The Shape of Water (2017)

• Directed by Guillermo del Toro
• Starring Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer
• Written by Guillermo del Toro
• Fantasy, Romance
• Rated R
• 2hr 3 mins
• 22 December 2017

Synopsis

Set in the 1960s, a lonely janitor, Elisa, meets a creature just as lonely as she is. When she falls in love with the fish man being tortured in the lab of the secret research facility she works at, it’s up to her and her friends to save his life.

How’s the Story?

Okay, so, I knew this was going to be weird. I knew that to start with. I knew going in that this movie would be <i>out there</i>… and yet it still was just SO MUCH weirder than I ever thought was possible. I liked it, I think? I honestly don’t even know. This movie went beyond weird and into ‘what the fuck did I just watch?’ so I don’t really know how well I liked the story.

It was very Guillermo del Toro, let’s just put it that way.

How’s the Acting?

The performances in this movie are magnificent. Sally Hawkins is incredible. I’ve never seen her act before, but that was just fantastic. Also, Richard Jenkins was amazing, too! Honestly, there wasn’t a bad performance in the movie, right down to our old pal Doug Jones, the master of monster makeup!

How’s the Writing/Directing?

This movie was so creative and so well done that I cannot give enough credit to the writing and the direction. There wasn’t a scene that stood out as ‘off’ for me in the whole movie. I saw this in a near-empty auditorium and was free to gasp and clutch at my seat as dramatically as I wanted and I did, oh man I did.

Guillermo del Toro is just a legend. That’s it.

How’s the Cinematography?

There are sequences in this movie that I think will be studied in schools one day. This movie uses color and light in a way that is so incredibly awesome that I can’t put into words how much I love it. I love the use of water. That sounds silly, it’s the title of the movie, but the way water is used in even small ways is just so beautifully shot, because filming with water is not easy. It’s a tricky thing to get what you want on the camera when it comes to water, and this movie does it well.

Is It Worth Watching?

Everyone should see this movie. It’s weird beyond measure, but it’s just so beautifully told and I cannot praise the acting and storytelling enough. The only reason this movie isn’t getting a higher rating from me is the way that I think it was almost <i>too</i> weird for me. I didn’t <i>feel</i> it. I know the writing was there, the acting was there, the direction was there… I just still didn’t feel it. I think it was too weird to me to connect to properly.

The basic story, however, is one that is magical and beautiful: a person who feels lost discovers her purpose in life and that purpose is to love someone that nobody else does. It’s just so beautiful of a story. It takes skill for Guillermo del Toro to turn a simple story into something so outlandishly strange that even I can’t get too incredibly attached. It’s a great movie, even if I can’t love it as much as some do.

My Rating: 7/10

Call Me By Your Name (2018)

• Directed by Luca Guadagnino
• Starring Timothee Chalamet, Armie Hammer
• Written by James Ivory
• Drama, Romance
• Rated R
• 2hr 12mins
• 19 January 2018

Synopsis

Based on a book by the same name, Call Me By Your Name tells the story of a mid-80s summer in which a college student guest, Oliver, comes to stay with a family in the Italian countryside where Elio, a seventeen year old boy, discovers some things about himself all because of Oliver.

How’s the Story?

Not to be ‘that person’, but it’s pretty dull. I got crazy excited by the prospect of a gay romance making waves, but I then read the book before the movie came out (a big mistake; it was the worst book I’ve ever read) so I knew going in that the best hope I could get is that it doesn’t include the weird stuff in the book. Thankfully, the weirdest things were left out of the movie, and the overall story of a teen boy coming to terms with his sexuality takes the front seat. However, the way the story is told is beyond boring and I think that comes down to flaws in the following places.

How’s the Acting?

I do not, for the life of me, understand the praise for the acting in this movie. No, it isn’t terrible, but when the actors seem ‘acty’, that’s a sign of bad acting. There is no Oscar-worthy performance in this. I’m just saying. The best performance in this movie is the father, played by Michael Stuhlbarg. He’s by far the shining light in the mediocre array of performances in this movie, in my opinion.

How’s the Writing/Directing?

There are moments in this movie where it sounds so pretentiously unnatural that I cringed. There are lines of dialogue that is just so unavoidably awkward and don’t fit the character and the story at all. There are, as I said, entire scenes that are highly ‘acty’, which is something a good director should be able to fix, but for some reason the director didn’t do that, and I don’t understand.

