Alright so for whatever reason it’s been two full years since the last time I posted my “last movie seen,” that changes now. Get ready for a long list of movies (don’t worry, not from these past two years).
In here…
Call Me By Your Name (2017) - A seemingly effortlessly beautiful film. Makes me want to move to Italy and read all the time and think about swinging the other way (almost). If I have one complaint, it’s that we don’t spend enough time with the main couple once they become a couple, but perhaps that’s on purpose? Either way, a film that has stayed with my long since I saw it. A-
Free Fire (2017) - A sort of fun little action set piece flick, set in Boston (which is always with my final score). I definitely appreciate how clumsy it all was, even if there ultimately isn’t much weight to the violence. And great cast (Armie Hammer again, killing it). B
Wonder (2017) - Saw this on a whim. Not usually a big fan of these kind of person with disability makes everybody a better person movies, especially when they’re also precocious little kid gets bullied but then makes everyone happy movies, but this one took the subject frankly (even if still sentimentally) and explored the other characters as well, which really elevated it. B
All the Money in the World (2017) - A film almost as cold as J. Paul Getty, which actually works in its favor. A great story, with a some impressive performances (considering their last minute nature), but not quite as suspenseful as it needed to be. B
Fire and Ice (1983) - Awesome animation, though for some reason the running really bothered me. Weird complaint, I know. Pretty thing story, terrible characters, so the visuals was really all it had going for it (again, besides the running animation). C-
I, Tonya (2017) - A thoroughly enjoyable watch, even if it doesn’t quite have the edge it thinks it does. Didn’t feel satisfied with the answers they gave for the “incident” either. Margot Robbie is great, though. B
The Post (2017) - What is there to say except that Spielberg does it again. This is truly a master at work, every scene is perfectly staged, the whole thing moves at breakneck speed with you on the edge of your seat, even though there’s basically no action to speak of. Loved the business angle that was shown with Streep’s character, really ties the whole film together. One of my favorites this past year. A
The Meyerowitz Stories (2017) - Not a Sandler fan at all but this proves once again that he’s good when he’s not playing a caricature. The movie’s basically just about the family dynamics so probably the highest compliment I can give it is that I bought them as a family. Main issue is the female family members don’t really get any respect which is just odd. B
A Ghost Story (2017) - Powerful existential story about love and loss and time and space and infinity. Not quite as moving as I wanted it to be, but still an engaging watch. B+
The Beastmaster (1982) - Pretty much bad in every conceivable way. Only redeeming bits being some cool action and a fun premise. D
xXx (2002) - A James Bond film with none of the charm, intrigue, suspense, or fun. Not good! D
xXx: State of the Union (2005) - Better in some ways than the last but a lot worse in others. At least it’s more ridiculous and therefore more watchable. D+
xXx: The Return of Xander Cage (2017) - Actually fun, thank god! They took the Fast and Furious route with this, more ensemble and less Diesel, and more ridiculousness and less seriousness. Quite watchable. B-
Paddington (2014) - Surprisingly engaging and delightful film, lots of fun to be had. B
Mudbound (2017) - Little too sprawling for its own good, but still a very compelling story. B+
The Foot Fist Way (2008) - Pretty slight but amusing. Not as funny as it needed to be, though. Still, McBride is great. C-
It Comes at Night (2017) - Nice little suspense picture. Never fully cared, but still somewhat gripping. B-
Darkest Hour (2017) - Gary Oldman is, of course, amazing, and the production values are great, but otherwise it’s a fairly straightforward biopic. B
The Lost City of Z (2017) - A good old fashioned adventure picture, the likes I haven’t seen in quite some time. Pretty great, but Charlie Hunnam is a bit of a weak link. B+
Super Dark Times (2017) - Very tense coming of age sort of film, though not of the typical sort. Some third act twists are the only thing that impede on what otherwise feels very authentic. B+
Good Time (2017) - I love this kind of get stuck in some shit and spend the whole runtime trying to work your way out kinda story. Robert Pattinson and the musical score make highly recommend it. B+
Breakfast at Tiffany’s (1961) - I truly don’t know what took me so long to watch this, though I’m glad I finally did. Besides the obvious (Mickey Rooney) and a couple lines of dialogue, the film actually feels a good bit ahead of its time. A-
Paddington 2 (2018) - Even better than the first, a fantastic little movie that has some surprising emotional heft to it. It’s better than it looks. B+
Roman Holiday (1953) - Well I had forgotten how much I liked Audrey Hepburn, so I decided to finally watch another of hers. A beautiful picture, and Hepburn’s great in it. I don’t totally buy the relationship with Peck’s character, but whatever. Still good. B+
Molly’s Game (2017) - Probably tries to pack too much into one movie, and almost works, except I ultimately don’t think the emotional core (with her dad) truly works. An interesting watch though. B+
Sabrina (1954) - Hepburn’s great again, though the story’s not as interesting. I don’t really buy any of the romantic pairings, but the cast makes the whole film a breeze. B
The Thomas Crown Affair (1968) - A treat to see Boston in the sixties! Oh, and the film is good too. Great style and interesting main characters, even if I feel like we never quite crack the surface of what makes them tick (though I suppose that’s part of the point. B
Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017) - When a film is so completely overwhelmed by a central character/performance, it helps to make it all about them. And thus is Denzel/Roman, and I’d say the film is worth watching for that alone, if not for the fitting and heartbreaking morality play that surrounds him. B+
Well that’s it for now. I’ll try to post more regularly in the future, so there’ll be less of this^ kind of thing.
Why would you watch xXx?
Great question.