Most of the movies we’ve seen in theaters these past few months fall into the category of just okay.  Either these films had nothing that makes them amazing or the amazing was outweighed by the contrived or ho-hum of the rest.  And the nominees are…

The Favourite (2018)  She Said: After the build-up, I was expecting more from this picture. Some of the bits did not match with the style of the whole. I’m also not a fan of gratuitous sex scenes and there were multiple ones in this film. There were some that were part of the plot, but others that were just there to be there as background which I found unnecessary and distracting.  Also the film wasn’t as sharp as I was expecting.  It could also have been edited to match the pace of what is in the trailers. Olivia Coleman was fantastic in the role of the queen, going between comedy and drama seamlessly.  Rachel Weisz and Emma Stone were good too, but this was Coleman’s picture and she deserved the awards received.  I agree that it shouldn’t have won any other awards though too.  She Said Rating: 5.5 (on a scale of 1 to 10) He Said: Well cast, beautifully shot, well acted but poorly edited (boring at times) and too long. He Said Rating: 6 (on a scale of 1 to 10) 

Aquaman (2018) She Said: For a super hero film, it was a fun ride, but nothing special. She Said Rating: 6 (on a scale of 1 to 10) He Said: This was more of the same overplayed superhero stuff. There were some comical elements that made it more enjoyable. He Said Rating: 6 (on a scale of 1 to 10)

On the Basis of Sex (2018) It was a thought provoking bio pic, but it didn’t blow me away. Felicity Jones was alright and Armie Hammer is never hard to look at for a couple of hours. Wish it had a little more edge or bit to it. It is a respectable film that is not a waste but unremarkable at the same time. She Said Rating: 6 (on a scale of 1 to 10) He Said Rating: Did not go to this one.

Glass (2019) She Said: I enjoyed this entry into this unexpected trilogy.  A bit slow at some parts, but I loved the twists and turns even if the last one seemed one a bit too far.  James McAvoy is amazing and gives his character so much depth. Samuel L. Jackson as the sinister mastermind of the title is good, and Bruce Willis as the “unbreakable” hero is fine.  A little more editing, adding in something that could allude to the ending, and better pacing could have made this a better film.  She Said Rating: 7 (on a scale of 1 to 10) He Said: I found this film slow and tedious. If not for the phenomenal performance by James McAvoy I would have hated it. With him, I give it a 6. Remove him from the equation and it drops to a 4. Betsy enjoyed this much more than I did though. He Said Rating: 6 with McAvoy/ 4 without McAvoy (on a scale of 1 to 10)

What Men Want (2019) She Said: I thought the movie was entertaining, but it didn’t blow me away.  Had more depth than I expected.  If you are looking for something that will make you smile but not have to think too hard, this could work for you.  She Said Rating: 6 (on a scale of 1 to 10) He Said: I enjoyed this more than the Mel Gibson original. Some decent laugh out loud moments. He Said Rating: 7 (on a scale of 1 to 10)

Captain Marvel (2019) She Said: After so much investment in the Marvel Avenger films, it almost seems like you have to see each one to connect to the next upcoming film.  This was a good entry into the series, but it now seems more of the same with a female lead instead of a male.  It is interesting to me that while overall the DC movies are not as good as the Marvel ones, the DC Wonder Woman was a superior female superhero film to Marvel’s Captain America. It is good to know where Captain America came from but I don’t see a reason to rewatch this one. She Said Rating: 6 (on a scale of 1 to 10)

 

For every good movie we saw these past few months, there was one that left us cold.  Films filled with a lot of promise that on delivery lacked coherence, pace, or the elements just didn’t come together.  These films would only be advised to watch if you go into them with your expectations low or you need something to fall asleep to.

Mary Queen of Scots (2018) – I wanted to love this film, but the pacing left me cold, as regally cold as Saoirse Ronan’s performance as Mary.  The costumes were beautiful, the makeup for Margot Robbie going to the beautiful to diseased Elizabeth was fantastic, and the performances from the majority were okay, but it never captured the passion and verve I was expecting. While it followed the facts of history relatively well (but not entirely), it felt too modern in attitude. The parallels between then and now were drawn with the gentleness of a sledgehammer.  She Said Rating: 5 (on a scale of 1 to 10)

Vice (2018) – She Said: I went into this one not expecting much but good performances from the actors involved.  While I found the story more interesting than I expected, the performances were not all they were cracked up to be.  It seemed the award nominations were more of the material & what the characters represented than the actual performances.  Christian Bale’s physical transformation to Dick Cheney is amazing, and the vocal patterns are really good. To bad the by reproducing these vocal patterns at the speed of molasses slows down the whole film.  And when I film is already long, don’t add in a fake credits rolling segment. This just makes the viewer even more aware of how long the film is.  Really en.joyed this writers film The Big Short, but the style did not translate well to this slow, plodding, political film. She Said Rating: 5 (on a scale of 1 to 10). He Said: Terrible movie. Long winded. Poorly edited. Over blown and over indulgent. He Said Rating: 4 (on a scale of 1 to 10)