That said, once again, Michael Stuhlbarg’s monologue is money. It seems like all the writing attention went into that one monologue and I loved it. It’s really what saved this movie, for the most part.

How’s the Cinematography?

Yet again, I don’t understand what went wrong. The editing is abruptly choppy at times, and while that isn’t cinematography, the awkward cuts in scenes from one strange framing to another, where there are very unnatural shot compositions on the screen, is just absurd. Was there some theme or metaphor I just am missing?

Full disclosure: I got a screener of this, so perhaps it was pre-final-editing-sweep? It just blows my mind how oddly bad the choices in composition were in some spots in this movie.

Is It Worth Watching?

I guess? If your tastes align with me often, then no. Don’t waste these hours of your life. But for some reason, everybody else I’ve spoken to sees something I don’t see, and maybe it’s best you see it for yourself to decide.

Above all of these issues, which I admit, are issues of taste, there is one major, glaring issue with this movie that I address in a recording that has yet to be published, and that is the way that this film being touted as positive queer representation is confusingly tone deaf to me as a queer person who has grown up in a homophobic world. While tons of queer people seem to not agree, I find it absolutely maddening that in 2017, we would praise a movie that reinforces a hurtful and disgusting homophobic stereotype.

All my life people have said gay men shouldn’t have children or be teachers because they’re perverts who are going to prey on your little boys. Call Me By Your Name is a story about an adult man whose age isn’t stated but who looks about thirty having a sexual relationship with a seventeen year old boy. No, he didn’t prey on the kid, the kid went after him, but that doesn’t make it okay. In real life, when a man in his mid-twenties dates a seventeen year old girl, we call him a pervert who preys on little girls, and rightly so. Why is it that we have a movie that shows us the same thing – only in some ways worse, since that stereotype has hurt so many people in so many ways – and we are all over how it is a tragic romance?

Most of us agree that the problem with transgender women being played by male actors is that it reinforces the stereotype to transphobic people that a trans woman is just a man in a dress. This is a movie that reinforces the stereotype that a gay man is going to come for your teenage boys in that very same way. It is so far from a POSITIVE representation of queerness when I’ve seen teachers get fired because they’re gay and parents don’t want them around their sons, or when fathers lose custody of their children when they divorce their wife and meet another man, all because of this stereotype that we’re celebrating as a tragic romance in this movie.

Not to say there isn’t anything positive. The parents being so loving and accepting is amazing! I loved them! The set design and costuming were incredible! So much of this movie had a great amount of potential, but there were flaws I can’t overlook, and most of all, there was the issue of that stereotype being reinforced and celebrated. I can’t help but feel like even if I loved this movie, that issue would leave a bitter taste I just couldn’t get around.

My Rating: 3/10

I, Tonya (2017)

• Directed by Craig Gillespie
• Starring Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney
• Written by Steven Rogers
• Comedy, Biopic
• Rated R
• 2hr
• 10 December 2017

Synopsis

Told in a mockumentary style, I, Tonya tells the story of infamous figure skater, Tonya Harding, known best for her involvement in the scandalous events preceding the 1994 Olympics, following her entire skating career from childhood to her lifetime banning in 1994.

How’s the Story?

I think that, since I’m a figure skating fan all my life, I went into this with a negative predisposition that made it difficult for me to really enjoy this story as well as I think it deserves. It’s a good story. And I’m always the first person to say that a movie doesn’t have to be accurate to be a good movie, yet I found myself struggling to connect with the story since it’s told from a perspective to inspire sympathy for Tonya Harding, which just isn’t possible for me really. The parts about all of the abuses she suffered were something I could sympathize with, but I kept this undercurrent of the less-dramatic version of “Cool story, still murder” that villains often get.

NOT to say she’s a villain or that anything was close to like a super villain murdering people, but that feeling, the ‘wow that’s so sad… but you still did a terrible thing’ feeling, it stuck with me so I struggled to sympathize the way I think most viewers might when they see this without being too well versed in the real story this is based off of.

However, IGNORING my bias, I have to say that overall, this is a very creative way to tell this story and I think it’s probably better than I like it.

How’s the Acting?

Margot Robbie is amazing in this movie. She’s just fantastic. Sebastian Stan was also really great in this one. I have to say that the performances in this movie were definitely, to me, the highlight of the whole thing.

