Rambling Film

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

Official synopsis:  At 11:30pm on October 11th, 1975, a ferocious troupe of young comedians and writers lead by Lorne Michaels (Gabriel LaBelle) changed television forever. Find out what happened behind the scenes in the 90 minutes leading up to the first broadcast of Saturday Night Live. SNL has been on longer than I've been alive. I don't know a world without it, and it's something I've always watched. (Yes, SNL is still funny. It's always been funny, but everyone has their off days/shows) So watching a film by Jason Reitman, I director I generally enjoy was a given. Reitman must be living in his Aaron Sorkin era because I felt him all over the script. The dialogue is fast paced, there's a lot of quick cuts. It reminded me a lot of The Newsroom in places. That snappy feel is what I enjoyed most about Saturday Night .  Everything is two seconds away from falling apart, but they keep plugging away. The cast is varied. You have actors like Dylan O'Brien and

After a flawed, but still very watchable season 1. The Rings of Power is back for its second season on Amazon Prime, and the stakes are even higher. To preface, I'm a big fan of the Lord of the Rings movies, but I haven't read the books. I own them, and I'm somewhat familiar with the lore, but I'm not a purist. I'm coming to this as someone who is here to watch and enjoy, and not compare with the source material. So here are my likes, dislikes, and things I'm looking forward to if the series gets renewed. Minor spoilers, of course. LIKES * The Elves - This is a series that jumps around to different locations quite a bit but the elves consistently have the most interesting stories. Galadriel and Elrond are my two favorites and them mixing in with Adar and Celebrimbor this season was a treat. * Charles Edwards, Robert Aramayo, and Morfydd Clark better be seeing some acting nominations from the Globes and SAG. Really, the show as a whole should not be left out. The

Official Synopsis:  Three brothers (Daniel Portman, Brian Vernel, Calum Ross) return to the remote woodland where they killed their abusive father (Paul Higgins) only to discover his shallow grave is now empty, forcing them to question one another's loyalty with devastating consequences as fear and paranoia set in. Know this before going into Betrayal - originally titled Kill : (that's how you'll find it on Letterboxd) you will need to suspend a lot of disbelief. At first, it comes easy. We wouldn't have a movie if the brothers didn't make on crucial mistake at the beginning of the film.  But as the film went on, it was more of a struggle to continue to give it grace. The way flashbacks are introduced felt a bit clumsy, even though they are absolutely necessary for the story. There's a bigger secret hinted at throughout that in the end just felt like more of a distraction.  On the other side of it, Daniel Portman gives an amazing performance. He's always be

Official synopsis:  Follows twin brothers (Richard Madden) who find themselves in a dangerous love triangle on an isolated Greek island. The investigation is given to "The Jealousy Man," a wounded detective. (Joseph Gordon-Levitt) I would love to know what the working title of this film was, because I cannot imagine Killer Heat being the first choice. It is however, the first red flag in a film that it's horrible, but is very uninspired. Look, Joseph Gordon-Levitt is my favorite actor and he would do really well in a modern noir with a great script (Rian Johnson, stop giving him cameos only!) but this just wasn't it. I'm offering it a lot of grace for him, Richard Madden, and Shalene Woodley. While the central mystery is easy to guess, I just found this hollow. The narration and the actual dialogue between characters don't mesh well and I kept wishing these exact people were just in a better movie. Everything was disjointed, especially when they incorporate f

Official synopsis:  In this intimate portrayal of friendship, transition, and America, Will Ferrell and his close friend of thirty years Harper Steele decide to go on a cross-country road trip to explore a new chapter in their relationship. Harper Steele didn't get to become her authentic self until she was close to 60. As you can imagine, her buddy Will Ferrell (and many others) have questions. So what better way to explore those questions than a cross country road trip across the U.S, going to random bars and drinking shitty beer? That's what Harper and Will do, and they tackle the tough questions while having plenty of laughs and touching moments along the way. I shouldn't be surprised at how authentic this felt, but I'm a pretty cynical person. I wondered how this framing would work and it turns out, perfectly. Yes, there's tense moments, like when Harper and Will find themselves in a Texas steakhouse and the homophobes of Twitter go nuts about it, but most of i

