March 2020 Movie (And TV) Madness
So I've decided that since these movie reviews often turn into reviews of the attractive actors within them, I'm going to start doing a scoring based on how cute the actors are too LOL. Is that objectifying? Perhaps.
Also, I watched several really good series this month along with the movies I watched, so I'm adding them here too because they're definitely all worth talking about.
AB, SE and I attempted to watch the classic Rom Com of the same title back at Christmas and positively hated it. It wasn't funny, the plot was boring, and all the "romance" was just philandering which is not my vibe. So when I heard they were making a TV series called the same thing, I was initially uninterested. Then a commercial for the series came on while I was watching a different show, and it actually looked somewhat cute. THEN I heard somewhere that the show was written and created by Mindy Kaling--and then I knew I had to see it. Mindy Kaling, while not my favorite actress, is in my opinion one of the greatest comedy writers of our generation, and I absolutely adore her love for and constant tribute to the Rom Com genre.
Let me just say, I was not disappointed one bit. The whole show is a barrel of laughs from start to finish, not only with hilarious story arcs, but also the funniest little one liner one-offs that I sometimes would rewind to watch three or four times because they were just pure genius. Also, just the way Kaling wove all the interlocking stories together is absolutely phenomenal. Like the foresight she must have had, and the attention to every tiny detail was indescribably impressive. Plus, she somehow managed to keep us on our toes the entire time, wondering who was meant to end up with who, subverting all your expectations, but making it all make so much sense in the end so that you really felt like everybody fell in love with exactly the right person. Pure gold.
My one dislike about the show was that I didn't exactly vibe with the two main girls. Ainsley was super annoying, which was clearly on purpose, but she never really redeemed herself in the end. Conversely, Maya was actually supposed to be likeable, she was supposed to be the heroine you were always rooting for, but she often came off as really snooty, and made some poor decisions, especially in the beginning. In fact, all around I would say the male characters in this show were far better fleshed out, and more relateable and likeable, which is interesting because that's also how I felt about the characters in Kaling's flagship sitcom, The Mindy Project. Maybe she just has more fun writing guy characters. I can understand that. Sometimes writing about your own kind can get tiresome.
While Kash was obviously suuuuuuuper adorable and endearing, I gotta say he was eclipsed by Duffy as my favorite character. Duffy had some of the most entertaining story arcs and lines of dialogue throughout the series, and his love story felt the most authentic. The girl he ended up with also somehow wormed her way to being my favorite female character.
All around, really funny acting, super warm and fluffy plots, and MAGICAL homages to some of the greatest Romantic Comedy's of our time. Can you say Dermot Mulroney???
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★★☆ (Kash was hott, Craig was very good looking, and Duffy was kinda cute in a nerdy way. And also Dermot Mulroney.)
On My Block (TV Series)
I have, as the kids say, "stanned" this show since season one. I feel like there is no other show doing what this show is doing, which is representing teens who come from tough neighborhoods but showing that their lives are still full and beautiful and funny and fun even with all the not so good stuff that comes from living where they do and dealing with the hard things they have to deal with. Also like there's no white people in this show at all??? And it's really refreshing.
With all that in mind, I do have to say that Season 3 wasn't my favorite season. It was a bit more risque and sexual than previous seasons, for one thing, which I guess makes sense given that they're growing up and their bOdIeS aRe ChAnGiNg and all that, but still. Not my vibe. Also, it was just really bittersweet, because characters that you wanted to change and rise above ended up making the exact decisions you had been rooting for two and a half seasons hoping they wouldn't make. I guess that made it more grounded in reality--because let's be honest, there have always been parts of this show that are straight up ABSURD, but in a fun way. I don't know, when the show ended, it left me feeling really sad. I have no idea if there will be another season, or if there even should be at this rate.
It was sad in the way that the later Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books are sad. Because friends are growing up and growing apart and you wanted to just be able to live in the coziness of their strong, rosy-tinted friendship forever.
