Loving Adults (2022)

A wife who has put her own professional life aside to care for her sick son discovers that her husband is cheating on her. When he decides to take drastic measures, he finds out that he's in way over his head.

This really surprised me. It didn't go where I expected, but where it did go made perfect sense. That said, I have a couple of complaints: there were a few strings that I'd wished had been tied up and I'm not sure what purpose the framing device served. I mean, was it just a story to frighten? Or was it true (within the parameters of the movie)?

B

Joan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (2017)

Sprawling look at Joan Didion's life, from her early years to her widowhood. It's undeniably fascinating, but that may be due more to the time, place, and people of note who hung about than to Didion herself. 

B-

The People We Hate at the Wedding (2022)

American brother and sister decide to attend their estranged half-sister's wedding in England. She's got plenty of money while they have plenty of messy drama. It's really not as funny as it sounds. The very best thing about this movie is the presence of the lovely Dustin Milligan in a too-small role. The second-best thing is that Ben Platt did not annoy me even though, based on Dear Evan Hansen, I was sure he would. 

It's not terrible, but it's also not fresh in any way.

C+

See How They Run (2022)

"Seen it all before" detective is paired with an eager rookie to investigate a murder. The killing took place at a theater party celebrating the 100th performance of an Agatha Christie whodunit, which is appropriate since the investigation takes on that familiar whodunit vibe. 

Though the cast is game, the film is decidedly flat. Basically, once the "most unlikeable character" is offed (which is quite early on), the energy dissipates. I think I would've gotten more enjoyment from reading the script than I did from watching this interpretation of it.

C

Cocaine Bear (2023)

The premise is fantastic. Obviously.

But there are too many scenes that go on longer than necessary and the children's line deliveries felt forced. I did chuckle a bit and there were some hilariously gory deaths, but not nearly enough of either.

I like Elizabeth Banks, but I'm starting to think she's not director material.

C-

Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

P.L. Travers, author of the Mary Poppins books, is refusing to sell the film rights to Walt Disney, despite the fact that she's in need of money. Disney is hell-bent on acquiring the rights due to a promise he made to his daughters and has been pursuing Travers for more than a decade. She is finally persuaded to travel to California for a couple of weeks to see if they can reach an agreement.

Emma Thompson is very good as the prickly and imperious author, but the  success of this movie is due almost entirely to the flashbacks of her formative years. Colin Farrell is charming as a doting father, but devastating as a drunk who puts his family in constant peril of poverty. Those glimpses completely inform the author's desperation to literally control the narrative.

That said, the limp characterizations of the Sherman Brothers and the whole-cloth creation of her limo driver felt unnecessary. Overall, however, quite fascinating -- stick around for a few audio excerpts of the recordings that Travers insisted on during the planning sessions.

B

Troll (2022)

An archaeologist is called in to help when blasting to tunnel through a mountain causes inexplicable damage. As more havoc occurs, it becomes apparent to her that she is going to need to reach out to her long-estranged father for his help.

The effects are well-done, but everything else felt paint-by-numbers. We have a crazy man who might not be crazy after all, a long-held secret by a powerful man, military personnel who want to nuke first, romantic vibes when there's no time for that shit, etc. Diverting, but only about a half-inch thick.

C

I'm Totally Fine (2022)

Vanessa is supposed to be celebrating the grocery store launch of her product with a party and weekend away. But, due to the sudden death of her partner/best friend, she's in mourning and has taken the trip alone. She's offered some closure when an alien -- using the form of her former partner -- shows up to gather information about humans.

It's weird, but in a very gentle way. It's also often funny, but never quite laugh-out-loud. In short: I liked it but never really loved it.

B-

The Wonder (2022)

In the 1860s, an English nurse is sent to help watch a girl who remains mysteriously well despite having not eaten in four months or so. Local leaders, including the priest and doctor, want her watched 'round the clock to see if this is a supernatural occurrence or if she's getting nourishment in some way. Nurse Wright takes her job seriously, determined to discover how this deception is taking place -- even though it's clear that the family and the authorities are invested in what appears to be miraculous.

The mood is oppressive and the acting is superb. I was affected by the story and was left completely satisfied. That said, I do not understand why the fourth wall was deliberately broken with bookended wide shots of the soundstage on which the action was being filmed. It didn't hurt things, but I just didn't think it elevated them either.

B+

Straight Up (2020)

Both Todd and Rory are having a hard time . Todd's got an aversion to bodily fluids, making his sexuality almost beside the point, and wannabe actor Rory just lost her day job and isn't making much of an impression in her hoped-for profession. When they meet, there's an obvious, immediate connection and they each seem to finally "fit" with the other in a way they've never before experienced. Is a mental match enough?

Although I almost switched this off mere minutes into it, I'm very glad I stuck around. This "romance" had me going back and forth: is it better to focus on the platonic portions of a relationship? Can sex really be ignored in a healthy coupling? I think the answer is a little blurry and the film's ambiguous ending seems to agree.

B+

Rewind (2020)

Sasha and his little sister Bekah suffered sexual abuse by a cousin and two uncles. Though nothing can erase that pain or reverse its repercussions, the fact that Sasha is unusually intelligent meant that these men were held accountable. This child was able to stand up to them and convince those listening that his memory was not a creation.

Another stunning fact about this documentary is the sheer volume of home movies that make it possible for us to actually see Sasha and the family when he was young. We not only hear about his unnaturally advanced his vocabulary and reasoning abilities, but we see it for ourselves. We also witness his frightening acting out as his response to the trauma he was experiencing.

It seems that Sasha has done what he can to force something good out of the hell he endured. He's an impressive man whom I hope has found peace. That said, I think someone else probably should've directed this to tighten it up a bit, e.g. we didn't need Sasha's dad's own trauma grabbing the spotlight for as long as it did. 

B-

Condemned! (1930)

A thief is sentenced to prison on Devil's Island, which is considered inescapable. Because he's clean, the warden gives him a job as a houseboy. Since the warden's wife is pretty and lonely, she and the thief become close, spurring a lot of town gossip.

It's not bad. It's not great. It's fine.

C+

God Forbid (2022)

First, a few disclosures: I am a Christian. But unlike most who identify as Christian in the states, I believe that abortion is a woman's prerogative, homosexuality is emphatically not a choice, and that someone else's gender is not up to me. Basically, I believe that bodies are a wonder and any way we use our own bodies -- especially for pleasure -- is amazing, as long as everyone involved is on board. 

In light of all that, my problem with the Falwells is not this three-person "affair." My problem is that they're hypocrites who foisted devastating constrictions on others while grabbing their own desires with both fists. I thought this documentary did a great job of blaming the Falwells (and those who exploit the beliefs of others) rather than faith. And it was delicious to watch.

B

Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020)

Aida is working as a translator when the Bosnian war forces the evacuation of the "safe haven" city of Srebenica, where she, her husband, and her two children live. Aida has some pull and works frantically to get her family inside a UN facility, even though it's over capacity and thousands of desperate and frightened people are stuck outside. But it's soon clear that "inside" isn't enough and that Aida will have to repeatedly craft new ways to keep her husband and two adult sons safe.

It's incredible that I knew nothing about this true-life atrocity (though this is a fictional account). We see humanity at is worst, personified not only by the callous invaders, but by the UN personnel who were unwilling to stand up to the oppressors. It's very hard to watch: devastating, brutal and exhausting.

B