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…
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…
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…
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…
As my movie companion noted after we saw Bohemian Rhapsody, a jolly time! (Okay, so that was part my fabulous company as we spent a few hours after the movie catching up over lunch and a few beers, but the movie was a great time too!) Really, though, there’s little I had to complain about watching…
Some time ago, someone I know on Facebook (I don’t recall who) mentioned watching BlacKkKlansman and commented not liking this movie “that was supposed to be a comedy.” I was busy, so I didn’t stop to comment, but I should have. I’m not sure who gave her that impression, that this film is a comedy.…
Go. See. This. Movie. Okay, sure, it highlights and explains a fair part* of the greed and corruption that led to our economic crisis in 2007/2008. And yes, I wish more people would understand the risk of un(or under)regulated Wall Street. But it’s also a really great film! The Big Short patiently (and partially) explains (quite…
Wow. This film was gripping. And it was bleak. Another that I caught up with while on a recent flight, Everest entertains. The film covers the true story (as a dramatization, not as a verified actual account) of the fatal expeditions on Mount Everest in 1996. Yes, fatal. Going in, I knew people would not survive. But…
The Danish Girl is a beautiful film—warm and thought-provoking. It moved a bit too slowly for my preference, but I get that. It is about the characters and their difficult journey in navigating an emotional state of their marriage and life. This character study needed a pulled-back pace. It needed time to reflect on what…
If you know me and know anything about this movie, you’ll likely–and correctly–guess that I enjoyed it. The movie is a wonderful, aptly timely, social commentary on bigotry, fear, and the risk of being quick to judge and quick to condemn. The story follows the screenwriter Dalton Trumbo while he is blacklisted in Hollywood. The…
As is within my realm of reflections, this movie, less than a year old, was fair game for review. I’m glad I took the time to watch it. Love and Mercy is certainly not a traditional biopic. It jumps between Brian Wilson as a younger Beach Boy to his life as an adult in the…
I saw this movie some time ago. It was just after the wide release of the film. When my movie companion was available for a film, I suggested it. He said, “Nothing like a major church cover up to make one cynical before the holidays.” Okay, so that’s his humor, but yes—Indeed. He had a…
Suffragette provides a glimpse into a dim area of history. It’s a good movie, solid in its cast and tale. But it does not rise above the bleakness that surrounds the story. And it will not appeal to many, even if those many prefer not to admit the horrible treatment of women for so long.…
I remember the 2004 election. I remember it being one of the first during which I paid a bit more attention to candidates and positions (rotely following the herd in my past). I remember being in the midst of an internal shift in the way I viewed politics. But I don’t clearly remember the events…
My reading material the past few months has been varied. In the Heart of the Sea added to the blend, bringing a true tale of a fascinating but challenging time in America’s history: whale hunting, life on the open ocean, and the struggle and catastrophe of being lost at sea. More so, this book reveals…