January 2020 Movie Madness

Have I done a Movie Madness post in like two years? Sure haven't! Am I going to do one now with absolutely no apology or explanation for not blogging for nearly a year? No sirree! I'll just say that I've been watching some really good movies lately, and I want to share them with you again, even if nobody cares or even reads this.

I started this when it was, ya know, still January, and now it's February 5th...and some of these movie reviews still only have like two sentences each. But I want to get this out there so this is just how it's gonna be for now. Also, I forgot all the little quirks that come with this blog like how sometimes it doesn't save any of your work and all the trailers you embedded went bye bye! So yeah, now I'm kind of frustrated and this post isn't as polished as I want it to be but oh well. 

Learning to Drive ★★★★☆

(Patricia Clarkson, Ben Kingsley)

My mom bought me this movie at the Dollar Tree about a year ago because she thought it looked like something I would like. She was right! I really enjoyed it.

Blinded by the Light ★★★★☆

This movie was SO CUTE. It had similar vibes to Yesterday, and similarly attractive actors lol. I love Bruce Springsteen, so the music in this movie was amazing, plus anything set in the 80s already gains extra stars because the 80s were just so groovy.

Blue Crush ★★★☆☆

I bought this movie at a yard sale over the summer because the guy was selling a bunch of awesome DVDs 5 for a price or something like that, and I'd picked out 4 but couldn't find a last one, and the guy running the yard sale recommended it to me. It was so cute, he was like "Yeh that's a good one, it's about girls and friendship and stuff" in like a Jersey accent. So how could I pass it up? It set out to be exactly the type of teen girl movie I love! Sunshine, the beach, really close knit friends. But then part way through this football player guy shows up and throws a wrench into everything and basically keeps the main girl from spending time with her friends to train for this hugely important surfing competition, so in the end she doesn't even win it, and she still goes for the guy! Even though we all know he's going to leave her and go back to, ya know, his job in the NFL??? He's also the most bland looking white dude in the entire universe. Like I physically found it difficult to focus my eyes on his face because there was no focal point. It was just like this round beige smear.

Little Women ★★★★★

(Saoirse Ronan, Timothee Chalamet, Emma Watson, Laura Dern)

It's official: this is my favorite adaptation ever. And that is high praise because I went into it extremely skeptical. Everyone raves over Greta Gerwig's work, which naturally makes me extremely skeptical. And I used to love Saoirse Ronan, but then everyone started raving over her too so she got a little too overrated for my taste. Same goes for Timothee Chalamet. The moment everyone got obsessed with him I jumped ship. All that being said, a movie involving all three of those folks had me giving it the side eye, especially a movie adapting one of the greatest, most formative novels of all time. But wow. I was blown away. I haven't been that moved by a film in a really long time. I was ugly crying in the theater next to my friend Erica, and I snuck a peek over at her and she was ugly crying too, so I didn't feel that bad.

I think every girl thinks she relates to Little Women so much when she's a little girl, and it's true that that's the target audience for most of the book. But I'm here to tell you that I relate to this story more now than ever, and so many of the themes in this movie are themes I'm wrestling with right now in my own life, which brought it so, so close to home.

Music from Another Room ★☆☆☆☆

(Jude Law, Brenda Blethyn)

This movie has got to be the absolute dumbest, most bizarre movie ever made. And I know I have and will continue to use "bizarre" as a good trait when describing most movies, but in this case I mean bizarre in the negative sense. The only halfway worthwhile storyline in this whole nonsensical parade of a film is the storyline where the blind sister falls in love with the quirky waiter named Jesus. Yep. That's the best part, and far from the weirdest part.

You can tell this movie is trying super hard to go for those Elizabethtown vibes--but it misses the mark almost entirely. And can we talk about the fact that they I guess wanted Jude Law in the lead so badly that they manufactured this bonkers plot point where he was born in America, lived there for five years, leaves to grow up in England with his father on an army base for fifteen years, then for no conceivable reason RETURNS to America? And voila, that's why he's got a British accent?? As if this movie would have been MORE bizarre if they'd just made him try his hand at a botched American accent. Puh-leaze.

The Jane Austen Book Club (Rewatch) ★★★★★

(Emily Blunt, Hugh Dancy, Maria Bello)

Yes, this was probably my 6th time watching this movie, but wow it's just such a gem. I never get tired of it. I might even go so far as to say that this is my current favorite movie and has been for a little while. AB and I determined that your favorite movie isn't just the movie you like the best overall, but is the movie you could stand to watch back to back an infinite number of times. And that's how I feel about this little film. I've also decided that if I were to have been born blonde, I would want to look like Maria Bello. She's just so stunning. Y'all also know I'm a secret Hugh Dancy stan. I know he's like the complete opposite of my type, but there is just something so appealing about him!

