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…
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.…
It took us a while to decide on a family movie for Christmas Day. Wonder disappointed no one. I cried, yes, and yes, I cried multiple times. But most of those tears were ones based on a warmed heart. Wonder is a year-in-the-life of Auggie. Auggie is the child who (if you’ve seen any previews…
This movie left me conflicted. On the one hand, of course Sally Field is joyful and lovable, and she is a bright star. On the other hand, even as the bright music of Field plays, the film dances slowly with sad and pitiful, and while spinning around the floor, hurtful and mean-spirited cut in. Okay, so…
As this movie ended, I turned to my movie companion, remarking, “That was fun!” And that’s pretty much my summary of this film. It’s just pure, simple, *awful*, fun. Fun? Awful? Well, yes. See, it’s also profane, violent, silly, sexual, refreshing, vulgar, and more—sometimes all at the same time. I belly-laughed loudly, and I forgot…
Ah, the Coen Brothers. Such diversity they have. Even when I look at my favorite films* they wrote, those are vastly different from each other. As is their latest, Hail, Caesar!, being in its own category. So let me be honest: the film made me feel not smart. Okay, that goes too far. But what I…
What fun! Amy Poehler and Tina Fey deliver a silly, raunchy, sweet film that was a perfect escape for a couple of hours. And I watched it with my sister, which made it even better! I’ll borrow the words a friend used in describing the movie—that although the plot did not completely hold up as…
Daddy’s Home is a light, fun, all-around run-of-the-mill comedy. It was our pick for the family movie on Christmas Day, and it suited everyone well enough, age 14 to 73. It was better than I expected. Sure, it’s corny sometimes. Sure, its humor sometimes tries too hard. But the laughs were as varied as our…
I laughed—loudly out loud. I snorted. I groaned. I rolled my eyes. I exclaimed loudly—more than once. Yes, that is the kind of comedy The Night Before is. And it’s a wonderful respite in a season of otherwise (for me) heavy movies. (‘Tis okay. I do this to myself.) Seth Rogan did not disappoint. And…
Mistress America was funny. But it was also scattered and tiring. It rambled. It was muddled. And it did not sell its premise to me well enough. It’s a good enough movie to escape for a short time for a matinee, but if you’ve choices for that time, think about which way to spend your…
What a fun movie! Granted, as I learned from reading the thoughts of another who saw the movie at the same time as I did, the film is not for everyone. But for me and my movie companions, it was a hit. Lily Tomlin delivers a fresh and spunky performance as the complexly layered grandmother…
Trainwreck is fun and funny and, most importantly, although formulaic, refreshingly unconventional. Directed by Judd Apatow, the same who directed Bridesmaids and The 40 Year-Old Virgin, the movie brings the raunchy side of humor, but at the same time, it’s sweet. There are elements in the film that touched me (but no, this would not…
While We’re Young is a pleasant, easy movie, good for some relaxing and enjoyable laughs. Set as a movie regarding a couple in their early 40s at the crossroads of watching a carefree youth set sail over the horizon while they settle down into the stable, shored life they’ve built for themselves, the film rings…
What clever fun! What We Do in the Shadows is a mockumentary (yep, new word I’d never heard until this flick) that takes a “real world”-ish view of a few vampires who share a flat in New Zealand. And it does it with wit and a wink and a whole lot of laughter. On the…