Instead of seeing the most recent Best Picture winner in theaters, go see the new Lego movie. You'll feel better seeing that story of friendship and overcoming hardships.
Monday, February 25, 2019
The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part: 2019
I'm behind in my posts--I saw The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part over a week ago in the theater--but before I discuss that film, I need to say that I'm so disappointed in the Academy. Did you really just give the Best Picture to another Driving Miss Daisy? Or am I imagining that Green Book won Best Picture last night? I hope it's one of those Bob Newhart endings, and I find out that I'm dreaming because there's no way that Green Book deserves it. I'll even watch that movie to prove it.
As for The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part, the film is fun and so relatable for my family. My daughters saw themselves in the siblings fighting, and my husband and I could relate to the mom trying to keep the peace. Sure, the film is a sequel, so some of the magic in the first film doesn't happen in the second, but there's something reassuring about seeing the optimistic and kind-hearted Emmet trying to save the day. And I loved how the story begins with a dystopian Lego world. It's so fitting for a pre-teen to make Legos fit that genre.
Instead of seeing the most recent Best Picture winner in theaters, go see the new Lego movie. You'll feel better seeing that story of friendship and overcoming hardships.
Instead of seeing the most recent Best Picture winner in theaters, go see the new Lego movie. You'll feel better seeing that story of friendship and overcoming hardships.
Saturday, February 16, 2019
What Men Want: 2019
Okay, I know what you might say: What Men Want is not an Oscar-contender. Not even close. And you're right. It's not an Oscar movie, and I doubt it will be present in the Academy's minds when nominations happen for this year's films. But you know what? I don't care. What Men Want is fun, and sometimes, we need a little fun in our lives from the films we watch. At least I do.
The best part about What Men Want is the cast. Taraji P. Henson stars as Ali, a woman who after a wild night and concussion, gains the ability to hear what men are thinking. The premise of this film may remind you of 2000's What Women Want, but please stop that comparison. Stop it right there because What Women Want is far superior than that Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt film. That superiority comes from the actors. Henson is hilarious as Ali, firing off verbal barbs at her male co-workers, engaging in slapstick physical comedy that fits the scenes, and expressing her disgust at what she hears men thinking through her facial expressions. I saw Henson in Hidden Figures where she plays Katherine G. Johnson, the amazing mathematics genius, but that role didn't require Henson's comedic skills. And wow, does she have them.
Besides Henson, the cast includes an always enjoyable Tracy Morgan as an overbearing parent of a soon-to-be-famous basketball player and a mesmerizing Erykah Badu as a psychic. I found myself eagerly anticipating the psychic scenes--each one was funnier than the last. Badu embodies the role, and her interactions with the other characters are beyond funny.
What Men Want was worth seeing it in the theaters. When the weather is gloomy and the work stress is piling up, sometimes you just need a little fun, and What Men Want delivers exactly that.
Besides Henson, the cast includes an always enjoyable Tracy Morgan as an overbearing parent of a soon-to-be-famous basketball player and a mesmerizing Erykah Badu as a psychic. I found myself eagerly anticipating the psychic scenes--each one was funnier than the last. Badu embodies the role, and her interactions with the other characters are beyond funny.
What Men Want was worth seeing it in the theaters. When the weather is gloomy and the work stress is piling up, sometimes you just need a little fun, and What Men Want delivers exactly that.
Monday, February 4, 2019
Beauty and the Beast: 2017
With three extra days off last week from work due to snow and cold, I had time to watch Disney's live action Beauty and the Beast, one I've been wanting to see since it came out in spring 2017. Unfortunately, my daughters think it's too scary to watch for family movie night, so I've been waiting to have time on my own to watch it. They may be right--it's a little scary for young kids with the wolves scene and the live action Beast is intense at times. But it was exactly what I needed this past week.