Cold Pursuit (2019) – She Said: After watching this film, I can only assume Liam Neeson made the statements he did in order to turn people away from this film so they wouldn’t see it.  This revenge tale looked interesting, but it meanders and surpasses even the suspension of disbelief.  While the film and cinematography make it seem like a serious film, the body count tallies throughout the film and comedic interjections are jarring.  She Said Rating: 4 (on a scale of 1 to 10)  He Said: Slow paced, poorly developed characters, you could have watched the whole thing in the preview. Don’t waste your time.  He Said Rating: 4 (on a scale of 1 to 10)

Okay, that covers the truly bad, but the largest category of all is still to come. The mediocre…the just okay. Surprising entries in that category.

Okay, I haven’t posted at all over the past couple of months because work was busy and I had a hectic schedule outside of work too.  BUT that doesn’t mean I haven’t been watching movies in the theater.  I have some catching up to do. So to get this done the most efficient way possible, I have decided to break the films down into the good, the bad, and the just okay. Let’s start with good.

Mary Poppins Returns (2018)  – This follow-up to the 1960s Disney classic was a delight for the eyes and the heart.  I enjoyed it a lot.  The songs were story appropriate and it catches up with the children from the first movie as adults and needing some additional help with the their own children/niece & nephews.  Emily Blunt was a wonderful Mary Poppins and the rest of the cast was fun too including Colin First in a rare villain role. The most anticipated is the return of Dick Van Dyke, and his cameo does not disappoint although it is very brief.  She Said Rating: 7 (on a scale of 1 to 10).  He Said Rating: Skipped this one.

Escape Room (2019) – I like real escape rooms so this movie intrigued me.  What if the escape room was a real life or death situation?  The twists and turns in this adventure keep you on your toes. While I don’t like endings that are opened ending, that didn’t detract from the fun ride that was Escape Room.  Don’t want to give too much away as the twists are half the fun of this film.  I will say though, I know this film isn’t for every one. If you are not a fan of suspense with a touch of horror film to it, this would not be a film for you. She Said Rating: 7 (on a scale of 1 to 10) He Said: We both liked it. Kind of a combo of Saw and The Game but very smartly done. He Said Rating: 7 (on a scale of 1 to 10)

Stan & Ollie (2018) – This is probably the best film we saw this season. The performances of Steve Coogan as Stan Laurel and John C. Reilly as Oliver “Babe” Hardy were wonderful and spot-on.  The story follows Laurel & Hardy as the embark on a stage tour in England.  While the stage chemistry is still there between these fading stars, old hurts come back to haunt them.  The ladies playing their wives were equally impressive and their chemistry rivaled Coogan & Reilly’s.  Lovely film suitable for most viewers.  She Said Rating: 8.5 (on a scale of 1 to 10)  He Said: The best movie I’ve seen in months. Coogan and Riley’s transformation into Laurel and Hardy is nearly flawless. Touching story that moved well. A whole separate movie could have been made about their 2 wives on their own. He Said Rating: 8 (on a scale of 1 to 10)

Now that the good have been updated, up next are the bad films from the past few months.

December and January have been very busy months.  I have been to some films, but in the hectic schedule of this time, I have been unable to write down all the thoughts. Reviews to come soon for:

Marry Poppins Returns

The Favourite

Escape Room

Mary Queen of Scots

Vice

Aquaman

On the Basis of Sex

Glass

Variety of films, but not all are equal.  More to discuss soon.

Photo by Andrey Grushnikov on Pexels.com

FILM: Green Book (2018)

STARS: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini

WHERE: Marcus Ronnie’s 20 Cinema (St. Louis, MO)

PREMISE: In 1962, a New York City Italian tough guy is hired to drive and manage an accomplished black pianist’s tour to the deep south.  Along the way, understanding and friendship form between the two.

HE SAID: Good film. A little slow at times but well done. SCORE: 7 (On a scale of 1 to 10)

SHE SAID: Really enjoyed it. The leads were very good. Viggo Mortensen transforms himself for this film.  It is a very different role from others I have seen him in.  Mahershala Ali is elegant and eloquent throughout.  I love that the film stresses getting to know a person and not just label them with what you think based on their appearance or accent. It was a bit slow in parts but well worth the ride. SCORE: 7 (On a scale of 1 to 10)

FILM: The Girl in the Spider’s Web (2018)

STARS: Claire Foy

WHERE: AMC Esquire 7 (St. Louis, MO)

PREMISE: Lizbeth Salander once again finds herself embroiled in an international conspiracy after being hired to steal back a computer program for the creator.  This program gives the possessor access to … well stuff no one person should have access to. As she does her job, she finds that her connection to this case goes far beyond expectations.