That said, I’ve heard nothing but people being super into Allison Janney’s performance here, calling it worthy of a best supporting actress nomination, and I really can’t say I agree. Is she good? She’s okay. But this characters is very one-note and her performance doesn’t elevate that at all. I’m not sure if I can blame here for that, however, so more on that in the next section!

How’s the Writing/Directing?

This movie is very well written and directed except for how weirdly one-note Allison Janney’s character is. I don’t understand why it fell flat there, but it really did. I would say that it almost has to be a writing and direction element that made that happen, because she’s a good actor.

Overall, it’s a solid film with really smart dark humor that’s really hard to get right and this movie definitely does.

How’s the Cinematography?

The skating sequences in this film are fantastic! I was worried about that, because it’s so hard to get figure skating on film done right, but this one definitely pulls off some believable shots done super well. This is a particularly beautiful film in several other ways as well. There are so many scenes where the lighting is so spot on that I was sucked in by it. I am always a sucker for well-done lighting and this really, really nails it in so many places.

Is It Worth Watching?

While I struggled to love this movie, I have to say I did like it. It’s very entertaining and has a lot of great dark humor, but at times the violence is over the top – though this is the point – and it takes me out of the story a bit, and I’m naturally disinclined to like this particular telling of an event because it is told in a way that aims to make the viewer sympathize with someone I can only see as a terrible cheater who deserved her lifetime ban.

I’m almost certain that if you aren’t as familiar with Tonya Harding you’ll love this movie, but I just couldn’t put that aside while viewing this one. I’m going to try to watch this one again once it’s available on streaming, because I want to like it better than I do, but currently, I would say I like it alright.

My Rating: 6/10

 

Top 10 Movies of 2017

Let’s just start by saying 2017 was a great year for movies! I saw so many amazing movies in 2017 that I had a very hard time picking this top 10. I saw 42 films of 2017 and 34 of those were at the movies, which is an all-time high for me, and yet my short-list for the top 10 was still 19 movies long. Weeding out my VERY FAVORITE movies was so incredibly hard. Honestly, there were only a handful of movies I saw this year I wouldn’t watch again, and there are a few I saw that I’ve already bought and watched half a dozen times over again.

So let’s get into my top 10 favorite movies of 2017!

(Side note: In making this list, I realized that DAMN 2017 was a great year for women in movies!)

#10 – Bad Genius, Nattawut Poonpiriya

I only recently saw Bad Genius and I’m glad I managed to fit it in before the year ended. What I loved about this movie is that the suspense is sooooo palpable. Jesus Christ I’ve seen horror films with less suspense than this manages in each tense scene. The premise is really interesting, it’s very well written, and the acting is great. This is just an all-around wonderful ‘heist’ movie and I’m lucky I stumbled across it looking for another Thai movie I’d watched last year. If you haven’t heard of this one – and you may not have since I never did – go find it! It’s just fantastic.

My Rating: 8/10

#9 – Hidden Figures, Theodore Melfi

Space, science, history, and women, what more could you want from a film? Hidden Figures is the movie I saw on my birthday in 2017 and it is without a doubt one of the best birthday presents I ever gave myself. This movie is funny, moving, thrilling, and absolutely beautifully acted. It’s still the only movie I’ve ever been to where the audience applauded when it ended, so clearly others agree with me about this one. While this one was released some places in 2016, for me it was released in 2017, so it was always going to be on this list.

My Rating: 8/10

#8 – Rough Night, Lucia Aniello

This movie turned out to be a rather divisive movie this year. People generally loved it or hated it. I even did a little mini-study on whether this was truly a movie for women and discovered that 2/3rds of women polled loved it and 2/3rds of men polled hated it, which kinda confirms my theory that this is a movie women enjoy more than men. That’s really why I love this movie so much, it’s funny in a way that most comedies aren’t. Even other ‘female driven comedies’ often don’t have realistic women. This movie is full of jokes that make more sense if you’re a girl, and it’s just fantastically funny. I loved this movie so much I bought it and have watched it on bluray about ten times already. It’s just a good movie that does raunchy comedy in a way that is ACTUALLY funny and not offensive, which is so hard to find. It doesn’t bog everything down with too much sentimental stuff like a lot of ‘women’ comedies. It has a little bit of this ‘friendship dynamic’ stuff that’s interesting, but it’s not over the top enough to distract from the fact it’s just a very funny film.

