Rambling Film

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...

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...