For some reason (COVID, really), all the good movies are being released within this very short one month window, so I’m trying my hardest to see as many as I can. I’ve been excited about some of these for quite some time, so it was a great week for me if I’m being honest. Check out what made the cut!
The King’s Man – It’s been a long time coming for this Kingsman prequel’s release, but I have patiently been waiting and have been handsomely rewarded for it! This historical ass-kicking film was maybe more than I realized I even wanted from this franchise! Look, the cast for the original two films (and the next installment?!) was pretty great, but this film gave me Ralph Finnes, Gemma Arterton, Harris Dickinson, Mathew Goode, three versions of Tom Hollander, and so many other stars that I got so giddy when someone else popped up on screen! And aside from the action, I was cackling at a lot of other scenes. Rhys Ifans as Rasputin was absolutely priceless. There’s a poisoning and dance sequence that I don’t think I’ll soon forget. I’ve seen that this film isn’t being as well reviewed as its predecessors, but I promise it’s pretty great.
Spider-Man: No Way Home – I went into this fully expecting to see all of the Spider-Man franchise’s former villains, but I was even more thrilled when Toby McGuire and Andrew Garfield showed up and stayed to help close out the film! That meme where the three Spider-Men are pointing at each other actually became a reality in the most delightful way. The three had amazing chemistry and the jokes were top notch meta goodness. As far as the rest of the story goes, all the former villains show up because the world learning who Peter Parker is kind of ruined his and his friends’ lives. Technology isn’t all good! An attempt to make people forget Parker is what let the multiverse sort of combine for a time. Instead of defeating the other Spider-Men’s foes, he tries to help them get better before sending them back. In the end though, Peter let’s Doctor Strange make everyone forget him, so he essentially gets to start over. I have no clue what that means for the future of the character, nor do I know what the little piece of Venom left behind means.
Being the Ricardos – I really wanted to like this biopic by Aaron Sorkin. I’ve enjoyed a lot of his other films, and similar to those, this one was also based on a couple of real people: Lucile Ball and Desi Arnaz. It specifically shed light on what happened during the week leading up to the show after it was announced that Lucile Ball was a communist. We also saw flashes of the past and present relationship her and Desi shared, but it was really focusing on the process of the show itself. First things first, these people are all mean and miserable. Seriously. Who knew comedians could be so vicious? As much as I wanted to like the casting, there were really only two moments where Nicole Kidman passed for Ball, but otherwise it just looked like Kidman in a red wig. If you want some more light hearted and enjoyable Ball tribute performances, check out Will & Grace‘s take.
Benedetta – I have a weakness for films about nuns, as I said last when I watched Black Narcissus. And let me tell you what I’ve learned. Nuns are just human women who devote a crazy amount of their lives to Jesus, but they still get jealous and vindictive, and apparently, they still really want to have sex. This movie made me laugh more than I thought only because certain scenes were straight up ridiculous, but it was mysterious in its own way. Was Benedetta truly a vessel of Jesus or was she just bullshitting everyone? I was even more shocked to learn this was based off actual events! Certainly not for everyone, but it was bonkers in a very entertaining way.
Red Rocket – I haven’t personally seen Simon Rex in anything since the short-lived series, What I Like About You, but when this film made its debut at Cannes and he got so much praise for it, I knew I absolutely had to check it out. Rex plays a grown ass man who still goes by the name Mikey, and we meet him as he walks from the bus stop to his wife’s mother’s run down house in Texas City. He might still technically be married, but he hasn’t been to Texas in 17 years, as he was too busy being a porn star in California. Now he’s a washed-up porn star, but he thinks if he can find the next hot girl to get him back in the game. Overall, Mikey is a user and he does whatever he has to without giving too much effort back. This film in a lot of ways reminded me of Uncut Gems – I was anxious for a lot of what was going on in Mikey’s life, and then it kind of really didn’t work out for him in the end.
Licorice Pizza – It’s the 70s and 15-year old Gary Valentine is an actor and a salesman at heart. He also falls immediately in love with Alana, an aimless 25-year old who might also find Gary extremely charming. The films follows their relationship’s ups and downs, the waterbed business they start together, and a bunch of other chaotic mayhem that could only happen in the Valley in the 70s. Seriously, the amount of places these people go alone and at all hours had me a little anxious. The soundtrack was expectedly awesome, and Bradley Cooper had a hilarious ten minutes of screen time which should really be the main reason you go check this film out. Other than the feel good spectacle this film was, I love that Alana Haim’s real family played her movie family, too.
Don’t Look Up – What a strange little film this turned out to be. In true Adam McKay fashion though, he is taking a political stab, and it’s clear which way he leans. In this film, PhD candidate Kate Dibiasky discovers a comet that is headed straight to Earth. Along with her professor, Dr. Randall Mindy, and the head of Planetary Defense, Dr. Oglethorpe, the trio try to warn the President that this comet is a “planet destroyer.” To this statement and all the data backing it up, she chooses to do nothing, then something, then something totally different and dangerous to make a profit along with some technology company that’s probably a little bit like Apple. Randall gets caught up in all the media, and Kate eventually just gives up, but they do try one last time to get the president to change her mind to no avail. Really, this movie was fairly depressing despite its many jokes, and it really reminds me of another disturbing movie I watched recently, Silent Night. They’re different, but strangely similar.
National Treasure – I mean, come on. This Disney heist film holds up. Sure, they use big camcorders and flip phones, but it’s still obscenely fun to watch a treasure map obsessed man team up with a tech geek and a historian to try and steal the Declaration of Independence before some bad guys can do it. Nicolas Cage is just as unhinged here as anything else I’ve seen him in recently, and Justin Bartha’s dry, sarcastic humor is just the best. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve seen this film, but I’d watch it again tomorrow.