My Rating: 8/10

#7 – Blade Runner 2049, Denis Villeneuve

It’s kind of hilarious how in the middle of a list that’s going to as a whole be pretty damn feminism forward you find one of the least feminist friendly movies I liked this year, but not every movie can be perfect. However, this one is really freaking good. In another case of ‘love it or hate it’, Blade Runner 2049 was just one of those movies that ticked a lot of boxes for me. I love stuff about AI and Androids and the ethical question of ‘when does a person become a person?’ in the case of intelligent AIs. This movie was pretty much right up my alley for a Science Fiction film. And of course, the visuals are just freaking unbelievable. Dear God, this movie is the most beautifully shot movie I saw all year, and I could look at that Vegas scene for an hour and never get tired of it. So while it was pretty shitty with how it treated women, that was honestly the only flaw this movie had for me.

My Rating: 8/10

#6 – Wonder Woman, Patty Jenkins

Oh, Wonder Woman. This was one of the biggest surprises for me all year, honestly. I didn’t expect much from this movie, because DC movies notoriously are NOT to my taste. When I walked out of that theater, I was shell-shocked at how much of a 180 from that feeling this DC movie was. My goodness, you guys, this movie moved me in ways I never expected to be moved. I’ll quote my original review because I explained it best there:

I didn’t expect to be as deeply affected by the fact that this film has a woman who can’t be hurt. Most superheroes, not just women, can still be harmed, and we know she can because the other Amazons died at the beginning, but by having her deflecting bullets with her armor it struck me really hard that I live in a world where women are murdered all the time just because we exist. All the time you hear stories about women being murdered by their partners, women being murdered for refusing to give a stranger at a bar their phone number, honor killings for rape victims, honor killings for adultery, you even see news stories about women being murdered by men for being pretty and a ‘temptation’.

And when I saw Diana running across No Man’s Land deflecting bullets the words, “a woman who can’t be hurt by men” popped into my head and I almost cried.

Also, that No Man’s Land scene will forever be one of the coolest movie scenes of all time.

My Rating: 9/10

#5 – The Big Sick, Michael Showalter

I never thought a comedy about a woman in a coma would be a top 5 film for me before 2017. But wow, how wrong was I? Oh man, this was so touching and beautiful and still seriously funny. I already knew the story behind Kumail Nanjiani and his wife’s illness when they were first getting together, but this was just such a moving story to see played out on screen. This is without a doubt one of the best comedies I’ve seen in years, and I knew when I watched it that first time that it would be on the top 10 list somewhere, and look! It is!

My Rating: 8/10

#4 – Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rian Johnson

Look, another ‘love it or hate it’ movie! Yep, as you can guess, I loved this movie. I think all the things people hate are the same things I loved about this movie. I loved the way all the characters are very fallible in this movie. I loved how some things were just futile and all we willed them to succeed in didn’t necessarily end in success. It was just a really, really good movie and I had very few faults with it. I plan on watching it again ASAP, because this is one I think you can probably watch ten times and find something new every single one.

My Rating: 8/10

#3 – Baby Driver, Edgar Wright

Of all the movies I saw in 2017, Baby Driver is easily the one that every time I watch it, I love it more. God, it’s just so good. There’s nothing else to be said, it’s just SO good. I love these characters, I love the story, I love the way the whole thing is basically one big music video, I just love everything about this movie. The only reason this movie isn’t my #1 is that 2017 was so freaking amazing for film that two movies were even better than this practically flawless film.

My Rating: 9/10

#2 – Wind River, Taylor Sheridan

I agonized over which of my top 2 films would be #1 and which would be #2 because both of them were fantastic movies that shared a lot of the same themes in VERY different movies. It physically hurts to put Wind River anywhere but in #1, but that shows you how good this year was for movies. This movie is just amazing. It’s beautifully shot, it’s fantastic sounding, it’s about a very real topic that needs to be respected the way this film respects it, and the performances in this are amazing. If there was any justice in the universe, both Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen would win hella awards for this movie. Also, it’s funny that this is the second time, Taylor Sheridan gets the #2 spot on my Top 10 list, lol.

