Gringo (2018)

Harold is a nice hard-working guy. His wife is running up debt and cheating on him, while his bosses consider him disposable -- which is especially concerning since they're about to be bought out and restructured. When Harold takes a business trip to Mexico and starts to catch on to his status, he takes matters into his own hands to secure his future.

This is much more fun than I expected it to be. It's got a bit of silly randomness to it, which somehow works. Charlize Theron as a profane ball-breaker is especially funny.

B

The Children Act (2018)

Emma Thompson is an overworked judge with a marriage on the brink when an interesting case is presented: Adam, a minor weeks away from adulthood, needs a blood transfusion. Both he and his parents are refusing on religious grounds but, as he is still a child, he has no right to refuse. Judge Maye makes the unusual move of meeting the boy to see for herself whether he understands what he's declining, but ultimately rules that life-saving measures be taken. In the aftermath, Adam becomes obsessed with Maye -- she's changed his life and opened his eyes and he just wants more of that. 

I like Ian McEwan's writing and this was no exception. I really love that there is a richness to the characters -- it's never only about one thing, but the main thing is always interesting. There's a relatability to this extreme situation. One can't help but play "what would I do" when watching. It's really rich stuff.

B+

A Ghost Story (2017)

I liked this. Then I got annoyed with it. Then I outright hated it. Then I rolled my eyes. Then the story came around again and I got teary-eyed.

This is a pretty big concept told in an incredibly frustrating format. So many scenes went on for just way too long -- I'm thinking especially of 5+ minute oration by a pompous attention-seeker on creating something that lasts. That no one at the table interrupted him or got up and left is probably one of the most unbelievable things I've ever seen in a movie. Then there's the famous pie-eating scene, which also goes on for about 5 minutes and, weirdly, shows us all that Rooney Mara apparently stays slim by getting a bizarre "stabbing" workout prior to each bite she raises to her mouth (see scene below).

But there's an undeniable poignancy that stays with you even after the sheet deflates and lies, finally empty, on the floor.

C+

Class Action Park (2020)

Action Park was a water park in New Jersey that was known for its poorly-designed and very dangerous attractions. Former employees and patrons tell stories about horrific injuries and the culture at the park, yet everyone seems to be doing so fondly. The notable exception to the jocularity is the mother of one of the teens killed there. It's hard to believe that a park open into the '90s had so little oversight.

While it definitely keeps your attention, it became increasingly difficult to laugh at the rampant disregard for safety. It also wound up being a bit repetitive. I mean, we get it: the owner only cared about bigger, wilder, and as cheap as possible & '80s kids rarely backed away from a challenge. That's a combination that never had a chance of ending well.

B

The Happytime Murders (2018)

Muppet-style puppets coexist with humans as a maligned minority. When someone starts bumping off the puppet stars of a long-canceled sitcom, a detective and her former puppet partner begrudgingly reunite to work the case.

There is a lot of crudeness and much of it is so over-the-top that it just doesn't work. It's almost saved by Melissa McCarthy just flat-out going for it, though.

C+

The Decline (2020)

A half-dozen doomsday preppers meet up for a training camp on the compound of a youtube-famous survivalist. They're blindfolded and surrender their phones in order to keep the precise location of the host's home secure. These are like-minded folks excited to learn how to do things like trap, clean and cook wildlife, craft boobytraps to keep their perimeters secure, etc. Stands to reason that paranoia is just beneath the surface for them all. When an accident claims a life and there's no consensus on what to do about it, things get ugly fast.

I could see the arguments on both sides as well as feel the inevitability of the conflict. It's a truly terrifying yet all-too-believable film for our time. 

B+

Mad to Be Normal (2018)

Ronnie Laing was an actual doctor who ran Kingsley Hall from 1965-70, a home for people who would usually be parked in asylums. His revolutionary idea was to leave them unmedicated and free to do as they pleased -- working out their sanity in their own way and in their own time. It seems so much kinder than the time's alternatives, for sure. But I was also fairly skeptical of whether I could trust this film as being at all close to actuality.

The film's throughline is of Laing's relationship with a smitten psychology student, who calls him up one day and, in no time, has become his live-in girlfriend. She's devoted and hopelessly in love, but that infatuation fades when she becomes a mother and realizes that he will never prefer her and his son to his patients. This storyline and girlfriend character is fiction -- which makes the entire movie useless.

This was only on my list because David Tennant stars as Laing. While it was an OK watch, I just don't get the point of adding a pretend romance to a film as rich with characters as this one. I'm sure I would've been at least as interested without it.

