I don’t believe a single film I watched over this holiday weekend was in any way patriotic, but that did not make them any less enjoyable! Here we go with some high level recaps and my honest two cents.
Cruella – This movie was really a lot better than I anticipated! Now, to be fair, I went in with super low expectations. I come from the time when Glenn Close was Cruella, so in my mind no one else could really top that. I’m not saying Emma Stone did, but she certainly made it her own. While Glenn was Cruella at her peak crazy, this was sort of the early road to how she got there I guess. We see Cruella (real name, Estella) as a child horrifically witness Dalmatians knock her mother over a cliff. So yes, cue tragedy, but that still doesn’t really excuse her future self wanting to make coats out of dogs. They try to spin it again a little later in the movie that it’s just a joke, but I’m not buying what they’re selling there. Either way, it was fun to see Cruella have friendships, achieve her dream of working in the world of fashion, and perhaps it was also a little bit refreshing seeing someone just as evil if not more so than her future self. I would say of all the live actions so far, this would be worth a watch. The only real flaw of the film I would say was the bloated soundtrack. There were too many songs and they were often playing loudly over people talking. Otherwise though, a solid effort
A Quiet Place Part II – I’ll be the first to admit that the first film was good, but I wasn’t fangirling about it as much as audiences and critics. Similar to the first one, this second outing is good, but not something I’ll find myself watching again any time soon. In fact, I’d say they’re lucky to have cast Cillian Murphy or I would have been much more hesitant to see it. Anyway, this movie picks up essentially right after John Krasinski’s character dies in the first film. This means their house is destroyed, so they go back in and grab the essentials before heading out to find a new place to live. They run into an old friend who is set up in a pretty sweet soundproof factory (I think). He reluctantly helps them and then gets sent after Regan to bring her back. But she’s got a plan! After hearing a song with an obvious clue in it, she’s determined to head there to broadcast the static so people can have a fighting chance against the creatures. I think unlike the first film, this one definitely ends on a bit of a cliffhanger, but it’s still satisfying. Thank goodness the script for the third film just got sent in the other day!
The Dry – Well, well, well. This was a really nice surprise! I’ve always been an Eric Bana fan, but once I started watching this mystery thriller crime film, I was immediately taken back to Mare of Easttown. If you’re a fan of that show, then this movie definitely deserves some of your attention! In it, Bana plays Aaron, who is back in small Australian town after a murder suicide caused by one of his old friends. While there, he starts investigating the crime, but we are also treated to flashbacks of another crime that Aaron might have been a part of in his past. Some of the twists and turns this film takes are awesome, and despite the fact that this takes place in Australia, it is still a small town, and we all know how those operate. That’s all I’ll say about this one for fear of spoiling anything. Again, totally worth your time!
Drunk Bus – I remember a year or so ago hearing the name of this film and laughing, so naturally I decided to rent it when I saw it pop up on Google Play’s new release section. It surprisingly hit close to home! I mean, the home in which I live. Anyway, Michael is a handful of years removed from his time at Kent State, but is working as a bus driver on the night shift picking up and dropping off party-goers. We see almost immediately that Michael’s life consists of the same bus route, sleeping, and eating. That is until one day when he gets knocked out by a passenger and is assigned a “bodyguard” with a full face of tattoos and is named Pineapple. At first it seems like these two are just going to put up with each other, but then Pineapple helps Michael see the rut he is stuck in and tries to force him to live again. Of course, given that this film takes place on a bus, there are a wide variety of characters hopping on an off, so that makes for some quality entertainment. I also found myself laughing out loud quite a bit, so that’s a win for this unique film, too! Not for everyone, but it’s a nice little indie gem.
Plan B – Speaking of indie gems, Plan B was great! I know what you’re thinking, and I thought it, too! After Never Rarely Sometimes Always and Unpregnant, did we really need another buddy movie about two teens looking to end a potential pregnancy? Well, in this case I suppose it’s different because no one is pregnant. Yet. That’s the catalyst for this road trip! Good girl Sunny has drunken sex for the first time at a party and is pretty confident the condom didn’t work the way it was supposed to. Cue her best friend Lupe who tries to get Plan B at a local pharmacy for Sunny to no avail. The two then decide to drive to the nearest Planned Parenthood to get the pill. The stops they take along the way pretty hysterical, and they truly have the best friendship I’ve seen displayed onscreen. Aside from Sunny trying to get the pill, Lupe is also trying to be brave and come out of the closet. Unfortunately, she’s scared about how her small town and pastor father will handle the news, so she’s never even really told Sunny yet. Sure, there’s some angst in there, but largely these two friends are there for each other no matter what. If anything, all of these movies have taught me that there aren’t enough Planned Parenthoods around! So yeah, let’s keep the ones that are out there funded!
