Rambling Film

Official synopsis:  Two young men, Lionel (Paul Mescal) and David (Josh O'Connor)  set out to record the lives, voices and music of their American countrymen after WWI. Sound isn't just something you hear. You can see it, feel it, associate it with colors and memories. Lionel and David are a perfect match in how much they appreciate songs.  From singing in a bar, to hiking through Maine in search of something new, it's easy to fall in love with these two. I wasn't aware this film was based on a short story until after the credits started rolling, but it that makes sense. I was struck at just how rich this story was. Even though it hits some familiar notes, it felt very fresh. There were some scenes that felt clunky, likely because writer Ben Shattuck had to expand his original work, but they are few and far between. Mescal and O'Conner have been proving themselves as some of the most interesting actors working today for a while now, and they deliver wonderful perfor...

84 years later, I'm here to share my thoughts on the Emmy winners. I didn't get to watch the show live, and I've been traveling since. Below is a list of winners + my thoughts. I'd love to hear yours in the comments Best Drama Series Andor The Diplomat The Last of Us Paradise The Pitt Severance Slow Horses The White Lotus So I knew The Pitt was popular (I plan on starting it after I wrap up 2 series I have on deck beforehand) but I was really surprised to see it overtake Severance here.  Best Comedy Series Abbott Elementary The Bear Hacks Nobody Wants This Only Murders in the Building Shrinking The Studio The Studio winning big was no surprise here. Seth Rogen had a good night.  Best Limited or Anthology Series Adolescence Black Mirror Dying for Sex Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story The Penguin Adolescence had a great showing tonight, and it was very well deserved. I hate that this had to go head to head with The Penguin. In a perfect world, they'd both win...

Official synopsis:  Movie star Marlon Brando (Billy Zane) recruits a Los Angeles architect, Bernard Judge (Jon Heder) to build the world's first ecologically perfect retreat on a small, uninhabited island in Tahiti. Waltzing With Brando showed up on the Oscar shortlist for Best Makeup late last year, only for the film not to meet the eligibility requirements to qualify. Then it felt like it disappeared. (Kind of like Brando seemingly wanted to do in Tahiti) I had mostly forgotten about it until the screener landed in my inbox. Now with release date later this week, we're ready to see Zane's passion project. First and foremost, Zane makes an excellent Brando. He nails his mannerisms and almost sounds exactly like him. The film has Zane recreate some of Brando's iconic scenes, and while not really necessary for the story being told, it was fun to see. I'd love for Zane and the makeup team involved here to really tackle a hard hitting biopic about him. He lived quite ...

Official synopsis:  A tinderbox of competition and resentments underneath the façade of a picture-perfect couple, Theo and Ivy (Benedict Cumberbatch and Olivia Colman) is ignited when Theo's professional dreams come crashing down. I'll start by saying I've never seen Danny DeVito's original The War of the Roses , so I cannot compare the two. After watching this, I would like to check it out eventually because this was absolutely hysterical.  Cumberbatch and Colman would make a great couple in any kind of movie, but it's nice to see them get to flex their comedic chops here. Theo and Ivy have a great meet cute, and a great report until things come crashing down for them. They're also surrounded by a (mostly) great supporting cast that matches their energy. Alison Janney shows up for 5 minutes and has one of the funniest lines in the entire movie. I had one minor problem with the film, and critic David Chen summed it up very well on his Letterboxd: "Kate McK...

The Emmys are next week! I won't get to watch the ceremony live due to another commitment, but I plan on following along on my phone as best I can. I feel like I'm constantly playing catch up with movies and TV lately, so I'll probably be way off in my predictions, but these posts are always fun to write. Here's who I think will win, and in some cases who should win. Best Drama Series Andor The Diplomat The Last of Us Paradise The Pitt Severance Slow Horses The White Lotus Who will win: Severance Who should win: Andor...but also Severance. Look, I love Severance as much as everyone else but Andor really blew me away this year. I wish it would take the top prize, but I don't see that happening.  Best Comedy Series Abbott Elementary The Bear Hacks Nobody Wants This Only Murders in the Building Shrinking The Studio What We Do in the Shadows Who will win: The Studio Who should win: What We Do in the Shadows I haven't caught up with season 4 of Hacks, and I'm not...

Official synopsis : Follows Elvira (Lea Myren) as she battles against her gorgeous stepsister, Agnes (Thea Sofie Loch Næss)  in a realm where beauty reigns supreme. She resorts to extreme measures to captivate the prince ( Isac Calmroth)  , amidst a ruthless competition for physical perfection. It's no coincidence that some of the best body horror films are ones that are about the ridiculous beauty standards placed upon women. "Beauty is pain" after all. The two go hand in hand.  Here, first time director Emilie Blichfeldt takes a classic fairy tale that we all know and dials it up to eleven. Prepare to cringe. Poor Elvira goes to serious lengths to be deemed "beautiful." Nevermind that Elvira IS already beautiful, but she has *gasp* braces and a bump in her nose. ( allegedly) Her mother doesn't support her daughter and tell her she's fine the way she is, instead she encourages the painful procedures Elvira goes through. It's hard to watch on multipl...