I would definitely still recommend this show. I think it's an incredibly important piece of media that is unmatched as of yet. And the greatest character arc throughout the entire thing is Jasmine. She was my favorite character even when she was absolutely the most obnoxious person on the block (see what I did there?) but by the end she had EVERYBODY snapping and nodding their heads and saying "mmmmmhhhmmmm girl that's right you tell him". She was soooo relatable to me as a Thicc Girl who is also strong and sassy, so I feel like she's a role model for a lot of other girls like us.
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★☆☆ (I regret to say I can only award this show 3/5 for attractive actors mainly because they're all way too young for me. Cesar is obviously very attractive, but he's far from being my favorite character, and Ruby has a very smouldery charm sometimes, but he's too lil. And Jamal is just a geek, sorry.)
The Sun is Also a Star
This movie is very cute and romantic, and I enjoyed it a lot. However, it was extremely idealistic. Also, it had me stressed out the whole time because she didn't seem all that concerned that she was getting deported the next day when she was with this random (albeit extremely gorgeous) boy??? Like wouldn't you want to spend your last day with your family enjoying the city of your youth? Or also like...pack your stuff?? Guess not. It was a unique story though, with awesome cultural representation.
Attractive Actors Rating:★★★★★ (Ooooh baby the main guy is fiiiiine)
Emma
I was SO excited for this movie. I wanted to like it SO BAD. And honestly I would have given in 3.5 stars if I didn't have to spend TWENTY DOLLARS to rent it. (It was out in theaters--though no theaters near me...but then coronavirus was like "haha suckaaaas" and all the theaters shut down, so they released it for rent on YouTube, etc. and I rented it to watch with G, Chloe, and G's mom. It was definitely not a satisfactory first introduction to the world of Jane Austen. It was just kind of an odd adaptation with an uncute Mr. Knightley (Why are we STILL pretending Johnny Flynn is any good at acting??? And why must he SING in every piece of media he creates? We get it, your an indie singer. Then stick to indie singing! Stop weaseling your way into movies!!! To be honest, he was better in this than he's been in other things I've seen with him. But still, I just have something against him I guess).
There were some really amusing/funny parts in this movie, but not enough to make the whole movie interesting. It just didn't seem to capture the true spirit of Emma and all the absurd humor in that beloved tale. Like by the end of Emma you're supposed to like her a bit more and be invested in her happiness with Mr. Knightley. Instead I still disliked her and was very confused and alarmed as to why her nose was bleeding? Also WHY did we need to see Mr. Knightley's naked behind???? Also the whole shtick in the book is that Mr. Knightley is very buttoned up and doesn't know what to do with himself when he realizes he's in love. In this version he seems to know pretty quickly that he's in love, and he has no real issue with telling Emma his feelings.
The costumes and scenery were exquisite, and honestly Mr. Elton's character was SO amusing, he was my favorite part of the movie. Also Mr. Woodhouse, and Miss Bates were very entertaining. Also I love the actor who plays Frank Churchill. He's from Tramps and I'm tellin you he's gonna be super famous someday. But the more main characters were lackluster, I felt. I just had such high hopes for this and they fell short. I will continue to favor the 2006 BBC miniseries version with Romola Garai.
Attractive Actors Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ (If I could award negative stars in this category, I would. How can you make an adaptation of Emma without giving us a rugged, earthy, sexy Mr. Knightley???? It is simply cruel. I understand completely making all the other men look like total buffoons, because they ARE buffoons and it adds to the comedy. But Knightley has always been regarded as the most attractive of Austen's male love interests, and yet he was played by the dastardly Johnny Flynn with the most awful mutton chops and unwashed hair, no less. A real shame.)
I don't really know why but Mr. Elton reminded me of my brother in this movie LOL.
SE recommended this Netflix miniseries to me and I am SO GLAD she did. I had seen trailers for it but hadn't gotten around to deciding if I wanted to watch it. So SE's nudge was greatly appreciated.
I always really really enjoy Jewish media, because it doesn't shy away from self-critique the way Christian media does. There are some really really beautiful and powerful and genre and faith transcending pieces of Jewish film. Meanwhile over here in CCM land, we have Pureflix pumping out some of the cringiest, palest, most cardboard movies of all time. I've said it before, I'll say it again.