My Rating: 10/10

#1 – Coco, Lee Unkrich

I never in a million years thought an animated film could be #1 on my list in such a good film year, but Coco is just something different than anything I’ve ever watched. Not only is it the best animated movie I’ve seen in years, it’s possibly the best Pixar film I’ve ever seen… the spot previously held by Toy Story. This movie is so beautiful and visually stunning and oh my God, I cried more watching this movie than I did watching anything else (besides Lion) all year. And like I said before, it’s hilarious that this and Wind River had a lot of the same themes in a very different way. The way this movie approaches the concept of family, culture, grief, death, and memory is just amazing. I love every second of this movie, and the only reason it’s not a 10/10 film is that it was slightly predictable, but honestly, I don’t even care. It’s the best movie I saw all year and I cannot WAIT until I can own it and cry over it in the comfort of my bedroom.

My Rating: 9/10

 

And there we go! Another year in the books and another Top 10 list to go down with it. What were your top 10 favorite films of 2017? Let me know!

Bad Genius (2017)

• Directed by Nattawut Poonpiriya
• Starring Chutimon Chuengcharoensukying, Eisaya Hosuwan, Chanon Santinatornkul
• Written by Tanida Hantaweewatana, Vasudhorn Piyaromna
• Comedy, Crime, Non-English
• NR (I’d say PG-13)
• 2 hr 10 min.
• 3 May 2017

Synopsis

A genius attending school on a scholarship is convinced by her friends to help people at school cheat for money. Because the school still charges her father even though she was told she was on scholarship, she decides there are no losers in her doing as she says. However, when she gets caught up in a much bigger scam – mass-cheating on the international STIC exam – Lynn has far more weighing over her than just helping classmates get good grades.

How’s the Story?

Have you ever seen Perfect Score with Chris Evans and Scarlet Johansson before they were superheroes? The one where they steal the answers to the SAT? It’s kind of like that, only far more impressive, way more suspenseful, and way better written. Lynn is so likeable that even though you know what she and the others are doing is wrong, you WANT so badly for her to succeed. The relationship she has with her father is also something you really, really feel and want things to go well for them. It’s just a really good story with so many moving parts and human connections that make it very interesting.

How’s the Acting?

While I don’t know much about Thai film apart from one or two queer films over the last few years, I have to believe that this is a really good performance on any standard. At the very least, by American standards, this is a very well-acted film. The girl who plays Lynn and Bank in particular are really, really good at playing these two very unique ‘genius’ characters. There is no ‘stereotype’ here, they’re very unique characters and the actors portray those characters very well.

How’s the Writing/Directing?

Like I said before, this is one that has very interesting choices in how the story plays out. To not be cheesy, this is a smart movie about a smart girl. It’s funny without being silly, it’s heartfelt without being cheesy, and it’s SO. DAMN. SUSPENSEFUL! There are parts where I was like “OH GOD WHAT’S GONNA HAPPEN?!?!” on the edge of my seat, it’s so well done. Suspense is something easy to get wrong and this really, really does NOT get it wrong.

How’s the Cinematography?

It’s pretty standard for the most part, but there are some choices especially in lighting that are really, really good. Also, there are a few sequences that are sort of ‘dream sequence’-like (where the characters have out of body experiences) that are very artsy and yet somehow really, really fit into the more standard way the film is shown. Overall, there’s nothing magical to write home about, but it’s good.

Is It Worth Watching?

Though the number of Non-English films I’ve seen this year is like… two or three (she admits with shame), this is easily the best one. I loved this movie. I’m not sure it’ll make the top 10 of 2017 list, but it’s on the shortlist, so that says a lot about it. It’s just a very well written, well-directed, well done movie that has a great ‘twist’ ending for one of the characters that I thought at first I didn’t like but decided in the end I really did like it.

It’s a movie about a girl finding her power in the world she’s been put into, getting a little power-hungry, and then discovering that her true strength comes from within. It’s a very good movie about a girl coming of age in a very unique way that’s extremely entertaining. Overall, I would say this is one of the more enjoyable movies I’ve seen this year.

My Rating: 8/10

Atomic Blond (2017)

(I failed spectacularly on the Christmas movie front this year, but here, have a review!)