C+

I Lost My Body (2019)

A hand, severed just above the wrist, escapes a lab and treks across the city in a search for its body. It can, apparently, see and hear and remember... so that's weird. There's also a simultaneous story being told of a young family, the child being, clearly, the hand's former owner. For the first 15 minutes or so I considered turning it off as I just wasn't in sync with it. It seemed, possibly, too out there.

But then I started to care. And with that investment, my eyes began to open to the simple beauty of the animation and the dreaminess of feelings it evoked. I still think there are some problems with it, but it's definitely unique and I enjoyed being in its world for a while.

B

7 Days in Entebbe (2018)

This is a based-on-fact film about the 1976 hijacking of an Air France flight with the goal of getting Israel to release Palestinian prisoners.

I knew nothing about this event since I was eight when it happened and completely absorbed by my own nation's upcoming bicentennial celebration, so I have no idea of its accuracy. But, even if just the bold strokes can be trusted, this was pretty interesting. A couple of German activists join with the Palestinians to perform the hijacking, but soon understand that their more peaceful agenda doesn't line up completely with the that of the Palestinians.

There was a confusing device of visiting an interpretive dance troupe during their rehearsals and then eventual performance -- I'm not sure what that had to do with anything (other than the fact that one of the dancers is the girlfriend of one of the Israeli soldiers), but it was beautiful. I'd go see that show.

To sum up: it was well-done and intriguing. I want to find out more about this event.

B+

Spivak (2018)

Wally Spivak is an unpublished writer in his 40s, sharing a home with two other grown men. He, understandably, moves through life with a permanent scowl. On Valentine's day, his friends make the spur-of-the-moment decision to point the car (with Wally sleeping in the back seat) towards Vegas in order to pick up some lonely singles. Turns out that Wally's the only one who scores that night and it changes everything.

This is more of a fantasy than anything. He sleeps with a girl -- runs into that girl and her fiancee soon after -- becomes friends with them -- starts dating a Laker girl -- etc etc. I might have had more fun with this if Wally were, in any way, relatable. The best bits concerned the fiancee, who was simply lovely in his upbeat optimism.

D+

The Good Liar (2019)

Mature adults Roy and Betty meet on a dating site and hit it off. Though she's only expressed interest in companionship, soon he's moved in to her spare room -- much to the chagrin of her son. The thing Roy is keeping from Betty is the fact that he's a con man with several things going at once and one of those things just happens to be bilking Betty the widow out of her fortune.

It's well-acted and keeps the interest, but I was honestly hoping for a bit more. Though I couldn't have guessed at the particulars of the backstory, I had guessed from quite early on that Betty wasn't the easy mark that Roy had assumed. The effect of this knowledge was that we were waiting for -- rather than surprised by -- the twist when it finally came.

B

Tunes of Glory (1960)

Jock has been serving as acting Colonel for his Highland Regiment. His style is loose and familiar and his company enjoys palling around with their commanding officer. When an Oxford man is appointed Colonel, his desire that the regiment adheres to set schedules and protocols is met with resistance from the men. But the real problem is that Jock is butthurt and his men want to be loyal to him.

Alec Guinness is perfect as the loathsome Jock. He's childish and petty but holds such sway that he cannot be easily dealt with. This movie does a great job of exposing the truth that one never really outgrows the effects of bullying. It also makes an effective argument for the army's unquestioning obedience of lower ranks to higher. Once sedition creeps in, control is near impossible to reassert.

B+

Hangman (2017)

This feels like a movie Nicolas Cage passed on but to which Al Pacino said, "yeah -- I'm not doin' anything. I'll take it." Just a typical crazy killer with a grudge story without any skill in the telling. Incredibly boring with a whiff of TV movie about it, despite all of the blood.

F

Yesterday (2019)

Global power outage seems to have no effect at first, but then aspiring singer-songwriter Jack realizes that all knowledge of The Beatles has been removed from everyone's consciousness along with the physical copies of their work. Other random things are also missing: cigarettes, Harry Potter, Coca-Cola, and Oasis. So, of course, he starts churning out their songs as best as he can remember them.

What a brilliant idea! And how it's wasted. We're never sure if Jack is doing it for the money, the accolades, or because he feels an imperative to get these songs back in the ears of the world. I believe this film would've been so much better if the central character were full of joy and purpose rather than moody and petulant. Sure: an element of conflict needs to be present, but it shouldn't overwhelm everything. Also, I didn't care a whit about the love story.

The very best moment came during a live performance Jack gave, where one of the audience members was open-jawed dumbstruck and it became clear he also remembered. That scene and a later one featuring the same man were lovely. How Jack didn't understand his job like this listener did is beyond me. I think it's clear that this movie could've been an "A" in more capable hands.

