BEST MOVIES I SAW IN 2019:
Jojo Rabbit
Little Women
Hustlers
Official Secrets
Downton Abbey
Booksmart
Wild Rose
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
OTHER 2019 MOVIES I REALLY LIKED:
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
Captain Marvel
Teen Spirit
Long Shot
Waves
Uncut Gems
Marriage Story
WORST / MOST OVERRATED MOVIES OF THE YEAR:
Us
Gloria Bell
High Life
Ad Astra
Toy Story 4
BEST OLDER MOVIE I SAW IN 2019:
My Man Godfrey. Thanks again for the recommendation, Shirlee Hauser!
SORRY I MISSED YOU:
Giant Little Ones (Update: 8)
Midsommer (Update: 8)
The Hole in the Ground (Update: 5)
Ford vs. Ferrari (Update: 10)
Dark Waters (Update: 8)
Celemency
The Wind
Alita: Battle Angel
Crawl
After the Wedding
The Goldfinch
Honey Boy
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker
Harpoon
The Irishman
John Wick 3
After
The Vanishing
Hotel Mumbai
I Am Mother
I See You
The Souvenir
Jellyfish
Always Be My Maybe
Arctic
Mercy Black
The Furies
Dolemite Is My Name
Someone Great
Paradise Hills
Stalked
Atlantics
Sunday, February 02, 2020
January 2020
The year got off to a good start, with an enjoyable birthday dinner at Santa Monica Benihana (Cindy, Robert and Emma were in attendance). As usual, they inundated me with gifts and delicious food. I acquired a new desktop iMac, which experienced weird sound issue that appears to have been resolved some weeks after I picked up the unit. My left arm and knee started having some weird pain problems, but I’m hoping they’ll go away soon. I wrote a couple of cool songs (“Riding the Merry-G0-Round” and “Find Your Way Back Home,” the first of which is still lacking lyrics.) TV: I binge-watched the first season of Servant. MUSIC: Listened to many songs by Gary Lewis & the Playboys and the Four Seasons. BOOKS: I finished listening to The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell (very good) and am now listening to the audiobook of Close to Home by Cara Hunter. Also, the antepenultimate Complete Dick Tracy collection was released—the one I was most looking forward to. Here are the movies I enjoyed in January:
1917 (2019)—Here’s the first of several 2019 movies I failed to see during the year itself. 1917 has been critically lauded and will likely be up for several awards. It’s a WWI picture in which a couple of young British soldiers stationed in northern France are given orders to deliver a message to a General not to attack German forces because they’re walking into a trap. Of course, the route is rife with danger and peril. There is not a lot of story here, but technically the movie is a stroke of genius, made to look like one continuous two-hour shot—it isn’t, of course, but it’s very convincing. Bombs explode, planes crash, people are shot to death. There, now you don’t have to see the movie. Visually stunning, but I tend to gravitate toward richer storytelling. (8)
JUST MERCY (2019)—Based on true events, this entertaining courtroom drama is about real-life attorney Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), who fought to win justice for black men unfairly put on death row. Much of the movie is about Walter McMillan (Jamie Foxx), who was wrongly convicted of murder. His conviction was sealed by the testimony of lowlife Ralph Myers, played to perfection by Tim Blake Nelson, who talks out of the side of his mouth. I couldn’t remember where the hell I’d seen this amazing performer before, but a trip to IMDB revealed that he was the runtish singing cowboy namesake of 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, where he was similarly mesmerizing. (9)
UNDERWATER (2020)—Amid a growing catastrophe, a team must trek from “point A to point B” on a mission to minimize casualties. You might think I just described the plot of 1917, but it also happens to be the exact same scenario as Underwater, a disaster movie about how some researchers stationed on the ocean floor must battle unseen forces in order to survive. As it happens, these forces turn out to be sea monsters ranging in size from three feet to a mile-long creature that basically defies credulity. Somehow Kristen Stewart got involved in this confusing undersea adventure, which is often impossible to follow because it’s too hard to see anything clearly. More than anything, it resembles the movie Alien, but it doesn’t have that film’s finesse. OK as a time waster, and the ending was pretty cool. (7)
GIANT LITTLE ONES (2019)—This low-budget Canadian picture earned a 93% on the Tomatometer. It explores the relationship of longtime friends Franky (Josh Wiggins) and Ballas (Darren Mann), high school kids with girlfriends. But when Ballas makes a drunken sexual advance on Franky, everything changes. The movie explores the theme of bullying and closeted homosexuality; it’s pretty good up to a point—quite suspenseful and gripping at times—but I felt a little let down by the wishy-washy resolution. (8)
MIDSOMMAR (2019)—Another movie from last year that got a lot of buzz, but that I’d missed. The reason was really the bloated length: 140 minutes. Perhaps too long to sit through at the theater, but at home I viewed the 171-minute director’s cut. Written and directed by Ari Aster, I knew this was going to be an unsettling cinematic experience, and there are indeed some sinister moments of shock and horror. I’m not sure what was cut for the original release, but the director’s cut is way too long. I think there’s a very good movie in here, in edited form. Florence Pugh and four of her friends (including her dickhead of a boyfriend) travel to Sweden to visit an unusual commune celebrating a special ceremony, only to discover that it’s more of a pagan cult where Very Bad Things are about to happen. Extremely disturbing in parts, but it’s just too long. It did bring to mind another frightening cult movie I’d seen, 2013’s The Sacrament. (8)
A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK (2019)—Depressingly middle-of-the-road Woody Allen feature is only worth watching for the gorgeousness of co-stars Elle Fanning and Selena Gomez. Allen has become so out of touch with the world—to watch him writing for young characters played by people like Timothée Chalamet is a colossal embarrassment. Totally unfunny “romantic” “comedy.” (4)
THE HOLE IN THE GROUND (2019)—A young mother slowly starts to become concerned that her cute son has been replaced by a duplicate, Invasion of the Body Snatchers style. Despite a couple of effectively creepy scenes, this critically lauded horror movie becomes totally farfetched. (5)