• Directed by David Leitch
• Starring Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, Eddie Marsan
• Written by Kurt Johnstad
• Action
• Rated R
• 1hr 55min
• 28 July 2017

Synopsis

A spy is sent into Berlin after a fellow spy is killed in search of a dossier that contains the information of every single undercover operative in the region. Tasked with recovering the file at any cost necessary, she has very little time to get her hands on the dossier before the tensions in the city reach their pinnacle.

How’s the Story?

Really the story itself is the only place this movie falls down a bit for me. The details of the entire plot are kind of vague and it relies on you just not questioning any of the little hints dropped (like her and the dead guy having been in some sort of relationship, her background and why she was chosen for this detail, little bits here and there that seem to be throwaway subplots that never get explored, ect) and going with it.

Overall, however, the basic idea is good enough: Spy has to recover information at any cost and she has no real allies in it all. It’s not the most complex story ever told but it’s enough for me to go on as an action movie fan.

How’s the Acting?

I really liked how this one is performed. Charlize Theron usually is pretty good in my experience (or perhaps I’ve just been lucky, but who cares) so I was pleased with her performance. James McAvoy is equally a pretty reliable performer, and I really like his job in this one. Really, though, I think the standout performance in this one has to go to Eddie Marsan, someone I believe to be a highly under-valued talent. He’s rarely the star of the show, but he’s always good in whatever I see him in. He’s amazing in this one. Also, it was great to see Sofia Bouttella again. I’ve only seen her in one other thing, but I like her a lot in both that and this. I’m eager to see more of her in the future.

How’s the Writing/Directing?

There are some parts of this movie that are absolutely brilliant. It’s all good, of course, but I really appreciate some scenes that are just so realistic and against the normal ‘badass spy chick’ style. I like that she’s not shown to be invulnerable. Lorraine has a full show of emotions in this movie and a lady spy that’s not cold is such a positive. When she is upset over people dying and even cries at one point, I was thinking “Yes, finally a realistic reaction without it making her too weak to be badass.” Another scene that is directed in such a way that lends to realism is one where she’s fighting someone and they’ve both reached the ‘barely strong enough to sit up’ point of exhaustion. In a lot of spy movies, the people fighting never seem tired, and yet they chose to show the physical exhaustion that comes from fighting for your life. It’s absolutely wonderful to see an action movie that’s got more believable moments than usual.

How’s the Cinematography?

Oh my God, the lights and the colors are just soooo good in this one. The use of lighting in dark, daylight, artificial light, and reflective light is just so, so good. I loved some of the really more artistic camera choices than you expect in a straightforward action movie, too. This is a very visually solid film and I’m very pleased with the outcome.

Is It Worth Watching?

Though this film had some very lukewarm responses when it was released, I highly enjoyed this one. I regret not seeing it in theaters when it came out greatly, because this must have looked incredible on a big screen. There’s just so much to love about this movie that some of the iffy story points don’t really matter that much. I was so caught up in the music and the costumes and the visuals that I didn’t care at all for the negatives because there were so many positives.

I genuinely enjoyed this movie and I’m definitely buying this one on bluray sometime soon.

My Rating: 8/10

A Christmas Prince (2017)

HERE HAVE A CHRISTMAS MOVIE REVIEW SINCE I STILL HAVEN’T DONE ONE I’M SORRY I’VE BEEN BUSY!!!

• Directed by Alex Zamm
• Starring Rose McIver, Ben Lamb, Honor Kneafsey
• Written by Nathan Atkins
• Romance, Holiday
• Rated PG
• 1hr 32mins
• 17 November 2017

Synopsis

A copy editor yearns to become a journalist, and when she is assigned to the press pool of a conference the reputed ‘playboy’ prince of the fictional country of … some country I forget …. is holding, she takes the opportunity given to her by his refusal to show himself and insinuates herself into the royal household under the guise of the disabled princess’s American tutor.

How’s the Story?

It’s alright. It’s nothing special but the “well-intentioned reporter who only wants to have a career until they discover it will hurt real people” trope is a fun one. Honestly, this movie is Hallmark Christmas Never Been Kissed basically, but it’s still a cute story. I particularly liked the choice of having the little princess be disabled.

How’s the Acting?

I mean…. it’s not abysmal? I’ve seen worse in serious movies, not Hallmark-level-but-not-really-Hallmark movies, so that’s something positive. Definitely not the worst acting in a movie I’ve ever seen, but far from the best.

How’s the Writing/Directing?

