Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Conclave - I get why people are putting this in their Top 10 of the year lists. It's extremely well-made. Edward Berger definitely deserves a directing nomination for this. He knows how to make a visually interesting film, as seen with his All Quiet on the Western Front remake. There are shots that are simply stunning. The character blocking is incredible- which is not something I normally critique, but I did study film a long time ago, so stuff like this stands out to me, especially when it's done so well and with so much thought. I think my disappointment is with the actual story - I've seen The Two Popes and I've watched that tv series with Jude Law (The New Pope? The Hot Pope? I don't remember what it was called), so I feel like I've had my fill of pope stories for a while, if I'm honest. This whole thing is just a chore to sit through, as I could care less about the pope. Let's not pretend the whole entire system isn't corrupt. But, I do appreciate that the incredibly boring plot, plays out like a thriller - keeping it suspenseful and intense. I think the ending is really, really, really dumb, but I also appreciate the relevancy of the modern twist - which is what the papacy struggles with (modernity). Like I said, it's all very well-made, so I understand the love for it, but it's just not my cup of tea. I'll go along with Fiennes for the Oscar though because anyone is better than the other expected nominees. 

2. Maria - I kind of expected to not really like this because I didn't love Jackie (I did like Spencer, and I loved Ema and El Conde). The thing is, though, I don't really know much about Maria Callas, I didn't even know about the relationship with Aristotle Onassis (Jackie's husband). And, guess what? After watching this movie, I still don't feel like I know anything about her. She was an opera singer who had a public relationship with a married man? So what? She also seems like a narcissistic bitch, with the way she treats the people around her. I was waiting the whole time for this film to give me a reason for it to exist, and it never does. And, after looking at pictures of her, I don't think Angelia Jolie has even a tiny bit of resemblance to her. I don't have a better actress in mind, but there has to be someone who is of closer resemblance (I actually think Natalie Portman looks more like her than Jolie, but that would be weird to cast her as both Jackie Kennedy and Maria Callas. OR would that have been genius?? Hmmm...??). Jolie just has such strong, recognizable features and she's one of the most beautiful women in the world - a biopic is just automatically a bad casting move. But, she's probably going to get an Oscar nomination (and maybe even the win? Demi Moore should have that in the bag, but I guess we'll see how it all plays out soon). I just found this movie terribly boring. It was hard to stop myself from falling asleep. I actually was falling asleep but then the lantern scene in the rain happened and I woke up - some stunning imagery. But then it was over, and I started to doze off again. The ending with the dog crying over her dead body is so sad, though. It got me. 

3. Joker: Folie a Deux - I don't know why there was so much visceral hate towards this? It's...fine. I rated the first Joker 3 stars, and I've given this the same. I think the first one was elevated by Joaquin's phenomenal performance (he deserved that Oscar, but only because the best performance from 2019 wasn't nominated. *cough* Taron *cough cough*), but it was mostly a love letter to 70s films like Taxi Driver, The King of Comedy, etc. And this is the same - only the love letter is to Old Hollywood musicals, referencing Fred Astaire, and famous Hollywood couples, like Sonny & Cher. After watching, I actually agree with Todd Phillips that this is not a musical. It's a Drama with musical interludes. I appreciate that it's an unexpected turn for a Joker story. I enjoyed the concept, the dream-like sequences, and Lady Gaga's voice in some of the songs sounds angelic. Joaquin gives just as much to this performance as he does in the first. I think Hollywood is giving up on his antics (being difficult to work with, dropping out of projects last-minute, etc.), so he needs to shape up because he's one of the strongest actors currently working. I liked Lady Gaga in A Star is Born, but she can NOT act, and we need to stop pretending that she can. I think her casting only works to counter-balance the fact that Phoenix can't sing (like at all - his voice is far too gravelly and weak). But it also has very little substance or focus and almost feels like a waste of time. 