COLOR OUT OF SPACE (2020)—Throwback to B-movie horror flicks is reminiscent of John Carpenter’s remake of The Thing, with creepy, gross and disgusting special effects, slimy monsters and bizarre sci-fi plot twists. It’s also got a lot of laughably inane dialogue, much of it delivered by Nicolas Cage, but I was never sure if was put in intentionally or not. Not boring by any stretch, but the filmmakers definitely overdose on the “psychedelic” trappings of this surreal horror movie, as well as a perverse penchant for overacting. It’s got enough weirdness for several movies. (8)
FORD VS. FERRARI (2019)—True story of how Henry Ford II hired race-car wizards Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to compete in the famous Le Mans competition against the Ferrari racing team in 1966. The movie is 151 minutes long, but never slows down for a minute; full of exciting action, humor and yes, even some tragedy. Tracy Letts, always a dependable performer, really shines as Ford. The movie is a true stunner! (10)
1917 (2019)—Here’s the first of several 2019 movies I failed to see during the year itself. 1917 has been critically lauded and will likely be up for several awards. It’s a WWI picture in which a couple of young British soldiers stationed in northern France are given orders to deliver a message to a General not to attack German forces because they’re walking into a trap. Of course, the route is rife with danger and peril. There is not a lot of story here, but technically the movie is a stroke of genius, made to look like one continuous two-hour shot—it isn’t, of course, but it’s very convincing. Bombs explode, planes crash, people are shot to death. There, now you don’t have to see the movie. Visually stunning, but I tend to gravitate toward richer storytelling. (8)
JUST MERCY (2019)—Based on true events, this entertaining courtroom drama is about real-life attorney Bryan Stevenson (Michael B. Jordan), who fought to win justice for black men unfairly put on death row. Much of the movie is about Walter McMillan (Jamie Foxx), who was wrongly convicted of murder. His conviction was sealed by the testimony of lowlife Ralph Myers, played to perfection by Tim Blake Nelson, who talks out of the side of his mouth. I couldn’t remember where the hell I’d seen this amazing performer before, but a trip to IMDB revealed that he was the runtish singing cowboy namesake of 2018’s The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, where he was similarly mesmerizing. (9)
UNDERWATER (2020)—Amid a growing catastrophe, a team must trek from “point A to point B” on a mission to minimize casualties. You might think I just described the plot of 1917, but it also happens to be the exact same scenario as Underwater, a disaster movie about how some researchers stationed on the ocean floor must battle unseen forces in order to survive. As it happens, these forces turn out to be sea monsters ranging in size from three feet to a mile-long creature that basically defies credulity. Somehow Kristen Stewart got involved in this confusing undersea adventure, which is often impossible to follow because it’s too hard to see anything clearly. More than anything, it resembles the movie Alien, but it doesn’t have that film’s finesse. OK as a time waster, and the ending was pretty cool. (7)
GIANT LITTLE ONES (2019)—This low-budget Canadian picture earned a 93% on the Tomatometer. It explores the relationship of longtime friends Franky (Josh Wiggins) and Ballas (Darren Mann), high school kids with girlfriends. But when Ballas makes a drunken sexual advance on Franky, everything changes. The movie explores the theme of bullying and closeted homosexuality; it’s pretty good up to a point—quite suspenseful and gripping at times—but I felt a little let down by the wishy-washy resolution. (8)
MIDSOMMAR (2019)—Another movie from last year that got a lot of buzz, but that I’d missed. The reason was really the bloated length: 140 minutes. Perhaps too long to sit through at the theater, but at home I viewed the 171-minute director’s cut. Written and directed by Ari Aster, I knew this was going to be an unsettling cinematic experience, and there are indeed some sinister moments of shock and horror. I’m not sure what was cut for the original release, but the director’s cut is way too long. I think there’s a very good movie in here, in edited form. Florence Pugh and four of her friends (including her dickhead of a boyfriend) travel to Sweden to visit an unusual commune celebrating a special ceremony, only to discover that it’s more of a pagan cult where Very Bad Things are about to happen. Extremely disturbing in parts, but it’s just too long. It did bring to mind another frightening cult movie I’d seen, 2013’s The Sacrament. (8)
A RAINY DAY IN NEW YORK (2019)—Depressingly middle-of-the-road Woody Allen feature is only worth watching for the gorgeousness of co-stars Elle Fanning and Selena Gomez. Allen has become so out of touch with the world—to watch him writing for young characters played by people like Timothée Chalamet is a colossal embarrassment. Totally unfunny “romantic” “comedy.” (4)
THE HOLE IN THE GROUND (2019)—A young mother slowly starts to become concerned that her cute son has been replaced by a duplicate, Invasion of the Body Snatchers style. Despite a couple of effectively creepy scenes, this critically lauded horror movie becomes totally farfetched. (5)
COLOR OUT OF SPACE (2020)—Throwback to B-movie horror flicks is reminiscent of John Carpenter’s remake of The Thing, with creepy, gross and disgusting special effects, slimy monsters and bizarre sci-fi plot twists. It’s also got a lot of laughably inane dialogue, much of it delivered by Nicolas Cage, but I was never sure if was put in intentionally or not. Not boring by any stretch, but the filmmakers definitely overdose on the “psychedelic” trappings of this surreal horror movie, as well as a perverse penchant for overacting. It’s got enough weirdness for several movies. (8)
FORD VS. FERRARI (2019)—True story of how Henry Ford II hired race-car wizards Carroll Shelby (Matt Damon) and Ken Miles (Christian Bale) to compete in the famous Le Mans competition against the Ferrari racing team in 1966. The movie is 151 minutes long, but never slows down for a minute; full of exciting action, humor and yes, even some tragedy. Tracy Letts, always a dependable performer, really shines as Ford. The movie is a true stunner! (10)
Sunday, January 12, 2020
Most Anticipated Movies of 2020
At the beginning of 2019, I listed 16 movies I was excited to see. Of the 16, I saw 12 of them. Of the 12, I genuinely loved five of them. (I actively disliked three of them!) So why do I bother with these lists? I have been asking myself that question for years, and am still not any closer to coming up with an answer. So anyway, here’s a list of movies I think I will enjoy in 2020, but let’s face it, some of them will suck and there’s nothing I can do except be disappointed when the time comes.
