Though I was quite busy throughout the week, I knew I wanted to keep the weekend quiet and spent in front of a movie screen…and my television.
Skincare – This unique drama-thriller had the shortest run in theaters near me, so I was happy to see this available to rent since I never had the chance to see it in its limited run. What a unique take on paranoia. Elizabeth Banks plays esthetician, Hope Goldman. While on the outside she appears at the top of her game, tending to facials of the wealthy and celebrity, in reality, she’s struggling to pay the rent in anticipation of launching her own skincare line. Costs add up, and unexpected costs add up even faster. She’s distraught when a new esthetician moves in the space across from her and his new techniques are stealing all of her clients. It doesn’t help that he seems to be sabotaging her online, as well. Hope, desperate to hold onto her top spot in the industry, resorts to some really suspect things. I really had no clue what to expect at any turn in this film, so it ended up being a pretty fun watch!
The Outrun – All I’ve been hearing is that this might be Saoirse Ronan’s chance at an Oscar, so that’s really all the convincing I needed to check it out. Plus, it was playing at my favorite, local indie theater, so it was an even easier decision to make! Ronan plays journalist Rona, based on real life author Amy Liptrot, as she tries and fails, then tries again, to get her life on track in the throws of alcohol addiction. She didn’t make for a pleasant drunk, often not remembering the hurtful words or actions she’d hurl at her friends and family. In a last-ditch effort, she isolates herself in a small island home where she grew up in Ireland which is when things seem to start looking up. In a story that was quite long on the screen, it successfully held my attention the whole time. It’s these simple, everyday stories, if done right, that really hit the perfect tone.
Fresh – Movie club’s spooky season pick was one of my favorites at Sundance a few years back, so I was tickled to get the chance to watch this ingenious horror-flick again. What has you convinced you’re watching a boring love story for the first thirty minutes, sours almost in the blink of an eye. Noa is sure she’s met the perfect guy after countless failed attempts at love, but sometimes the saying “it almost seems too good to be true” applies to people, as well. Steve is handsome, and maybe I’d be love blind to his charms, too, but thank goodness Noa has a sensible friend! This is certainly not for the easily queasy crowd, but gosh, as a fan of Hannibal this was a delight to watch! I cannot wait to hear what the group thinks of their choice.
Greedy People – Truthfully, I had no clue what to expect from this comedy crime thriller that I had only heard about when scrolling through Google Play’s new offerings for the week to rent. In seeing Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Hamish Patel on the cover, I figured this would at least be decent, but every face that popped up on screen just delighted me to no end. It helps that the actual plot of the movie was funny and complex, too. A lot of people want some money, but in the process a lot of people are getting screwed over and likely end up dead. The puzzle pieces fit just so, and it doesn’t hurt that it’s trying to emulate some of Fargo‘s genius in there either. A pleasant surprise!
Saturday Night – As someone who has been watching Saturday Night Live for the past fifteen years, I was really excited to see this new film by the wonderfully talented Jason Reitman. It helps that he has a bit of a personal connection to the original cast that’s being portrayed in this movie. Here, we get to see the cogs of the SNL machine at the very beginning of its time on air. It’s crazy how anything gets made, let alone a live show. If even half of this stuff is true in the leading hours to SNL‘s premiere episode, I admire them even more for what they are able to pull off week to week. I know a lot of the young faces playing the comedic greats here, so that just made the viewing experience that much more fun.