Official Synopsis: Reality Winner (Emilia Jones) is a brilliant young misfit from Texas who finds her morals challenged while serving in the U.S. Air Force and working as an NSA contractor. If you live in the U.S, the name "Reality Winner" probably rings a bell. In fact, Emilia Jones says something along those lines at the beginning of the film. Just last year, another film - Reality ( I reviewed it ) was released. This film is very different, but I think they both should be seen as companion pieces. Director Susanna Fogel isn't interested in Reality's arrest, which was what Reality the film focused on. Instead she is interested in her life as a whole. How did this outspoken Texas teen become the woman we all know today? It's told with Jones' deadpan narration, a plucky soundtrack, and the occasional laugh.  It's a fun watch. I didn't find it as inspired as Reality , and I cannot stress enough that you should see both, but it's nice to see what J

Official Synopsis: This tense, touching, and funny portrait of family dynamics follows three estranged sisters (Carrie Coon, Natasha Lyonne, Elizabeth Olsen) as they converge in a New York apartment to care for their ailing father and try to mend their own broken relationship with one another. Despite a cast of women that I absolutely love, the first few minutes of His Three Daughters was not selling me. It felt stilted, unnatural. I wondered if the entire movie would feel like actors talking at each other instead of sisters going through one of the toughest moments in life together. But thankfully, I ended up fully immersed in their hardship and by the end I was a blubbering mess. This film really makes you feel the space of this apartment. By the end of it, you could probably draw the layout. No one is on top of each other, but it's close enough proximity to rarely have a moment to yourself, though Rachel (Lyonne) certainly tries. Having gone through these final moments with lov

Official synopsis : A fading celebrity(Demi Moore) decides to use a black-market drug, a cell-replicating substance that temporarily creates a younger, better version of herself. (Margaret Qualley) It's not secret how hard society is on women aging. We're marketed anti-wrinkle creams and serums from our teen years. And if there's one line of work where it's especially true, it's show business. Elisabeth Sparkle (Moore) is feeling that more than ever. She overhears her sexist boss, Harvey (Dennis Quaid) saying he needs someone young. So when the titular substance becomes available to her, how can she not take it? This is one of the best performances Moore has ever given. There's so much sadness and anger in Elisabeth's eyes, and rightfully show. All of the cast was wonderful. I've never wanted to punch Dennis Quaid in the face more. The production design is absolutely stunning and it will be a travesty if this team is not nominated for an Oscar. The score

Kaos is a modern day retelling of Greek mythology that boasts an eclectic cast of actors. We've got big players like Jeff Goldblum as Zeus, Janet McTeer as Hera, Stephen Dillane as Prometheus, David Thewlis as Hades, and Cliff Curtus as Poseidon. Along with newer (to me at least faces like Rakie Ayola, Aurura Perrineau, Nabhaan Rizwas, Misia Butler and Leila Farzad. Season one is a take on Orpheus and Eurydice, as well as the start of the downfall of Zeus. I have to admit, as much as I love Jeff Goldblum when I saw this show on Netflix, I took one look at it and thought "That's probably too much." It wasn't until I finally placed Stephen Dillane's voice (because he narrates before we see him) that I really got pulled into this. Even if you already know the myths, it's a fun way of revisiting them. This show is a very dark comedy. There's plenty of laughs but the Gods being Gods do some horrifically brutal things. Goldblum especially as Zeus, whether h

What a night for the Emmys! Dan and Eugene Levy stuck to banter instead of annoying skits, the Emmys honored several archetypes throughout the show as presenters, which was a nice touch, and there were still a few surprises. Below is a list of winners, plus my thoughts. Of the 20 categories I predicted, I got 13 right.  Outstanding Comedy Series Abbott Elementary The Bear Curb Your Enthusiasm Hacks Only Murders in the Building Palm Royale  Reservation Dogs The biggest shock of the night was also the last award announced. After The Bear broke the record for single wins for a comedy, they didn't take home the top prize. Honestly, I'm shocked. Even with the "Bear isn't a comedy" argument, I still thought it would prevail. I can't say I'm too upset because Hacks is an excellent show. But wow, what a surprise.  Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary Ayo Edebiri, The Bear Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building Maya Rudo

Official synopsis:   Ada (Michelle Colman Padron), who has a proclivity for plants uses her talents to take care of her ailing mother Mirren (Eloisa Cardona). When Mirren dies suddenly under mysterious circumstances, Ada spends the next seven years isolating herself from the world. One day, she hears a mysterious song, drawing her to a hidden creek, as well as Wren (Taylor Freeman), a spirited teenager with whom she develops a close friendship.  I Watched Her Grow's crew was more than 50% women, and 75% of those identifying as BIPOC. Because of this, it was awarded the prestigious  ReFrame stamp.  I love to see this type of representation in film, and how wonderful for first time director Shea Formanes. Formanes has written quite a few op-eds, ones that I had read even before finding out she directed this film, so I'm not surprised at all that the story is the highpoint. It's part coming-of-age, part sci-fi fantasy. At a very brisk 66 minutes, it never has time to be dull.

