Tag: Drama

A Bunch of Men Talk about Laura in Laura

Vincent Price and Gene Tierney in Laura.

Laura

?Directed by Otto Preminger?
?Written by Jay Dratler, Samuel Hoffenstein, and Elizabeth Renhardt?

The review:

Dana Andrews* is our hard-boiled detective investigating the murder of Laura Hunt (Gene Tierney,**) a charismatic and beloved career woman shot in her apartment. Like all good noirs, somthin’ ain’t right and we can place our bets as we learn more about Laura through flashbacks narrated by Clifton Webb,*** Vincent Price,**** and others. This movie has great dialog and a great twist I didn’t see coming that made this a very satisfying story.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $3.99 via Google Play (I could have gotten it from the library, if I had planned ahead.)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I found him to be flat in this, though I’ve liked him in State Fair and his performance in The Best Years of Our Lives (that movie is slow, though and I don’t recommend it.)
**Incredibly likable!
***The single-and-fussy (and you can use your 1940s translator to understand what that really means) columnist who adores Laura.
****He was once young!

Questions:

  • It might be fun to have a marathon featuring movies from the 40s through the 60s with women who have careers. What comes to mind?
  • Would you have dated Shelby Carpenter?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Despite the Oscar snub of the score, David Raksin’s music proved to be so popular that the studio soon found itself inundated with letters asking if there was a recording available of the main theme. Soon, sheet music and recordings of the instrumental music were released and proved to be a huge hit with the public.

Other reviews of Laura:

Orange background with a white frame. Text: I can afford a blemish on my character, but not on my clothes. —Laura. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

Ben Is Back: Julia Roberts Is The Mom You Want on Your Side

Courtney B. Vance, Lucas Hedges, and Julia Roberts in Ben Is Back.

Ben Is Back

?Directed by Peter Hedges?
?Written by Peter Hedges?

The review:

This is a great movie to add to your Christmas-But-Not-Feeling-It list* as Julia Roberts is a fabulous steely mom character and Lucas Hedges does well while withering under his family’s appraising eye.** It’s not a film that’s reinventing film as we know it, but it’s a solid story of one family drama. Courtney B. Vance is excellent as the stepfather trying to make the best decisions.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Disney+ Hulu bundle monthly charge ($12.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*You know, it’s Christmas time, but things aren’t exactly warm and cheery.
**They are sizing him up for good reason as this is the second 2018 movie to deal with the parent-child relationship when the child’s drug use has become drug abuse.

Questions:

  • Is there a point where you think Julia Roberts should have made a different decision?
  • What do you suppose happened after the final scene?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

When Peter Hedges was developing the film he had no intention of casting his son Lucas Hedges in the titular role, and had already created a shortlist of other actors he was considering. It was Julia Roberts who, after seeing the younger Hedges in Manchester by the Sea (2016), insisted he be cast.

Other reviews of Ben Is Back:

Orange background with a white frame. Text: You don't know what you're doing. I'm not worth it. —Ben is Back. Read the three sentence movie review at 3SMReviews.com

Playing It Cool: Stylized Stumbling Through Love

Michelle Monaghan and Chris Evans in Playing It Cool.

Playing It Cool

?Directed by Justin Reardon?
?Written by Chris Shafer and Paul Vicknair?

The review:

Chris Evans plays “me” a man who has been burned by love so severely he’s sworn it off until the day he runs into “her” played by Michele Monaghan* and sparks fly. Only problem is, she’s in a relationship. Evans and his merry band of friends** stumble through love that doesn’t go quite right in this stylized romantic comedy that was much better than I expected.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: Disney+/Hulu bundle monthly cost $12.99
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*My main reason for watching this movie. She’s good in everything!
**Supporting cast = very good. Aubrey Plaza! Luke Wilson! Martin Starr! Topher Grace! Plus Anthony Mackie!
***I seem to be in the minority though. The Metacritic score is 30/100. Ah. I see the problem. Of ten reviews, only one was written by a woman. She didn’t like it either.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

At the end of the movie, Me (Chris Evans) is seen tap dancing. Evans’s mother owned a dance studio and taught him to tap. He has admitted in interviews that he does it when he is nervous.

(And here I thought they used a double)

Other reviews of Playing It Cool:

Orange background with a white frame. Text: I'm gonna tell you this one from my point of view so you can put yourself in there. —Playing It Cool. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

This Gun for Hire Has A Lot of Elements.

Alan Ladd, Veronica Lake, Robert Preston in This Gun for Hire.

This Gun for Hire

?Directed by Frank Tuttle?
?Written by Albert Maltz, W.R. Burnett?