Of course, I am fully aware that some of the best movies of 2020 will be ones I’ve never even heard of as of this writing. (After all, my favorite film of 2019, Jojo Rabbit, was wholly unknown to me when I created my last list a year ago.) The list below consists of the higher-profile pictures—including one that was on my 2019 list, but got pushed back for some reason.
THE RHYTHM SECTION— An international spy thriller that follows the story of Stephanie Patrick (Blake Lively), a woman who seeks to uncover the truth behind a plane crash that killed her family three years earlier. With Jude Law and Sterling K. Brown. (Jan. 31)
THE LODGE—In this psychological horror movie, a young woman (Riley Keough) and her reticent new stepchildren (Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh) find themselves isolated in the family's remote winter cabin, locked away to dredge up the mysteries of her dark past and the losses that seem to haunt them all. (Feb. 7)
THE CALL OF THE WILD—Adaptation of Jack London's 1903 novel features Harrison Ford, Dan Stevens and Bradley Whitford. In it, a domesticated St. Bernard/Scotch Collie dog named Buck is stolen from his Santa Clara, CA, home and sold to freight haulers in the Yukon. Looks like a pretty good rem(Feb. 21)
EMMA—Another remake! Jane Austen’s classic novel about Emma Woodhouse, a "handsome, clever and rich" woman who meddles in the romantic affairs of her friends and loved ones. (Feb. 21)
THE INVISIBLE MAN—Based on the trailer, this movie doesn’t appear to retain much of the H.G. Wells novel, so I’m not sure we can call this a remake. But I’m a sucker for all movies about invisible men, including the unfairly maligned 2000 sci-fi film Hollow Man, starring Kevin Bacon. (Feb. 28)
A QUIET PLACE, PART II—Sequel to the excellent 2018 aliens-will-get-you shocker. (March 20)
NO TIME TO DIE—James Bond is back, and this is reportedly Daniel Craig’s last outing as 007. This news has left me quite shaken, but not stirred. (April 8)
ANTEBELLUM—Successful author Veronica Henley finds herself trapped in a nightmarish reality and must find a way to break free of the horrors at hand. (April 24)
BLACK WIDOW—Following the events of Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War (2016), Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) finds herself alone and forced to confront her past. (May 1)
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW—Psychological thriller film from director Joe Wright based on the bestselling 2018 novel by A. J. Finn. Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Julianne Moore star. (May 15)
WONDER WOMAN 1984—Gal Gadot returns as Wonder Woman in this sequel to the 2017 hit superhero adventure. (June 5)
IN THE HEIGHTS— Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2008 Broadway success becomes a musical-drama film. (June 26)
THE ETERNALS—Marvel superhero film featuring Angelina Jolie. (Nov. 6)
STILLWATER—A man works to exonerate his estranged daughter of a murder she didn’t commit. With Matt Damon. (Nov. 6)
COMING 2 AMERICA—Eddie Murphy reassembles the cast of his beloved ’80s comedy for a sequel that hopefully will not suck. (Dec. 18)
ON THE ROCKS— Director Sofia Coppola reunites with her Lost in Translation star Bill Murray in a comedy-drama about a young mother (Rashida Jones) who reconnects with her larger-than-life playboy father on an adventure through New York. (TBA)
Of course, I am fully aware that some of the best movies of 2020 will be ones I’ve never even heard of as of this writing. (After all, my favorite film of 2019, Jojo Rabbit, was wholly unknown to me when I created my last list a year ago.) The list below consists of the higher-profile pictures—including one that was on my 2019 list, but got pushed back for some reason.
