also, I didn't realize Daniel Bruhl is in this! He's great. But what a stunning debut performance from Felix Kammerer. 

3. Three Thousand Years of Longing - This is rather ridiculous and quite boring, which is surprising given the leads. I expected something more unexpected, more profound. I actually didn't know Idris Elba was in this? You can't really tell that's him in the poster. But I always expect something more from Tilda Swinton. It's just really stupid - she discovers a djinn who offers her three wishes, but she's convinced it's a trick and that anything she wishes for will end badly for her. She claims that she lives a content life so she doesn't want to tempt fate. I could literally think of 3 wishes in 3 seconds flat. And don't even pretend like you wouldn't wish for money - I wouldn't even be gluttonous about it. Just enough to live comfortably and be able to travel the world. Anyway, the effects are also absolutely terrible. It's almost hard to look at. And there are scenes that I think should have been subtitled. It's not exactly necessary because I understood what was happening with context, but it's frustrating. Anyway, I really didn't enjoy this at all, but it did get interesting with her bigot neighbors at the end. I feel like if more of the present day story was set outside that hotel room, I would have enjoyed it more. I like the idea of "stories make meaning", but his stories are soooooo boring. I almost wanted to fast-forward through them. 

4. Vengeance - I've always liked B.J. Novak so I was interested to see his feature film directorial debut. Although I question the judgement of anyone who willingly refers to himself as "B.J." (his name is Benjamin Joseph. Why not just Ben? You're gonna go with B.J.??? Really?). This movie had mostly good reviews and a terrific supporting cast (Issa Rae, Lio Tipton, Boyd Holbrook. But also...Ashton Kutcher and John Mayer...eek). I was a little nervous with the beginning because the scene with Novak and Mayer is so hard to watch. It just doesn't sound like a real, natural conversation. Although I do think that this is the way these influencer/podcaster type individuals talk to each other, I just find it grating. It's like when people use the phrase "I love that for me" (the only one who pulls off talking like this successfully is Annie from Schitt's Creek), my skin crawls and my face starts to twitch. I'm also not on the podcast bandwagon. People really believe they are interesting enough to talk for an hour, and most...are not. Also, John Mayer kind of creeps me out a little bit, even though I don't have a solid reason for it. He just seems off to me (also mini-story time: one time I got tickets for an invite-only Justin Timberlake concert, and John Mayer played the guitar the whole time. I think I was the only one in the room who noticed. I said to my friend "that's John Mayer" and she said "I don't think so" and other people heard me and nodded their head in disagreement, as if I was crazy. And then at the end of the show Justin said "thanks to my good friend John Mayer" and the crowd was all shocked. It was so weird because it's not like he was in disguise or anything). Also, this particular type of true-crime podcast really gets under my skin. They are just mostly so disrespectful (the one in this is aptly titled "Dead White Girl", which sounds offensive, but there is a real podcast called "My Favorite Murder". For real! Look it up!). It does start to get interesting, though, and I actually really enjoyed where the story goes. I think Novak is trying to do something here with uniting "city folks" and "middle America" (i.e the left and the right, typically). It's smart that he uses Texas as the main location - a state that is often the focus of elections because it it typically considered conservative and yet there are major cities like Austin and Dallas that are definitely more liberal (this is how New York is too, but nobody wants to admit it. NYC may be liberal but travel an hour north and you are in a very conservative state). There are some really funny moments (my favorite is "Schindler's List! You look like a lot of guys in that movie!" I didn't even realize that B.J. was Jewish, but that made me LOL for a good long minute). I do think it would have benefitted from more laugh out loud moments like that, but overall, I was entertained for its entirety. There are interesting characters, a fun mystery, and it's quite dark and subversive. Also, how did I not know that about Six Flags??? I thought for sure "no way", but I looked it up and it's TRUE! Holy moly. 