C+

Last Christmas (2019)

Recently-ill woman (Emilia Clarke) has had a complete shift in personality since her recovery. She used to be an engaging, dependable employee, friend, and family member but has chucked that for hard-partying, one-night stands, ghosting her family, and shitting on her friends' patience. She meets a ridiculously lovely and generous fella who makes her want to be a better person. She opens up to him and we finally -- halfway through the movie -- find out she underwent a heart transplant. I get why they had to keep this a secret because, the minute I had that piece of information, I knew I was watching a fantasy.

It's weirdly joyless for a story that's supposed to be redemptive and full of holiday cheer. Everything "comical" said/done by Clarke, Emma Thompson (as her mother), or Michelle Yeoh (as her employer) dies without fanfare on the screen. Not only should the story charm us with ease, it's also got a soundtrack chock-full of George Michael going for it. But, somehow, it just didn't work.

C-

The Duel (2016)

Texas Ranger takes an assignment to go and check out a town run by the man who killed his father 20 years ago in a duel. The ranger's wife is sick of being left home alone, so she comes along for the ride. Something weird's definitely going on there. The town's leader (Woody Harrelson) forces his way into the newcomers' lives quickly by making him the sheriff and her an object of affection. It's got a Wicker Man/Midsommar feel about it: no one's talking, but all of the residents have a shared secret.

I think that this could've been good. But Harrelson -- with his shaved eyebrows and snake handling services -- is too weird and the wife's easy switch from dedicated wife to traitor is unexplained. It all winds up being rather empty.

C

Contagion (2011)

I know I'm not the only one who thought "middle of a global pandemic is the perfect time to watch a movie about a global pandemic." And, wow. It's amazing just how prescient this film is. Social distancing protocols, stay at home orders, living room proms, and assholes who refuse to follow the rules -- even the simple act of covering their mouths when coughing.

The production has no problem killing off actors who'd usually be miraculously spared, yet that seemed to be more about honesty than a scare tactic. I'm just very impressed with its restraint and its ability to see a decade into the future.

B+

Tortilla Flat (1942)

For the first half, I was just so annoyed with this story. It felt mean-spirited and kind of racist. Everyone was so easily manipulated and no one wanted to work -- I don't know. It just hit me really wrong. But then a bunch of dogs with their sweet and simple master come along and things get immensely better. It's still a little iffy, but I wound up enjoying it.

B-

The Normal Heart (2014)

This movie concerns the first 5 years or so of the AIDS crisis in America. We follow Ned Weeks and a small group of friends who found the Gay Mens Health Crisis hotline and who work to get funding for medical research. The story is heartbreaking and frustrating, but the movie is not.

Though Mark Ruffalo and Matt Bomer give it their all, the movie is simply boring. It's basically cry and yell and cry and yell. Julia Roberts purses her lips, Taylor Kitsch tries to do something other than look pretty, and Jim Parsons may as well slip in a "Bazinga" or two.

C+

A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018)

Covers the genesis of the "National Lampoon" magazine and brand and -- even though I generally cannot stand Will Forte -- he manages not to ruin things. The early, pre-magazine, scenes with Domhnall Gleeson and Forte lobbing deadpan one-liners at each other were especially hilarious. In a crowded cast, Joel McHale's portrayal of Chevy Chase really stands out.

B+

Mean Dreams (2017)

Casey and her policeman father Wayne move to a backwater town where she meets Jonas. Soon the two are inseparable and daddy does not like it one bit. When Jonas is witness to Wayne being violent with Casey, he makes the decision to save her. When he sees his chance, he seizes it and they go on the lam.

This movie is fine, but it falls down at the reason. It's just "bad guy chases kids" -- but why is he bad? How has Casey survived so far? I don't need tons of backstory, but some would be welcome.

C

Breath (2018)

Best friends who are only best friends because there's no one else around (as is the case for most childhood friendships) catch a ride from some surfers and become instantly enamored with the sport. Soon they've got their own second-hand boards and are spending every moment they can on the water. But it's when they fall in with Sando -- a professional surfer -- that they really begin to push themselves.

I remember being left out. I remember having secrets I shouldn't have had. This movie simply got that "in-between" point: where you feel so much more grown-up than you are, but still have the comfort of childhood for a retreat. There was one clanging false note for me, but I still recommend this.

B

Still Mine (2013)

Irene is starting to show signs of dementia and Craig, her husband of 60+ years, realizes it's time for them to downsize into a home they can manage more easily. He owns the land and knows how to build, so he sets off to do just that. But when the bureaucrats get involved, frustrations mount and his plans are jeopardized.

Though this is a sweet story based on real people, it's one of those  that makes me ask "but why is it a movie?" This kind of thing must happen to hundreds of people daily in the United States.

B-