THE RHYTHM SECTION— An international spy thriller that follows the story of Stephanie Patrick (Blake Lively), a woman who seeks to uncover the truth behind a plane crash that killed her family three years earlier. With Jude Law and Sterling K. Brown. (Jan. 31)
THE LODGE—In this psychological horror movie, a young woman (Riley Keough) and her reticent new stepchildren (Jaeden Martell and Lia McHugh) find themselves isolated in the family's remote winter cabin, locked away to dredge up the mysteries of her dark past and the losses that seem to haunt them all. (Feb. 7)
THE CALL OF THE WILD—Adaptation of Jack London's 1903 novel features Harrison Ford, Dan Stevens and Bradley Whitford. In it, a domesticated St. Bernard/Scotch Collie dog named Buck is stolen from his Santa Clara, CA, home and sold to freight haulers in the Yukon. Looks like a pretty good rem(Feb. 21)
EMMA—Another remake! Jane Austen’s classic novel about Emma Woodhouse, a "handsome, clever and rich" woman who meddles in the romantic affairs of her friends and loved ones. (Feb. 21)
THE INVISIBLE MAN—Based on the trailer, this movie doesn’t appear to retain much of the H.G. Wells novel, so I’m not sure we can call this a remake. But I’m a sucker for all movies about invisible men, including the unfairly maligned 2000 sci-fi film Hollow Man, starring Kevin Bacon. (Feb. 28)
A QUIET PLACE, PART II—Sequel to the excellent 2018 aliens-will-get-you shocker. (March 20)
NO TIME TO DIE—James Bond is back, and this is reportedly Daniel Craig’s last outing as 007. This news has left me quite shaken, but not stirred. (April 8)
ANTEBELLUM—Successful author Veronica Henley finds herself trapped in a nightmarish reality and must find a way to break free of the horrors at hand. (April 24)
BLACK WIDOW—Following the events of Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War (2016), Natasha Romanoff (Scarlett Johansson) finds herself alone and forced to confront her past. (May 1)
THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW—Psychological thriller film from director Joe Wright based on the bestselling 2018 novel by A. J. Finn. Amy Adams, Gary Oldman, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Julianne Moore star. (May 15)
WONDER WOMAN 1984—Gal Gadot returns as Wonder Woman in this sequel to the 2017 hit superhero adventure. (June 5)
IN THE HEIGHTS— Lin-Manuel Miranda’s 2008 Broadway success becomes a musical-drama film. (June 26)
THE ETERNALS—Marvel superhero film featuring Angelina Jolie. (Nov. 6)
STILLWATER—A man works to exonerate his estranged daughter of a murder she didn’t commit. With Matt Damon. (Nov. 6)
COMING 2 AMERICA—Eddie Murphy reassembles the cast of his beloved ’80s comedy for a sequel that hopefully will not suck. (Dec. 18)
ON THE ROCKS— Director Sofia Coppola reunites with her Lost in Translation star Bill Murray in a comedy-drama about a young mother (Rashida Jones) who reconnects with her larger-than-life playboy father on an adventure through New York. (TBA)
December 2019
December was a fun month. I took two vacations. First, I took a four-night solo cruise to Mexico on the Carnival Inspiration (my fourth time on that ship). Then I flew to Fort Lauderdale to spend time with friends. I had a lovely Chinese-food dinner with Irene, and housesat for Cindy’s lovable dog, Mochi. TV: I finished binge-watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (on the ship), as well as Fleabag, and am currently working my way though Modern Love. (The episode “Take Me as I Am, Whoever I Am,” starring Anne Hathaway, was the best thing I saw on TV all year.) BOOKS: With the holidays and the cold weather as distractions, I am still working my way through The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. However, I did listen to many more stories by Roald Dahl, and bought a ton of gag-cartoon books via eBay and Amazon. MUSIC: I listened to many of the hits of 2019, as well as music by Billie Eilish’s brother, Finneas. Here are the movies I saw in December:
BOMBSHELL (2019)—Engrossing account of the Roger Ailes / Fox News / #MeToo scandal, with great acting from John Lithgow (as Ailes), as well as Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron as the blonde anchor bimbos. However, Robbie’s character is a “composite,” which leaves a bad taste in the mouth for those of us who put stock in accuracy. Worth seeing for Lithgow. (8)
THE AERONAUTS (2019)—In which Stephen Hawking and Ruth Bader Ginsburg—or, rather, the actors who portrayed those historical figures on the big screen in recent times—go up in a hot air balloon to do science stuff. Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne play the balloon’s pilot and the scientist who set out on an adventure in the mid 1800s to prove that the weather can be accurately predicted, and naturally face numerous life-threatening mishaps. Although the characters are composites—no attempt at historical accuracy has been made here—this is still a marvelous thrill ride above the clouds. (9)
UNCUT GEMS (2019)—Harrowing, anxiety-inducing crime thriller features a mesmerizing performance by Adam Sandler as a jeweler who’s having a big problem with some loan sharks—and a basketball player who has borrowed a seemingly priceless gemstone. The experimental soundtrack is sometimes an assault on the ears, but it does help to raise the tension. (9)
LITTLE WOMEN (2019)—Extremely entertaining and often moving adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott novel isn’t the first adaptation I have seen of it, but it’s definitely the best. Director-screenwriter Greta Gerwig has created a non-linear version of the story, which seems to work fairly well. The entire cast is exceptional. One of the best films of the year, if not the best. (10)
BOMBSHELL (2019)—Engrossing account of the Roger Ailes / Fox News / #MeToo scandal, with great acting from John Lithgow (as Ailes), as well as Margot Robbie, Nicole Kidman and Charlize Theron as the blonde anchor bimbos. However, Robbie’s character is a “composite,” which leaves a bad taste in the mouth for those of us who put stock in accuracy. Worth seeing for Lithgow. (8)
THE AERONAUTS (2019)—In which Stephen Hawking and Ruth Bader Ginsburg—or, rather, the actors who portrayed those historical figures on the big screen in recent times—go up in a hot air balloon to do science stuff. Felicity Jones and Eddie Redmayne play the balloon’s pilot and the scientist who set out on an adventure in the mid 1800s to prove that the weather can be accurately predicted, and naturally face numerous life-threatening mishaps. Although the characters are composites—no attempt at historical accuracy has been made here—this is still a marvelous thrill ride above the clouds. (9)
