A few weeks ago I went on a bit of a movie binge, and watched a bunch of light, enjoyable films. I’ve got a huge list of movies (and shows) to watch but I haven’t had the energy/emotional-strength to watch the heavier ones. I’m fast running out of films that are fun or relaxing, especially since I just plowed through these five.
God Help the Girl
After waiting for this movie to come out for years, and then forgetting to actually watch it when it became available, I FINALLY watch this movie. I think I rented it on Amazon. I greatly enjoyed it. It is not anywhere near the most original story--- depressed British girl deals with her emotions through music, makes hipster friends, struggles with whether or not/how to pursue a career in music. It was a very hipster movie, but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it! It is a musical which I really enjoyed; I liked the hipster pop music. The lead actors were good. The fashion and style of the film was fun. Despite being about a girl with emotional/mental health problems, it was a film that had a great spirit of fun and taking joy in the simple things like quirky outfits, dancing to pop music etc. It was infectious. I bought the soundtrack and danced around the house. I would definitely watch this again/host a sing-a-long.
The Holiday (Netflix btw)
This was a rom com I was always curious to watch (not sure why, because there are British people in it?) but never have. I think I was avoiding it because I was dubious that this film could convince me that there was a world in which Kate Winslet and Jack Black were a couple . . . I wouldn’t say that it convinced me, but I was ok with it the effort it made. And ok with the idea that it presented a relationship that maybe is or isn’t supposed to play out as true love after the credits roll. I got a kick out of this film. It had more to it than just ‘two beautiful women swap houses, hijinks ensue!’ I really enjoyed Iris’ story arc, and was pleasantly surprised by a lovely b-plot involving Eli Wallach. The relationship between Wallach’s character and Iris was way more beautiful than either of the romantic storylines this film was trying to cook-up. And also, why did I have a problem with Jack Black? He was a pleasure to watch in this film; he and Winslet did a great job building a relationship between their characters--- I would just say their chemistry was one more of friendship than of romance. Generally though, Diaz and Winslet’s acting was not their best in this film—Diaz because her acting was just not good (I do NOT buy this person as a successful trailer editor), Winslet because I think she was a little too good for this role; neither of their characters necessarily had that much depth but I was just hard to watch Winslet’s performance and believe that she could lack depth. Jude Law on the other had was alarmingly charming as hell in this movie. This movie was 100% a rom com, but it left me feeling warm and fuzzy and like I had seen something with a bit of meaning to it, rather than a mindless formula. I think I will make an effort to watch this at Christmastime from now on. Also, fun bonus: Rufus Sewell is in this, playing Iris’s charming, egocentric, hilariously oblivious (or is he?) ex.
For the following three films, one thing I have learned is that there is some mysterious force that takes perfectly good, little films and gives them ridiculous, cheesy titles.
Man Up (Netflix again)
The most stupid title of all of these. This makes the film sound like it’s trying to make some antiquated statement about gender. When really it is just a funny little comedy about two people searching for love. If we are looking for stupid titles for this movie, Get It Together, would have been much more accurate. Initially I was really biased against this movie because Lake Bell is doing something very anomalous and which usually ends badly, and that is being an American actor playing a British person. But I eventually decided that I was being a snob and should get over this. Also, I put my faith in Simon Pegg. Would Simon Pegg star in a movie that was so obviously trying to denigrate women? No, I decided, and gave it a shot. Turns out this movie was very enjoyable and funny throughout. Bell plays Nancy, a woman who hasn’t quite decided to try to get her life together and being encouraged to love. She decides to try a bit harder--- unfortunately by stealing another woman’s blind date. Things go really well, until they go really badly--- leading us into an amusing screwball comedy of sorts. I really enjoyed the twists, misunderstandings, mistaken identities, and reversals of fortune that steered this movie towards its eventual happy-ending. The movie was well-written. Characters, large and small, defied our expectations. The story wasn’t predictable or formulaic, but still gave us key emotional moments we want. And although Bell and Pegg are the stars of this film, it’s the supporting cast---each hilarious in their own right--- that really made this film so vibrant and high-energy. I had a good time watching this film, and is one of the few rom coms that has just as much (if not more) comedy as it does romance. Finally, Lake Bell is one of the few Americans I trust to play British.
If I Were You (Netflix, Holla!)
Where did this movie come from? I have no idea. I like it. It stars Marcia Gay Harden. It has a ridiculous, funny, clever presence. Woman discovers husband is cheating and decides to get revenge on his mistress . . . ends up starring in a modernist, amateur production of King Lear. What! Tell me more! Harden and the writer/director Joan Carr-Wiggin have crafted a fabulous main character in Madelyn. You are just rooting for her so hard, even as things get so hilarious out of control. I was really impressed with the multidimensional lead (female) characters, especially as Madelyn is meant to be an older woman. This film has moments of sadness, dark comedy, and screwball comedy--- and it has a lot of heart. Not to knock The Holiday, but this film had a lot of depth to it without getting the audience down or killing the comedy. Finally, if only they included the full version of their King Lear!
Begin Again (guess where I watched this??? Netflix!)
This title is dumb and doesn’t really get at what this film was about. I guess the main characters in this film are sort of ‘beginning again’ but ugh, what a stupid on-the-nose thing to call this. It really deserves something more poetic and mysterious. Anyways, this movie was written/directed by John Carney who also wrote/directed Once. So think of this film as a sort-of not-Irish, Beta-version of Once with less talented performers. That makes it sound like I hated it, but it’s a nice little movie. I liked it, but it doesn’t really hold a candle to Once. Partially this is because its not a very original story. Just as Once is about musicians in Dublin depressed about their relationships, this was about musicians in NYC depressed about their relationships. This time the film is very Brooklyn, and Mos Def and Ceelo also randomly appear and then disappear. Adam Levine is also in this (in a larger role than Ceelo), but don’t freak out, he does an ok job. A little self-indulgent, this film is still a nice, lyrical, dreamy watch, with hipster poprock that one can enjoy. Mark Ruffalo gets to bumble around and do his thing and play a guitar at some point I think. Similar to God Help the Girl, this film feels like a bit of an excuse to put some music to film, but you feel good when things pretty much work out for the best, even if it’s a bit bittersweet and unresolved.
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