Heads of State (2025)

British Prime Minister Sam Clarke (Idris Elba) thinks that American President Will Derringer (John Cena) is a joke of a leader, but agrees to take a ride on Air Force One for the PR. Someone's got it in for the pair,  however, so Clarke and Derringer have to rely on each other to survive the constant attempts to take them out.

It's a big ol' dumb spectacle that's fun enough to guarantee that I'll watch a sequel, should there be one, but I also guarantee I'll like it a lot less than this one.

C

Vanilla Sky (2001)

Second viewing, first time was in a theater during its original release. What I retained from the first time I saw it was a general air of confusion without any of the bits that made it make sense. This time, in my living room, with the ability to pause and think about the experience, was a much more satisfying experience. Though my mind was repeating "what the HELL is going on," I was sure I wasn't missing anything, which gave me confidence it would all come together.

It's truly well-done. I was riveted by David's journey, even though I knew I was being gaslit right along with him. The biggest issue was that I didn't like any of the three primary players. David is a rich guy who acts like an entitled brat at work and with his friends -- I mean Sofia was his best friend's date and he didn't think twice about whisking her away from him. Sofia is just a typical manic pixie dream girl: beautiful and silly, hungry for all the attention. And Julie was a dangerous brand of crazy, but I honestly found her to be the most sympathetic.

Random thoughts:

• Jason Lee was Ryan Reynolds before Ryan was Ryan Reynolds
• Tom Cruise was shown as 5'11'' in his mug shot, so it should've been obvious right then that he isn't in touch with reality
• One of the best motion picture soundtracks of all time

B

Hard Truths (2024)

We are introduced to Pansy on what seems to be a very bad day for her. She's angry: stomping around, furiously cleaning, snapping at her adult son. Her husband gets a dose of that anger when he comes home and, though he seems to take it in stride, there's some sadness there too. Soon enough, we find out that Pansy wasn't having a bad day. Rage is her default and it spills out onto everyone she encounters: retail workers, fellow drivers looking for a parking spot, her sister... literally everyone. In contrast, her sister tends to look at the bright side of things: she's got an easy relationship with her grown daughters and gives an interested ear to her clients in the salon. 

But Pansy's poison has infected her home in an incurable way. Her husband is beaten-down. Her son hasn't developed any social graces. While I felt kind of sorry for Pansy -- after all, she herself is also a prisoner of her anger -- my pity was mostly reserved for her family and the joy that has been sacrificed to her tyranny. That her sister almost succumbs to the sadness and guilt Pansy tries to shove onto her felt true. When you constantly hear that you're at fault or a disappointment, that kind of seeps into your bones, even if you're fairly certain it's not true.

I can't imagine a circumstance in which I'd ever recommend this, but it had an undeniable power.

B-

Live Twice, Love Once (2019)

A widowed, retired professor is diagnosed with Alzheimers and decides to track down a teenage crush. His granddaughter stows away with him and soon her parents have joined the trip as well.

Though the story sneaked into "feelings engaged" territory a couple of times, it always felt cheap somehow. Like this fixation on a ghost from his youth is somehow cute or romantic, when it felt to me that it simply reduced his actual life to second-best. I just could not get on-board.

C

Paddington in Peru (2025)

Paddington's off to Peru with the entire Brown family (and Mrs. Bird) in tow when he's told that Aunt Lucy is really missing him. Once they get there, however, Lucy has disappeared so they're off to find her with only a bracelet and a cryptic map to help them.

Of course I was going to watch this. The first movie was charming and the second only improved upon the first. But, while this one sure does try to keep up, it just putters out despite the "bigger better" of the location and mystery. Ah well. No need to be greedy: two wonderful films are plenty for this franchise.

C+