Mamma Mia!
On the eve of her wedding, a girl invites three men, one of whom is her father.
Well, it’s better than the second one. The only reason to see this movie is to hear the music and how it’s incorporated into the plot. Which is a good thing, since the plot revolves entirely around the music.
To its core, it’s a complete cheese wedge, but you could see it as a celebration of life if that’s your cup of tea. I think I’m going through a cynical phase right now and I can’t latch onto the careless happiness presented here.
Midnight in Paris
A man seeks inspiration in Paris and finds it in an unexpected time.
Plot holes aside, this was an interesting take on the writer’s dilemma (aka writing), and what it takes to be an artist. Clever lines, fun portrayals of real artists, stereotypical French music and the familiar backdrop of Paris all came together to create a unique and picturesque tale.
Persuasion
A girl is confronted with her long-lost love. Is it possible they’ll get together? I just don’t know.
One thing I love about Austen is the way people talk. How they prance around impropriety and place such stock in wealth, background, gentility, and being seen with the right people. That, and their polite yet scathing remarks.
This one is a bit empty though. The romance would’ve been better served if they showed them together before the split. As it is, we hear how they loved each other and see them awkwardly interact but without the benefit of a real connection. I didn’t see any reason to like either of them and certainly no reason why I should like them together. I think the problem is she’s a deluxe introvert and a doormat. I don’t have much sympathy for people who cave at every turn and can’t talk above a whisper.
Some good flashbacks would make the story more enjoyable.
Love Story
Two people fall in love and it ends badly.
I’ve mentioned my dislike for The Fault in Our Stars. Its know-it-all agnostic teenagers, “tragic” death, lame ideas of love, questionable parenting, and overall attitudes of “I’m so smart” still grate me today.
This movie is essentially the same story, but done much better. There are some good lines said by people old enough to pull them off and I could actually see why Oliver and Jenny like each other. It even overused the word “okay,” which really brought home the comparison. While I don’t love it, I think it’s better than TFIOS and, dare I say, okay.
Alice in Wonderland
A girl gets stage fright and eats food.
This movie is weird and makes no sense. I hadn’t seen it in over a decade and I thought I’d understand it more. Yeah, I don’t. But it’s funnier than I remember.
It doesn’t have a strong plot or beginning-middle-end. It’s a series of random, wacky encounters that embrace the nonsensical and achieve the fantastical. The cast does a stupendous job of making each encounter singular.
I always like it when a movie has a menu, and this one has “Eat me” written all over it, with its stone cakes, dancing shellfish, elusive tarts, and tricksy cocktails.
I haven’t seen the cartoon, but it’s definitely better than the new movies.
Edward Scissorhands
A guy with scissors for hands gets adopted by a suburban family.
That certainly isn’t what I expected. For some reason, I had the impression it was supposed to be scary. Instead, it’s sweet and odd and not that great.
The message of “it’s okay to be different” is fine and all, but rather trite. Like, of course it’s okay to be different otherwise we’d all be the same. Even though the storyline is weak, this movie muffles it with a distinctive location and an unusual protagonist.