Emma. (2020)

Privileged Emma meddles in the romantic lives of those around her, while missing the potential for her own love life that's right under her nose.

Generally, adaptations of Emma are light and fun -- and this one genuinely attempts the same and mostly succeeds. The issue with this telling, however, is that Emma isn't all that likable. I couldn't root for her since she comes off as more superior than assured. And, though there's a truly well-done scene where a meanspirited criticism is presented as a funny joke, it only proves the point. Emma's entitlement gets in the way of kindness. Rather than immediately apologizing to the group, she holds her smile as the others disband uncomfortably.

B

Catfight (2017)

I used to be just so impressed with Netflix's recommendation algorithm. Now, however, it's completely broken and I've got the proof since this movie was presented to me as a 98% match (whatever the hell that means).

Veronica (Sandra Oh) and Ashley (Anne Heche) were frenemies in college. Now in their 40s, Veronica's a perpetually soused trophy wife while Ashley's a struggling artist. When they run into each other by chance, their irritation with their lives in general bubbles over and they wind up beating to the crap out of each other. Though Ashley doesn't directly cause it, Veronica winds up in a two-year coma that robs her of her family and money while Ashley has since become extremely successful.

They meet again... beat each other brutally (a hammer and wrench are employed this time)... and -- though Veronica doesn't directly cause it, Ashley winds up in a two-year coma that robs her of her family and money while Veronica has since found peace living in the country.

They meet again...ugh. I hate gratuitous violence. I really really hate hammers as a weapon. This movie was thin and lazy and unfunny and unsurprising. What were Oh and Heche thinking? 

D

The Rover (2014)

I recorded this because it stars Robert Pattinson, an actor that has surprised me with his ability to choose interesting projects. This generalization excepts the Twilight franchise, of course.

The story is set "10 years after the collapse" in the depressing Australian nothingness. Guy Pearce is a loner whose car is stolen while he's getting a drink. The entirety of the movie, until the final scene, is him attempting to get it back. Along the way, he encounters the simple brother of one of the thieves, with whom he joins up in order to expedite the search.

This felt like a billion other dystopian-future films. Human life isn't worth much and joy is non-existent. That the two leads managed to make me care about them was a pretty decent trick. The eye-rollingly silly reveal for the "hero's" commitment to finding his car (hint: check the title) was not.

C+

The Greatest Showman (2017)

Barnum is a poor tailor's son who falls in love with the rich daughter of one of his father's clients. They're barely making ends meet until he hits on an idea to find "unusual persons" to add to his museum of curiosities. Though low-brow, the place becomes popular and makes the Barnum family rich -- but are the performers accepted only when they're on stage? Are they being celebrated or exploited?

The songs are forgettable and it's all broad strokes with little internal motivation. I like each member of the main cast, but the film wound up just thin and boring. We'd actually attempted to watch this two years ago and gave up less than 15 minutes in... I'm not completely sure why we didn't accept our initial verdict and leave this unviewed.

C-

Olivia (1954)

Olivia is a newcomer to an all-girls boarding school in France, run by the fragile Miss Cara and the magnetic Miss Julie. Most of the girls are under the spell of one or the other of the women and Olivia finds herself firmly in the "Julie" camp. Miss Julie herself is definitely grooming some of the girls -- "bettering" them with literature and trips to Paris and promising to come to them in the night -- only to allow them to fall into the depths of despair when her promises are broken or another girl receives attention.

I found this film to be an uncomfortable mix of titillation and confusion. I wasn't always sure what was going on, but I know I'd pull my child out of that school immediately and call the police. Those girls are gonna be screwed up for life.

C+

Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)

Paul Newman sure tries his best to play real-life boxer Rocky Graziano, but comes up way short: he's all accent and pursed lips and shrugs. This could've been alright if the story-telling was decent, but it isn't. The story in a nutshell: Rocky's a small-time crook in and out of jail -- he even goes AWOL from the army. He gets a break because he can punch hard and almost squanders that, too. 

I didn't like this guy. I didn't like this movie.

D+

#Alive (2020)

A zombie apocalypse leaves a gamer in his early 20s trapped in his apartment with dwindling supplies. When a woman in an apartment with a balcony facing his makes her presence known, they figure out ways to help each other and, eventually, meet up.

There's nothing groundbreaking here -- we've seen dozens of variants on this theme -- but it's efficient and has a decent sense of humor.

B

Meet John Doe (1941)

Barbara Stanwyck is Ann, a reporter who -- in order to keep her job -- makes up a letter to the editor from a "John Doe" who's threatening to jump to his death on Christmas Eve because he's fed up with the state of the world. When the newspaper realizes the cash cow the John Doe story could be, they find a down-on-his-luck guy to claim to be the letter's author. Across the country, regular people identify with Doe and begin to act with more community-mindedness while cynical politicians scheme to exploit the phenomenon.

The first hour or so is sweet and fun. Cooper is perfectly cast as the humble Doe and Stanwyck is, as always, marvelous. But the story bogs down too much in the ugly side of things -- the latter half drags interminably.

B-

And Breathe Normally (2019)

A single mother on the brink of homelessness finally lands a job as a border agent. Her first success on the job is to spot a fake passport, which results in the detainment of the holder. The detainee, fleeing persecution for her sexuality, applies for asylum. Despite being on opposite sides of the law, the women's lives become entangled and their humanity wins out.

The helplessness of both women is palpable, as is the fact that no one understands their desperation like the other. It's a stark reminder that kindness -- especially toward strangers -- has become too rare so that, when it's encountered, it's often suspect.

Lovely and hopeful despite the heavy subject.

B+

All Together Now (2020)

Amber is a ridiculously upbeat high schooler with seemingly endless wells of empathy and energy. She works part-time at a donut shop, on the weekends at a nursing home, heads up a charity variety show at her school, and also sleeps in the school bus her mother drives because they are homeless. More misfortune comes her way when her backpack with her savings in it gets stolen, her mother dies, and her dog gets sick and needs an $8000 operation. I mean, Amber is basically a modern-day Job in a chipper teen package. 

It's a fairly over-the-top story, but I'm sure I would've loved it when I was 15.

C

Soul (2020)

Joe is a middle-aged part-time band teacher with dreams of performing for a living. On the day he gets his big break, he also has a big fall, which puts his soul on the way to the hereafter. But Joe isn't ready to go yet. When he meets up with a soul who has refused to leave the "Great Before" to become a life on earth, they decide to help each other.

It's a sweet movie with wonderful ideas that never really get "colored in" enough to make the kind of impression that they should. I thought about it for a while after I watched, but not because I was moved -- because I was mentally editing it to be more powerful.

B