4. Fly Me to the Moon - This is a cute movie. It's not something I'll remember in a year or two, but I was entertained for the most part. I don't know HOW we haven't had a Scarlett Johansson/Channing Tatum led film before because they are absolutely PERFECT together. They need to do a rom-com STAT. It's got some great dialogue, really funny one-liners, Scarlett's dry sarcasm, and it's fast-paced. But it also should have been 90 minutes. I think I actually would have rated it a whole star higher if it had been edited down. Also, my husband, who is a big NASA space nerd, is very upset that this movie exists because it's going to amplify the conspiracy theorists "they faked the moon landing" nutjobs again. He came home from work while I was watching it and was legitimately mad that I was watching it (and enjoying it! LOL). There's literally a line that says "no-one will trust the legitimacy of NASA again" and he was like "SEEEEE!!". WHATEVER, HUBBY, it's just a movie, get over it! I will say that as much as I love the match-up between Tatum and Johansson, I do think that he feels a bit out of place in this world. And that haircut is FUNNY on him. He looks like a football player dressed up as a nerd for Halloween. That's all I really have to say about the movie, which is why I think it's going in the forgettable category. 

5. Red One - I thought FOR SURE that this was the worst movie I would see in 2024. I'm shocked that I just watched something worse (Dear Santa - 2024 Christmas movies can't catch a break!). But this is pretty bad. Like, one star bad. I hadn't seen much about it - just that it bombed at the box office and cost a lot of money to make. I just knew it was a Christmas movie with Chris Evans and The Rock, but as soon as the talking CGI polar bear appeared, I thought "oh no, I might not be able to watch this. It may actually be unwatchable". I've never been the biggest fan of Chris Evans - and I know that's a minority opinion. I just think he's boring. Very hot. But boring. The only film that I actually liked him in was that rom-com with Anna Faris (I think it was called What's Your Number?" or was that a different Faris movie?). I don't think he's a good actor - he just lucked out with the Captain America role. And people can argue all they want about his dramatic roles being good (I see a lot of love for his performance in Defending Jacob), but I think he's especially bad when he leans into his natural Boston accent. It's just too much. As far as The Rock, I think he's been good in family friendly adventures (like the Jumanji remake), but lately he's been taking himself too seriously. He got burned by the Black Adam debacle and he's making us all suffer for it. Plus a movie that cost a reported $250 million should look FAR better than this. The CGI is terrible. It's all very ugly. The whole military vibe version of Santa is very jarring too - like, why would kids want that version of Santa? He's supposed to be jolly! I will say that the one star is only because of Kiernan Shipka. She's a lot of fun as the villain. Imagine being a petite 25 year old girl and getting a role that requires you to fight The Rock and make it believable? LOL. She's great, though. It's like she actually gets the spirit of the movie and rides along with it, while the rest of the cast is fighting against it. 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Speak No Evil - First of all, no, I have not seen the original. I tried to watch it before watching this but I couldn't find it streaming anywhere, but I will keep it on my list and hopefully it will appear somewhere soon. Second, James McAvoy is the fucking greatest. I guarantee you that he gives a stronger performance here than any of the potential Oscar nominees for this year (I haven't seen a lot of the likely nominated performances but the thought of Adrien Brody, Timothee Chamalet (Chalamet), and Sebastian Stan in the category makes me cringe so hard). Third, I somehow successfully avoided the trailer that everyone kept complaining about - apparently it was shown A LOT, and it gives too much away, which seems to be the case with every trailer, which is why I try my best to avoid them. But it was definitely hard with this because it's my LOVE James McAvoy and I wanted to watch it so fucking badly! But I didn't! So, I thought I was going to be really surprised by some big twist or something??? But unfortunately, it's very easy to figure out from the first few minutes of these people meeting each other what is going on. I kept waiting for a shock or a twist, and NOTHING! I was actually very bored, which I definitely was not expecting. I love Mackenzie Davis, though, and I screamed when I realized that Scoot McNairy is in this too!!! I love a Halt & Catch Fire reunion! I think overall, the plot is very stupid, but it is elevated by an excellent cast. McAvoy is very convincing as someone who would be very charming but very sinister in one breath (him singing "Eternal Flame" is glorious!). Davis has THE BEST facial reactions to some of the events that occur. And McNairy excels at being this dopey husband who is kind of useless but endearing. I love that when shit starts going down, she's the one that takes charge and he kind of fumbles around. I've always found that women are much better in emergency situations - mostly because it involves multi-tasking and men are generally bad at that. It's why men are better drivers - women are in constant multi-task mode and driving is something that should be a solo focus. Men can do that better. I don't know why people get so offended by basic biological facts (and I'm talking general, because I am actually a very good driver. I was taught by a retired police officer and I feel like he was a better teacher than most driving instructors because he taught me more "real world" driving and my husband is a very bad driver because he was born and raised in NJ and NJ has the worst drivers in the world. They are all so fucking aggressive). But, like I said, the plot is just stupid. I would never in a MILLION YEARS let my child on a bike with a stranger in a foreign country, and I don't think any parent would either. And then, they go back for the stupid bunny, not once, BUT TWICE?! Fuck off with that nonsense. It's also stupid that the little boy knows what's under the shed? How would he know all that stuff is down there if it's all locked up? It's still very gripping and intense at the end, but when I actually think about the movie I'm very disappointed. McAvoy's presence increases the rating by a whole star, though. 

