Somehow I’ve managed to squeeze in more movies than should be possible, especially given that the Emmys are on tonight, but here we are! Some are great and some are just meh, but no regrets with my choices this weekend. Here’s my brief take on all of them.
Retaliation – A construction worker struggles with crippling insecurity as well as the memory of his sexual abuse as a child by a locally trusted and respected priest. Orlando Bloom really sells this tough tale, as you can just see he’s barely holding onto anything stable. He’s got rocky relationships with everyone he knows, and for good reason. Once he’s met with a new source of trauma, the walls around him come tumbling down as he finally tries to confront his past. At times this was difficult to watch, but ultimately heart-breaking. It makes you wonder how many others in real life are going through this exact same experience. I am disappointed in the marketing of this film, whose title was changed from Romans for the US market. Also, the front cover makes it look as though he’s going to violently rip through people in an action film. Having done a little research prior to renting this, at least I knew what it was going to be about, but I’m sure others will walk away either confused or disappointed. Either way, really quite beautiful.
The Broken Hearts Gallery – Oof. This was a lot more mushy in the emotions department than I anticipated. Which is dumb of me. I mean, the name of the film is called The Broken Hearts Gallery! I digress. Lucy is a girl who’s a bit of a hoarder. Specifically of items from people who have broken her heart. I mean, she’s honestly a real klepto. In an effort to return some of those “collected” items, she runs across Nick, who is in the process of building a hotel. The two develop a somewhat forced friendship, and he agrees to let her start a makeshift gallery, where strangers can contribute their own items they associate with heartbreak. Then the rest of the typical romance movie tropes ensue, Lucy and Nick fall for each other, Lucy is betrayed, then they reconcile. It’s all quite sweet, and luckily for Dacre Montgomery and Geraldine Viswanathan they are both really charming, because otherwise this would have been a lot worse. Definitely not worth a second viewing, but fine enough.
God’s Own Country – Another beautiful film that’s certainly not for everyone. I first watched this last year but decided to watch it again as I found it on the free streaming service, Tubi. This tells the story of frustrated young farmer, Johnny, as he drinks his way through life with lots of casual sex throughout. He is soon introduced to a Romanian farmer, Gheorghe, who is there to help with sheep season since his grandad isn’t well. The two are fierce foes at first, but then their relationship turns intimate. Gheorghe changes the trajectory of Johnny’s life, but it just takes him some time (and mistakes) to adjust to this better life. Shot in the vast countryside of Yorkshire, the landscape is gorgeous and the acting is just perfect. A romance and a drama all wrapped up into one lovely package. If you liked Call Me By Your Name, then you will most definitely like this film
The Binge – Obviously I have to bring a weekend full of somewhat serious movies some levity, thus, I landed on Hulu’s comedic take on The Purge, aptly titled, The Binge. This follows three helpless teens as they try to make it to a library party to participate in a series of games during their first annual “Binge.” Insanely stupid, this movie has everything from losing an eyebrow, to darts in the leg, to an elaborate musical number while all three guys are tripping really hard. Don’t get me wrong, this is the kind of stupid I laugh at, but it was still rough, even with the presence of Vince Vaughn and Morgan Freeman’s narration (yes, you read that right). If I could recommend something in a similar vain to watch instead, that would be Netflix’s The Package. Well worth it, I promise.
Gone Girl – What can I say? This moving was amazing then and it’s amazing now. Simply one of the best adaptations of a novel I have ever seen! In what shouldn’t be a spoiler anymore, the front half of the film you think you are watching a marriage fall apart due to the abusive and neglectful actions of a husband. In reality, a wife is getting her cheating husband back in an eternally sick way. She’s devious and evil, and when the reveal hits, it’s understandable that you’d be picking your jaw up off the floor. This was my introduction to Rosamund Pike, and she was so convincing as at first a beaten down woman, who soon transformed into her true self, which was a cold, calculating, and steely-eyed con artist. David Fincher continues to cement his genius director status, and keeping his collaboration with Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross further confirms this. Love this film, and I can honestly say you can watch this and know that it fully satisfies the book.