This series was just another example of really rich, raw, and well done Jewish cinema. The acting was so impeccable, the structure of the series very telling and sobering, the symbolism thought provoking, and the subject matter covered very impactful. The main girl absolutely killed it, and I will not be surprised at all when she rakes in some awards.
I do wish we had learned a bit more about Esty's actual thoughts on God, rather than just her dissent from religion (SE and I discussed this). Because obviously it's a film about escaping what she feels is an oppressive religion, and we can see the customs and practices that make it so--but very little is said about God himself. Maybe that's the point--that we've actually managed to separate God from religion, and that is in fact the problem. But I just wish that perspective had been addressed.
Also at the end I had a LOT of unanswered questions. I have a feeling there will be no second season or part 2, so I guess I'll just be left wondering...and I don't like wondering!!
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★★☆ (This series had one of the most attractive actors I've quite possibly ever seen in all my movie/TV watching years. The only reason it doesn't get a 5 in this department is because he was not featured in it enough LOL)
This was such a bittersweet movie, but I really liked it. It was kind of like Handsome Devil but if it was about college soccer players instead of highschool rugby players. LOL. I don't want to spoil anything, but basically the crux of the film is about making a hard choice between two different types of passion, and how different people deal with their different decision.
There's also this small little story thread throughout the whole thing about how this one character really likes Orca whales and it has got to be one of the sweetest, cutest, randomest, most endearing storylines ever. Every time something with an Orca whale came up I just about screamed with feels LOL.
The acting in this movie also just felt very natural. Sure they were speaking German, so maybe it's harder to tell if acting is bad if it's done in another language, but I was just impressed by how realistically all the characters interacted with each other.
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★★★ (FIVE OUT OF FIVE BABY, FIVE OUT OF FIVE. Did I watch this movie solely based on the fact that I looked up the hot actor from Unorthodox and then found this movie on his filmography page? Oh absolutely. Is he as excruciatingly good looking in this movie as he was in Unorthodox? Oh yes he was, perhaps even more so--can't decide if I like the short hair or the floppy curly hair better...both were stunning. And his snaggle tooth? Perfection. And his broody guy vibes? Grand. The other guy in the movie wasn't my cup of tea looks-wise, but he did have a really adorable smile and nice dimples.
I meannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
I've seen this movie at least once before, and it is really a cute Rom Com. Very solid. Not the funniest in the world, or the most adorable, but a really cute premise with some really quirky moments. Exactly the kind of movie you might watch with a group of people because there's something everybody would like in it and it's not too raunchy. It's a little basic and formulaic, but hey, the formula works right? And I honestly think it works better in this one than a lot of other Rom Coms.
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Josh Duhamel is objectively attractive. But why is he sweaty literally all the time?? This also has the guy from Sweet Home Alabama in it, but lemme tell you, Alabama looks way better on him than Pediatrician does)
The Peanut Butter Falcon
This movie was a b-day gift from SE. Girl knows just the way to my heart. This movie was soooo good. The soundtrack. The plot. The special needs representation. The acting. The setting. GAHHHHHH it was so perfect. I know Shia LeBouf like went off the deep end for a while there, but MAN can ACT!!!!!! I mean he NAILED that gruff and grizzly dirty crab trappin North Carolina accent talkin aesthetic TO A T. And the guy who plays Zak??? I want to see him in a million more movies because I am so excited we're getting more stories about people with disabilities! Even Dakota Johnson charmed me, and I don't really like her very much at all. Also the old man from the old folks home is the same old man from Class Rank! And the guy who played Salt Water Redneck is the same guy who plays Lyle from George of the Jungle. Talk about a sweet cast.
This was like an Americana roadtrip movie--aka one of my favorite genres of all time--but minus the vehicle. This was like Stand By Me but instead of a bunch of kids looking for a dead body, it was an arsonist fugitive and a wrestler wannabe with Down Syndrome looking for a washed up grizzly ole wrestler in Florida. LOL. I think my parents would like this movie, and my parents have surprisingly good movie taste. I might lend it to them.