It's Emmy prediction time! With the awards right around the corner (Sep 15th) It's time to guess who I think will win, and in some cases, who should win. Brace yourselves, it's going to be a lot of the same show over and over. Outstanding Comedy Series Abbott Elementary The Bear Curb Your Enthusiasm Hacks Only Murders in the Building Palm Royale  Reservation Dogs What We Do in the Shadows Who will and should win: The Bear Keep in mind, this is for season 2, so The Bear is the clear winner for me. If this were season 3, it would be a different story. Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series Quinta Brunson, Abbott Elementary Ayo Edebiri, The Bear Selena Gomez, Only Murders in the Building Maya Rudolph, Loot Jean Smart, Hacks Kristen Wiig, Palm Royale Who will and should win: Ayo Edebiri Ayo is finally in the right category and although Quinta Brunson is strong competition, she should take it here.  Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Matt Berry, What We Do in the Sha

Official synopsis:  In 2008, during the last month of summer before high school begins, an impressionable 13-year-old Taiwanese American boy (Izaac Wang) learns what his family can't teach him: how to skate, how to flirt, and how to love your mom. (Joan Chen) When I first saw the trailer for Didi, I knew it was something I wanted to take my son to despite the R rating. (which is mostly for swearing) I felt like it might speak to him as a boy about to start his teen years. So we went together, and chatted about the film afterwards. Like mother like son, I guess, because neither of us particularly liked this film very much. It does serve as a visual "not to do" list of how you treat people. I talk a lot about kindness with my son, and how being mean and trying too hard doesn't make you cool. Kindness gets you a long way. Being a douchebag doesn't, and Didi kind of sucks. All teenagers kind of suck in a way, but we don't really see Didi get better. We know he'

  Official synopsis: A dramatization of the 1989 Montréal Massacre, during which several female engineering students were murdered by an unstable misogynist. My aim for Blind Spots are usually films that came out before my life time, but sometimes there's an occasional film in the 2000's that's eluded me, and in my quest to see all of Denis Villeneuve's films, Polytechnique is that film for me.  I hate how desensitized school shootings are in America these days. While I was somewhat familiar with this true life horror story, I could not help but watch and think "why didn't they do this?" "How did those men just leave?" And I shouldn't have to ask those questions, but I live in an age where I read about one every month and my kid tells me about the active shooter drills he does at school. It's inescapable.  I wondered what Villeneuve could have to say, bringing this massacre to light. He clearly did his homework, and got approval from the

Official synopsis : When tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) meets cocktail waitress Frida (Naomi Ackie) at his fundraising gala, he invites her to join him and his friends on a dream vacation on his private island. As strange things start to happen, Frida questions her reality. Do you ever leave a film and immediately think "This is what X movie was trying to do?" Because that's how I felt leaving Blink Twice . This is exactly what the makers of Don't Worry Darling were going for (and my spicy hot take is that this is what Promising Young Woman was going for too) Zoe Kravitz, in her great directorial debut understands the assignment. She knows what type of 3rd act a movie like this needs to have.  You wouldn't guess she's a first time director by how well this film is made. The Slater's island is your dream resort getaway. The champagne is always flowing, everything is clean and pristine. It's easy to see why Frida and her friend Jess (Ali

Official synopsis:  The daughter of a convicted German spy (Ingrid Bergman) is asked by American agents to gather information on a ring of German scientists in South America. How far will she have to go to ingratiate herself with them? This might be the least Hitchcocky Hitchcock film I've come across yet. I think going into it I expected it to be higher on the suspense and less on the romance and it's quite the opposite.  Watching this made me want to reshuffle my Blind Spot list to add more of Ingrid Bergman's filmography. She's amazing in this. I felt bad for how self destructive her character was and wanted nothing but good things for her. Though I feel like I'm going to be in the minority with the next bit... I did not like Cary Grant in this. At all. I didn't believe for one second that Devlin was actually in love with Alicia because Grant always looked like he was staring off into space. They didn't have the chemistry required to sell me on this and i

Official synopsis:  Fran (Daisy Ridley), who likes to think about dying, makes the new guy (Dave Merheje) at work laugh, which leads to dating and more. Now the only thing standing in their way is Fran herself. Human connection is important, and it's something that Fran lacks. She enjoys her spreadsheets, but you'd be hard pressed to know anything else she enjoys. Fran's a mystery, and one the film doesn't quite unravel. I expect this quiet little film to divide audiences. Not much happens, but it says a lot between the lines. The setting in a small Oregon town perfectly matches the film's tone. It's cold, a bit bare, but there's something curious underneath. Ridley is an interesting actress, and even though she doesn't have much to do here, she was still fun to watch, as was Merheje. I just wish we could've gotten a bit more back story on both characters. Like, how was this Robert's FIRST job at his big ol' age? What was Fran's life like