When life seems overwhelming, I'm all about comfort. Whether that's comfort food like elbow mac and cheese or comfort shows (everyone keeps telling me to watch The Great British Baking Show on Netflix), I fall back on Disney for my comfort viewing. I grew up watching Disney movies; we even had the Disney Channel for several years. While I may have watched The Little Mermaid more than any other princess movie (my best friend and I would act it out with her sisters), my favorite princess has always been Belle. With her kindness, generosity, and love of books, Belle seemed perfect to me. When she disobeys her father, it's to save him, not to meet some prince. Watching the new film version of her story, though, makes me love Belle even more because she not only is kind, generous book reader, she also has spirit and a mind of her own. Belle doesn't put up with the Beast in the animated version, but that's even more apparent in the live action version. Besides improving Belle's character, the writers actually gave the Beast a character. In the animated version, he's a flat character--everything he does is for Belle, sure, but his actions don't show who he is. So when Belle falls in love with the Beast, the audience doesn't know why beyond him being kinder than expected for a beast. In this new version, the Beast shares common interests with Belle, and writers added a more complete backstory to show how his childhood impacted him. When Belle falls for him in this version, her love seems more authentic and realistic.
I liked all the changes, but what really made the movie the comforting experience I craved was the music. In the opening scene with Belle in the village when the music started, I had chills as each Bonjour rang out. My childhood memories. Right there, in those few minutes, I escaped from the responsibilities of adulthood and was a kid again. Emma Watson as Belle is perfect casting. She has the right amount of sass with determination and courage along with a decent singing voice. I'm still adjusting a bit to seeing her as any character other than Hermione Granger, and her portrayal of Belle only helps a little with that distancing because in many ways this Belle is the Hermione Granger of 18th century France. But that's okay. The world could use more women like Hermione.
As Disney continues on this path of making live action versions of their beloved classics, I'll keep watching. I won't go out of my way to see them in the theater, but if they show up on Netflix or my kids wants to check them out at the library, I'll watch them. Maybe next time I watch one I'll pair it with some mac and cheese.
When life seems overwhelming, I'm all about comfort. Whether that's comfort food like elbow mac and cheese or comfort shows (everyone keeps telling me to watch The Great British Baking Show on Netflix), I fall back on Disney for my comfort viewing. I grew up watching Disney movies; we even had the Disney Channel for several years. While I may have watched The Little Mermaid more than any other princess movie (my best friend and I would act it out with her sisters), my favorite princess has always been Belle. With her kindness, generosity, and love of books, Belle seemed perfect to me. When she disobeys her father, it's to save him, not to meet some prince. Watching the new film version of her story, though, makes me love Belle even more because she not only is kind, generous book reader, she also has spirit and a mind of her own. Belle doesn't put up with the Beast in the animated version, but that's even more apparent in the live action version. Besides improving Belle's character, the writers actually gave the Beast a character. In the animated version, he's a flat character--everything he does is for Belle, sure, but his actions don't show who he is. So when Belle falls in love with the Beast, the audience doesn't know why beyond him being kinder than expected for a beast. In this new version, the Beast shares common interests with Belle, and writers added a more complete backstory to show how his childhood impacted him. When Belle falls for him in this version, her love seems more authentic and realistic.
As Disney continues on this path of making live action versions of their beloved classics, I'll keep watching. I won't go out of my way to see them in the theater, but if they show up on Netflix or my kids wants to check them out at the library, I'll watch them. Maybe next time I watch one I'll pair it with some mac and cheese.
Roma: 2018
So did I already watch this year's Best Picture Winner? Seeing Roma makes me wonder if I have.
Roma is a Netflix film, which means it's easier for me to watch than most of the films nominated for this year's Oscars. While all the films except Vice are available for streaming (see this article for a full listing), the only service I subscribe to is Netflix, and for the sake of my budget, I either watch films on Netflix or I visit my local library, which has an extensive DVD collection. So whenever Netflix releases a new film on their service AND in the theaters with hopes to snag some awards love, I try to watch them. Sometimes I'm successful--Roma being an example of that. And sometimes I'm not--The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is still hanging out on my list, half watched (I guess that's what happens when a film is a series of shorter ones or it could be that it's a western). While Buster waits for me, I figured I should write about Roma.
