Rambling Film

Official Synopsis:  An ostracized Fisherwoman (Olivia Colman) commissions the local Basketmaker (Peter Dinklage) to weave her a husband (Alexander Skarsgard), but when her wicker creation proves unexpectedly extraordinary, his presence ignites jealousy and upheaval that threatens their quiet village. This has been one of my most anticipated films since Sundance. Not only because the cast is fantastic but because the movie seems so outrageous. The marketing focused heavily on the sex aspect of the Fisherwoman (yes, that's her actual name. Everyone is named after their profession, or they're the wife of said profession) and her Wicker Husband, so I expected a film mostly about sexual liberation. But it really isn't about that. There's significantly less wicker dick then the trailers would have you believe. Instead, the story is more about balance in a relationship and how marriage should be about partnership. Sure, they have great sex, but they also dance sweetly and the ...

  Official Synopsis: Dismissed as underdogs before they even step onto the pitch, the Emei Women’s Football Team enters the prestigious Supreme Invincible Cup determined to prove everyone wrong. Back in 2005 I went on a date with a guy who took me to see a movie called Kung Fu Hustle.  He’d loved the director’s previous film, Shaolin Soccer and insisted that it was okay that I hadn’t seen that one before we dove into Hustle. I was pretty flabbergasted with that movie at the time, but I did grow to appreciate how ridiculous it was. So when I saw Shaolin Soccer  was getting a spiritual successor following a woman’s soccer team, I of course wanted to check it out. Unfortunately the majority of the goofy kung fu one would expect from a Stephen Crow film takes a back to seat to complete AI slop. According to Chow, about 50% of the film’s budget went towards generative AI for the visual effects and if I had known that before pressing play, I would’ve skipped it all together on...

Official Synopsis:  When a theft goes awry, a veteran pickpocket, Harry (John Turturro) is sent on a mission through New York to reclaim what he stole A film asking you to follow and sympathize with a thief is already tough ask. Thankfully, a perfectly cast John Turturro is there to help guide us along the way. Even though we’re talking about pickpockets, the love for New York is front and center in this film. It’s beautifully shot in a way only a born and raised New Yorker could do. This is Noah Segan’s second time in the director’s chair for a feature, and he’s clearly put a lot of work into his craft.  I find myself at a crossroads with this film because much of it is good, but there is one plot point that I’m having a hard time getting past. Turturro like I said is perfectly cast. And while Harry is not painted in a good light, he’s still pleasant enough to follow around, even when he’s making awful decisions. Having a veteran actor play against other vets like Steve Busce...

This summer I decided to finally see what all the fuss was about The Diplomat , the Keri Russell led drama that recently premiered its 4th season on Netflix. Now that I'm finally caught up. It's time to put my thoughts down on "paper" The Good * The actors: Russell is perfectly cast and I really need to go back and watch The Americans  * Rufus Sewell is fascinating. I always think of A Knight's Tale when I see him, and this type of role that borders on being a villain is great for him.  * Ato Essandoh should be getting way more attention for this role that he does * Rory Kinnear playing the British Prime Minister again! At least there's no pigs involved in this show. * Georgie Hensley is so sweet. I wish she was in the show more.  * Allison Janney and Bradley Whitford are both great additions to the show later on in the series. * For the story - especially the first season, it moves very quickly and there's always a mystery to be solved.  The Bad * It is v...

Official Synopsis:  Liz Baxter (Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor)  works as a nanny for a prominent white family in Oakland, California. In 1967 she discovers that the Connor children are suffering under the hands of their mother, Jane, (Rachel Lefevre) and attempts to step in to protect the children. This film is based on an autobiography of the same name written by Todd Connor, one of the children who Liz ultimately saved. According to Connor, Liz's bravery goes unnoticed for years until he stands up at her funeral and shares how she saved his and his siblings' lives. I haven't read his novel so I can't compare the film to page, but the admiration for Liz is easy to see.  Writer/Director Sterling Macer Jr has a tough task of re-contextualizing a child's story of his caretaker that he loved so much with what was going on in Okaland in the 60's. This was the during the rise of the Black Panther movement and any encounter a black person had with law enforcement in that time...

Official Synopsis: Thirty-four days before she's sent to prison, notorious Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes invites a skeptical film crew to document her every move. What begins as an intimate portrait becomes a mind-bending three-year journey. I can't remember the last time a documentary has generated this much buzz prior to Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's You Can See Everything . Fielder, famous for his comedy staring incredulously at the never blinking Elizabeth Holmes in that teaser was enough to make everyone both uncomfortable and intrigued. And that feeling it kept out for it's nearly 3 hour run time. It feels far more cinematic than the typical talking heads style doc we're used to.  Like everything else you've probably heard, the less you know about where this goes the better. I would take it a step further and tell you to not even look at the film's IMDb page if you REALLY want to be surprised.  The amount of access Elizabeth and her husband...