Hey-o! Just because I was in another country doesn’t mean I wasn’t going to watch any movies! In fact, when you have two sixteen hour flights, you can actually watch quite a few movies.
The Dry – In anticipation of the second movie adaptation coming out, I thought it was only fitting to watch the original again. That, and I didn’t have room in my suitcase to bring the book. But once again, this movie did not disappoint! It is such a close adaptation to the text that I can’t fault it for anything. If you want a slow burn thriller that sees federal agent, Aaron Falk back in his hometown to help decipher a recent local tragedy while also facing a mystery from his past, then please, for the love of god, watch this already.
The Dry 2: Force of Nature – Even though this was my least favorite novel from Jane Harper, it was still a good book! So I was looking forward to the adaptation, which I only learned about coming to fruition recently! The only downside is that as of now it’s not being released in the US yet. Lucky for me, there were plenty of showings in Sydney during it’s second week out! Unexpected timing that made me giddy with joy and my sister green with jealous rage. Again, I felt this film followed the events of the book almost word perfect. This time around, Aaron feels the need to help find a missing woman who was on a complicated work retreat in the remote bushlands.
Love at First Sight – As much as I like Ben Hardy and Haley Lu Richardson, this very short romantic drama just didn’t quite land for me. I see the irony there, given that two strangers meet on a plane and fall in love…at first sight. I suppose maybe nothing in this film was meant to come as a surprise, given that the film’s title gives it all away, but there just wasn’t much depth to these characters. I assume this is based on a novel and would be more interested to see how much more these characters are developed in there. Light, for the most part, and an easy plane watch.
Dumb Money – Though I initially caught this film in theaters late last September, it is my work’s movie club choice of the month, so I also decided to squeeze this in on the plane. While I heard about the Game Stop short squeeze back when it happened a few years ago, the stock market generally confuses me, so I didn’t pay it much mind. This film puts the events a little more plainly for me, but rounds out the story with an exceptional cast and a good dose of humor. This is how most finance films should be done! Again, I nod to the collaboration of writer-director Craig Gillespie with Sebastian Stan and Seth Rogen – they make a fine team!
Drive-Away Dolls – No thanks to the SAG-AFTRA strikes, I had to wait much longer than I would have liked to see Ethan Coen’s latest solo directorial effort. I can say that from a high level, I was not expecting the story I got, but Coen added his signature style, which means I enjoyed it immensely. Jamie and Marian are two very different lesbians who decide to take a trip to Tallahassee, Florida with a drive-away. Unbeknownst to them, they’ve got some precious cargo in the trunk that a lot of people are trying to get their hands on. I can guarantee it’s not what you think, and for that, it was hilarious. I was lucky enough to catch this in some basement indie theater in Melbourne!
Shooting Stars – I finally sat down to watch the second movie I was in! Back when this finally got released on Peacock last June, I sped through to my scene and then just didn’t come back to watch the whole thing in one go until now. It was interesting to see the dynamic of LeBron’s young life before he becomes one of the most well-known and successful basketball players of all time. While he may not live in Akron anymore, you can feel the love he has for his hometown. Really proud to have been a part of this!