UNCUT GEMS (2019)—Harrowing, anxiety-inducing crime thriller features a mesmerizing performance by Adam Sandler as a jeweler who’s having a big problem with some loan sharks—and a basketball player who has borrowed a seemingly priceless gemstone. The experimental soundtrack is sometimes an assault on the ears, but it does help to raise the tension. (9)
LITTLE WOMEN (2019)—Extremely entertaining and often moving adaptation of the Louisa May Alcott novel isn’t the first adaptation I have seen of it, but it’s definitely the best. Director-screenwriter Greta Gerwig has created a non-linear version of the story, which seems to work fairly well. The entire cast is exceptional. One of the best films of the year, if not the best. (10)
November 2019
November was a pretty rockin’ month. Although I missed seeing films with my Constant Movie Companion while she was busy house-hunting, I caught a few decent flicks...had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner...and finally got my apartment officially inspected by the city after my kitchen was repainted. All in all, not a bad month. One of the highlights was discovering a video online of a 1972 TV play I’ve been chasing for quite a while: Neil Simon’s The Trouble With People, starring Gene Wilder, James Coco, Jack Weston, Valerie Harper, etc. I’d always hoped this would be a lost classic—it’s so obscure that it isn’t even listed on IMDB.com. Turns out the reason it’s so obscure is that it’s just not very good. What a letdown! Oh, well. TV: I started watching The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, which is quite entertaining. I also binged a series called Undone. MUSIC: I listened to the soundtrack of Frozen II (more on that below), the new Jeff Lynne’s ELO album, and a bunch of singles from 2019. BOOKS: I finished listening to the audiobook of The Perfect Wife by JP Delaney and started The Family Upstairs by Lisa Jewell. I also bought a bunch of gag-cartoon compilation books via Amazon and eBay. Here are the movies I saw in November:
DOCTOR SLEEP (2019)—The sequel to The Shining comes nearly 40 years later. Danny Torrence, now grown up and played by Ewan McGregor, still has his magical gifts…but so do some bloodthirsty new antagonists, as well as one dynamic new child character. For nearly the entirety of the film, it’s riveting, with excellent plotting, characters and suspense. Only during the final showdown do things go somewhat off the rails, but mostly it’s a real gem of a thriller. Lookalikes have been cast in some of the pivotal roles to represent characters we met in the original Shining. The movie does a real service both to King’s sequel novel and to Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 scarefest. Compares very well to Stranger Things, Village of the Damned and numerous Stephen King stories (Firestarter, The Institute) in the canon of Magical Kids movies. (9)
LAST CHRISTMAS (2019)—Emilia Clarke (Me Before You) plays a klutzy, self-centered girl who find romance with a mysterious, handsome young man (Henry Golding), who inspires her to become a better person. Ah, but the young man has a secret, which the audience doesn’t learn until the end of the film. Although the movie has great comedic turns by Michelle Yeoh and co-screenwriter Emma Thompson, Clarke practically carries the whole film on her endless charm. Basically an ultra-formulaic Hallmark TV romance on the big screen, but entertaining enough. (8)
CHARLIE’S ANGELS (2019)—Director-screenwriter-costar Elizabeth Banks has fashioned a fun if extremely formulaic reboot of the TV phenomenon, sort of a distaff version of the big-screen Mission: Impossible series (itself a TV reboot). All the clichés are here, but it’s entertaining enough, with a good cast that includes both Kristen Stewart and Patrick Stewart. The plot is absolutely the least important part of this movie, which keeps the humor flowing at an acceptable pace. (8)
WAVES (2019)—This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown—probably my favorite actor on the series—is the head of an African-American family living in South Florida. My old stomping grounds! His son Tyler (Kelvin Harrison) is a very popular and handsome high-school wrestler who has it all: popular, intelligent, a great piano player, and in love with Alexis, a pretty Latina classmate. The first half of Waves recounts how Tyler’s life spirals out of control stemming from a shoulder injury and problems with his girlfriend. The second half then picks up the story of Tyler’s sister Emily (Taylor Russell), who becomes involved in her own biracial romance. The movie is like one long punch to your gut—it’s a searing and ultra-emotional drama that at one point made a fellow audience member cry out in total shock and surprise. That’s how effective the movie is at getting the viewer involved in the story. All of the acting is outstanding, and the direction is remarkable (although writer-director Trey Edward Shults does lean a bit too heavily on psychotropic special effects and film techniques, and Trent Reznor’s intense musical score is occasionally a little too full of itself). The movie is a little too long—I honestly thought it was over at around what turned out to be the halfway point—but it’s still relentlessly powerful and thought-provoking. (9)
MARRIAGE STORY (2019)—Extremely well acted tale of Adam Driver divorcing from Scarlett Johansson, fighting over their young son. But halfway through, I did feel as if I were watching a remake of Kramer vs. Kramer. Very long, but the acting is worth seeing. Nice musical score by Randy Newman. (8)
FROZEN II (2019)—The original animated feature, starring Idina “Adele Dazeem” Menzel, Kristen Bell and Joshua Gad, was a wonderful adventure with amazing songs and terrific animation. All of it is back for the sequel, but this time the story isn’t as compelling. In fact, I found it all a bit confusing. Elsa hears a mysterious voice calling to her from a forbidden forest and must travel there and uncover the truth about something from the past. There are some rock giants, a ghost horse made of ice (?), some tribes of people trapped in a weird forest, a super-cute fire lizard and not one shred of their story made much sense to me. But the songs are terrific, the special effects are beautiful, and Olaf the Snowman is always good for a dozen laughs or so. (8)