5. M3GAN - So incredibly stupid, but also fun and it's one of those horror movies that doesn't take itself too seriously. It does what it sets out to do, and I always have respect for that. It's like Chucky and Annabelle with a little evil Short Circuit thrown in. I think the biggest mistake, though, is that the main character, played by Allison Williams, is very, very unlikeable and I rooted for her death. She shows, like, zero emotion when her own sister dies. She's supposed to be a genius, but when asked "You didn't put in parental controls?" she responds "I didn't have time!". LOL. She had time to build the most advanced robot toy in the world, but didn't have time to add something that a simple Smart TV has?? Okay...sure. And then she advocates for her neighbor's dog to be PUT DOWN instead of just fixing a simple hole in her fence??? And we are supposed to root for her??? Uh...no fucking way. ANYWAY, I definitely expected more kills and more gore, but what we do get is fantastic. When she does *the dance* and then picks up the blade from the paper cutter, it's pure horror fun and will go down in horror history as an iconic scene (but again, it's incredibly stupid that there is a gigantic paper cutter in the middle of the hallway. Why is it there? And why would this gigantic tech company need a paper cutter? Do they even use paper??? For what?? Even my place of work has gone mostly paperless. We do have a paper cutter that we use for signage when we have promotions, but that's literally it. I can't think of a single reason this company would have a paper cutter in their hallway). It's super cheesy, a little creepy and definitely campy. And I was entertained for all of it. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Jurassic World Dominion - Well, it's certainly better than the second one so that's a plus, I guess! It doesn't have dinosaurs walking on glass rooftops, which is probably the only thing that I remember from the second one (it's literally scarred into my brain). I didn't even remember who this seemingly important character, Maisie Lockwood, was (my husband had to give me a little plot summary because I was so lost). The whole first hour that is based around her is really, really, really fucking boring. It doesn't really get any better, until the actual dinosaur carnage which isn't until the last, like, 20 minutes. I loved all the little nostalgic moments that referenced Jurassic Park. It was lovely seeing Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum back together again. BUT, I was really waiting for an appearance from Lex and Tim. I care way more about them than any of the new characters (honestly would have laughed if the pilot lady died - what a horrendously annoying character. And the little girl wasn't going to die, obvi, but I would just shrugged if she did). It's kind of weird that they didn't include them in this - they are just as iconic as the adult characters from the original. I don't know about the actress that played Lex, but I know Joseph Mazzello is still acting (he was just in Bohemian Rhapsody a few years ago). Anyway, it's not exactly terrible, just really disappointing. I'm glad this franchise is finished (for now, at least). 

2. Somebody I Used to Know - Alison Brie is so fucking adorable it hurts. The movie is...okay, but definitely enhanced by how adorable Alison is. I also love Dave Franco. I actually can't decide which one of them I love more. They are one of my favorite Hollywood couples and I hope that they continue to make movies together (Franco directed and co-wrote this). I also love Jay Ellis (he is so HOT. I rooted for him hard in Insecure) and Kiersey Clemons (someone please keep her away from the superhero genre though. She excels in films like this). So, obviously I was all in with just the cast alone. But it's a cute movie, just not great. It's basically My Best Friend's Wedding, except it's about an ex-boyfriend getting married instead of a best friend you might be in love with. I think it could have been A LOT funnier, because my biggest problem with it is that it takes itself too seriously. There's only one really great scene - and it's literally a direct copy of My Best Friend's Wedding karaoke scene (just role-reversed); it's even referenced within the scene. BUT, MY GOD Alison Brie in that white button down with the bikini top and cut-off shorts improvising lyrics to that Third Eye Blind song is just a perfect scene. I could just watch that for hours. *spoiler ahead* I thought *for sure* there was going to be some sort of mix up with her trying to ruin the wedding by inviting the bride's parents but instead her assistant finds the groom's real parents instead??? There's a really weird foreshadowing scene where she is telling her assistant to find the parents of the person in the picture but it's of both the bride and groom. But then I realized that they instead were only constantly bringing up the fact that he's adopted so that he could have the acceptable excuse for being an emotionally abusive controlling asshole because of "abandonment issues". What a load of garbage. 

3. Tar - This is a very good movie, a little overhyped, but it's good. It definitely doesn't need to be 2 1/2 hours long, that's for damn sure. But, as expected Cate Blanchett is spectacular - I think the Oscar is hers (although I wouldn't be mad at Michelle Yeoh winning). I like that it's told as a biopic within this fictional world. It definitely tricks you into thinking it's about this real person, Lydia Tar, a supposed world-renowned conductor and EGOT winner (not sure that's possible, though - how would a conductor win an Emmy or Oscar? Is she also a composer? Okay...I just looked it up and she is supposed to be a composer too, so I stand corrected). I think it's an interesting take on the whole idea of a "cancel culture" (which I don't really think exists - most people who are "canceled" within the entertainment industry are still working, but they might not be getting the jobs that they want as a repercussion to their OWN ACTIONS). It's also important that it's based on a woman in a position of power - because I think it's assumed that only men take advantage when they are in positions of power, but it's definitely a human flaw (men just happen to have more positions of power). As soon as you know where the story is going, which happens in an early scene with her students, in which she tells one of her students "don't be so easily offended" - which is often a tactic of abusers (convince you that you're overreacting), the anticipation of her inevitable downfall is particularly interesting. I'm the first one to say that we have turned into this "easily offended" culture and in terms of certain things, I think it's way overblown (comedians tell jokes - sometimes they are offensive, and also sometimes people might offend without meaning to and the internet seems to overblow every situation). But in terms of professional and educational settings we, as a society, need to do better in terms of who we study and celebrate. I think it's interesting that there is this whole backlash against critics describing this as "funny" because it very clearly is a satire, especially with that ending. The whole idea of it is actually very funny if you think about it. 