The review:

Well this is a delightful mishmash of oddities.* Alan Ladd plays it tough as Raven, who has no room for anyone** and is the titular gun for hire. Veronica Lake doesn’t exactly dazzle as a performer, though she does make an impression*** and when the two come together, they do capture the eye.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $3.99 via Google Play
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It’s noir, there are two full music and dance numbers, there’s a spy plot, and a wealthy and weird rich guy.
**Though he does like cats.****
***Singing, dancing, and magic tricks? So many things crammed into one routine. This was my first time seeing a Veronica Lake performance. After hearing about her glamour for 40+ years, I have to say I was underwhelmed. Yes to the amazing hair. But she also looks like one of those underfed kids from Appalachia. Beauty standards. They don’t hold.
****Speaking of cats, one of them will be killed in the course of this movie. It happens off screen and didn’t bug me the way things like this usually do.

Questions:

  • Was this movie just a little too odd?
  • How did you feel about the ending?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

In Graham Greene’s novel, Raven’s psychological motivation for becoming a killer was that his mother disfigured his face. Paramount could not mess up Ladd’s handsome mug, so it was changed to his aunt disfiguring his wrist with a red hot poker.

Other reviews of This Gun for Hire:

Orange background with a white frame. Text: What's the matter? You look like you've been on a hayride with Dracula. —This Gun for Hire. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

To All the Boys: Always and Forever Wraps Things Up

Lana Condor in To All the Boys: Always and Forever

To All the Boys: Always and Forever

?Directed by Michael Fimoganari?
?Written by Katie Lovejoy?

The review:

I mean, it’s exactly as good as the previous two films and Lana Condor and Noah Centineo are made for each other, at least in this film. All the things you’ve enjoyed before are back, and they manage to have a few will-they-or-won’t-they moments, even after two other movies with such moments. This was a solid ending to the trilogy.*

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly fee ($8.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I’m assuming its a trilogy. There are only three books.

Questions:

  • What’s the best solution for a high school couple in love after graduation?
  • What would you pick for Laura Jean and Peter’s song?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The author of the To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before trilogy Jenny Han made a small cameo as Principal Cho in a flashback of the day Peter first saw Lara Jean.

Other reviews of To All the Boys: Always and Forever:

Orange background with a white frame. In movies, love is always about the big moments. Grand speeches made in front of everyone, "marry me" written on the Jumbotron. But maybe love is actually about the moments when you think no one is watching. —To All the Boys: Always & Forever. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

McDormand and Van Life: Nomadland

Frances McDormand and David Strathairn in Nomadland

Nomadland

?Directed by Chloé Zhao?
?Written by Chloé Zhao?

The review:

There are few well-known actors I can think of who could play Fern so convincingly,* and I’m thankful Nomadland’s Fern was Frances McDormand. If you haven’t seen any of Zhao’s films before, you might not think that an ambling narrative about people who live in their vans would be interesting, but you would be wrong.** If you’re looking for a moving story of a woman determined to be on her own, take yourself to wherever this film is playing.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: I paid Matt $6.00, he’s paying the monthly Disney+/Hulu subscription fee
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Being a woman and an actor in the USA generally means avoiding aging. McDormand has aged along with the rest of us, which makes her very relateable.
**If you’ve seen Zhao’s other films (The Rider or Songs My Brothers Taught Me) you would know she’s a pro at mesmerizing viewers using landscape and the real people’s lives she’s woven a narrative from.
***I remain intensely curious about what Zhao’s Marvel movie will be like.

Questions:

  • Who was your favorite van dweller?
  • Which of Fern’s jobs would have been the hardest for you?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Frances McDormand nicknamed the van used in the film “Vanguard,” which she decorated with her own personal items and slept in during the shoot. Eventually she stopped doing so because “it’s much better for me to pretend to be exhausted than to actually be exhausted,” she told The Hollywood Reporter.

Other reviews of Nomadland:

Special Film Noir Delivery: The Letter

Bette Davis in the Letter.

The Letter

?Directed by William Wyler?
?Written by Howard Koch?

The review:

From the first dramatic scene to the last, this movie is plenty of fun.* Bette Davis is both flip and overwhelmed as a woman who had to kill her neighbor when he tried to assault her.** But once a letter floats to the surface, we see the difficult choices her lawyer must make.***

The verdict: Good

Cost: $2.99 via Google Play
Where watched: at home

Further sentences:

*Death comes in both of those scenes, so we’re not talking barrel of laughs fun, but there’s something about how overwrought everything is that is so incredibly enjoyable.
**So she says.
***All leading to a very dramatic ending.
Note: This was filmed in the 1940s and is set on a rubber plantation. In terms of racist portrayals it’s not great. I’ve seen much, much worse though.

Questions:

  • What was your turning point?
  • What did you think of Victor Sen Yung’s portrayal of Ong Chi Seng?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The first scene that William Wyler shot was the famous opening shot in which we see Leslie shoot Geoffrey Hammond. The opening shot, which lasted two minutes on screen, took an entire day to film, and that was before even a single word of dialogue was spoken. The studio expected him to shoot at a rate of 3-4 script pages a day, but the opening shot reflected a mere paragraph on page one.