KNIVES OUT (2019)—I saw this hot on the heels of Frozen II, and while the two movies couldn’t be less similar, they are both a little confusing. Knives Out is a traditional whodunit, with a dead body, a house full of people who wanted the person dead, and a colorful detective who’s there to connect the thousands of dots. And there are more dots to connect in this movie than in any other mystery I’ve ever seen…it just goes on and on and on until I was frankly getting a bit impatient with it all. There are so many layers and double-crosses and nuances that it’s impossible to guess what happened. Still, the end is very satisfying. With Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Don Johnson and Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc, whose Southern-fried accent here is quite a switch from his James Bond drawl. (8)
DOCTOR SLEEP (2019)—The sequel to The Shining comes nearly 40 years later. Danny Torrence, now grown up and played by Ewan McGregor, still has his magical gifts…but so do some bloodthirsty new antagonists, as well as one dynamic new child character. For nearly the entirety of the film, it’s riveting, with excellent plotting, characters and suspense. Only during the final showdown do things go somewhat off the rails, but mostly it’s a real gem of a thriller. Lookalikes have been cast in some of the pivotal roles to represent characters we met in the original Shining. The movie does a real service both to King’s sequel novel and to Stanley Kubrick’s 1980 scarefest. Compares very well to Stranger Things, Village of the Damned and numerous Stephen King stories (Firestarter, The Institute) in the canon of Magical Kids movies. (9)
LAST CHRISTMAS (2019)—Emilia Clarke (Me Before You) plays a klutzy, self-centered girl who find romance with a mysterious, handsome young man (Henry Golding), who inspires her to become a better person. Ah, but the young man has a secret, which the audience doesn’t learn until the end of the film. Although the movie has great comedic turns by Michelle Yeoh and co-screenwriter Emma Thompson, Clarke practically carries the whole film on her endless charm. Basically an ultra-formulaic Hallmark TV romance on the big screen, but entertaining enough. (8)
CHARLIE’S ANGELS (2019)—Director-screenwriter-costar Elizabeth Banks has fashioned a fun if extremely formulaic reboot of the TV phenomenon, sort of a distaff version of the big-screen Mission: Impossible series (itself a TV reboot). All the clichés are here, but it’s entertaining enough, with a good cast that includes both Kristen Stewart and Patrick Stewart. The plot is absolutely the least important part of this movie, which keeps the humor flowing at an acceptable pace. (8)
WAVES (2019)—This Is Us star Sterling K. Brown—probably my favorite actor on the series—is the head of an African-American family living in South Florida. My old stomping grounds! His son Tyler (Kelvin Harrison) is a very popular and handsome high-school wrestler who has it all: popular, intelligent, a great piano player, and in love with Alexis, a pretty Latina classmate. The first half of Waves recounts how Tyler’s life spirals out of control stemming from a shoulder injury and problems with his girlfriend. The second half then picks up the story of Tyler’s sister Emily (Taylor Russell), who becomes involved in her own biracial romance. The movie is like one long punch to your gut—it’s a searing and ultra-emotional drama that at one point made a fellow audience member cry out in total shock and surprise. That’s how effective the movie is at getting the viewer involved in the story. All of the acting is outstanding, and the direction is remarkable (although writer-director Trey Edward Shults does lean a bit too heavily on psychotropic special effects and film techniques, and Trent Reznor’s intense musical score is occasionally a little too full of itself). The movie is a little too long—I honestly thought it was over at around what turned out to be the halfway point—but it’s still relentlessly powerful and thought-provoking. (9)
MARRIAGE STORY (2019)—Extremely well acted tale of Adam Driver divorcing from Scarlett Johansson, fighting over their young son. But halfway through, I did feel as if I were watching a remake of Kramer vs. Kramer. Very long, but the acting is worth seeing. Nice musical score by Randy Newman. (8)
FROZEN II (2019)—The original animated feature, starring Idina “Adele Dazeem” Menzel, Kristen Bell and Joshua Gad, was a wonderful adventure with amazing songs and terrific animation. All of it is back for the sequel, but this time the story isn’t as compelling. In fact, I found it all a bit confusing. Elsa hears a mysterious voice calling to her from a forbidden forest and must travel there and uncover the truth about something from the past. There are some rock giants, a ghost horse made of ice (?), some tribes of people trapped in a weird forest, a super-cute fire lizard and not one shred of their story made much sense to me. But the songs are terrific, the special effects are beautiful, and Olaf the Snowman is always good for a dozen laughs or so. (8)
KNIVES OUT (2019)—I saw this hot on the heels of Frozen II, and while the two movies couldn’t be less similar, they are both a little confusing. Knives Out is a traditional whodunit, with a dead body, a house full of people who wanted the person dead, and a colorful detective who’s there to connect the thousands of dots. And there are more dots to connect in this movie than in any other mystery I’ve ever seen…it just goes on and on and on until I was frankly getting a bit impatient with it all. There are so many layers and double-crosses and nuances that it’s impossible to guess what happened. Still, the end is very satisfying. With Chris Evans, Jamie Lee Curtis, Michael Shannon, Toni Collette, Don Johnson and Daniel Craig as Detective Benoit Blanc, whose Southern-fried accent here is quite a switch from his James Bond drawl. (8)
October 2019
This was a comparatively major month of my 2019. Edith Steele, my dear friend since high school, passed away at age 87. Her death left me feeling sad, but she was definitely ready to go. I visited her son Jay in San Jose and saw his theater group’s outstanding production of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. (I also spent some time familiarizing myself with the score prior to seeing the musical.) I spent what amounts to my life’s savings to clean and paint my apartment’s kitchen, following a cooking accident last year that left the walls and ceiling of that room covered in soot. (It looks much better now!) I reported for jury duty, and came very close to being chosen to participate in a three-week trial, but fortunately I was spared after three days. I also walked out of a movie, the critically lauded The Lighthouse—it just wasn’t for me. Conversely, while I was in San Jose, I saw the Downton Abbey movie again, this time with Jay. BOOKS: I spent much of the month listening to the audiobook of Stephen King’s The Institute, which was excellent, and have started listening to J.P. Delaney’s The Perfect Wife.
