I let you all down last week! Although, I promise you, I did in fact watch movies. Just not as many as I have been cranking out recently. With that in mind, I’ve got last week’s films below, as well as the ones that made the cut this week. Because voting for the Independent Spirit Awards will start in just a couple weeks, I’ve been sent screeners for a lot of the nominees, and while I’ve seen most of them, there are still a small handful I’ve been wanting to watch. Now’s my chance!
French Exit – This drama/comedy was at the top of my list! A strange little film following a now broke mother and son who decide to move to Paris. Along for the ride is Frances’ cat, aka her dead husband, Frank. The pair meet a slew of equally strange people on their way to Paris and also once they get there. By the time the end of the film comes to be, there is a nice gaggle of personalities at the apartment. What I loved most about this film was that it took a woman’s deep depression and filled it with moments of levity and oddity that maybe didn’t quite work in showing her that she was wanted, but it put a smile on my face. Perhaps the best part of the film was nosy neighbor, Madame Reynard. She had me cackling a few times throughout. If you’re a fan of the oddball film, definitely check this one out.
Miss Juneteenth – This drama was as concise and pristine as every review said it would be. Turquoise is a hard-working single mother in Fort Worth, Texas, who is trying to get her teen daughter, Kai, to enter the same pageant she won back when she was the same age. Even though Turquoise can tell her daughter is uninterested in the pageant, it is the only way she knows her daughter will have a bright future, as the winner gets a scholarship to a school of their choosing. Turquoise is trying to subtly help push Kai in the right direction so she won’t make the same choices she did. Also throughout the film Turquoise wants to get back together with Kai’s father, but knows he will ultimately let her down. It’s a beautiful thing seeing Turquoise come into her own by the end of the film.
Silk Road – Well truthfully, the dark web is something I knew nothing about, yet it seemed to have a similar start to life like Facebook. Now, obviously there are differences, but the similarities to me were striking. Anyway, Silk Road was a dark web site that sold drugs to anyone if they could find it. Ross Ulbricht coupled Tor with Bitcoin and became unbelievably successful with his new business. However, he was doing something highly illegal, so it came as no surprise that the FBI was onto him. What was more surprising was that an old school DEA agent was on his tail first. There was definitely a blurring of lines, but it made for some supremely interesting developments! While the story was neat, the way this story was filmed was a little odd and choppy, but not totally worth writing off.
The 40 Year Old Version – Another Independent Spirit Award nominee, I decided to give this comedy a go. Look, I guess this was a comedy, but a very subdued one at that. Mostly, this movie just made me smile as Radha spends 120 minutes really coming into her own. She learns, although a little too late, not to compromise her vision or her voice, and she gains a burgeoning rap career (plus a boyfriend to go with it!). Throughout the film Radha doubts herself and she doesn’t want to struggle as an artist like her mother did. As much as this movie is about finding your voice, it was also about how one woman processes grief. Very touching at times and I definitely wanted Radha to succeed!
All My Life – Surprisingly, I only shed one single tear while watching this romantic drama. Not that it wasn’t devastating. But, it was also happy, too. When Jen and Sol first met it seems like they knew instantly that they would be together forever. Well, the title of the film is All My Life, and that’s what the two got in place of forever. Not long after the couple got engaged, Sol found out he had liver cancer, but was able to get it removed. Thinking they were in the clear, they went on with their lives and planning for their wedding. Then Sol got the devastating news that his cancer had spread and that he had a maximum of six months to live. With the help of family and friends, they managed to get a dream wedding put together in a matter of weeks. Trust me, I’m not spoiling anything because Jen and Sol were a real couple! Beautiful and sad. There’s your warning.
Chaos Walking – I had some serious doubts going into this film because the reviews I’ve seen have been horrendous for this dystopian science fiction film. To be fair, this movie sounds like it had troubles from the start and went through some extensive reshoots before finally seeing the light of day. I am so interested in knowing what that first iteration was like. Regardless, in this one, Prentiss Town is full of men who also have “the noise,” which is all of their thoughts on display through some colorful wispy clouds above their heads. One day a girl lands in town, and Todd Hewitt finds her, amazed. From that moment on, the Mayor makes it his mission to find and destroy the girl. Upon reflection, not a whole lot happened in this film and I was left with good handful of questions that I imagine will never be answered in a sequel. Looks like I’ll have to read the series instead!
Martha Marcy May Marlene – It’s been about a decade since I first saw Elizabeth Olsen grace the screen in this slow-burn drama/thriller. Surprisingly, my sister wanted to watch it! From what I remembered, this movie just didn’t seem like something that would tickle her fancy, but I was proven wrong. Martha is a woman who has just escaped from a cult in upstate New York. She goes to live with her sister and her husband, and pretty soon starts displaying some very odd behaviors. It’s clear Martha has been mentally impacted by her time at the cult, and by the film’s end you’re not sure if the cult member she sees is real or just in her head. I’m glad I gave this movie a re-watch!
Moxie – First things first, this movie was way better than I expected it to be! Yes, Amy Pohler wrote and directed it, but it was definitely a high school film, so you just never know with that. Turns out, it was giving off some Promising Young Woman vibes, and very #MeToo movement heavy. Vivian is a shy, by-the-book teen who is soon enthralled by new student, Lucy. She is brave and brash and doesn’t buy into the school’s number one jock-jerk, Mitchell Wilson. Inspired by Lucy and her mom’s rebellious high school stories, Vivian sets out and creates a girl-power zine for her school Moxie. It’s a hit and soon has a small but mighty following. Naturally there is some angst in this film, because it’s about teenagers, but it primarily tackles a lot of issues that are sadly still going on today. I highly recommend giving this a watch!
News of the World – Look, I begrudgingly watch this film and while it wasn’t bad, it was just sort of meh for me. A lot of that had to do with two major factors: it was a Western, and it was starring Tom Hanks. Again, I have no valid reason for disliking Tom Hanks, but I do, and that will always impact my opinion on his films. He plays Captain Kid, who gets roped into crossing many miles with a young girl who has spent most of her life living with an Indian tribe. The two have difficulty communicating, but as they encounter roadblocks and scuffles, the two form are able to work together quite well. In the end, somewhat obviously, Kid takes the girl in as his own daughter.