Rambling Film

Official Synopsis : Armand, a 6-year-old boy, is accused of crossing boundaries against his best friend at elementary school. His mother, Elisabeth (Renate Reinsve) is called to his school to discuss an action plan. This is Norway's submission to the 2025 Oscars for Best International Feature and I've been itching to see what else Reinsve can do after her excellent performance in The Worst Person in The World . Turns out, she can do anything. I think she's even better here.  I have to acknowledge the elephant in the room (in the blog?) This is going to get A LOT of comparisons to Germany's The Teachers' Lounge and while those are not completely unwarranted - this is another film set entirely in a school where a crime may have been committed - Armand takes a very different look at its subjects and how it plays out.  The way this is shot is very captivating. Director Halfdan Ullmann Tøndel clearly knows what he's doing behind the camera despite this being his fir

Official Synopsis:  A mushroom trip brings free-spirited Elliott (Maisy Stella) face-to-face with her 39-year-old self. (Aubrey Plaza) But when Elliott's "old ass" delivers warnings to her younger self, Elliott realizes she has to rethink everything about her family, life and love. Never would I have expected to be crying at the end of a film called "My Old Ass" but there I was, sobbing over it on a Saturday night. Considering this film had the lighter subject matter of Director Megan Park's works so far, (the first being The Fallout ) that's pretty incredible. Stella and Plaza may not look alike, but in Maisy's performance you can see how she could grow up to become Plaza later on. Elliott is so thirsty for life and all it has to offer. Her relentless optimism was much needed for me in particular during times like these. I think she's wonderful here and I look forward to what she does in the future. If you're watching for Aubrey Plaza, just

Official synopsis:  Sheryl Bradshaw (Anna Kendrick), a single woman looking for a suitor on a hit 1970s TV show, chooses charming bachelor Rodney Alcala (Daniel Zovatto), unaware that, behind the man's gentle façade, he hides a deadly secret. Anna Kendrick not only stars in this film, based on an insane true story, but it's also her first time in the director's chair. That alone made this a priority for me after it premiered at Sundance. Now, thanks to Netflix, it's easily accessible for everyone. I think Kendrick has promise as a director. She has some great set ups here, and she thankfully does not focus on Alcala's sexual violence. She finds clever ways to let you know what happened without actually showing the act.  The biggest issue with Woman of the Hour is that it's telling the wrong story. Yes, it's insane that a serial killer ended up on nationally aired television dating show, but other than that, Sheryl Bradshaw doesn't have much to do with Al

I'll admit I didn't love season 2 of Hacks. So much so that I got a very late start on season three. Really, what propelled me was the conversation around the Emmys and how this was going to be a thorn in The Bear's side. So ahead of the ceremony, I started it. Onto my likes, dislikes, and things to look forward to. LIKES * Holy shit, this was hilarious. This got right back to season one levels for me. Deborah is still majorly insufferable but I cannot help but love watching her. She's such a dick. * This was absolutely Ava's season and I'm fully convinced the only reason Hannah Einbinder didn't win an Emmy for the final episode is because people are boycotting her being in the supporting category. (As they should, she's co-lead) * J Cameron Smith is always a blessing * Christina Hendrick's cameo. God, she's so beautiful. Her character was hilarious and awful.  * What a c*nt!! DISLIKES * Far too much Kayla. That was a character that should've

Official Synopsis:  An up-and-coming chef (Florence Pugh) and a recent divorcée (Andrew Garfield) find their lives forever changed when a chance encounter brings them together, in a decade-spanning, deeply moving romance. It takes a certain kind of actor to make me want to watch a film where you know without a shadow of a doubt someone is dying from cancer. Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield are such actors for me. I love their work, so I found myself ready to weep over them on a fall afternoon. I had hoped given the caliber of everyone involved that this story might be something different, but it's more of the same. You know exactly how this movie is going to end. But what makes it watchable is the chemistry of the lead actors. We follow Almut and Tobias through at least a decade of their lives, jumping around in various times, and no matter where we find them, they ooze chemistry. They are the film's beating heart. Jumping around in time can be tricky but I think the film did

Official synopsis:  After living life on the edge in London, Rona (Saoirse Ronan) attempts to come to terms with her troubled past. Hoping to heal, she returns to the wild beauty of Scotland's Orkney Islands where she grew up. Saoirse Ronan is one of my favorite working actresses and while she's played a variety of roles, she's never quite played the absolute mess Rona is. She's a hardcore alcoholic. She has good intentions, but ruins all the relationships around her. Going back to Orkney is a sobering experience for her in more ways than one. This film is adapted from Amy Liptrot's novel of the same name, and you can feel her love for Orkney all over this film. I was unfamiliar with the book before watching this, but I knew instantly that someone from Orkney had to be involved with making this film. It was just viewed so fondly. Saoirse of course is phenomenal. When isn't she? There's not a single second that she isn't on our screen. She carries this mo