Honestly? Not that bad. I can’t think of anything that stands out as poorly written or badly directed. In general, the writing and the direction choices are pretty solid for what it is. It’s no Arrival but it’s got better writing than American Assassin. (Not that that’s too hard to do.)

How’s the Cinematography?

It’s decent. It’s not bad, but it’s clearly very low budget. It’s very straightforward filmmaking. I particularly like some of the outdoor scenes. It’s not easy to get a forest scene filmed well on a low budget, and they did a pretty decent job.

Is It Worth Watching?

It’s Christmas season, so of course it’s worth watching! Sappy ass, iffy quality Christmas love stories are perfect for this time of year, and this definitely fits the bill for that. There’s not much more to say about this movie, because it’s straightforward: Christmas Love Story. That’s just it.

It’s still better than Love Actually.

My Rating: 5/10

Coco (2017)

• Directed by Lee Unkrich, Adrien Molina
• Starring Anthony Gonzales, Gael Garcia Bernal, Benjamin Bratt
• Written by Adrien Molina, Matthew Aldrich
• Animated, Family, Comedy
• Rated PG
• 1hr 45mins
• 21 November 2017

Synopsis

Miguel, a boy who loves music even though he lives in a family where music is forbidden, takes a trip to the land of the dead after a fateful accident on El Día de los Muertos. In order to get home, he must have his dead relatives make a deal and give him their blessing. However, when their blessing comes with a condition, he decides to search out someone from his family that will send him home and let him live his dream.

How’s the Story?

This story is just beautiful. My God, I didn’t know this movie was going to be so complex and well thought out. I mostly wanted to see it because I have a special place in my heart for Mexican culture since I spent a long time working for a Mexican family and they were so wonderful as to include me in their celebrations, an I wanted to see how Disney managed to tackle such a beautiful holiday as this one. In the end, I feel like they absolutely nailed the culture in the way this story is told. They even had the grandmother throwing her shoe at people, which I’ve witnessed firsthand since my former boss had three little girls, lol. This story just just so detailed and so well told.

How’s the (Voice) Acting?

I was actually surprised to learn who all were the voice actors in this one. I recognize several of these people, and yet I never placed the voices. I have to say, the boy that plays Miguel, Anthony Gonzales, did such a fantastic job with conveying the depth of emotions that Miguel goes through. It was just such a great job. And honestly, Benjamin Bratt was Ernesto de la Cruz?! I would’ve never guessed that listening! You know it’s a good performance if you can’t identify the actor in the role. This movie is just really well cast and well delivered with the voice acting.

How’s the Writing/Directing?

I could go on for days about how beautifully written this is movie is, and yet there are some things in it that are so amazing there are no words. I would say the most beautifully written part in this entire film is the progression from our perception of ‘some bum’ Héctor to Héctor the hero. The way he never really changes who he is and BECOMES a hero, but rather the shift is in the way we perceive him through the interactions he shares and the information that’s revealed to us, it’s just fantastic. It’s so cleverly written that I can’t think of much else that is comparable in character development to this.

The way that the reasoning behind calling the movie Coco after Miguel’s great grandmother unfolds from ‘why is it named after her if he’s the main character?’ to the entire audience being sobbing, blubbering messes is just masterful. It’s brilliant and I cannot give enough love to that entire thread of the story.

How’s the Cinematography Animation?

This is one of the most beautiful looking animated films I’ve ever seen. Full stop. The end. I could go into all the colors and the details and the skin textures and how they’re done so perfectly in this movie, but I think it’s succinct to say that this outdoes any movie I can think of that I’ve seen before in my whole life. It’s just absolutely breathtaking to look at.

Is It Worth Watching?

Coco is not only one of the best animated films I’ve seen this year, not only one of the best animated films I’ve seen in my lifetime, and not only one of the best films of this year; Coco is one of the most beautifully moving films I’ve ever seen. I love this movie. I love everything about this movie. The way that the story tackles family and the dichotomy of expectation versus love, the way it handles generational differences, and the way it handles tradition is just so carefully done and so absolutely beautiful. I cried so much watching this movie. There were about 4 times I was reduced to tears during this movie, and some of them were just from happiness.