2. It Ends with Us - *major spoilers* I've tried really hard to not think about this movie since I watched it last week because the more I think about it the angrier I get. I had not read the book, but from all the media attention, I knew that it was about domestic abuse. I will admit that I did not see the *twist* of the unreliable narrator, even though she literally calls herself that in the beginning. It got me. But that doesn't mean it's good. The idea is actually BRILLIANT - to show the audience her version of the events as the truth. Events that led to her being injured (she fell down the stairs, there was a fire incident and he accidentally hit me, etc), are shown to the audience so that we go - "oh, yeah, that seems like an accident". I started to question when the abuse was going to start. I think it forces the audience into an uncomfortable reality about abuse and encourages us to ask further questions/offer more support to women who may seem like they are in a perfect relationship and make excuses when the cracks start to show. I really wish the movie was good so that we could focus on this and begin to have a different conversation around domestic abuse. But the movie is FAR from good. The dialogue is rough, there is a lack of chemistry between the leads (and she often looks at him with disgust, which is weird), and it has one of the worst endings of all-time. All the light that it shines on domestic abuse is instantly dimmed with this bullshit ending. She just...leaves? She calmly asks for a divorce after giving birth to his child and he goes "yeah, you're right you should ask for a divorce". Because abusive men are apparently that self-aware??? If women could leave that easily THEY WOULD!! The issue is that most women CAN'T leave - most will fear for their lives or life of their child, but others can not leave for financial reasons! Especially if a child is involved. If the choice is staying in a warm home with food & clothing but suffer abuse, or live on the street or in a half-way house type situation where there is no guarantees and is often unsafe also, most will choose the former. And most abused women, will have their financial independence slowly drained without them realizing it because abusive men are manipulative. It's such a disservice to abused women for this film to show her *deciding* to leave as if she's deciding what to make for dinner. ANYWAY, I like Blake Lively (as an actress - some of the stuff that has come out about her has been rough, though), and I think if the director didn't cast himself in the movie, it would have been far better. But nothing could save that ending. I also think the costume designer might have been on drugs because what the fuck was she wearing for most of the film? That outfit she wears to the party?? I made the biggest "ew" face I could make. And why is Jenny Slate dressed like she's a housewife from the 60s for the majority of it? Make it make sense?! They did do a really good job of casting a younger Lively, but the casting of the younger/older Atlas is really off - they have completely different bone structure. Also, do these people realize that they are in their 40s??? They way they talk about their lives and having kids, you would think they are 28. It's all really stupid. Worse than a Lifetime movie. 

