The selection this weekend was truly random, but I hope what little information I provide can lead to some interesting choices for you all in the future!
Bottoms – When I first heard about this film I don’t think I had any clue that it was from the same team that brought the critically acclaimed Shiva Baby to the world, but here we are. This time around, Rachel Sonnet is in the lead again with co-lead, and hot streak queen, Ayo Ediberi, as PJ and Josie, who are two lesbians just looking to get some action in high school. Can’t really say I relate, but the fictitious world that was created here was both ridiculous and hysterical. They barely graze the knee of star footballer, a psycho, Jeff, so they need to make up a self defense club that ends up sticking. Friendship is a big key here, but it also made me realize that all schools should have actual, legitimate, self defense clubs! This is certainly not a comedy for everyone, but I had fun watching.
The Lesson – Talk about going from one extreme to the other. In this mysterious drama, we meet Liam, an aspiring writer, hired on as a private tutor for Bertie, the youngest son of an extremely well-to-do family. Liam being there seems like no accident though, as he’s very familiar with Bertie’s father, J.M. Sinclair, a very famous writer. A phrase he tosses out early on from several years prior, “great writers steal,” is the crux of a lot of this film, but it’s so interesting what all that sentiment lead to in this messed up family. Trust me, the mother is just as conniving. No fear though, everything works out as it should in the end. I really liked this one!
Stay Awake – I had some real hesitancy renting this film when I first saw it pop up, but with a strong Rotten Tomatoes score, I decided to give it a shot. Chrissy Metz is no stranger to drama, but this time her role is a lot less involved. Well, partly because she plays an absent, drug-addicted mother, who is constantly being revived thanks to her two sons looking out for her. This is a clear case of how addiction can ruin more than just the person’s life who is doing the drugs. Her eldest son, Derek, should be off in LA trying hard to become an actor. Instead he works at the local bowling alley, dating high schoolers. Ethan, while determined to get out, and he just might given that he’s earned a full ride to Brown, still finds that he loves his mother enough to not give up on her. Even though he keeps saying they should. Things here work out the best they can, but the relationship of these brothers is the driving force behind this all too real film.
You Are SO NOT Invited to My Bat Mitzvah – Not being a single bit Jewish, I was struck by just how Jewish this adaptation was. That’s also a lot to do with the fact that I never read the 2005 novel that it was based on. Which is kind of crazy. I was a teenager when that book was published! Anyway, from a high level, this gets sold to you as a comedy, and it certainly is funny, but it’s more about fifteen-year old Stacy coming of age as her own bat mitzvah approaches. Like most teenagers, she’s obsessed with a stupid boy, but more than that is obsessed with her friendship with Lydia. As you can expect, some teenage betrayal is going to go down, and then some really nasty revenge. Mostly, this film just makes me happy I am not a teenager in this time on earth. It looks dreadful. But, with all of the Sandlers present (I believe), it makes for a interesting ride.