Here are the movies I didn’t walk out of in October:
LUCY IN THE SKY (2019)—In 2007, astronaut Lisa Nowak was arrested on charges of attempting to kidnap U.S. Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman, who had been romantically linked to Nowak’s former lover. The scandal made for some rather lurid headlines 12 years ago; now a slightly modified version of the story reaches the big screen with Natalie Portman as the astronaut and Jon Hamm as the former lover. The movie is the big-screen directorial debut of TV’s Noah Hawley, whose series Fargo I have enjoyed for a few years. The film is occasionally compelling (Portman is always fun to watch), but the film meanders somewhat and it lacks real spark. Some interesting cameos include Ellen Burstyn, comedian Tig Notaro and Nick Offerman. (7)
PARASITE (2019)—This Korean thriller is about how members of a lower-middle-class family infiltrate, one by one, an upper-class family by becoming their chauffeur, housekeeper and kids’ tutors. In order to accomplish this, they must conspire to have the people in those current positions sacked. That turns out to be a colossal problem when the previous housekeeper enters the picture. This is a movie in three parts. The first third is the setup. The second third is an explosion of violence and suspense. And the final third describes the after-effects of the middle part. About 80 percent of the movie is gripping and exciting; the other 20 percent should have been cut or re-thought. Still, it’s worth seeing for the good 80 percent. (8)
JOJO RABBIT (2019)—Here’s the best movie I’ve seen so far this year, a black comedy that combines pathos, hilarity and genuine heartfelt emotion. Finally, the Hitler youth get their own comedy! At times, it’s almost like Monty Python’s The Diary of Anne Frank. The excellent cast includes Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Stephen Merchant; as the kids, Roman Griffin Davis and Thomasin McKenzie are utterly superb. And director Taika Waititi is extremely funny as an imaginary Hitler. (10)
JOKER (2019)—Joaquin Phoenix stars as the famous DC comics villain, who starts out as Arthur Fleck, an aspiring standup comedian who suffers from a mental disorder that causes him to laugh uncontrollably at inappropriate times. This “origin story” explains how he became Joker, the deranged and dangerous clown. It is intense and very dark. (9)
EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE (2019)—This is the continuation of the phenomenal Breaking Bad TV series. With the series’ main character having been killed off in the climactic episode, the movie puts all of its focus on Jesse Pinkman, his partner in crime. The action picks up immediately after the final show of the series, and we learn what becomes of our young anti-hero. It is at times quite suspenseful and intriguing, like having one more episode. (9)
Here are the movies I didn’t walk out of in October:
LUCY IN THE SKY (2019)—In 2007, astronaut Lisa Nowak was arrested on charges of attempting to kidnap U.S. Air Force Captain Colleen Shipman, who had been romantically linked to Nowak’s former lover. The scandal made for some rather lurid headlines 12 years ago; now a slightly modified version of the story reaches the big screen with Natalie Portman as the astronaut and Jon Hamm as the former lover. The movie is the big-screen directorial debut of TV’s Noah Hawley, whose series Fargo I have enjoyed for a few years. The film is occasionally compelling (Portman is always fun to watch), but the film meanders somewhat and it lacks real spark. Some interesting cameos include Ellen Burstyn, comedian Tig Notaro and Nick Offerman. (7)
PARASITE (2019)—This Korean thriller is about how members of a lower-middle-class family infiltrate, one by one, an upper-class family by becoming their chauffeur, housekeeper and kids’ tutors. In order to accomplish this, they must conspire to have the people in those current positions sacked. That turns out to be a colossal problem when the previous housekeeper enters the picture. This is a movie in three parts. The first third is the setup. The second third is an explosion of violence and suspense. And the final third describes the after-effects of the middle part. About 80 percent of the movie is gripping and exciting; the other 20 percent should have been cut or re-thought. Still, it’s worth seeing for the good 80 percent. (8)
JOJO RABBIT (2019)—Here’s the best movie I’ve seen so far this year, a black comedy that combines pathos, hilarity and genuine heartfelt emotion. Finally, the Hitler youth get their own comedy! At times, it’s almost like Monty Python’s The Diary of Anne Frank. The excellent cast includes Scarlett Johansson, Sam Rockwell and Stephen Merchant; as the kids, Roman Griffin Davis and Thomasin McKenzie are utterly superb. And director Taika Waititi is extremely funny as an imaginary Hitler. (10)
JOKER (2019)—Joaquin Phoenix stars as the famous DC comics villain, who starts out as Arthur Fleck, an aspiring standup comedian who suffers from a mental disorder that causes him to laugh uncontrollably at inappropriate times. This “origin story” explains how he became Joker, the deranged and dangerous clown. It is intense and very dark. (9)
EL CAMINO: A BREAKING BAD MOVIE (2019)—This is the continuation of the phenomenal Breaking Bad TV series. With the series’ main character having been killed off in the climactic episode, the movie puts all of its focus on Jesse Pinkman, his partner in crime. The action picks up immediately after the final show of the series, and we learn what becomes of our young anti-hero. It is at times quite suspenseful and intriguing, like having one more episode. (9)
September 2019
I got a “work breather” this month, as my magazine skips a few issues around this time of year. The big drama this month was having to do jury duty—my first time—beginning on Sept. 30, a situation that didn’t resolve itself until early October (so more on that next time). I also finally had to get my kitchen repainted, the result of an inspection of my apartment that did not go well. More on that next time too. Worth mentioning: I walked out of a movie this month, The Peanut Butter Falcon. Then, in early October, I walked out of It: Chapter 2. I don’t usually walk out of movies, but those two just didn’t cut the mustard. TV: The new season began this month, and it was very sad not to have The Big Bang Theory to look forward to anymore. But at least Modern Family is around for one more year. The list of TV shows I want to watch is growing by the day: Two-Sentence Horror Stories, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Undone, Creepshow and Big Little Lies are just some of the series I want to watch. Plus, my old favorites Hot Date, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia, Law & Order: SVU, The Simpsons, Stranger Things, The Good Place, etc., are back. BOOKS: I finished Dangerous to Know by Margaret Yorke (so-so) and started The Institute by Stephen King. It’s a big one, and I’m really enjoying it. MUSIC: I finally completed Part 1 of my Elton John project, and have been listening to a compilation of pop-rock songs from 2018 assembled by my friend John Baldan.