3. Carry-On - I think my love of Taron Egerton might be clouding my judgement with this one, but I think it's a lot of dumb fun and it's entertaining as Hell!! I loved it. It's definitely a throwback to 90s action thrillers combined with director Jaume Collet-Serra's talent for anxiety-induced tension. Of course, I can see the flaws, but I choose to ignore them - at least while watching - because it's very easy to just "go with it". The cast is great - and they all really sell the plot. Bateman as the bad guy is an unexpected but lovely choice - he is someone who would just blend in at an airport, but he does cold and sinister evil, really well. I don't know much about Sofia Carson, but she has a very large online fan-base (I think she's a singer??? Definitely missed a trick by not having her and Egerton sing a holiday song together!). She's great in this - holds her own and has great chemistry with Taron. I'm used to seeing Danielle Deadwyler in more prestigious type films, but she's really fun in this. There's also lots of familiar faces among the supporting characters (Theo Rossi! Dean Norris! Trey Atwood!! - although the twist of his character is obvious from the second he appears). And as for, my love, Taron Egerton - this is a great role for him. He's great at being an "everyman" hero type character (which is what he does in Kingsman even though he's a bit more chav-like). He's also great at action scenes - definitely perfected the Tom Cruise run. When this project was announced with his name attached, I *knew* it was a good step for his career. I miss seeing his face on the big screen, but as much as people want to complain about Netflix, it is how a huge amount of the population watch movies nowadays. Having the #1 spot on Netflix WORLD WIDE is a huge accomplishment and pushes his popularity into new territory. However, I can not handle his American accent. I feel like it somehow got worse??? There are several nods to NJ (he's supposed to be from there, transplanted to LA), but with that accent??? I don't think so, buddy. As for my other nit-picking things - why would anyone put a random earpiece in their ear without sanitizing it first??? EWWWW that's so GROSS. And how can he keep walking away from his post? Do they keep just shutting down the line every time he gets up?? The whole sniper from the parking lot is supremely dumb, too. Why would a pregnant woman encourage her baby-daddy to be a COP? Also, why are her eyebrows brushed straight up and down???? Is that how young people are styling their eyebrows now? It looks so stupid. 

4. Subservience - I expected bad, but I didn't expect this bad. I'll always stick up for Megan Fox (not for her dating life though - she makes very bad choices there) - I think she's someone who knows exactly what kind of projects are made for her and she doesn't take herself too seriously. She's also gorgeous (I'm sad that she's chosen the plastic surgery life, but to each their own!). She's definitely the best part of this movie - every single step, bad dialogue and all, she is a robot. Never faulters once! Everyone else in the movie is woeful. I couldn't figure out how I recognized the wife, so I looked her up and was like "oh, yeah, from Californication", but then I realized that she's also the little girl from The Nanny!!! How did I not make that connection before! Mind. Blown. She's bad in this, but she has one good moment when she sees the robot, that is Megan Fox, for the first time. I laughed. But otherwise, this movie plays out exactly as expected - it's like M3GAN and the tv show Humans combined, but bad. Really, really bad. And dumb. There's just no substance or point, and it's not even entertaining other than seeing Megan Fox in her underwear (but there are several other movies for that, so this is unnecessary). "Why does a robot even need undergarments"? is a question I asked myself more than a few times, mostly because I was bored. 

5. Kneecap - I don't think I was in the best mental state to watch this - I couldn't even pay attention to the first half hour. I saw this movie gaining awards traction in the foreign film category and it showed up on Netflix, so I pressed play, but I had no idea what it was about. After about a half hour, I decided to google what the fuck I was watching and it made way more sense. As an American, I have no idea who this group is - but watching them act out their own origin story is definitely an interesting concept. But also, as a (maybe dumb?) American, I do not understand why Irish is not an official language in Northern Ireland???? WHAT? Someone explain it to me like I'm 5 because I started looking into it and it made me even more confused. Apparently it is as of 2022, but why wasn't it originally that way - like from the beginning? I don't get it, but I guess it was super controversial for these guys to rap (??) in Irish. I'm putting the question marks there because it just sounds like noise to my ears (and I love rap - but if I can't understand the words then it's hard for me to listen to - not a knock on them, more of a knock on my own understanding of the language). Their whole sound gives off more of an EDM vibe to me instead of hip-hop, but I guess in Northern Ireland this is hip-hop. Once I understood the story, it definitely started to grow on me - and even though I don't know who they are, they create very engaging characters and a very inspiring story. I think maybe the shouldn't have really advertised Fassbender in it, because he's not really - it's more of a glorified cameo which should be that - not an advertised role in the film. But otherwise, it's good!

