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…
I’ve written a few times this season about liking or caring about characters in a film and about how that leaves one feeling as the closing credits roll. Can You Ever Forgive Me? is particularly challenging in that aspect. These characters, on their surface, are quite unlikeable. Yet the depth the actors bring to the…
Here’s the second of Best Picture nominations that someone referred to as a comedy that wasn’t. A friend and I caught sight of this trailer one afternoon, and I mentioned wanting to see it. He mentioned the movie was a comedy. I countered that I didn’t have the impression it was a comedy. No doubt…
Going to see this movie merely for the actor’s performance, I did not expect to like the film nearly as much as I did. By the end, though, I was quite charmed. This time of year, buzz for Best and Supporting acting roles begins. James Franco is no stranger to those accolades. This year, though,…
In case you haven’t heard, the new film Lady Bird has nothing to do with LBJ. Or Texas. Or female birds. It has everything to do with family and growing up and relationships and love and meanness and gentleness, and, well, I think you’re getting the idea. And I bet you’re not surprised to learn…
What an interesting, engaging film Tangerine is. Occurring all in the course of a day, Christmas Eve, the movie follows Sin-Dee, a transgender prostitute just released from four weeks in jail, as she tries to find her boyfriend/pimp and confront him for cheating on her while she was in jail. To sum up the movie…
Sunk deeply into an overstuffed sofa, snuggling under a cozy blanket in front of a warm fire in the fireplace, cold rain falling outside, but inside, holding a mug of tea or cocoa between your hands, and your favorite pet leaning on your leg. That’s how watching I’ll See You in My Dreams was. Gentle.…
Saving Mr. Banks does exactly what was expected: it entertains, it makes you reminisce fondly over a beloved movie, it allows you to tap your toe, it brings tears to your eyes, and it leaves you smiling. But underneath the showy layers of the Disney Corporation’s securing the rights to make Mary Poppins lies a…
The summer was full of “coming of age” movies, telling the tales of those turning the page from the teens toward adulthood. But Frances Ha finds the real time of coming of age to adulthood—those years in the late 20s when’s so many truly figure out how to settle into the person they’ve become. The…
The Sessions is a charming film about love, respect, and the need for intimacy. It evokes a sense of kindness and patience that simply leaves you feeling good—no matter how the inevitable ending of the story arrives. John Hawkes as Mark is superb in his role, showing the depth of a human no matter the…
Finally saw this one. Yes, yes, I loved (and live) the line, “There’s nothing cheap about loyalty.” And yes, I maximize my miles/points all I can. Love the perks that come by doing so! But the movie itself—-interesting. The gender reversal was a grand spin. I wonder how many people were upset for George but…
Bernie. Fun. Light. Deep. Dark. Texas. East Texas. What an enjoyably odd story. Jack Black is, perhaps, at his best. He brings to Bernie a depth and whimsy that just makes him oddly likeable. And oddly intriguing. And oddly, well, odd. He’s certainly easy to like, no matter what he’s done. The movie mostly just…
Salmon Fishing on the Yemen, by its title, does not evoke a “rush to the theater” reaction, eh? But I’ll say it’s certainly worth a Red Box. The flick is simply a fun, light movie. Emily Blunt brings her charm, and what I noticed most about Ewan McGregor was his breadth as an actor with…
After the blood and violence of Django, the mental illness of Silver Linings Playbook was a nice change. Yes, I simply said, “nice.” Don’t get me wrong, Silver Linings was a good movie, but I did not see in it the raves that it’s gotten. (Maybe I’m still numb from the shooting by QT. Not…