This is perhaps the least amount of films I’ve watched in a given weekend since the pandemic started. I must admit that makes me a little sad. Sad because I love movies, but I suppose not as sad because I am starting to (safely) get back to normal a little bit. Either way, the limited choices in films I made this weekend were mediocre at best, but for the most part enjoyable to watch. Sometimes you can’t ask for more then that.
The Woman in the Window – You know, based on the fact that this movie has been delayed a number of times, there were a ton of reshoots, and the wonderful Tracy Letts ultimately disowned it by the end of everything, I went in with really low expectations. Yet somehow this film managed to be even more disappointing! I’m sure lots of films are out there with great casts and an abysmal final product that I just haven’t seen, but it’s hard to ignore the fact that you’ve got so many Oscar winners and nominees in this particular outing that still manages to turn out in shambles. Amy Adams plays Anna Fox, a psychologist who is suffering from agoraphobia after a traumatic incident. Lots of paranoia, hallucinations, and psychopathy take place from there, but I honestly don’t know that I would have had a clue what was going on had I not read the book. Just unwatchable.
Those Who Wish Me Dead – This movie was watched right after The Woman in the Window, so it was bound to be significantly better! And it was. Nothing I loved and would want to watch again, but it was a nice action flick, and Angelina Jolie should be proud that this was her first movie back in front of the camera in quite some time. She plays a smoke jumper who is still recovering from a past trauma in the field by keeping watch for incoming fires in a tower. Not long after being at her post she runs into a kid who is on the run from two assassins. They had just killed his father because he was a forensic accountant privy to some very important environmental information. I wish they would have been less vague about that part, but I get that the point of the movie was the action. There are some other key players in action throughout the film and overall I was impressed with the story that was woven. This could have been very average, but they managed to add some exciting twists.
Clue – My mother tried to convince me to watch this a while back, but all it took was someone on Twitter mentioning that Tim Curry would be a great addition to one of the Knives Out sequels (I wholeheartedly agree!), and that was that! I mean, really what’s not to like? It’s a campy, live action take on the mysterious board game that every living human on earth should have at least played once in their life. What I did learn that I found interesting is that when the film was released, different theaters received the film with one of three different endings – how fun is that?! I think, had I been alive and old enough in 1985, that I would have tried to find all three endings. Anyway, some parts are awkward and some parts are thrilling, but overall this was just a really fun ride. It’s clear why today this is has reached a cult status. Something that did surprise me was seeing Martin Mull in the main cast! As I was watching I thought, “is this Mr. Kraft?” (if you’ve never seen Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, shame on you). It’s free on Prime, so why not!