Comedy
Breakfast at Tiffany’s
BREAKFAST AT TIFFANY’S Breakfast at Tiffany’s is an iconic American movie, it is very chic, stylish, and stars the perfect Audrey Hepburn. Maybe 50 years ago it was, but this movie contains blatant racism (in the full cut version, Mickey Rooney plays a goofy Japanese landlord with an awful accent and grossly stereotypic features and…
The Squid and the Whale
THE SQUID AND THE WHALE The Squid and the Whale is Noah Baumbach’s 2005 Indie movie about the breakdown of a marriage and the effects on the children. Main reason I watched was to prepare for Noah’s newest divorce film – Marriage Story – scheduled for release to theaters in November 2019 and streaming through…
Booksmart
BOOKSMART The tagline for Booksmart states “…. cram four years of fun into one chaotic night.” I guess that’s correct but Booksmart is way more than just a stupid party movie. There is some chaotic “fun” on that last night of high school, but Booksmart is about the friendship of the two leading ladies Amy…
The Farewell
THE FAREWELL I had high expectations for The Farewell, a comedy drama about dying. High expectations sometimes ruin the experience. High expectations lessened my enjoyment of The Farewell. It’s not me – it’s those expectations. Billi (Awkwafina) lives in New York City studying to be a writer. She learns from her parents Jian (Diana Lin)…
Hustlers
HUSTLERS Jennifer Lopez – her first scene in Hustlers – is an amazing scene to behold. J.Lo is the main reason to see this movie. Hustlers is a comedy crime drama movie about strippers; strippers that never strip but make “more money than a brain surgeon.” Dorothy (Constance Wu), aka Destiny, a new dancer, is…
Always Be My Maybe
ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE An adorable rom-com, with two charming people + Keanu Reeves. Does anything more really need to be said? The charming people are the two leading roles – Ali Wong & Randall Park. How charming is Ali Wong? Even almost eight months pregnant in both of her comedy specials (Baby Cobra in…
Welcome to Marwen
WELCOME TO MARWEN Welcome to Marwen is the animated/live action dramatization of the 2010 documentary Marwencol. The documentary Marwencol received mostly positive reviews. Welcome to Marwen is not received as well; in fact it is one of the biggest money losers in 2018. Director: Robert Zemeckis directed Welcome to Marwen and it seemed to be…
Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again
MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN The Anomaly: An anomaly is defined as a departure from the normal order, something that is peculiar, irregular or difficult to explain. Discoveries in science, for instance, are sometimes pushed forward by anomalies since anomalies can give you a fresh perspective on something. An anomaly must be what happened…
Kodachrome
KODACHROME Kodachrome 64, the once ubiquitous 35 mm Kodak film for color slides, is being discontinued in 2009 and the last lab in the world to develop this film is located in Parsons, Kansas. A well-know fictitious photographer Ben Ryder (Ed Harris) finds 4 rolls shot long ago. Ben needs to travel from Boston…
The Little Hours
THE LITTLE HOURS It must have been fun making this 14-Century comedy about a trio of sexually pent-up nuns in what is probably a Tuscany convent. The nuns Alessandra (Alison Brie), Fernanda (Aubrey Plaza), and Ginevira (Kate Micucci) live in the convent. The convent also includes the Mother Superior (Molly Shannon), and the Priest (John…
- 2017
- Comedy
Blockers
BLOCKERS Blockers is a funny and raunchy coming-to-terms-with-teenagers-graduating-high-school comedy (a new genre). The movie has some funny & crazy scenes, good characters, but above all Blockers treats the women (teens & the single mom) on an equal footing with the men in the film. There is no bullying and no sexual pressure from the guys….
- 2018
- Comedy
The Lobster
THE LOBSTER Almost gave up on The Lobster since it is so offbeat, quirky and purposely oddly acted. But this is a piece of art co-written and directed by the typically offbeat Yorgos Lanthimos. Mr. Lanthimos most likely invested years worth of effort into writing, planning and directing this film so the least I can…
- 2015
- Thriller, Comedy, Drama, Romance, Science Fiction
Tag
TAG Someone asks you to write a screenplay about a group of guys who have been playing Tag for 30 years (base upon an article in the newspaper). You say, sure I can do that. You put together a good script and hire a bunch of actors (there are over thirty actors in this movie)….
Toast
TOAST Nigel Slater the food writer is a big thing in Britain. He is “a most highly regarded and best loved food writer and television personality.” He’s a nobody in the US. Most movies are only 90 minutes, so while the wife was out shopping for Thanksgiving (I offered to go) I watched this random…
Hearts Beat Loud
HEARTS BEAT LOUD Hearts Beat Loud is a wonderful, heartwarming movie that quickly soared to the top of my favorite heartwarming Indie movie list. Frank – good name – (Nick Offerman, Parks and Recreations, The Little Hours) and his daughter Sam (Kiersey Clemons, Transparent, Dope), during the last summer before Sam leaves home to attend…
gifted
GIFTED The brother Frank (Chris Evans, Captain America) gets legal custody of his sister’s 1-year old daughter Mary (McKenna Grace) after the sister dies by suicide. All is good for Frank & Mary in Florida until the first grade teacher Bonnie (Jenny Slate) realizes Mary is gifted. The gift of math runs in the family…
The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)
THE MEYEROWITZ STORIES (NEW AND SELECTED) Written and directed by Noah Baumbach (Frances Ha) who, in this case, writes the type of movie I call, “A couple of days in the life of….” In this case, the three children of Harold Meyerowitz (Dustin Hoffman) – a retire Bard College art professor, who is always bitter…
Trick r Treat
TRICK ‘R TREAT Break the Halloween traditions in Warren Valley, Ohio and a little Ghoul will find you and your Trick r’ Treat might be death/mutilation. This town also has a Halloween festival and parade, a pack of Werewolves dressing as hungry, horny hotties (Anna Paquin is the runt of the litter), a trick or…
Frances Ha
FRANCES HA Frances Ha shows the beginnings of Greta Gerwig, future writer and Director of the Oscar-nominated 2017 Lady Bird. This is the second movie she co-wrote with Director – and partner beginning in 2011 – Noah Baumbach. For this movie they wrote “mumblecore,” usually low-budget independent films characterized by naturalistic acting and dialogue and…
About Time
ABOUT TIME About Time is about time travel, where the men in this English family can go backward in their own timeline, even better than Google Maps. Used at first to “get the girl” (you know, relive the moment and not say all those stupid things to the girl you just met) but then continues…
- 2013
- Comedy, Drama, Science Fiction