Rambling Film

Official Synopsis: Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo), a misunderstood young woman because of her green skin, and Galinda, (Ariana Grande) a popular girl, become friends at Shiz University in the Land of Oz. After an encounter with the Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum), their friendship reaches a crossroads.   To be perfectly honest, I never really cared for the Wicked stage show. Defying Gravity is a great song, but I was pretty lukewarm on the rest of it. There was actually a point in time where I thought this movie might bomb based on all the drama that seemed to be coming from shooting. But alas, Wicked fever has taken over, and the talent involved got me to give this another try. Wicked is actually part 1, but the Marketing doesn't want you to know that until after you bought your ticket. The nearly three hour movie only covers the play's first act. On paper that doesn't sound great, but I actually really enjoyed seeing Elphaba's story a little more fleshed out. Especi...

Official Synopsis:  Follows the lives of the Charles family as they deal with themes of family legacy and more, in deciding what to do with an heirloom, the family piano. Denzel Washington is truly the gift that keeps on giving. Not just because he's an incredible actor, but also with what he produces.....talented kids and screen versions of August Wilson's plays.  I haven't been lucky enough to see any of Wilson's works on stage, but between Fences, Ma Rainey's Black Bottom , and now The Piano Lesson , all have transitioned well to film and have opened up new audiences to Wilson.  It's hard to believe this is director Malcolm Washington's first feature film. He's very skilled behind the camera. This feels much larger scale than the previous Wilson adaptations and much of that is how Washington chooses to shoot it. He makes the film feel like it exists beyond the main room it takes place in. That's not always easy for something that starts as a play...

Official synopsis:  The story of a boy, George (Elliott Heffernan) trying to get back to his mother Rita (Saoirse Ronan) during the German bombing campaign of London during World War II. Saoirse Ronan has had a year of knock out performances between this and The Outrun . It's not often we see her play a mother. So this feels very new, even though it's a story that has been done several times.  She's not the only one I will credit with a fresh take, most of that goes to Director/writer Steve McQueen. I always enjoy his films and this one feels the largest in scope. Centering this well documented event around a young black boy who constantly has to deal with the racism of his countrymen gives us a perspective we don't often see when revisiting WWII films. And Heffernan does a great job. George is stoic and he goes through SO much in the days that we follow him. Whenever he finds a kind person, like Ife (Benjamin Clémentine) you just want them stay with him and help. The s...

When WB announced a TV series dedicated to Colin Farrell's Penguin from the Batman franchise, I wasn't sure what to think. Of course I would be watching it, but it just felt like a strange way to go. Now it turns out this is one of the best limited series I've seen all year. As always, here are some likes, dislikes, and what to look forward to.  LIKES * They really made you feel the weight of the destruction the Riddler caused in The Batman . Seeing the flooding from Vic's point of view really raised the stakes and made you feel the devastation in a way that you couldn't fully grasp when we saw Batman handle it in the movie.  * Cristin Milioti, you will always be famous. * This was a great way to view an antagonist. Never at one point did I root for The Penguin, per say, but I did find it amusing when he's come out on top.  * I was on Sofia's side though... * The ending. Wow, that was sad. I wasn't expecting to feel sad at the end of this series. DISLIKE...

I'm very late with this write up, but how wonderful was Agatha All Along? Wandavision has been my favorite Marvel TV show to date, and this was a lovely follow up. It kept the spirit of its predecessor and was a fun story over all. As always, here are my likes, dislikes, and things to look forward to. LIKES * The costume changes! I love how they kept the theme of the changing decades by having them in different outfits with each task. That was a fun way to pay homage to the original * The acting was amazing. I laughed so hard at Kathryn Hahn's Kate Winslet in Mare of Easttown impression in the first episode.  * Ages three and up for a Ouija board.  * The way Billy came to be made sense. * Agatha continued to be a good mix of the villain we know her as in the series, and the more grey version she is in the comics *TEENAGER! (she used his full name) DISLIKES * Billy Maximoff, do NOT speak about your mother that way! * No Wanda cameo - which was always wishful thinking on my part...

Official synopsis:  When he returns home for his father's birthday, Sam (Elliott Page) finds that his family is struggling to accept his transition. While he did not pen the screenplay, Elliott Page is credited with the story. You can tell Page himself has lived some of these experiences. Sam is going back to his small Canadian home town, presumably the same way Page did himself, and dealt with different reactions to his transition. Because of this, I'm affording the film a little more grace. When someone has lived this, it becomes more than stilted dialogue and stock characters. I can appreciate the heart and the struggle, even though I would not call this a "great" film. I feel like I keep assigning caveats to Close To You. It feels like a first feature, with the score being the same few notes played over and over, but surely that's because there's not many studios willing to put up the budget for this? The dialogue is at times feels like the characters are...

Official synopsis:  Emilia Pérez follows four remarkable women in Mexico, each pursuing their own happiness. Cartel leader Emilia (Karla Sofía Gascón)  enlists Rita (Zoe Saldaña), an unappreciated lawyer, to help fake her death so that she can finally live authentically as her true self. When Emilia Perez started making waves at Cannes, I was not expecting this to be a musical about a drug kingpin getting gender affirming healthcare. You really have to hand it to director  Jacques Audiard and his writing team for being this bold. Granted I've only seen a few of his other films, but none of them were as out there as this.  Does it work as a musical? Honestly, I'm not sure, but I appreciated the camp in it. It does function as a very fascinating story. Zoe Saldaña gives the best performance of her career. It sounds like she's going to be campaigned in Supporting Actress for this upcoming Oscar season, which is category fraud at its finest. Saldaña is absolutely the le...

Official Synopsis : Mismatched cousins David and Benji (Jesse Eisenberg and Kieran Culkin) reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother. The adventure takes a turn when the odd-couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. I've always had a bit of a soft spot for Jesse Eisenberg. He gets a lot of flack for being "one note" but I tend to enjoy most of his movies. His last time in the director's chair ( When You Finish Saving The World ) was promising, and he's improved even more with A Real Pain .  Culkin and Eisenberg feel made for each other. You couldn't find two better actors to play these characters. You could argue Eisenberg is writing a version of himself but it's a very honest one. David may often get frustrated with Benji, but he also idolizes him in a way. In a few key scenes where he expresses it, I couldn't help but feel for him. I would say I'm a quieter person as well, and I...

Official synopsis: Anora, (Mikey Madison) a young sex worker from Brooklyn, meets and impulsively marries the son (Mark Eydelshteyn)  of an oligarch. Once the news reaches Russia, her fairytale is threatened as his parents set out for New York to get the marriage annulled. Sorry for being MIA since Nov 6th - The election depressed me, and then I had a full week of work travel. Now I'm trying to play catch up with everything I missed. Of course I had to start my return to the theater with one of the most talked about movies of the year. I've come to really enjoy Sean Baker's films. He often depicts sex workers in a very gentle and judgement free way, and that's no different in this story. I'm not quite sure what I expected from Anora , but it ended up being quite a bit funnier than I was anticipating. It could almost pass for a road trip comedy at one point. In a very ridiculous way, sure. But the thought was there. Mikey Madison has been catching viewers eyes in pl...

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 ...