Hunter Killer
An American submarine is tasked with saving the Russian president.
Yeeeesssss! I don’t normally go for submarine movies but this one is so good. There’re refreshing depictions of trust, friendship and loyalty, none of which you can have too much of. I don’t think I’ve ever seen this plot before and that in itself is thrilling, not to mention the actual suspense in the movie. One of the few weak parts are the women. And the villain is so-so, but otherwise it’s definitely worth watching if you like action/suspense stories.
Jane Eyre
I’ve run out of ways to summarize this story.
It’s better than the 2011 movie. Different scenes appear in this version but it falls into the same trouble as the other one: there isn’t enough time to convincingly develop the romance. And without a strong basis for romance the story flounders.
Jane has her moments but she’s not as likable as in the miniseries.
This Rochester goes from good, to looking dead inside. He doesn’t exhibit the same effortlessness between moodiness and levity as Toby Stephens does.
This one does have the best Mrs. Fairfax and Adele.
But let’s be real. You should just watch the 2006 miniseries.
My reviews for the miniseries, the 2011 movie and the book.
Midway
The story of Midway.
You know what’s really cool about war movies? No matter if you know the eventual outcome, they can still be exciting. And that’s what this movie does well: it creates excitement and intrigue and makes you care about these people because of all the sacrifices and hardships they have to face. I even felt bad for the Japanese.
This is a good war movie about an event I knew next to nothing about and it kept me engaged throughout its entirety.
Fun fact: this currently has a 6.7 on IMDb and Dunkirk has a 7.8 rating. Do not believe those lies. Dunkirk is not only a boring war movie, it’s a bad movie. This one is heads above Dumbkirk.
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall
A woman hopes to leave her dark past behind. Spoilers: she can’t.
Well, that was depressing. The only reason I wanted to watch this is because Toby Stephens is in it. He’s the best part but the rest is a slow and painful train wreck. The way most of the characters are treated or how they treat others is awful. The setting is bleak and barren and the desolation permeates the story too.
Aside from Toby’s character, no one is likable. I can kinda understand the main lady’s reasons for doing what she did but it’s just a rotten situation any way it’s sliced.
Once again I recommend watching the 2006 Jane Eyre miniseries instead.
Wuthering Heights
A sorry excuse for a romance story.
I have not read the book and did not really know the story prior to watching.
Whoa. That’s bad.
It’s very interesting how differently the Brontë sisters’ approached their stories. I’d say Jane Eyre is the true romance. Wildfell is the morally complicated struggle. And Heights is about a bunch of demented crazies.
Everybody either whines, moans, screams, beats, resents, withers, dies, somehow has a bad time or manages to do all of those. This is not a happy story and it certainly isn’t a healthy romance story.
Heathcliff is a butt. He is verbally and physically abusive to people who don’t deserve it. He’s erratic and tortured without Cathy but completely pathetic and insane when he’s with her. He’s moody, irascible, obsessive, and a bully. Girls, if you ever meet a guy like this, run far and run fast.
Cathy is the female version of him but with a weaker mind.
All they do together is scream or poeticize and they are so lame. At one point I started chuckling because of how completely pitiful they are.
I just feel sorry for the servant lady who was caught in the middle of everything.
Also, did those cousins get married?
I want to try to read the book so I can see why it’s praised in the literary sense, but at least now I know not to hold out for a good story.
Ford v Ferrari
Car vs. car.
I don’t normally care about cars (unless it’s Top Gear/The Grand Tour) but this movie is fantastic. It’s got everything: good characters/actors, engaging story, snappy dialogue, and a collection of triumph and tragedy. Even if you don’t care about cars or racing, you can still enjoy this. I heartily recommend it.