Anyway, this movie is about unlikely friendships, and unlikely relationships, and how love is something we choose to do, not just something we feel. It also has some of the funniest one liners of any movie ever. Here's my favorite: "Being the only child of a woman who gave birth in a commune after changing her name to Skygirl, I've come to loath hippie handicrafts."

I also love that this movie does not need to be watched by people who know Jane Austen--you don't need to know a blessed thing about her books to enjoy this film! You also don't have to be a girl--I really think guys that give this movie a chance would find it quite entertaining.

American Folk ★★★★☆

(Joe Purdy, Amber Rubarth)

What a seriously charming movie. Got me right in the feels. The perfect folksy, indie, Americana film to make you smile. 

Pumpkin ★★★★☆

(Christina Ricci, Brenda Blethyn)

This is a hard movie to pin down. It took me a while, but I think I definitively decided that I love it. It's really odd and bizarre. Basically the whole movie is a satire on rich, entitled people who think that life is perfect because they've never had to experience anything negative. This girl Carolyn is the poster girl for her sorority--she's blond and booby and rich and gorgeous and is dating this super hunky jerk who's the most popular guy in school. Then her sorority chooses a charity effort to help them win the big annual competition between sororities--the "Challenged Games" (basically the Special Olympics). At first Carolyn is repulsed by the prospect and doesn't want to get involved because everyone on the team is just so "different" and they're from "two different worlds". But then she ends up falling in love with her special needs athletic partner, and basically her entire perfect life starts spiraling out of control. And by out of control I mean she gets banished from her sorority like three times, her boyfriend gets so upset he drives off a cliff and is paralyzed, she drops out of college, she's accused of rape, her entire family thinks she's crazy, she tries to overdose on contact solution and Pepto Bismol--the list goes on. But in the end she's like "eff it, I love this guy, who cares how different he is or what anyone thinks of me" and she comes to see him perform in the Challenged Games and then walks off into the sunset with him. It's really hilarious.

It's also really kind of touching at parts. Like I found myself with tears rolling down my face more than once! I think there are precious few movies that let people with disabilities or special needs really truly fall in love and have their feelings reciprocated, so that was an incredibly beautiful aspect to this film. Plus the relationship between Carolyn and Pumpkin is just so sweet it's heart breaking.

There's a lot in this movie that would never fly today, which is partially why I think it's kind of a wonderful little diamond in the rough because it's the type of movie you could never make nowadays, but is actually really clever and intriguing, and a relic of its time.

Lars and the Real Girl ★★★★☆

(Ryan Gosling, Emily Mortimer, Patricia Clarkson, Paul Schneider...and peep Dina from Superstore!!)

You know a movie is good when you can't stop thinking about it even days later. I don't know why it took me so long to finally get around to watching this movie. I first saw the trailer years ago, and even have had it on DVD for years, but for some reason I always thought maybe it was a little too niche or quirky for me. And I think I also thought it was kind of raunchy? I mean one of the main characters is a sex doll, after all. But I am so incredibly glad that I came to my senses and finally watched it, because it is one of the most meaningful movies I've ever seen.

First of all, the acting is amazing. Ryan Gosling is honestly so impressive--and Emily Mortimer? I hated her in that one period drama that I never finished but I loved her in this! And Patricia Clarkson is breathtaking in everything she's ever been in including this (wow 2 Patricia Clarkson movies AND two Brenda Blethyn movies in one month! Power to the golden ladies!). And Paul Schneider will forever be my least favorite Parks and Rec character but he was stunning in his role in this movie. Okay, enough of my just naming all the actors and gushing over how much I love them.

This is a film about remembering how much people love you, and the crazy things they're willing to do to keep you afloat even when you don't even realize it.

 

The Mirror Has Two Faces ★★★☆☆

(Barbra Streisand, Jeff Bridges)

Young Jeff Bridges, while fairly good looking (especially in that polo and jeans...and that Reebok muscle shirt...) has an incredibly obnoxious voice. And honestly, so does Barbra Streisand. They're obnoxious voices kind of took away from the movie for me, to be honest. I also didn't like how Barbra Streisand's character basically changes her entire appearance more or less to seduce her husband?? And yeah it doesn't work the way you THINK it's going to work, but it still works??? Like okay, great message.

I watched this movie because they were talking about it on my favorite podcast (The Brant and Sherri Oddcast), and I did like it! It was a good RomCom. I just don't think I could claim that I loved it or that it made it into my favorites list.

-VaughnDL