Thoughts on 5 New TV Shows

1. Disclaimer - I love Cate Blanchett, but I don't love this. It's definitely a chore to get through - every episode slower and more predictable than the last (I think I'm on episode 5 and nothing of note has happened). The catalyst for the story is interesting - this young, married woman is on vacation with her son, meets an even younger man and has a quick love affair with him. He gets attached and wants more, she gets upset, then her son almost drowns in the ocean so her lover goes to save him and ends up dying in the process. She can't even pretend that she knows him because she doesn't want anyone finding out about the affair. The whole situation would fuck you up, but the part I don't really understand is that she wanted him to die and doesn't say anything about him still being in the water. Way to lose any empathy from your audience. She's basically an awful person and deserves to have her life destroyed? Okay...so now what? I don't care about the main character, and this doesn't make me care about any of the supporting characters either. I guess that's why it's a chore to sit through. I can appreciate villainous characters, but I'm struggling here. I also think the time-jumping is jarring in some cases, although it's probably the only interesting aspect. I hate the iris out shots between scenes too - it just feels pretentious but also amateur at the same time. But there are some really stunning scenes - like the scene with the drowning - the way the waves crash over the camera. You really feel the intensity of the water and how it can overtake you. As far as the cast, Blanchett is untouchable. But Leila George as a younger version of her doesn't work at all for me. I keep having to remind myself that they are the same character. Her vibe is just completely different. And Sacha Baron Cohen in a serious role is jarring! Sharing a scene with Cate Blanchett is EMBARRASSING for him. Who thought that was a good idea? I also did not recognize Kevin Kline for the entire first episode. I know they probably aged him a bit, but he is 77 so he is older than I'm used to seeing him. Also I can't believe him and Phoebe Cates are still married!! Good for them. Anyway, I also hate the narration - it reminds me of Nocturnal Animals, the way that it's "telling a story", but the story is boring so it all feels pointless. 

2. Cross - I can't tell if this show is good or if Aldis Hodge is just *that* hot. I think it's the latter. I was a big fan of Morgan Freeman's version of Alex Cross from the 90s - Kiss the Girls is a fantastic movie (Along Came a Spider was just ok from what I remember). I'm also a big fan of Aldis Hodge, so this show seemed like a no-brainer for me. I just think it could have been done better. The cat-and-mouse production of it is dragged out for way too long. It easily could have been 6 forty minute episodes instead of 8 hour long episodes. I like the whole backstory of Cross' wife being murdered (I don't remember if that was in the movies?), and he's just a great detective character, overall, but the whole side-plot with the stalking and attack on his family is unnecessary. Or it could have been the main plot for season 2. This just feels like there's too much going - this is a show that would benefit from simplicity. It's smart to update his story with the "defund police" movement - and show both sides of the coin. This could have been the side plot (a more in-depth look at how difficult it is to be a black police officer). I also think the main villain is a little too cartoonish (especially Ryan Eggold with that bleach blonde hair - there is no way I would trust a man with that hair). I'm not sure how I recognize the victim - played by Eloise Mumford because I searched her IMDB and the only thing I know her from is the 50 Shades movies, but I doubt I would recognize her from that. But the wig she wears in the beginning is God-awful. She's very strong in this role, though. I think I would have liked a little more of her story before the capture, too. But otherwise, I was entertained for most of this. I appreciate that Cross figures out the identity of the serial killer by episode 5 and then he's just struggling to prove it, but like I said, it just goes on for too long. I also knew that a certain character was untrustworthy from the second they are introduced - but I'm not sure why. I guess gut instinct, but it just was so obvious to me for the whole series so the finale is a bit of a letdown (aside from the climax fight song being "X Gon' Give it to Ya" by DMX). I will definitely watch, and probably enjoy, season two. 

