Marriage Story (2019)

A couple is divorcing, but have decided to remain friends. They want to be reasonable with each other and see no need to hire representation. The main reason for their break-up is that they live in New York where Charlie is a theater director, but actress Nicole has always wanted the family to spend some time in LA, her hometown. Since she's starring in a pilot out there, she decides to take their son along with her during shooting. And that's when things get complicated.

Their plans for civility go out the window when lawyers get involved. Though it was frustrating to see them go down this road with lawyers who would, seemingly, do anything to win, I also found it to be extremely believable. For Charlie and Nicole, it wasn't a petty game of "I'm gonna take you down," but rather a contest for how and where life is going to be lived and how and where their child would experience family. Unfortunately, lawyers know the game and the rules seem to be "your spouse must be the enemy." Good intentions will not survive divorce proceedings.

The juxtaposition of Nicole's joy and flourishing career against Charlie's depressive struggle was startling. It was as though there was only so much happiness and good luck to be had, and Nicole was siphoning most of Charlie's for herself. I would find myself getting so angry with Nicole until we would pause and talk it through. Putting myself in her shoes, wouldn't I do the same? No matter if I still had affection for my husband?

It's been about a week since we watched this and I have probably discussed it for at least 5 hours and thought about it so much more than that. It is one of the most affecting films I've seen in a long time. I laughed, sobbed, was incensed, scared, and hopeless. My heart broke at least three times. It's absolutely masterful. And though he isn't the winner in the film, Adam Driver certainly deserves to win the Oscar this year. He gets a real acting workout in this film and never fails to deliver.

A+

Judy (2019)

The story covers a period near the end of Judy Garland's life. It's hard for her to get work any more since she's difficult and erratic, which makes taking care of her younger children a problem. When she's offered a London engagement, she must leave her children in the states in order to make the money necessary to provide for them.

We see, in flashbacks, how she got to this point. How the mental abuse heaped on her as a young actress, abandoned to the system by her family,  pushed her to the brink. Her surrogate family was a studio interested only in the box office and not the health of those bringing in the money.

Zellweger simply disappears into the role and did an excellent job of breaking my heart.

B

See No Evil (1971)

Mia Farrow plays a woman who recently lost her sight in an accident and is just back from rehabilitation. She barely has time to acclimate herself before a killer in distinctive boots has dispatched her family. Not that she'd notice...at least not right away.

I saw this a long time ago -- probably as a teen -- and I'd remembered it as completely terrifying. And while it still got me a couple of times, it seems impossible that I'd ever lost sleep over it. Farrow is quite good at playing blind, though.

C+

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)

Jaded Esquire writer Lloyd Vogel is tasked with writing a short piece about Mr. Rogers for the magazine's edition on Heroes. He only has anecdotal knowledge of the beloved TV host, but what he knows annoys him. Despite Lloyd's best efforts to keep him at arm's length, Rogers is able to befriend him and, ultimately, make a difference in Lloyd's life.

This film was incredibly lovely. Hanks played Rogers with compassion -- like love was flowing out of his eyes and mouth every moment. It was inspirational. And Matthew Rhys killed it as the damaged Vogel; I'm truly surprised he wasn't nominated for an Oscar.

A-

Knives Out (2019)

This is a throwback whodunit -- felt like a Poirot with some Pink Panther thrown in for kicks. Took a little bit to get going but, once it did, it was nonstop fun.

B+

Little Women (2019)

Now this is how you take a well-worn story and turn it into something new. That Greta Gerwig wasn't nominated for best director is criminal as she breathes fresh life into the story of the March sisters -- even making Amy March a sympathetic and admirable woman.

I cried much throughout and loved every minute that I spent in the March household. They have the gift of -- as Dudley says in The Bishop's Wife -- making heaven here on earth. And it's a privilege to share a couple of hours in their company.

A

The Irishman (2019)

Robert DeNiro is Frank Sheeran, aka "the Irishman," who is -- as an old man in a nursing home -- recounting his time in the mob and his friendship with Jimmy Hoffa.

There was a lot of hype around the reverse aging CGI utilized to make Pesci, DeNiro and Pacino look younger so that they could play themselves across several decades. This was a dumb idea since 1) it looked fake, which was distracting 2) I couldn't tell what age they were supposed to be -- it wasn't so much younger as weirder and 3) no one thought to CGI their bodies, meaning that when "young" DeNiro was kicking the shit out of someone on the street, he looked like a great-grandfather squeamishly stomping on a cockroach.

Also a dumb idea? Letting Scorsese take 200 minutes to tell a 120-minute story. Criminy.

C-

Richard Jewell (2019)

The Richard Jewell we're shown here is two things: a bully in his security guard jobs and excessively compliant when it comes to those who have authority over him. He seems to want to be a cop because he believes that he, too, will get the kind of respect he shows once he's wearing the badge. And that's probably the answer to why so many cops are dicks right there.

So, Jewell finds a pipe bomb in a backpack in a crowded park, is hailed as a hero and then turns into a suspect. Which seems reasonable to me. It sucks, but it's reasonable. Clint Eastwood apparently does not think it's reasonable and wants us to hate the reporters who reported it (turning one into a literal whore for story tips) and the FBI who investigated the guy with a history of being threatening on the job, owns dozens of guns, lives with his mother, and is mocked by co-workers. Ugh.

It's a simple-minded movie that has no business being discussed as a prestige pic.

D+

1917 (2019)

Young soldier is tasked with carrying a critical message to stop a regiment from walking into a massacre. He was specifically chosen for the mission due to the fact that his brother is part of the regiment and it is assumed that he will be especially motivated to get it there in a timely fashion. He grabs his friend to come along and we are off. Literally. This movie doesn't stop -- it's designed to appear as though it's a single take, so we get no let-up from the action.

I do have a difficult time with always-in-motion camera-work, so I got quite dizzy several times. This, in my opinion, was a distraction from the story, but only a mild one. The constant fear and exhaustion of war were palpable. It's an extraordinary film that earns its jumps and tears.

B+

The Farewell (2019)

Billi is a Chinese American living in California when she learns that her grandmother has been diagnosed with cancer and that her immediate family, also living in California, is planning to travel to China to say goodbye. Since, however, the grandmother has not been informed of her diagnosis, they do not want Billi to come since everyone assumes Billi will be unable to keep the secret. Billi shows up anyway -- keeps the secret -- and enjoys her last days with her beloved Nai Nai.

Sounds like a pretty great movie, right? Yeah, it did to me too. I'm not sure what went wrong here, but the result is a one-note, lifeless affair. There's some business about a wedding that's just an excuse to get everyone in town to see Nai Nai without her realizing it's because she's dying. Did the couple want to get married? Were they just pretending to get married? I don't really know & I didn't really care.

C

Joker (2019)

If this movie were just about a damaged guy with a rare disorder and delusions of talent, would anyone be praising it? Or would that clear the smoke and allow the masses to see that this is an over-the-top fetishization of misery? Slap the name "Joker" on a marquee and people lose their collective shit lining up to praise this tortured piece of cinematic ugliness and drudgery. I don't think it's honest.

D-

Ford v Ferrari (2019)

I'm not a car girl, but I probably had close to as much fun as my husband did -- and he's definitely a "car guy." Damon and Bale make a great team in this story of racing fanatics who believe they can change the sport and set out to prove it. The revisionist history can be forgiven since the choices that were made really did add entertainment value.

B+