4. Aftersun - This is pretty close to a perfect movie for me - I rated it 4.5 stars which, just to give some perspective, I've only rated one other movie 4.5 stars in the last 4 years and only 22 movies in the last decade (and that's only because 2013 was an incredible year - 8 movies at 4.5 stars!). But honestly, ratings are irrelevant - I try not to get to caught up in them. Instead I like to focus on my thoughts and feelings while watching a film (sounds cornier than I intended, but it's true!). I went into this fairly cold - but I did have high expectations from the resounding praise. I do admit that I was a little confused by it in the beginning - it's a simple story about a father & daughter on vacation. It seemed slow and it felt like I was watching someone else's home videos, which is never as interesting as the person showing you the videos thinks it is. I started to question why anyone would want to see this? I found my thoughts drifting to vacations as a child, and I found this odd connection with the way this father/daughter interacted in a similar way to the way I interacted with my cousin. He was only 7 years older than me, but I think he always tried to take on a big brother/fatherly presence in my life because he knew that I lacked that. All of these memories of him came flooding back, and then my heart stopped because I suddenly realized what this movie was about. I've spent the last 14 years desperately trying to hold on to memories of my cousin because he died by suicide. And I'm constantly haunted by this feeling of "I should have known", searching my memories for the signs. I realized that I was watching this young girl's memories of her father in the same way that I desperately try to remember my cousin, but I hoped I was wrong. And then she steps on that fucking carpet and I literally felt like I was stabbed in the heart. I don't know how I didn't burst into tears, but I think it was mostly because of how shocked I was - what a stunningly beautiful way to show grief within the film medium. It's not just the subtlety of the story, the little moments of brokenness, it's also the actual use of film technique. The shots are impeccable. There is an entire scene shown through a reflection on a black television screen. The intermixing of the home video shots, with shots like these to convey a "memory" is so well done and smart. I don't feel like a lot of filmmakers focus on composition of shots and character blocking anymore (at least in a way that feels natural as opposed to experimental), but this film should be studied for this purpose. When it ended, I sat for a few minutes actually considering pressing the restart button - just to focus on all of these details, but decided I wanted to sit with it for a little while before watching again. I don't understand how Charlotte Wells isn't nominated for an Oscar for this. 

5. Sharper - I can't believe how many reviews I read that called this movie "smart". It's the dumbest most predictable movie I've seen in a long time. If it wasn't for the (mostly) terrific cast and the sleekness of the film itself, I would have rated it far lower. I say mostly, but I really just mean Julianne Moore, John Lithgow, and a scene-stealing and stunning performance from Briana Middleton. As you may already know, I'm not a fan of Sebastian Stan (he's not a good actor and YET he keeps getting so many roles! I don't understand it at all), nor am I a fan of Justice Smith. As soon as I saw him, I remembered him being in something recently that I liked but hated him in it (I looked it up and it's The Voyeurs), but I tried not to let it effect my viewing of this. However, he's really bad here (he's also apparently in the Jurassic World movies. I don't even remember him, and I literally watched Dominion a week before this. Probably better to be unmemorable though, as opposed to horrendously bad). There is something about his voice - the way that it's so monotoned. It just renders him emotionless, and he's definitely supposed to be the character that we care about in this. Anyway, *some spoilers ahead, although the film is so easy to figure out, I don't really feel like I'm spoiling much* It's so incredibly obvious that the woman walking into the bookshop is a con-artist from the moment she is introduced. And then it's so incredibly obvious that John Lithgow is his "rich" father that he gets the money from, therefore making SebStan (the man behind the original scam) his "step-brother". Then it's super obvious that Moore is in on it too (sorry, I'm using the actor names because I'm too lazy to look up their character names). I was slightly surprised by the relationship twist behind Stan and Moore, but that's probably it. The ending is even worse with the predictable "twist" after "twist". It's certainly not smart. There's one cute scene, though - the one with Stan and Moore dancing after they pull off their heist successfully. They certainly have chemistry together.