My one complaint with this movie is that there's no way in real life that Tyler and Eleanor would end up together. It just would not happen. And I don't think it should have happened in the movie. I think they could have become friends. Close, wary acquaintances, sure. But lovas? Not a chance. Oh well. I understand how movies work, so I get that most movies have at least one random love storyline in them. But couldn't they have done more with the flashbacks to portray the past love stories of Eleanor and Tyler? Maybe that's just my opinion.
Attractive Actors Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (I'm glad this movie didn't have anyone attractive in it. It would have made it feel less realistic. I give this at least one star though because while Shia LeBouf is far from hunky in this film, he's just such a good actor and had a certain charm as his character that it was endearing.
Well this was a super average Rom Com. I was not into it. I'm surprised I even finished it. I remember seeing part of this at school in a class one time?? Which I can't remember why?? Or what class or what grade? But clearly our teacher was NOT feeling like being educational that day because there's nothing enlightening about this film.
It's kind of a shame because it's a Garry Marshall movie, and he has created some of the greatest Rom Coms of all time--Pretty Woman, Princess Diaries--but gotta say, this one was a major flop for me.
It's an ensemble movie, which can be fun sometimes, but is very hard to do in such a way that you feel fully invested in all of the lives and stories and relationships of all the characters. In my opinion, there has yet to be another movie to rival Love, Actually in its ability to do that. Valentine's Day definitely did not measure up. I felt like I didn't care about ANY of the love stories. I wasn't given enough time to get to know anything about the characters! And it was very clear that this movie was profitable because of its star studded cast and not because of its plot. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Eh I mean they were a bunch of conventionally attractive famous actors. So nothing spectacular in my opinion. When Ashton Kutcher is the cutest guy in a movie, you know it's not exactly an Emmy Award winner.)
Well, once again I come to the conclusion that if I didn't watch so many movies, these blog posts wouldn't be so long and arduous to create...but alas, I will forever be a movieholic.
Peace out for now,
VaughnDL
Also, I watched several really good series this month along with the movies I watched, so I'm adding them here too because they're definitely all worth talking about.
Mao's Last Dancer (DNF)
Film Rating: ★★★☆☆
I'm not sure why exactly I couldn't make it through this movie. I think I just wasn't in the mood. I would definitely try and finish it some other time. The story is really unique, but it's almost like not a lot actually happens to move the plot forward. And I thought the romance was paltry. I didn't feel like the actors really had chemistry. Also for a movie about a dancer there's not as much dancing as you would expect.
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Main character--quite cute)
Four Weddings and a Funeral (TV Limited Series)
★★★★☆
AB, SE and I attempted to watch the classic Rom Com of the same title back at Christmas and positively hated it. It wasn't funny, the plot was boring, and all the "romance" was just philandering which is not my vibe. So when I heard they were making a TV series called the same thing, I was initially uninterested. Then a commercial for the series came on while I was watching a different show, and it actually looked somewhat cute. THEN I heard somewhere that the show was written and created by Mindy Kaling--and then I knew I had to see it. Mindy Kaling, while not my favorite actress, is in my opinion one of the greatest comedy writers of our generation, and I absolutely adore her love for and constant tribute to the Rom Com genre. Let me just say, I was not disappointed one bit. The whole show is a barrel of laughs from start to finish, not only with hilarious story arcs, but also the funniest little one liner one-offs that I sometimes would rewind to watch three or four times because they were just pure genius. Also, just the way Kaling wove all the interlocking stories together is absolutely phenomenal. Like the foresight she must have had, and the attention to every tiny detail was indescribably impressive. Plus, she somehow managed to keep us on our toes the entire time, wondering who was meant to end up with who, subverting all your expectations, but making it all make so much sense in the end so that you really felt like everybody fell in love with exactly the right person. Pure gold.
My one dislike about the show was that I didn't exactly vibe with the two main girls. Ainsley was super annoying, which was clearly on purpose, but she never really redeemed herself in the end. Conversely, Maya was actually supposed to be likeable, she was supposed to be the heroine you were always rooting for, but she often came off as really snooty, and made some poor decisions, especially in the beginning. In fact, all around I would say the male characters in this show were far better fleshed out, and more relateable and likeable, which is interesting because that's also how I felt about the characters in Kaling's flagship sitcom, The Mindy Project. Maybe she just has more fun writing guy characters. I can understand that. Sometimes writing about your own kind can get tiresome.