HE SAID: Loved the first film, but I didn’t like this one at all.  They tried to make her a superhero instead of the antihero she was in the first film. Also, the story was out there as far as believing this could take place. Can’t recommend it. SCORE: 4 (On a scale of 1 to 10)…Side note: would give it just a 2 compared to the first film.

SHE SAID: It was just okay.  I liked some of the cat and mouse elements, but it did seem too contrived.  With the change in casting, the ages of the characters also seemed to change.  Lizabeth and Mikael are now about the same age instead of her being much younger and him being the seasoned journalist.  Seemed an odd change and changed the dynamic between them. If you want an implausible but interesting espionage thriller, you may enjoy it, but don’t expect anything as layered and character driven as the first film. SCORE: 5 (On a scale of 1 to 10)

FILM: Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald (2018)

STARS: Eddie Redmayne, Johnny Depp, Jude Law, Ezra Miller, Katherine Waterston

WHERE: Marcus Des Peres 14

PREMISE: Continuing saga of Newt Scamander as he tries to reconnect with his friends from America but discovers that Grindelwald is still alive but has escaped imprisonment. The Ministry of Magic want Newt to find Grindelwald and stop him from luring Credence Barebone to his side.

HE SAID: Not interested.  Enjoy.

SHE SAID: Visually a stunning film with endearing characters, but the story is meandering and inconclusive.  I don’t like it when films really can’t stand on their own, but only seem like a precursor to something else.  This seems to be the Empire Strikes Back of the wizarding world but with even less of a full story than Empire.  It seems like they could have streamlined this film and had what was at the end in the middle and had a more definitive ending to the film even if it still leaves some things unresolved for later films.  SCORE: 6 (On a scale of 1 to 10)

FILM: Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

STARS: Rami Malik, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joe Mazzello, Allen Leech, Lucy Boynton

WHERE: AMC Esquire Theater (St. Louis, MO)

PREMISE: A biopic about Freddie Mercury from just before the band Queen formed through the Live AID concert.

HE SAID: Good movie. Enjoyable. SCORE: 7 (on a scale of 1 to 10)

SHE SAID: Didn’t have a lot of expectations going in, and I ended up loving it.  Some research after seeing the film says some events are out of order to help the dramatic arch of the film in order to get these major life points into the time period the film was covering, but for the most part they did happen if for different reasons in some cases then were presented in the film.  Rami Malik was wonderful as Freddie.  He was obviously dedicating to recreating Mercury’s mannerism and stage personas as accurately as possible. Gwilym Lee is great as Brian May and Tom Hollander as Jim Beach is good if underutilized. Otherwise the performances were alright but unexceptional.  I know there have been some who didn’t agree with some of the portrayal because it doesn’t fit with how they see Mercury.  From what I can tell, the portrayal fits into how Mercury wanted to be seen.  He was who he was period. He wanted to avoid being labeled as anything or used for anyone else’s agenda. SCORE: 7.5 (on a scale of 1 to 10.)

 

 

FILM: Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)

STARS: Melissa McCarthy, Richard E. Grant

WHERE: Landmark Plaza Frontenac

PREMISE: A biopic about author Lee Israel who after her writing career is sidelined starts selling forged letters of famous people to make ends meet.

HE SAID: Too busy right now.  Enjoy on your own. I’ll have to catch it when released for home viewing.

SHE SAID: Really good movie.  It was great to Melissa McCarthy in a serious role as the author.  While her character is sarcastically witty, it is not the funny woman role we are used to seeing her in.  Richard E. Grant is wonderful as her friend and partner in crime. These two as leads are well matched. What comes across is portrayals that are engaging and revealing without asking for you to like or forgive them for what they did. SCORE: 8 (On a scale of 1 to 10)

FILM: Searching (2018)

STARS: John Cho, Debra Messing

WHERE: Keller Plaza 8 (St. Louis, MO). FYI: Prices just went to $4 for evenings and $3 for matinees!!

PREMISE: Story told through use technology interactions (emails, facetime, online news, video blogs, etc.). A recent widower’s teenage daughter disappears, and he discovers he is not as close to his daughter as he thought as he tries to discover where she might have gone before it is too late.

HE SAID: I liked it.  Engaging story, told well.  Good twists. SCORE: 7 (On a scale of 1 to 10)

SHE SAID: I really liked it too. Well cast, with good performances by all.  Suspenseful but with heart.  Much better use of the technology/social media perspective than the film Unfriended (2014).  That film felt limited by the isolating it to the social media platform.  This film didn’t, and it made you more aware of the footprints we leave on technology everyday.  SCORE: 7.5 (On a scale of 1 to 10)