While watching Roma, I wondered if knowing more about Mexico City in the 1970s would help me understand the film better. The story is focused on Cleo, a nanny who works for a family that lives in the Roma neighborhood of Mexico City. Cleo is affectionate with the children. At bedtime, she is the one tucking them in, telling them that she loves them. The four kids are challenging, especially the two older brothers, and to add to the chaos, there's a dog that constantly barks. But the story isn't about the family as much as it is about Cleo. Early in the film, she seems distant. She keeps to herself. I found myself wondering about her life and her personality. Being a nanny, Cleo has faded into the backdrop of this family, becoming a household appliance. Her affection seemed one-sided...until the father leaves the family for a younger woman and Cleo becomes pregnant and her boyfriend dumps her. At that point, the mother of the family grows bitter and wants to help Cleo because all men are terrible like her husband.
Cleo's pregnancy is what drives the plot for the rest of the film, and I won't spoil what happens here, but trust me, this is one heartbreaking film (a checkmark for the Academy as most winners are sad stories). I wanted to be more emotionally invested in the film before Cleo's pregnancy, but I found it hard because she seemed withdrawn from the audience. The filmmaking, too, made it difficult for me to connect with Cleo because the director (and writer and cinematographer and more) Alfonso Cuaron used so many long shots. I need to see a character's face to know them better, and he doesn't use many close ups in the film. While I appreciated the aesthetic of the film, that made it difficult for me to connect with the characters, so when the father leaves, I didn't feel much sadness for the family initially. It wasn't until the last half hour of the film that I experienced more empathy with the characters, and most of that was due Yalitza Aparicio who plays Cleo. She is amazing. Her isolation early in the film transitions into being fully connected to the family and in the end she is fully part of them. But her own personal fears are what make her such an interesting character in the end, and Aparicio is stunning in her nonverbal performance. When Cuaron used the close up, it was worth the wait. Aparicio's expressions conveyed so much more than the dialogue and setting. I'm hoping she does more acting and soon.
What I think I need for Roma is sitting in on a film class discussion about the film. I think I missed a lot in one viewing, but before watching it again, I would need to do some reading about the setting and the film itself. It's not an easy film to take in.
Roma is a Netflix film, which means it's easier for me to watch than most of the films nominated for this year's Oscars. While all the films except Vice are available for streaming (see this article for a full listing), the only service I subscribe to is Netflix, and for the sake of my budget, I either watch films on Netflix or I visit my local library, which has an extensive DVD collection. So whenever Netflix releases a new film on their service AND in the theaters with hopes to snag some awards love, I try to watch them. Sometimes I'm successful--Roma being an example of that. And sometimes I'm not--The Ballad of Buster Scruggs is still hanging out on my list, half watched (I guess that's what happens when a film is a series of shorter ones or it could be that it's a western). While Buster waits for me, I figured I should write about Roma.
Cleo's pregnancy is what drives the plot for the rest of the film, and I won't spoil what happens here, but trust me, this is one heartbreaking film (a checkmark for the Academy as most winners are sad stories). I wanted to be more emotionally invested in the film before Cleo's pregnancy, but I found it hard because she seemed withdrawn from the audience. The filmmaking, too, made it difficult for me to connect with Cleo because the director (and writer and cinematographer and more) Alfonso Cuaron used so many long shots. I need to see a character's face to know them better, and he doesn't use many close ups in the film. While I appreciated the aesthetic of the film, that made it difficult for me to connect with the characters, so when the father leaves, I didn't feel much sadness for the family initially. It wasn't until the last half hour of the film that I experienced more empathy with the characters, and most of that was due Yalitza Aparicio who plays Cleo. She is amazing. Her isolation early in the film transitions into being fully connected to the family and in the end she is fully part of them. But her own personal fears are what make her such an interesting character in the end, and Aparicio is stunning in her nonverbal performance. When Cuaron used the close up, it was worth the wait. Aparicio's expressions conveyed so much more than the dialogue and setting. I'm hoping she does more acting and soon.
What I think I need for Roma is sitting in on a film class discussion about the film. I think I missed a lot in one viewing, but before watching it again, I would need to do some reading about the setting and the film itself. It's not an easy film to take in.
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