While Kash was obviously suuuuuuuper adorable and endearing, I gotta say he was eclipsed by Duffy as my favorite character. Duffy had some of the most entertaining story arcs and lines of dialogue throughout the series, and his love story felt the most authentic. The girl he ended up with also somehow wormed her way to being my favorite female character.
All around, really funny acting, super warm and fluffy plots, and MAGICAL homages to some of the greatest Romantic Comedy's of our time. Can you say Dermot Mulroney???
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★★☆ (Kash was hott, Craig was very good looking, and Duffy was kinda cute in a nerdy way. And also Dermot Mulroney.)
On My Block (TV Series)
★★★★☆
I have, as the kids say, "stanned" this show since season one. I feel like there is no other show doing what this show is doing, which is representing teens who come from tough neighborhoods but showing that their lives are still full and beautiful and funny and fun even with all the not so good stuff that comes from living where they do and dealing with the hard things they have to deal with. Also like there's no white people in this show at all??? And it's really refreshing. With all that in mind, I do have to say that Season 3 wasn't my favorite season. It was a bit more risque and sexual than previous seasons, for one thing, which I guess makes sense given that they're growing up and their bOdIeS aRe ChAnGiNg and all that, but still. Not my vibe. Also, it was just really bittersweet, because characters that you wanted to change and rise above ended up making the exact decisions you had been rooting for two and a half seasons hoping they wouldn't make. I guess that made it more grounded in reality--because let's be honest, there have always been parts of this show that are straight up ABSURD, but in a fun way. I don't know, when the show ended, it left me feeling really sad. I have no idea if there will be another season, or if there even should be at this rate.
It was sad in the way that the later Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants books are sad. Because friends are growing up and growing apart and you wanted to just be able to live in the coziness of their strong, rosy-tinted friendship forever.
I would definitely still recommend this show. I think it's an incredibly important piece of media that is unmatched as of yet. And the greatest character arc throughout the entire thing is Jasmine. She was my favorite character even when she was absolutely the most obnoxious person on the block (see what I did there?) but by the end she had EVERYBODY snapping and nodding their heads and saying "mmmmmhhhmmmm girl that's right you tell him". She was soooo relatable to me as a Thicc Girl who is also strong and sassy, so I feel like she's a role model for a lot of other girls like us.
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★☆☆ (I regret to say I can only award this show 3/5 for attractive actors mainly because they're all way too young for me. Cesar is obviously very attractive, but he's far from being my favorite character, and Ruby has a very smouldery charm sometimes, but he's too lil. And Jamal is just a geek, sorry.)
The Sun is Also a Star
★★★☆☆
This movie is very cute and romantic, and I enjoyed it a lot. However, it was extremely idealistic. Also, it had me stressed out the whole time because she didn't seem all that concerned that she was getting deported the next day when she was with this random (albeit extremely gorgeous) boy??? Like wouldn't you want to spend your last day with your family enjoying the city of your youth? Or also like...pack your stuff?? Guess not. It was a unique story though, with awesome cultural representation. Attractive Actors Rating:★★★★★ (Ooooh baby the main guy is fiiiiine)
Emma
★★★☆☆
I was SO excited for this movie. I wanted to like it SO BAD. And honestly I would have given in 3.5 stars if I didn't have to spend TWENTY DOLLARS to rent it. (It was out in theaters--though no theaters near me...but then coronavirus was like "haha suckaaaas" and all the theaters shut down, so they released it for rent on YouTube, etc. and I rented it to watch with G, Chloe, and G's mom. It was definitely not a satisfactory first introduction to the world of Jane Austen. It was just kind of an odd adaptation with an uncute Mr. Knightley (Why are we STILL pretending Johnny Flynn is any good at acting??? And why must he SING in every piece of media he creates? We get it, your an indie singer. Then stick to indie singing! Stop weaseling your way into movies!!! To be honest, he was better in this than he's been in other things I've seen with him. But still, I just have something against him I guess). There were some really amusing/funny parts in this movie, but not enough to make the whole movie interesting. It just didn't seem to capture the true spirit of Emma and all the absurd humor in that beloved tale. Like by the end of Emma you're supposed to like her a bit more and be invested in her happiness with Mr. Knightley. Instead I still disliked her and was very confused and alarmed as to why her nose was bleeding? Also WHY did we need to see Mr. Knightley's naked behind???? Also the whole shtick in the book is that Mr. Knightley is very buttoned up and doesn't know what to do with himself when he realizes he's in love. In this version he seems to know pretty quickly that he's in love, and he has no real issue with telling Emma his feelings.