Official Synopsis:  Years into their relationship, Tim (Dave Franco) and Millie (Alison Brie) find themselves at a crossroads as they move to the country. With tensions already flaring, an encounter with an unnatural force threatens to corrupt their lives, their love and their flesh. Together had a lot of buzz coming out of Sundance only to be hit with a plagiarism lawsuit against another film that was apparently pitched to Franco and Brie back in 2020 - Better Half. I wondered if this would ruin the film's chances at a wide release, but they prevailed and Better Half still doesn't have a distributer to release the film so the world can compare. The lawsuit is still ongoing, though.  I have to admit that did give me pause, but I still wanted to see this. If Better Half ever gets a release, I'll watch that too. Together is exactly as creepy, gross, and amusing as I'd hoped it would be. It makes for a worthy entry into the body horror genre. It's not very bloody, bu...

Official synopsis:  A gay novelist, Owen (Fionn O'Shea) and his psychiatric nurse (Erin Kellyman) bond over a series of "dates" prescribed to "cure" his homosexuality. He tells her how his previous relationship degenerated when his partner, Philip (Robert Aramayo) tried a risky procedure to become heterosexual. Robert Aramayo has been absolutely killing it on Amazon's The Rings of Power , a show that apparently only myself and my husband watch. Through him, this little film came on my radar as it slowly made its way around the festival circuit.  Lilies Not For Me is not a light viewing, and I didn't expect it to be. Any film about gay folks in the 1920's can't possibly be without pain. Though this did take it a few steps further than I expected. While not overly graphic, the things that happen are horrible and it makes you just want to wrap the men in this story in a warm blanket and tell them everything is going to be okay. It's quite horri...

Official synopsis:  When the children from Ms. Gandy's class (Julia Garner) mysteriously vanish on the same night at exactly the same time, a community is left questioning who or what is behind their disappearance. I've talked on this blog several times about my love for the former comedy troupe The Whitest Kids U'Know and how one of the members, Zach Cregger has turned into a very interesting horror director with his last feature, Barbarian . Needless to say, I was always going to be seated for this. First, I have to say the marketing for this film has been incredible and I wish more studios would take note. One trailer, perfectly explains the synopsis, and doesn't give anything away. That's how you're meant to into every mystery movie. There's a lot of subtle and not so subtle foreshadowing for where there children went, but it doesn't make the road to get there any less fun. Cregger continues to do a great job building dread while still throwing in bi...

Official synopsis:  Frida Kahlo is a little girl who is different. Sparkling and vibrant, everything interests her. And when life's trials and tribulations come her way, she faces them with her overflowing imagination. I suppose most people outside of Mexico discover Frida Kahlo as a teenager or young adult. Her vibrant paintings are iconic, and we've seen plenty of film adaptations from her. But the filmmakers behind Hola Frida , and by extension the original mini series - Frida c'est moi this was adapted from want you to learn about her as a child.  For a children's film, I loved this. The animation style is fun and works well with the fantastical elements of Frida's imagination. The film mostly sticks with Frida as a child and how she overcame polio and the bullying that followed after her right leg never truly heals. It's a good story for kids. It has strong themes of friendship, standing up against bullies while also hearing them and the things they may b...

Official Synopsis : Forced to balance their roles as heroes with the strength of their family bond, the Fantastic Four (Pedro Pascal, Vanessa Kirby, Ebon Moss-Bachrach and Joseph Quinn) must defend Earth from a ravenous space god called Galactus (Ralph Ineson) and his enigmatic Herald, Silver Surfer. (Julia Garner) My dad's favorite comic book character has been Silver Surfer as long as I can remember, so that was always my primary interest in anything Fantastic Four related. I've always preferred the X-Men or Avengers over "Marvel's First Family" but that doesn't mean I haven't given every FF movie a chance. So how does this stack up to the misfires of the past? The only thing all three versions of The Fantastic Four have in common is casting Sue Storms that don't pull off blonde. This version, with Wandavison director Matt Shakman's very capable hands gives us a retro 60's vibe with a big focus on family.  This film easily has the best Marvel...

Official Synopsis:  In a climate change-ravaged world, a utopian society optimizes life, including parenthood assessments. A successful couple, Mia (Elizabeth Olsen) and Arayan (Himesh Patel) faces scrutiny by an evaluator, Virginia (Alicia Vikander) over seven days to determine their fitness for childbearing. When I first heard about this film coming off its festival run, I thought it sounded a lot like The Pod Generation , a 2023 film also about couples and pregnancy in the future, but the two films couldn't be more different. Where The Pod Generation was light hearted, The Assessment is uncomfortable. Mia and Arayan probably would be good parents, but Virginia puts them through the ringer in a way that will make you squirm in your seat. I love an Uncomfortable Dinner Scene ™ and boy does the Assessment have one.  All of the actors are putting in some of their best work here. Alicia Vikander is here to remind you that she is an Oscar winner and her range is on full display ...

