I said I was going to watch these oscar-look-out movies and write again. I watched two. I did not write. It’s interesting, noting when I am moved to write. After Dad died, I needed to write. It’s as if I could not state what I wanted about life, so I had to write about other things. After…
Life was pretty hectic last fall and winter, and I stepped away from sharing my movie reflections. It’s not that I wasn’t seeing movies. I was. And I enjoyed many of them thoroughly. I just did not get my thoughts down. Penning these musings stayed at the bottom of my to-do list, never to reach…
As I sat down with my movie companion to watch this film, I realized the pattern of my recent movies–all focused on music. Yet all three of those films approach the subject differently. Rocketman was a direct sort of biopic using Elton’s John music to loosely tell his story. Yesterday used the Beatles music to…
Leaving the theater, one of my movie companions remarked, “What a happy, feel-good movie.” And that’s a perfect way to summarize Yesterday. It’s sweet and endearing. You don’t think too deeply. (Although I wanted to for some aspects, the movie doesn’t give you time to.) And overall, at the end, all is right with the…
How could this not be a fantastic film? You’ve Woody. And Buzz. And the rest of the gang. You’ve perfect childhood imagination. You have danger and suspense. You have sprinkles of romance. Deeper, you have a quest to understand who you are and where you fit in and why you are *you* among the others…
I couldn’t help but think of last year’s 70s rock biopic and juxtapose that with Rocketman. Both films have a soundtrack that makes you want to sing along with a lifetime of familiar tunes (ya know, for those of us at a certain age). Both films are highly entertaining. Both films show the dark side of…
We can count on a lot during the summer months (some that we love more than others): heat, ice cream, mosquitos, sprinklers – – – and blockbuster movies in the cold AC. It is the latter I enjoyed recently—that blockbuster style of movie with no hint of Oscars or awards but purely meant to entertain: Godzilla: King…
Interestingly, the final movie I saw in my 2019 Oscar race was my favorite. I loved this movie. It provided everything that I want in an excellent film. The movie tells a compelling story. The characters are well developed. I liked the characters and cheered for them, even with all of their messy parts. The…
Until about 2pm on this day I’m finally writing my thoughts about The Favourite, this film was my favorite of the season. This means it’s still a beloved film. It’s still a movie that has settled down deep inside of me as a great piece of art. And it’s still a film that puzzles and…
For the first time, a super hero movie is nominated for Best Picture. This might be the first time too so many people under the age of 15 have seen a Best Picture film. This makes me happy. So too did watching Black Panther. I should start with a couple of confessions: First, I am…
Roma is a beautifully poignant movie. From the opening scene of the sky’s reflection on the water below to the closing scene of the open sky itself, the movie fills everything in between. Admittedly, I had to look up 1970s Mexico to have a better understanding of the premise of what was happening in history…
How is this in any Oscar Category other than six entries in live action shorts? The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is not a feature-length film. Instead, it’s a series of six short films. Okay, so apparently this means it’s an anthology film because each of the six is tied together in theme: the American west.…
First Reformed is a slow-paced movie that builds to an expected climatic ending that doesn’t squarely deliver it’s punch. Ethan Hawk plays a depressed minister in an historic upstate New York tiny church with a string of unresolved issues haunting him. This church is overshadowed by its contemporary, which handles the business side of this…
Not being familiar by name alone with the painting of the same name as this film, I had no idea what this movie was about when I began watching it. (No, I hand’t even looked at the movie poster; I had this on my viewing list only based on award nominations.) Quickly, I realized it…
This film is beautiful. It’s heartbreaking, but it’s beautiful. It’s beautiful in how it’s told, in the love of family, in the belief in others, in tenderness. It’s beautiful visually. It’s beautiful to experience. It’s also, though, heartbreaking in the reality that is injustice. And discrimination. It’s heartbreaking in the reality of hate-filled people. It’s…