It’s rare that a film comes along that is so transcendently beautiful in so many ways that I want to take everybody I know and show them this film, but Coco is one of those films. The only flaw in the entire movie is how predictable the biggest twist of them all is, and honestly? I don’t even really care that much about that. I was okay that I saw it coming. I was okay knowing what to expect. It was so enjoyable to watch the characters discover what I had figured out that I didn’t even care. I think if it weren’t for that very minor flaw, this would be my second 10/10 movie of the year. As it is, I wish I gave half-points, because it feels like a disservice to this movie to give it the rating I am giving it.

See this movie. I don’t care if it’s been out for several weeks now. I don’t care if you’ve already seen it. I don’t care if you didn’t think it would be your style. Just go see it or see it again. This is the type of film that touches people in a way that’s so special, and I love every bit of this movie. I’m sure you will/did, too.

My Rating: 9/10

The Uninvited (1944)

Part 12 of my 13 Ghost Movies of Halloween!

 

• Directed by Lewis Allen
• Starring Ray Milland, Ruth Hussey, Gail Russell
• Written by Dodie Smith, Frank Partos
• Horror, Mystery
• Not Rated
• 1h 39mins.
• 1 September 1944

Synopsis

A brother and sister on holiday find a house they adore and decide to buy it. However, when they move in, they discover the house has a dark secret. The man who sold them the house had a daughter who met her untimely death in that house, leaving behind his only grandchild, Stella, and an empty home that nobody wants to live in.

How’s the Story?

Dude, this story is really interesting. Also, without spoilers it’s hard to say much, but I’m very surprised at the subject matter and the sympathy for the people in the situation they were in being permitted in this time period. I’ve studied film history, and showing sympathy for the final revealed situation is very surprising. I like that this movie had a very human story along with the ghost story, and part of that human story involves the very amusing characters in it.

How’s the Acting?

It’s very time-period-specific. It’s no secret that this era of Hollywood involved wild over-acting, which is exactly what you get. It’s good for what it is, but it wouldn’t really hold up in today’s film industry. That said, I’m a fan of classic Hollywood cinema, so I appreciate the acting in this movie very much.

How’s the Writing/Directing?

Honestly, this one is pretty well written. I like the little humorous moments included in the seriousness. It breaks up the overbearing ‘things are life and death!’ vibe that gets heavier and heavier as the film goes.

Also, I’m not sure if it was written this way on purpose, but there’s a very queer-coded woman in this movie that I find very amusing in this situation.

How’s the Cinematography?

It’s nothing special, but it’s good. I like the special effects. They’re really good for this time period. The ghosts are very scary for the tech of the time.

Is It Worth Watching?

It’s definitely worth watching if you’re into old Hollywood. It’s a really, really interesting one. I didn’t figure out the twist until right before it was revealed, which for a movie of this age, is pretty impressive, because in this era, they really wanted to hammer stuff home. It’s one I would highly recommend for sure.

My Rating: 7/10

Ghostbusters (1984)

Part 11 of my 13 Ghost Movies of Halloween

• Directed by Ivan Reitman
• Starring Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver
• Written by Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis
• Comedy
• Rated PG
• 1hr 45mins
• 8 June 1984

Synopsis

Three friends who study the paranormal come together with plans to start a business around catching and removing ghosts for the residents of New York City. Along the way, they meet a woman whose building is built in such a way that it might resurrect a god and bring about the end of the world.

How’s the Story?

It’s a fun story that’s very amusing. This movie is a classic. A bunch of friends trying to catch ghosts for people, how much of a distance from the usual ghost story? It’s just fun.

How’s the Acting?

It’s pretty good. Typical acting for each of these lovely comedic actors. Sigourney Weaver is my favorite performance in this one. But then again, Sigourney Weaver is always my favorite in basically anything. She’s just really good.

How’s the Writing/Directing?

I love how clever the comedy of this movie is. It’s very loud and in your face sometimes and at other times subtle and quietly amusing. It’s the perfect mix of over the top comedy and an endearing measure of wit.

How’s the Cinematography?

It’s dated in this day and age, but I’m sure at the time, it was very impressive. I, for one, really love the gross dog monster things. So creepy and gross looking.

Is It Worth Watching?

C’mon, it’s Ghostbusters. How can anybody say it’s not worth watching? It’s a classic, and by classic I mean ‘everybody has seen this movie’. So honestly, why bother asking if it’s worth watching when everybody has already seen it?

My Rating: 8/10