Forever My Girl
A famous musician returns to the girl he jilted eight years ago.
I kept passing by this movie on Amazon Prime because I don’t like country music. And then I decided, “You know what? This movie has curiously high ratings. Let’s give it the 10 minute test.”
An hour and forty minutes later…
That’s surprisingly good. It doesn’t look cheap and all the actors can act. The script isn’t awful and the music didn’t make me want to tear my ears off. Of course you know exactly where it’s going and how it’ll end, but it doesn’t hinder the enjoyment scale. I wouldn’t watch it again, but I like it enough to recommend it to those looking for a decent chick flick.
Joker
An origin story for a really creepy guy.
Well, that’s mildly horrifying. I haven’t seen many movies from the perspective of the villain and I’m impressed at how I was manipulated into feeling sorry for this guy. I don’t know anything about mental illnesses but it seemed like they did a good job of showing how his beginning resulted in becoming the Joker.
Joaquin Phoenix does an excellent job of going from sympathetic to unhinged. There’s this one time when he’s laughing and he abruptly stops and all his humor vanishes; it’s unnerving but so good.
I don’t know anything about how the Joker’s backstory or how he’s portrayed in the comics, so I can’t speak for how it matches that, but I can definitely see why he is such an iconic villain. His instability and warped mind make him more menacing, scary and memorable than a guy with big muscles.
I haven’t been keen on DC movies, but if they were all of this caliber, I’d pay more attention to them.
I don’t think it’s as amazing as everyone else does. It’s unusual, I’ll give it that. Its quality production and tricksy narrating style both stand out. However, this is not the type of movie I would rewatch just for the sheer enjoyment of it; but I might rewatch it to see if I can spot the clues of the narrative style. I appreciate its difference and storytelling but I’m fairly neutral about it as a whole.
Jumanji: The Next Level
It’s time to save the game.
Sometimes you just need pure fun in a movie. And that’s what this is. It builds off the last movie and adds new bits, switching things around to create fresh perspectives and challenges for the characters and actors. I think it’s funnier than the first one and almost all of the jokes work. Yes, it’s ridiculous and shallower than a kiddie pool, but its flaws are easy to ignore. I hope they do another one.
1917
A soldier delivers a message.
I kinda like this movie even though I wouldn’t watch it again. I’m glad I saw it and objectively I know it’s a skillfully made film, but it lacks the beats that make something re-watchable for me e.g. likable characters, an engaging story, and great dialogue. Because I was aware of their existence, I did see some unusual camera shots. My favorite bit is the part in the city when the flares are going off.
This is gonna sound strange, but it feels so much like a computer game. Some of the things that happen I could visualize as a game mechanic/quest, like avoid detection in this city, take out the sniper, search for useful items, fill your canteen with milk, arrive at this checkpoint in under a minute. Is the game-like quality a good thing? I don’t know, but it stuck out to me.
The Italian Job
A group of thieves steal money from the man who betrayed them.
Nowadays, this movie would be quite tame. There aren’t nearly enough explosions, car chases, or crazy stunts to engage viewers. But that’s what makes it engaging. They had less to work with so it’s interesting to see how they fill the action-y void.
The stereotypical characters are covered by the fun story.
Take Me Home
A woman asks a cabby to drive her from New York to Las Vegas.
What is a staple of every romcom? An absolutely ridiculous plot. What saves this one from being a trash heap? The good acting and clever lines. I wasn’t expecting greatness, but this one isn’t bad.
I like seeing the familiar scenery (and learning there’s a store called Raisin Rack). The soundtrack is…unusual, but refreshing in its uniqueness.
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