Riders of Justice – Oh, man. I think I could have liked this Danish action flick a lot better had I gotten my hands on the subtitled version rather than the dubbed one I was forced to watch. Listening to voices not match up to lips is weird, but it’s even weirder hearing a different dudes voice come out of Mads Mikklesen’s mouth! The man speaks English! I’m also willing to bet most of the rest of the cast could, too. Either way, subtitles are superior for foreign films in my opinion. Anyway, the film opens with a tragic train wreck that kills Markus’ wife while he is away in the military. When he comes back he has a hard time connecting with his daughter, who was also present and survived the crash. Not long after, he is approached by a data scientist, Otto, who also survived the crash and is convinced the crash was orchestrated in order to kill a man set to testify against a biker gang called the Riders of Justice. Markus believes Otto, so the two of them, along with a few of Otto’s colleagues set out to seek revenge for Markus’ wife’s death. Despite all the action, the film also manages to get a lot of laughs in with the dialogue, while also addressing traumatic life events and mental health. Again, I would have probably liked this film more with subtitles, but in any case at least it was very unique.
Shoot to Kill – After watching Wrath of Man a couple weeks ago, I really wanted to keep the action film train going, and the internet led me to this rare gem of a film that still holds a 100 percent fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Five dollars and a day later I got my hands on this 1998 film, where there were only a few faces I recognized. Either way, I knew it was something I had to watch with my dad, so Saturday night we hunkered down and gave it a go! At two hours, this film got right into the action from the first scene! FBI agent Warren Stantin teams up with mountain man Jonathan Knox to track down a killer and diamond thief who’s planted himself in the middle of a group tour up the mountain with Knox’s girlfriend. The bad guy’s identity is a mystery for most of the film which was fun to try and figure out, and the action sequences were all pretty believable. Coming from 1998, there were definitely some unintentional funny moments, but there were also deliberate funny moments, which is a nice break from all the action. It might not be worth your time, but I can understand why it’s still held in such high regard.
The Marksman – Oof, this movie was awfully boring. Truthfully, the only reason I rented this film was because I know where part of it was filmed near my hometown and I think that’s really cool! Also, it’s Liam Neeson as the lead, so it was bound to be at least a little decent. It was fine, but rather boring and drawn out. Neeson is a man who lost his wife to cancer several years prior and is the financial toll that disease takes on loved ones’ lives is hitting him in full force. One day while driving he comes across a mother and son who have just crossed the boarder. At first he calls them into boarder patrol, but then when the boy’s mother gets shot and killed by a cartel, he takes the boy and they head for Chicago. Of course, those cartel members are crafty and the odd pair almost get bested several times. Like I said, a bit boring, and there were also some side characters that got hardly any development. I suppose it’s hard to top the brilliance that is Cold Pursuit. Go watch that instead.
Let Him Go – When this film first came out last year, I really had no desire to see it despite it’s big stars with Diane Lane and Kevin Costner. It just seemed really western and that’s just not my style. Well, at some point I was convinced to give it a go, and while it was interesting, ultimately the film was just as slow as The Marksman. The pair play George and Margaret who are determined to get their grandson back from a dangerous and honestly terrifying family that their former daughter-in-law married into. Unfortunately, their son died tragically very early in the film. Getting their grandson back proves no easy feat, and I would have high-tailed it out of there as soon as I met the first member of that family! There were tender and heartbreaking moment along with some truly awesome thrills, but the balance between the two just wasn’t there in the way that I would have hoped. Even the presence of Booboo Stewart as an ally to George and Margaret wasn’t enough to make this movie more interesting. I’m sure there are better westerns, but it that’s your thing, then I’d say give this one a chance.