Ah, after last week’s unusual mediocrity, I have got my film viewings back up to snuff. On the lower end, but considering I did stuff with some people (say what??), the fact that I managed to squeeze these all in is quite the feat.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 – Started off the weekend with this star-studded drama directed by the great Aaron Sorkin (all you Netflix subscribers better go check out Molly’s Game, too!). This film tells the tale of the true story of the Chicago Seven, a group of anti- Vietnam War protesters who were charged with conspiracy to cross state lines with the intention of inciting violence. What a rag-tag group of people. While all of them knew of each other, none of them were in cahoots with one another. Add in the fact that Bobby Seale got lumped in with the group for the sole purpose of instilling fear in the jury, then you’ve got yourself the most unbelievable case I may have ever seen portrayed on screen. Seriously, the judge in the is case was the worst! Really, really solid performances from everyone, but I tip my hat to Frank Langella as Judge Hoffman. Never have I wanted to slap a character so hard before in my life. This is definitely Oscar-bait, but totally worthy of it, although it’ll be tough picking nominees from the bunch. Certainly one of the best films I’ve seen all year – goosebumps by the end!
Kajillionaire – Sigh. This oddball comedy-drama film had me itching to see it mainly because of Evan Rachel Wood’s bizarre accent, but I missed my chance seeing it in a (more-than-likely) empty theater nearby in time. Luckily, I didn’t have to wait long to rent it! Sadly though, just like Bill & Ted Face the Music, this movie was not worth the twenty bucks I dropped on it. Definitely enjoyable and the kind of weird that I gravitate towards, but I would have preferred paying half the price at a theater to check this one off the list. Richard Jenkins was probably the highlight character to me, as just a desperate man trying to skate by without trying too hard. If you couldn’t tell this family was pulling constant cons then perhaps you need your eyes checked. Gina Rodriguez brought some nice levity to the film, but not enough to really seal the deal for me. I say wait it out. Especially if weird indie films are not your norm.
Vampires vs. The Bronx – Severely disappointing. Comedy. High Rotten Tomatoes score. Randomly cool cast. Just so, so boring! For a movie about vampires taking over the Bronx (hence, the movie title), this movie lacked any real excitement. True, there was a bigger message a play here (cough, gentrification), but at least make it a little more entertaining. The only real happiness I got out of this film was seeing lead character, Miguel’s best friend Luis wear some awesome heavy metal shirts.
Valley Girl – I was able to record this movie a little while back (free Showtime, Direct TV!), so I finally gave it a watch this weekend. Now, I knew going in that this was going to be a bit of a musical, but the beginning of the film it seemed to be even more so. About twenty minutes in I questioned bailing on it, because, although I liked all of these 80s selections, bad karaoke versions are just bad! Like some of the renditions were straight up awful! But, I liked Jessica Rothe enough to stick it out. Having never seen the original, I did think the storyline was cute but cliched. It’s your bubblegum pop Valley girl who dumps her douchebag boyfriend for the punk rocker from Hollywood. As a fan of the punk scene myself, I applauded her choice. Unsurprising drama ensues throughout, but like, love conquers all, duh! Biggest surprise for me was seeing Mythic Quest‘s Jo as one of Julie’s best friends – I was like, “Jo!” when she first popped up on screen. Biggest letdown had to be the casting of the vile human being Logan Paul. Just, why? Otherwise, loved seeing Judy Greer and Rob Huebel, too!
James White – Why not finish off the weekend with something uber depressing? Because that’s exactly what this film was. Good, but depressing. James is sort of a deadbeat who tries to care of his cancer-stricken mother while ignoring any type of displays of emotion. He’s constantly drunk, and honestly extremely lucky he has the most supportive friends someone could ever ask for. You watch as James goes down this destructive path, but you also see the close relationships he has with his mother and friend, which is a nice break from all of his recklessness. Scott Mescudi (aka Kid Cudi) is a highlight for me in the film. If you want to watch a solid and highly underrated drama, give this a watch.