3. St. Denis Medical - The first episode of this is a little rough around the edges, but it is significantly better by the second episode. And extremely funny so far. It's very similar to Parks & Recreation and The Office, but it's set in a hospital (like Scrubs if it were mockumentary style). The cast is very strong -Mama Goldberg and Allison Tolman!! Plus, David Allan Grier is a comedic legend - I remember watching him in In Living Color when I was a kid. He's the highlight here - in the second episode he has so many hilarious lines and he nails every single one of them. I think I'm only on the 5th episode, but there's been so many funny moments so far - like The Beastie Boys opening number with the doctor dancing to "Intergalactic" - I was crying laughing. And the doctor trying to find someone "good" to save to show how satisfying it is to be a life-saving doctor and the patient yells "Finally! A white doctor!" It's so fucking funny. I can't wait to watch more, but I have to wait for my husband to watch it with me (he will watch sitcoms with me - like real sitcoms, not shows that submit themselves as comedy for awards shows like The Bear). I think there is a big hole for sitcoms lately (Animal Control and Abbott Elementary are the only ones holding down the whole category), so I'm all in for this. And if it's already found it's footing in the first few episodes, hopefully it will be a long-running sitcom that will feel like a comfort show. I miss those. 

4. Interior Chinatown - Okay, so I watched this show because Chloe Bennet is in it - and I only really know her from the Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D show and I have no real opinion of her from that. But she's dating my husband, Taron Egerton, so I have to support her. That man deserves to be happy - I've never read a bad thing about him (even his current co-star Jason Bateman praised him as "not being an asshole yet" and said something to effect that he doesn't have it in his bones - just pure kindness. The only thing I've ever seen of someone saying something bad about him is that one time a girl ran into him in the street and asked him for a picture and he said "no" and kept walking. Which is out of character for him, but also we can't expect celebrities to constantly be "On" every second of every day. I've also seen him be snippy when interviewers ask stupid questions or say something stupid - like when someone referred to his sisters as "half-sisters" and he corrected them "they are my sisters. period.". ANYWAY...I'm on a Taron tangent! It's been a long time! I just love him so much). I also like Jimmy O. Yang and Ronnie Chieng - they are both very funny. "I feel like I'm a background character in someone else's story" is the premise of the story. I'm not sure if I like it yet, though. It's very surreal - it's kind of reminiscent of that show with Jason Schwartzman where he's a private eye solving outrageous cases. Anyone remember that show?? It wasn't very good, but there was something interesting about it. Anyway, this kind of does the same outrageous scenarios thing, but it feels really cheesy; especially the "tv detectives". Nothing is grounded in reality. But I'm only 3 episodes in, so I'll still watch it and hope it finds its footing. There are definitely some funny parts ("I'll have the ginger chicken with no ginger" LOL. And when they are talking about Chloe and he goes "she's clearly Korean! Know your Asians!" I laughed. And then looked it up to see what her background is and she's not Korean. She's of Chinese descent on her dad's side and Caucasian American on her mom's side.). Also there's ANOTHER DMX song heard in this! I'M LIVING! 

5. The Day of the Jackal - Um, so I don't really understand all the great reviews for this. It's fine, I guess. It's very James Bond-coded, just with an assassin instead of a spy. And if you don't believe me just watch the opening credits, because I literally yelled out "are you fucking kidding me, with this James Bond song???". The opening scene of the series is really dumb, too, because we've all seen Mission: Impossible. Way to reference how unoriginal this series is within the first 10 minutes. I'm also not the biggest fan of Eddie Redmayne. I think he's been good in some stuff (The Theory of Everything), but he's not an Oscar-worthy actor (and yet he has one!!), and he over-acts. However, I appreciate that he takes on different/challenging roles in all different genres. He's following a different path than a lot of actors his age (I actually thought he was mid-30s until I just looked it up. He's my age!). I think he scales his acting back a little bit in this, and feels more human than I've seen him in a while, but I also think he's very boring in this role. And casting Lashana Lynch in this is really confusing, because she's IN the newer Bond films. I also don't care about any of the characters. I don't care if he gets away or dies. I don't care if she catches him and loses her family because she's so obsessed. They do nothing to make us care. I've just seen it all before - it's all playing out exactly how I expect it to and they've given nothing new to the spy/assassin genre. It's basically the same as Cross except that's actually entertaining. It's definitely another show that should have been 6 episodes maximum. I actually thought the 8th episode was the last one, but then I realized that the other 2 episodes just weren't released yet, and I feel like it's going to be a chore to finally finish this series. I will say that the music is fantastic (and I saw someone note that their music budget must be extraordinary because HOW did they get the rights to all these songs???). 