The costumes and scenery were exquisite, and honestly Mr. Elton's character was SO amusing, he was my favorite part of the movie. Also Mr. Woodhouse, and Miss Bates were very entertaining. Also I love the actor who plays Frank Churchill. He's from Tramps and I'm tellin you he's gonna be super famous someday. But the more main characters were lackluster, I felt. I just had such high hopes for this and they fell short. I will continue to favor the 2006 BBC miniseries version with Romola Garai.
Attractive Actors Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆ (If I could award negative stars in this category, I would. How can you make an adaptation of Emma without giving us a rugged, earthy, sexy Mr. Knightley???? It is simply cruel. I understand completely making all the other men look like total buffoons, because they ARE buffoons and it adds to the comedy. But Knightley has always been regarded as the most attractive of Austen's male love interests, and yet he was played by the dastardly Johnny Flynn with the most awful mutton chops and unwashed hair, no less. A real shame.)
I don't really know why but Mr. Elton reminded me of my brother in this movie LOL.
Unorthodox (TV Miniseries)
★★★★☆
SE recommended this Netflix miniseries to me and I am SO GLAD she did. I had seen trailers for it but hadn't gotten around to deciding if I wanted to watch it. So SE's nudge was greatly appreciated. I always really really enjoy Jewish media, because it doesn't shy away from self-critique the way Christian media does. There are some really really beautiful and powerful and genre and faith transcending pieces of Jewish film. Meanwhile over here in CCM land, we have Pureflix pumping out some of the cringiest, palest, most cardboard movies of all time. I've said it before, I'll say it again.
This series was just another example of really rich, raw, and well done Jewish cinema. The acting was so impeccable, the structure of the series very telling and sobering, the symbolism thought provoking, and the subject matter covered very impactful. The main girl absolutely killed it, and I will not be surprised at all when she rakes in some awards.
I do wish we had learned a bit more about Esty's actual thoughts on God, rather than just her dissent from religion (SE and I discussed this). Because obviously it's a film about escaping what she feels is an oppressive religion, and we can see the customs and practices that make it so--but very little is said about God himself. Maybe that's the point--that we've actually managed to separate God from religion, and that is in fact the problem. But I just wish that perspective had been addressed.
Also at the end I had a LOT of unanswered questions. I have a feeling there will be no second season or part 2, so I guess I'll just be left wondering...and I don't like wondering!!
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★★☆ (This series had one of the most attractive actors I've quite possibly ever seen in all my movie/TV watching years. The only reason it doesn't get a 5 in this department is because he was not featured in it enough LOL)
Mario
★★★★☆
This was such a bittersweet movie, but I really liked it. It was kind of like Handsome Devil but if it was about college soccer players instead of highschool rugby players. LOL. I don't want to spoil anything, but basically the crux of the film is about making a hard choice between two different types of passion, and how different people deal with their different decision. There's also this small little story thread throughout the whole thing about how this one character really likes Orca whales and it has got to be one of the sweetest, cutest, randomest, most endearing storylines ever. Every time something with an Orca whale came up I just about screamed with feels LOL.
The acting in this movie also just felt very natural. Sure they were speaking German, so maybe it's harder to tell if acting is bad if it's done in another language, but I was just impressed by how realistically all the characters interacted with each other.
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★★★ (FIVE OUT OF FIVE BABY, FIVE OUT OF FIVE. Did I watch this movie solely based on the fact that I looked up the hot actor from Unorthodox and then found this movie on his filmography page? Oh absolutely. Is he as excruciatingly good looking in this movie as he was in Unorthodox? Oh yes he was, perhaps even more so--can't decide if I like the short hair or the floppy curly hair better...both were stunning. And his snaggle tooth? Perfection. And his broody guy vibes? Grand. The other guy in the movie wasn't my cup of tea looks-wise, but he did have a really adorable smile and nice dimples.
I meannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Life as We Know It (Rewatch)
★★★☆☆
I've seen this movie at least once before, and it is really a cute Rom Com. Very solid. Not the funniest in the world, or the most adorable, but a really cute premise with some really quirky moments. Exactly the kind of movie you might watch with a group of people because there's something everybody would like in it and it's not too raunchy. It's a little basic and formulaic, but hey, the formula works right? And I honestly think it works better in this one than a lot of other Rom Coms. Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Josh Duhamel is objectively attractive. But why is he sweaty literally all the time?? This also has the guy from Sweet Home Alabama in it, but lemme tell you, Alabama looks way better on him than Pediatrician does)
The Peanut Butter Falcon
★★★★☆
This movie was a b-day gift from SE. Girl knows just the way to my heart. This movie was soooo good. The soundtrack. The plot. The special needs representation. The acting. The setting. GAHHHHHH it was so perfect. I know Shia LeBouf like went off the deep end for a while there, but MAN can ACT!!!!!! I mean he NAILED that gruff and grizzly dirty crab trappin North Carolina accent talkin aesthetic TO A T. And the guy who plays Zak??? I want to see him in a million more movies because I am so excited we're getting more stories about people with disabilities! Even Dakota Johnson charmed me, and I don't really like her very much at all. Also the old man from the old folks home is the same old man from Class Rank! And the guy who played Salt Water Redneck is the same guy who plays Lyle from George of the Jungle. Talk about a sweet cast. This was like an Americana roadtrip movie--aka one of my favorite genres of all time--but minus the vehicle. This was like Stand By Me but instead of a bunch of kids looking for a dead body, it was an arsonist fugitive and a wrestler wannabe with Down Syndrome looking for a washed up grizzly ole wrestler in Florida. LOL. I think my parents would like this movie, and my parents have surprisingly good movie taste. I might lend it to them.
My one complaint with this movie is that there's no way in real life that Tyler and Eleanor would end up together. It just would not happen. And I don't think it should have happened in the movie. I think they could have become friends. Close, wary acquaintances, sure. But lovas? Not a chance. Oh well. I understand how movies work, so I get that most movies have at least one random love storyline in them. But couldn't they have done more with the flashbacks to portray the past love stories of Eleanor and Tyler? Maybe that's just my opinion.
Attractive Actors Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (I'm glad this movie didn't have anyone attractive in it. It would have made it feel less realistic. I give this at least one star though because while Shia LeBouf is far from hunky in this film, he's just such a good actor and had a certain charm as his character that it was endearing.
Valentine's Day
★★☆☆☆
Well this was a super average Rom Com. I was not into it. I'm surprised I even finished it. I remember seeing part of this at school in a class one time?? Which I can't remember why?? Or what class or what grade? But clearly our teacher was NOT feeling like being educational that day because there's nothing enlightening about this film.It's kind of a shame because it's a Garry Marshall movie, and he has created some of the greatest Rom Coms of all time--Pretty Woman, Princess Diaries--but gotta say, this one was a major flop for me.
It's an ensemble movie, which can be fun sometimes, but is very hard to do in such a way that you feel fully invested in all of the lives and stories and relationships of all the characters. In my opinion, there has yet to be another movie to rival Love, Actually in its ability to do that. Valentine's Day definitely did not measure up. I felt like I didn't care about ANY of the love stories. I wasn't given enough time to get to know anything about the characters! And it was very clear that this movie was profitable because of its star studded cast and not because of its plot. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.
Attractive Actors Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Eh I mean they were a bunch of conventionally attractive famous actors. So nothing spectacular in my opinion. When Ashton Kutcher is the cutest guy in a movie, you know it's not exactly an Emmy Award winner.)
Well, once again I come to the conclusion that if I didn't watch so many movies, these blog posts wouldn't be so long and arduous to create...but alas, I will forever be a movieholic.
Peace out for now,
VaughnDL
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