Movies -- A Recap -- Part XI

Destination Wedding was funnier than I expected it to be.  Two of my old faves, Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder, play two wedding guests, neither of whom is happy to be there.  The story is exactly as predictable as it sounds, but the comic timing of the two of them is great, and they make a cute pair.

 

 

 

The Aeronauts was not a very good movie.  By the tail end there is finally a little bit of emotional traction which is absent throughout the remainder of the movie.  It is an interesting story, although I have no idea if there is any basis in reality, and if so how much.

While on the subject of science history (or something approaching history perhaps), we watched Radioactive.  It's about Pierre and Marie Curie.  Rosamund Pike played Marie Curie, and I really liked her in that role.  It is certainly an interesting history, to the extent that it is true; it is just that it seems like a lot of liberties were taken in the interest of drama, when really that probably wasn't necessary.  Not to mention (although I am), that it just goes a little to far in some places.  For example, it connects (or tries to connect) the Curies' work and the atomic bomb and Chernobyl.  Stick to your own story.  And it gets into sort of a weird mystical thing at the end.  Hm.  Now that I'm writing about it, really the only good thing was Rosamund Pike

Sometimes it's good to go back and watch an old movie again.  Take The Hunt for the Red October, for example.  I recall, as a probably-too-young child, seeing parts of this movie.  For the first time as an adult, I watched the whole thing from start to finish.  Holy cow, the tension! It is aged, but has done so better than I would have expected. I'll give credit for that to the stunning cast.  Enjoyable.

Here's another one that it's hard to believe I hadn't seen: Amadeus.  Right?  How can I not have seen this?  I loved the interweaving of the story of his life and the creation of his music.  His life happens, and the inspiration pours from that into his music.  It reminded me a lot of Shakespeare in Love, how you would hear little snippets of language in dialogue on the street as the Bard traversed London which would then end up in his plays.  Although, Amadeus actually came out 14 years before Shakespeare in Love, so maybe Shakes actually reminds me of Amadeus.  This was, in case it somehow escaped your notice, a huge Oscar winner: best actor for F. Murray Abraham; best picture; best adapted screenplay; best director; set design; costume design; sound; and makeup.

Due Date was quite a change from the last two.  It was sort of funny.  I've always really liked Robert Downey, Jr., despite his personal missteps.  I do not feel the same way about Zach Galifianakis.  Very hit or miss, mostly miss.  However, he was less annoying than usual in this one, which had some decently funny moments.

I can, without reservation, say that I did not like I'm Thinking of Ending Things.  I can get behind a good psychological thriller, but this one was just not good.  My favorite pop culture podcast described it as "a movie you pretend to like when you're dating a guy who's studying film."  Couldn't agree more.

I love Carey Mulligan.  I mostly love Jake Gyllenhaal.  I was predisposed to like Wildlife.  It's based on the Richard Ford novel (which I have not read, but would be interested to hear contrasts if anyone has).  Joe is a teenager in mid-century Montana whose parents' marriage is on the outs.  When his father (played by Gyllenhaal) loses his job and takes a job - against his wife's wishes - fighting a wildfire, and leaving his wife and son to fend for themselves.  Mom makes no bones about the fact, with Joe, that she's unhappy about that choice.  I went back and forth between hating the dad and hating the mom more.  Joe turns out to be the only adult movie.  But, despite hating the parents, I liked the movie for what it was.  It's a bit dark and sad, but if that's what you're in the mood for, it's got you.

13th got a lot of press.  I thought I would like it.  I like history.  But I didn't like it.  I could say that I didn't like it because it left no room for opposing viewpoints, which is true.  Really, though, I think I didn't like it mostly because it's boring.  It felt about twice as long as it actually is.  The music is well-curated though.