Thoughts on 5 Films

1. Transformers One - This is really cute! And action-packed! The animation is great - especially the scenes with the robots mixed into the natural world. Just gorgeous! I think a lot of original Transformers fan, like my husband, are scarred by the Michael Bay movies (for the record, I love them! I think the only one I really didn't like was The Last Knight, but overall I find it a very entertaining franchise. And the first one is incredible, I don't care what anyone says). So, when this came to streaming, I asked my husband if he wanted to watch it with me and he shook his head no, but then I said "it's animated and it's not related to any of the previous movies." And that made him change his mind and I'm glad because he LOVED it (I failed to tell him that Michael Bay produced this, but he doesn't need to know that information). It definitely feels like the "old school" style of the original cartoons, but with updated technology in the animation. It's a great "from the beginning" origin story about how Optimus Prime and Megatron became enemies (but started as best friends). It's interesting to see the chain reaction of a villainous world creating more villains that parallels the cycle of abuse (I don't think kids will grasp this concept, but it's definitely there). I think the voice casting is very uninspiring - Chris Hemsworth is probably the biggest mistake of the whole movie. Also Scarlett has a great voice for sultry, sexy characters, but not for this. I love Brian Tyree Henry, but I don't think he has a particularly interesting voice. Hamm is too expected. I did enjoy Keegan-Michael Key because B-127 was the best character ("I get to work for the government!" LOL). I'm excited for a sequel! 

2. Blitz - Hmmmmm....I rated this movie 3.5 stars, but I don't think I quite liked it. It's just a really well-made movie though, because I don't think Steve McQueen is capable of making a bad movie (even Widows has its moments of stunning filmmaking). I appreciate a lot of things about this. First, the film is partially told from a black child's perspective during WWII in London, which is not a perspective we've seen a lot of. It's really interesting to see the racism persisting even among people who are being bombed and trying to literally survive the day. Second, like I said, some incredible filmmaking is displayed - from the use of sound, to some of the shots, to the costume design - it's all gorgeous. There's also a great tracking shot (because it's McQueen, so OF COURSE there is!). And third, Saoirse Ronan supremacy!! I don't think this is her strongest role, but she's still so mesmerizing on screen - I couldn't look away from her. But, the film is also very boring. I don't think the kid is a good actor, and he's not engaging at all. I saw someone compare it to Oliver Twist, and that tracks - it just doesn't feel very original aside from the multicultural aspect. And if someone asked me to pick the most current "vanilla" actor working today, I would absolutely respond "Harris Dickinson". He's so dull - and I don't even understand his character in this. It seems his entire part could have been cut altogether. Stephen Graham goes way over-the-top with this, which is his thing, but he needed to be reined in. Overall, I think film enthusiasts will find the value in this, but I would not recommend this to the average moviegoer. 

3. Alien: Romulus - This was actually far better than I was expecting. It's exactly what I've wanted from an Alien movie since Aliens. It might not be as thoughtful as Prometheus or Covenant (both of which I liked), but it's entertaining as Hell in a purely horror blockbuster sensibility. It also may be a little too referential (some of it was laughable - "get away from her *stutters*, you bitch". WOW incredibly bad), but I can forgive that. The two main stars are STARS - Cailee Spaeny is great. She's so tiny and petite, but she's also scrappy so I can believe her in this role. She really carried the whole movie, and I *think* she's about as close to Sigourney Weaver's Ripley that we're ever going to get. David Jonsson is also great as a malfunctioning robot - his facial expressions are so good. But unfortunately, the rest of the cast are incredibly forgettable. Isabela Merced is so under-utilized. I don't know the other three of the group, and I have no interest in finding out more about them. All...just...blah. But the action and the kills are so good! I love all the face-hugger action too. The best part of the whole film is the ending - because HOLY SHIT - it goes batshit crazy. I thought the film was pretty much over, and then THAT happens and the whole thing takes a whole new direction. I was not expecting it at all. I was expecting more of a twist with a "twin" plotline because the whole thing is a play on Romulus & Remus (from Roman mythology about the founding of Rome), but I'm wondering if that's going to be the focus for the sequel? It's definitely an interesting twist in the story. Anyway, I loved it - it sits right outside my Top 10 of the year so far. 