Other reviews of The Letter:

Orange background with a white frame. I don't think it's right, but I think it's expedient. Juries can sometimes be very stupid, and it's just as well not to worry them with more evidence than they can conveniently deal with.--The Letter. Read the three sentence movie review: 3SMReviews.com: The Letter

Judas and the Black Messiah: FBI and the Black Panthers

Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield in Judas and the Black Messiah

Judas and the Black Messiah

?Directed by Shaka King?
?Written by Will Berson & Shaka King?

The review:

I first learned about Fred Hampton in Ava DuVerney’s 13th and so I knew how this film was going to end.* But it was interesting to watch Daniel Kaluuya’s evolution of Hampton as he gained skills as well as the dance between LaKeith Stanfield and Jessie Plemons as FBI informant and agent.** I would have liked Dominique Fishback to have a bigger role, but she was great with what she was given in this movie that’s gonna kick you in the stomach right before the credits roll.***

The verdict: Recommended

Cost: I paid Matt $6.00. He’s the one paying the HBOMax fee ($12.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Not well for Fred Hampton.
**It’s interesting how we forgive the FBI for their many sins, but so often the Black Panthers are portrayed as the lawless party.
***If there’s an award for best after-movie text on screen, this film will sweep that category.

Questions:

  • Should they have bothered with the makeup for Martin Sheen?
  • Fred Hampton was 21 and William O’Neal was 17 during this film. Should they have cast younger actors?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

With both LaKeith Stanfield and Daniel Kaluuya receiving Oscar nominations for Best Supporting Actor, Judas and the Black Messiah becomes the first film to have multiple black performers nominated in this category for the same film.

Other reviews of Judas and the Black Messiah:

Locked Down: Observing a Pandemic from within a Pandemic

Anne Hathaway and Chiwetel Ejiofor in Locked Down

Locked Down

★Directed by Doug Liman★
★Written by Steven Knight★

The review:

This is a light affair* that might be handy to have on tap in ten to fifteen years when kids who were very young or were born after 2021 start asking questions.** It’s all there for you to point to*** and covered with a veneer of a story about a couple on their last legs as a couple. Ejiofor and Hathaway are fun to watch and there are a bunch of cameos.****

The verdict: Good

Cost: HBOMax monthly fee ($8.99) (Still living off the WW84 month)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*So light that despite the fact that I’m still living in quarantine-type restrictions I could watch this without feeling traumatized and did not have feelings of “too soon!”
**This, of course, assumes that there won’t be any global pandemics in the next ten to fifteen years. Which is not an assumption I’m willing to bet on at this point and time.
***The general end-of-the-world feelings, the day drinking, the odd sense of time, the awkward Zoom calls, the abrupt job changes, the sliding into familiar bad habits, kids being stuck at home with their parents, the reevaluating of life choices.
****However, if you’ve seen this, I wish to chat about the ending. Do look me up.

Questions:

  • What will you remember most about this time?
  • Was this the exact right temperature for a movie about a quarantine released during that same quarantine?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The movie was shot in only 18 days in London during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of the hectic pace of filming, stars didn’t have the time to properly prepare and for some scenes Hathaway’s and Ejiofor’s lines had to be taped to their eyeline.

Other reviews of Locked Down:

Orange background with a white frame. Being locked up is making it worse.—Locked Down. Read the three sentence movie review: 3SMReviews.com

Never Rarely Sometimes Always: Dangers Abound

Sidney Flanigan in Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Never Rarely Sometimes Always

Directed by Eliza Hittman
Written by Eliza Hittman

The review:

Eliza Hittman takes us on a journey worthy of an epic poem* so a young woman can get a procedure that should be available to her in her own small town. On the way, we see how rules to “protect”** women actually end up putting them in more danger, the things women sacrifice for other women, and a quiet, perfect performance by Sidney Flanigan. By the time you get to the scene where the phrase “never, rarely, sometimes, always” is used, you will never forget the order of the words in this very wordy title.

The verdict: Recommended.

Cost: HBOMax monthly fee of ($12.99) (Still living off the WW84 purchase)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It’s interesting to see how little of Flanigan’s life we learn about before the journey begins in earnest and how the sparse details we do find paint a vivid picture.
**But we know why those rules are passed and it has nothing to do with protection and everything to do with control.

Questions:

  • What moment of this film will be seared on your heart forever?
  • How many ways (big and small) were Autumn & Skyler violated in this film?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Prior to this film, Sidney Flanigan worked as a janitor.

Other reviews of Never Rarely Sometimes Always:

Orange background with a white frame. Text: Don't you ever just wish you were a dude?—Never Rarely Sometimes Always. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com