Official Synopsis:  While scavenging the deep ends of a derelict space station, a group of young space colonists come face to face with the most terrifying life form in the universe. The Alien franchise is one that covers the entire rating spectrum. It ranges from near perfection to absolute flops. But we love those xenomorphs, so we keep throwing money at them. The newest offering, Romulus was probably the most interested I've been in an Alien film in quite some time.  With a director like Fede Alvarez, I expected him to dial up the gore in this one, but Romulus is no more gory than it's predecessors.  We're again introduced to a small group of characters that include a few we can root for like Andy, (the stand out Jonsson) and others who we root for to meet their end, like Bjorn. (Spike Fern) Rain (Cailee Spaeny) is our main heroine and I was legitimately invested in her and Andy's story. It's annoying that the film suddenly turns Rain into Ripley's doppleg

Official synopsis:  17-year-old Gretchen (Hunter Schafer) is forced to move with her family to a resort where things are not what they seem. These pristine medical spas/resorts in the Alps are practically red flags themselves now. Cuckoo is here to further that stereotype. Gretchen just lost her mother, and is moving in with her father, his much younger wife, and their mute child together. She's clearly going through a lot of trauma, and her anger is misplaced against her younger sister. The head doctor, Herr Konig  (Dan Stevens) seems to want to keep her busy, but we all know something is amiss. Cuckoo is pretty damn creepy. It doesn't have elaborate effects, but it plays with shadows and quick cuts of someone lurking. I've never seen a random blonde woman in sunglasses look so scary. I can't help but compare it to Longlegs , another quiet, unsettling film I've seen recently, and where Cuckoo excels is that it never gives us time to drag and our lead actress prope

House of the Dragon wrapped its sophomore season, and now we have a long 2 year wait for season 3. Hopefully they can speed that up somehow because trust me, they need it. I figure if you're reading this, you probably also watched the season and don't need me to recap it, so I'm going to share some likes, dislikes, and things to look forward to. LIKES 1. Ramin Djawadi's score SLAYS as always. Honestly, it was the best part of the finale 2. Raenyra's face when she figures out Daemon's role in "Blood & Cheese"  3. The dragons look amazing 4. Jace, Baela and Rhena got some extra time, which I love for them. I also love the juxtaposition between Raenyra and her children vs Alicent and her children 5. ALL HAIL RHAENYS, QUEEN WHO NEVER WAS! 6. Little Lord Tully. Bless Cat's ancestors.  6. And finally...the changes from the book. Look, GRRM is an excellent writer but let's not pretend all of his books are hits. F&B was a book of Targaryan bull

Official synopsis:  Deadpool (Ryan Reynolds) is offered a place in the Marvel Cinematic Universe by the Time Variance Authority, but instead recruits a variant of Wolverine (Hugh Jackman) to save his universe from extinction. I'm back after another long week of traveling so I know this review is coming late - but I did make it to see Marvel's next offering! I also re-watched the first two Deadpools in preparation...and realized just how much of them I had forgotten. I don't love Ryan Reynolds as an actor. He's good as Deadpool, and he clearly loves playing him, but it wears on me. Fortunately, like Cable in the last film, Wolverine breathes life into the 3rd chapter. This was so much fun. Some of the fourth wall breaking is grating but a lot of the references absolutely hit (like two comments about separate divorces...hilarious) I wasn't expecting this to be such a love letter to the Fox era of super hero flicks. Even the credits are an ode to what came before.  Plo

Official synopsis: A surgeon (Pierre Brasseur) causes an accident which leaves his daughter (Edith Scob) disfigured and goes to extreme lengths to give her a new face.  I fell off the wagon with my Blind Spots the last few months. A lot of what I wanted to watch isn't available on streaming, so I had to pivot a bit. I was hoping to make this my October watch, but I can't count on this to still be around then. I'm about 3 months behind, but hopeful I'll be able to catch up in the coming months. Summer always tends to distract me. I'd rather be outside. What surprised me the most about this film was how graphic it was. It's nothing like the gore and body horror you see today, but I was legitimately surprised with what they showed considering this film was made in 1960. I expected nearly everything to be off screen, but they really get into it.  It's very foreboding. You legitimately fear for all the women that the surgeon and his assistant come across. You al