4. Smile 2 - Another great horror film! I have so many horror films rated as 3.5 stars this year (Abigail, Immaculate, The First Omen, etc. and 3.5 stars is a high rating for me), and this is one of them. I was not expecting it at all - even with the good reviews (I'm always more skeptical of good horror film reviews - because a lot of them are bad). I liked the first one just fine - I rated it 3 stars (which is average/good to me). I liked Sosie Bacon, but that's about all. I thought a sequel seemed excessive (not every story needs to continue!). But this, is far more memorable - and Naomi Scott is INCREDIBLE. I like how they connect the stories, and then focus on this demon overtaking a pop star (a character that is already deemed as "crazy" due to an excessive life style). It's a really interesting turn in the story. But I truly think that Scott makes this movie - not only in acting, but the performing. I would fully believe that she is a pop star if I didn't already know otherwise. I recently watched the Power Rangers movie from a few years ago and she stood out among a great cast, but as I was watching this, I wondered what else she's done only to realize that she's the actress from the live-action Aladdin and the Charlie's Angel's remake - both of which I destroyed in my reviews. I still stand by both of those movies being terrible and the acting even worse, but obviously Scott can act - she's just been cast in bad movies. She gives off a bit of a P!nk vibe with this role (and I love P!nk), especially with the choreography and the spectacle in her performance. And Naomi does all the singing and dancing too! Incredible - better than most current pop stars. And I added the "New Brain" song to my Spotify list, because it's SO GOOD! I had it stuck in my head for days. Anyway, aside from her performance, I just think it moves a lot quicker than the first one does - it's more straight-forward, there are some truly gruesome scenes (the weight smashing into his face - so gory!). And it has a GREAT ending. I expected it, but I also thought they wouldn't actually go there, but they do (and it's a great commentary on the cult-like fanbase for a certain pop star that shall remain nameless). I think the only critique I have is that as great as Scott is, the constant reaction shots are annoying. 90% of the movie is just her face reacting to something horrific. 

5. The Piano Lesson - I mentioned this when I watched Fences, that I think it's incredible that I, a Drama Studies major in the early 2000s, have not read a single August Wilson play. It should have been a part of my curriculum. It's definitely a glaring omission - and direct proof of exclusion in the arts. I have been meaning to correct this, but I don't read a lot of plays anymore (I do read a lot of POC non-fiction because I think the whole purpose of books/movies/tv etc is to expand your worldview and that's not going to happen by just consuming things from white authors). There's a lot of good stuff in this - first, Danielle Deadwyler is fantastic - probably my favorite supporting performance of the year. Second, the scene with the men sitting around the table singing and stomping along to the beat is so simple, but yet SO EFFECTIVE. I could have watched that scene for another 20 minutes and enjoyed every second of it. Third, HOLY SHIT IS THAT RAY FISHER??!!! I thought he was completely miscast in the Justice League movie and I WAS RIGHT! Because he was terrible in that, but he's SO GOOD in this. I didn't even recognize him at first because dare I say, he's also REALLY HOT in this?! The scene in which he buys the suit is so cute! He's so excited about it and I wanted to reach into my television and give him a big hug. Fourth, the ending is really good with a proper horror haunted house vibe. The lighting (and flashing lights) is so strong and effective. The silhouettes of past lives is haunting and just so incredibly beautiful. And last, I appreciate the generational family affair of this - with Denzel producing, Malcolm directing, and John David starring in. Unfortunately, my biggest problem with it is John David Washington. I just don't think he's a good actor. He sounds just like his dad, but he definitely does not have the same star power or charisma. I think he struggles here - the dialogue does not sound natural for him at all and he just spends the entire time shouting. There's a deep divide too when he shares the screen with actual great actors (like Deadwyler - who doesn't even need dialogue to act or Samuel L. Jackson who is probably the only actor that can over-act and still be incredible in every role). I read a few reviews from black critics, all of whom praise John David Washington in this, so maybe I'm wrong, but he's just not convincing from my perspective. I also think it feels a little too stagey in parts, but I'm not sure if that can be helped with the nature of the story mostly taking place in one location. It just doesn't feel like a movie until the end.