Official synopsis:  To celebrate Lukas'  ( Paulius Markevicius)  victory at the martial arts tournament and Tomas' ( Giedrius Kiela)  birthday party, their wives, sisters Juste ( Agne Kaktaite)  and Ernesta ( Gelmine Glemzaite) organize a weekend at the country house with their families. Then the two families must navigate a near tragedy that occurs.  Lithuania's entry for Best International Film at the Oscars earlier this year now finally sees its U.S release. I'm not familiar with director/cinematographer  Laurynas Bareisa prior work. Here, he takes us through stages of grief. Not always linear, not always cohesive, but real all the same. The film jumps back and forth between time making you question what really happened and how the family was driven apart. This is a film for patient people. You might think that's an odd thing to say about a film with a runtime of 88 minutes, but Bareisa streeeeeeeeeeeeeetches some scenes to the maximum. I actually w...

Official synopsis: I n May of 2020, a standoff between a small-town sheriff, Joe (Joaquin Phoenix) and mayor Ted (Pedro Pascal) sparks a powder keg as neighbor is pitted against neighbor in Eddington, New Mexico. Ari Aster is one of the most talked about directors of the last few years. He started off with a bat-shit crazy short, then made two great features, and his last go at the theater - Beau is Afraid - was a self indulgent mess. But still, Aster has promise. And despite not like Beau Is Afraid and not wanting to sit through a COVID movie, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.  Three people walked out of my showing of Eddington at various points, and they were the lucky ones. I didn't think it was possible to be worse than Beau Is Afraid, but Eddington manages to be completely insufferable and ultimately has nothing of substance to say. And granted, the lead character of Eddington is SUPPOSED to be insufferable. He's an anti-masker and general doofus, but I kept waiting...

I'm a few days late with this post because (you guessed it) I've been traveling. But the 2025 Emmy nominations are here! Once again the Emmy voters voted like they've only seen 5 shows in some categories, but there are some nice surprises here.  Best Drama Series Andor The Diplomat The Last of Us Paradise The Pitt Severance Slow Horses The White Lotus I'm so happy to see Andor here after their amazing final season. I've seen 4 of the shows in this category, and others are on my never ending "I need to start this" list. I'm bummed for The Rings of Power, which never had a chance but I really enjoy.  Best Comedy Series Abbott Elementary The Bear Hacks Nobody Wants This Only Murders in the Building Shrinking The Studio What We Do in the Shadows I'm very happy for What We Do in the Shadows making it in for their final season. It really should win for how consistently hilarious it's been over 6+ years. I hear so many good things about The Studio and...

Hulu recently dropped season 4 of the much debated but beloved The Bear , so you know I was there to watch it. All 10 episodes went by very quickly, so here are my likes, dislikes, and hopes for season 5. LIKES * The cast is still top notch and I admire this show's commitment to the entire cast and not just the "main characters" They've made an effort to flesh everyone out. * The returning guest stars. It may have been kind of flimsy getting Will Poulter's character back in Chicago, but I loved it anyways. Luca is a great addition, as is the rest of the Ever crew that came along.  * This was Abby Elliott's standout season and I will scream if she's not Emmy nominated for it. Her fight with Neil in the office about Francie was hysterical.  * Syd's "I'm getting my hair done" and that guy responding "oh so like an hour?" COMEDY DISLIKES * Ebraheim's side story of expanding The Beef should be working, but the fact that it's...

Official synopsis:  A group of survivors of the rage virus live on a small island. When young Spike (Alfie Williams) leaves the island on a mission into the mainland, he discovers secrets, wonders, and horrors that have mutated not only the infected but other survivors. 28 Days Later is one of my favorite horror films and hearing Danny Boyle and Alex Garland would be back for another installment after skipping the sequel, 28 Weeks Later was enough to have me seated.  I have to say, the trailers did a great job of not showing you exactly what this movie was about. In fact, the film is kind of split into three mini stories. One of Spike and his dad (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) on a coming of age journey. The second, a survival story with his mom (Jodie Comer) and the third, encountering the doctor (Ralph Fiennes) he had been searching for. The ending also directly leads into the sequel that has already been filmed. More on that later. It's nice to see Danny Boyle with a budget consid...

Official synopsis:  Sally Ride's groundbreaking journey as the first American woman in space concealed a deeply personal story. Her life partner, Tam O'Shaughnessy, unveils their covert 27-year romance and its accompanying sacrifices. Sally Ride lived an extraordinary life that was taken car too soon by cancer. Her obituary was the first time the general public knew she had a female partner in Tam. Now, Tam shares their love story while Sally's friends and co-workers all share their memories of her work. You can tell this documentary was made with a lot of love. Even the classmates Sally had to essentially compete against speak of her fondly. Sally deserves way more credit for her amazing poker face in my opinion. Watching news clips of some of the dumb, sexist questions she and the other female astronauts got for *gasp* being women were so cringe worthy. She handled it with much more grace than I could've mustered. If this is your intro to Sally ride, I think the docum...