March 2020

Because I have numerous contacts in China, due to a language-exchange app I use called Tandem, I started paying attention to the Coronavirus crisis earlier than the average American. I chat with Chinese people every day in Tandem, so I have been hearing stories about the mandatory isolations and school closings on a regular basis since January. Even so, when I began this installment of my movie blog at the beginning of March, I scarcely realized that it might be my last—at least, for a while. It all happened very quickly. The morning that Joan and I saw Saint Frances (March 15), we tried to get breakfast at Western Bagel, as is our customary Sunday-morning routine, and were shocked to find that it was “takeout only”—no customers were allowed to sit down in the place. We were, however, able to sit down at Denny’s, and after the movie, we enjoyed our regular lunch at Black Angus. There are usually very few moviegoers at the Arclight Hollywood on Sunday mornings, but the theater had arranged the seating so that people could only sit in every other row, to encourage social distancing. When we parted, both of us had a feeling that life was about to change, and that it might be our last movie for a while. Sure enough, the next day, all movie theaters in the state closed down. This was the true beginning of our Great Isolation, and one that we obviously all hope won’t last very long. In the meantime… TV: Modern Family is rocketing to its series finale; I watched the first episode of The Stranger and binge-watched Season 5 of Inside No. 9. MUSIC: Listened to a ton of Magnetic Fields and Neil Young songs. BOOKS: Finally finished Close to Home by Cara Hunter, then read Someone We Know by Shari Lapena, and am now nearly finished with Right Behind You by Rachel Abbott. Here are the three movies I saw in March:

THE INVISIBLE MAN (2020)—Jettisoning H.G. Wells’ original story, Universal has fashioned the latest “invisible” movie into a psychological thriller, and darned if it doesn’t improve on the premise! This time out, Elizabeth Moss plays a wife who manages to flee from her abusive husband. After he commits suicide, she begins to suspect that he might not be dead after all, but still making her life a living hell in “unseen” form. An edge-of-your-seat suspense movie from beginning to end, with great special effects. (9)

ONWARD (2020)—I run very hot and cold with Pixar’s animated movies. Some I love (Toy Story 1-3, The Incredibles 1-2, WALL-E), some are overrated (A Bug’s Life, Up, Finding Nemo) and some leave me completely cold (Inside Out, Cars). Onward, this year’s first Pixar offering, belongs in the first category. It’s an old-fashioned adventure story with fun characters and all of the Disney clichés. Much of its success can be credited to the perfect voice characterizations, especially Chris Pratt as Barley Lightfoot. Only debit: It goes on a little too long. (9)

SAINT FRANCES (2020)—I am sure this will win my “sleeper of the year” award. It’s a funny and moving story about a 34-year-old woman named Bridget—sort of a prettier Amy Schumer—who takes a job as a nanny when she’s wholly unqualified for such a job. It’s a charming and romantic comedy/drama written and starring Kelly O’Sullvan, and one of the year’s best. (10) And maybe the year’s last!

NOTE: Yes—it turned out to be the last movie I saw in 2020.