Here are the movies I saw in September:
BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON (2019)—True-life story of an overweight woman (Jillian Bell) who stages a successful campaign to lose weight by running. The actress actually lost a bunch of weight during the filming of the movie. It’s a decent comedy-drama, but both Joan and I were troubled by how unpleasant the main character got after she lost the weight. I doubt I will remember much about this movie even a few weeks down the road. (6)
OFFICIAL SECRETS (2019)—Here’s another true-life story (with more to come). This one is about Katharine Gun, a government communications employee who leaked a secret memo that exposed an illegal spying operation by the USA. (The memo was all about how to blackmail United Nations diplomats tasked to vote on a resolution regarding the 2003 invasion of Iraq.) Considering the huge whistleblower story that blew up in the last week or so, this slice of real-life espionage is more relevant than ever. Keira Knightley is outstanding as Gun, and the story is riveting and absorbing. (10)
LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE (2019)—Documentary about the “Blue Bayou” singer, whom I saw perform live in Hollywood, FL, on Oct. 10, 1980. The performer now suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and cannot sing. This film takes us through her amazing journey, first as part of the struggling Stone Poneys, then catapulting into superstardom as a solo artist. It takes us through all of the phases of her career, showing us a portrait of the artist as someone who sang whatever the hell moved her at the time. Boy, was she a knockout! Great soundtrack includes her hits “Long, Long Time,” “You’re No Good,” et al., and there are plenty of memorable celebrity interviews by the likes of Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Karla Bonoff, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Don Henley. (9)
AD ASTRA (2019)—Joan and I feared we were getting ourselves into another Interstellar experience (i.e., not good), but at least for the first hour or so, I enjoyed this outer-space adventure, in which astronaut Brad Pitt has to solve the mystery of why Earth is experiencing deadly impulses from around Neptune, which is where his father supposedly died in action. Eventually Pitt learns that his dad is still out there…is he responsible for these terrible impulses? That’s about where we lost interest. The whole “daddy” aspect of the movie wasn’t very interesting, and the movie spirals out of control in the second half. (6)
DOWNTON ABBEY (2019)—One of my all-time favorite TV shows finally hits the big screen, and it’s a marvelous entertainment for fans. All of the main characters are back, with a story that involves the king and queen of England dropping by Downton. Quick, polish the silverware! They do a great job of giving all of the characters a little story. One of my favorite movies of the year. (10)
HUSTLERS (2019)—Yet another movie inspired by a true story. I had expected this to be an outrageous comedy, but in fact it’s a comedy-drama about some strippers who enter into a scheme to drug upscale clients and max out their credit cards. The entire cast, including leads Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, are first-rate. Extremely well assembled. Another of my favorites of the year. (10)
Here are the movies I saw in September:
BRITTANY RUNS A MARATHON (2019)—True-life story of an overweight woman (Jillian Bell) who stages a successful campaign to lose weight by running. The actress actually lost a bunch of weight during the filming of the movie. It’s a decent comedy-drama, but both Joan and I were troubled by how unpleasant the main character got after she lost the weight. I doubt I will remember much about this movie even a few weeks down the road. (6)
OFFICIAL SECRETS (2019)—Here’s another true-life story (with more to come). This one is about Katharine Gun, a government communications employee who leaked a secret memo that exposed an illegal spying operation by the USA. (The memo was all about how to blackmail United Nations diplomats tasked to vote on a resolution regarding the 2003 invasion of Iraq.) Considering the huge whistleblower story that blew up in the last week or so, this slice of real-life espionage is more relevant than ever. Keira Knightley is outstanding as Gun, and the story is riveting and absorbing. (10)
LINDA RONSTADT: THE SOUND OF MY VOICE (2019)—Documentary about the “Blue Bayou” singer, whom I saw perform live in Hollywood, FL, on Oct. 10, 1980. The performer now suffers from Parkinson’s Disease and cannot sing. This film takes us through her amazing journey, first as part of the struggling Stone Poneys, then catapulting into superstardom as a solo artist. It takes us through all of the phases of her career, showing us a portrait of the artist as someone who sang whatever the hell moved her at the time. Boy, was she a knockout! Great soundtrack includes her hits “Long, Long Time,” “You’re No Good,” et al., and there are plenty of memorable celebrity interviews by the likes of Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Karla Bonoff, Emmylou Harris, Dolly Parton and Don Henley. (9)
AD ASTRA (2019)—Joan and I feared we were getting ourselves into another Interstellar experience (i.e., not good), but at least for the first hour or so, I enjoyed this outer-space adventure, in which astronaut Brad Pitt has to solve the mystery of why Earth is experiencing deadly impulses from around Neptune, which is where his father supposedly died in action. Eventually Pitt learns that his dad is still out there…is he responsible for these terrible impulses? That’s about where we lost interest. The whole “daddy” aspect of the movie wasn’t very interesting, and the movie spirals out of control in the second half. (6)
DOWNTON ABBEY (2019)—One of my all-time favorite TV shows finally hits the big screen, and it’s a marvelous entertainment for fans. All of the main characters are back, with a story that involves the king and queen of England dropping by Downton. Quick, polish the silverware! They do a great job of giving all of the characters a little story. One of my favorite movies of the year. (10)
HUSTLERS (2019)—Yet another movie inspired by a true story. I had expected this to be an outrageous comedy, but in fact it’s a comedy-drama about some strippers who enter into a scheme to drug upscale clients and max out their credit cards. The entire cast, including leads Jennifer Lopez and Constance Wu, are first-rate. Extremely well assembled. Another of my favorites of the year. (10)
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