Tag: Good

The Devil All the Time Brings the Ick

Picture of Tom Holland in the film The Devil All the Time

The Devil All the Time

Directed by Antonio Campos
Written by Antonio Campos & Paulo Campos

The review:

While politicians during election season like to talk about the United States of America as a Shining City on a Hill, directors like Antonio Campos do their duty to remind audiences that the USA was born in violence and wacko religion and that reality has passed through every generation.* This was a chance for a lot of actors to work on their accents** and bring their best Midwestern Gothic, which I found they succeeded at across the board. This was one of those violent films*** where I was entranced by a lot, and also intrigued because I wasn’t sure how the stories were going to come together.****

The verdict: Good

Cost: Netflix monthly charge ($8.99)
Where watched: at home. I watched this because my “recent activity” page on Letterboxed was full of this poster. Having not heard of the film, I googled. Seeing the cast, I made plans to watch it that very night.

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*There’s an overarching icky feeling from the first frame of this film to the last. I enjoyed the contrast with the setting of the 1940s through the 1960s, which, when rendered in film, tends to lend itself to a peaceful nostalgia.
**There are a lot of not-from-the-US actors in this: Tom Holland (British), Robert Pattinson (British), Harry Melling***** (British), Mia Wasikowska (Australian), Bill Skarsgård (Swedish), Eliza Scanlen (Australian), Jason Clarke (Australian). In fact, of the top cast, only Riley Keough and Haley Bennett were born in the US. Sebastian Stan came to the US at age twelve by way of Austria and Romania. Donald Ray Pollock, who wrote the novel the movie is a based on and serves as the narrator, is from Ohio.
***“How is your violent film?” asked the boyfriend. “How do you know it’s violent?” I asked instead of answering. “I could hear it,” he told me. Aside from a host of people being killed, a dog is also among the murdered.
****They did come together in the end.
*****Mr. Melling seems to becoming a reliable Netflix film dude. I’ve seen him in this, The Old Guard, and The Ballad of Buster Scruggs. He’s sung in two of those roles.

Questions:

  • Who was the most magnetic character?
  • Movies that feel icky. Yay or nay?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Real spiders were used.

(I wondered)

Other reviews of The Devil All the Time:

Murder on the Orient Express is Ensemble Fun

Picture of the cast of Murder on the Orient Express including Kenneth Branagh, Penelope Cruz, Michelle Pfeiffer, Judi Dench, Olivia Coleman and more.

Murder on the Orient Express

Directed by Kenneth Branagh
Written by Michael Green

The review:

First off, two things: 1) I congratulate myself to have made it this far in life not knowing whodunnit, thus making for a fun film experience 2) What was up with all the swooping camera stuff?* I enjoyed the ensemble cast, and though I just lambasted his directing, Branagh was great as Hercule Poirot.** The film made the most of the tight quarters and clues revealed.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $1.43 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*It looked gaudy and like the director was scared to deal with actual camera angles that would tell the story.
**I thought the mustache was very fun, but there was a lack of continuity in whether he wore his mustache guard while sleeping.

Questions:

  • Who was your favorite suspect?
  • How distracting was Johnny Depp for you?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Johnny Depp asked Sir Kenneth Branagh to apologize to Sir Derek Jacobi for him after filming their scene together. “Because I had to shout at him, I don’t want to shout at Derek Jacobi.”

Other reviews of Murder on the Orient Express:

Orange background with a white frame. Text: I am of an age where I know what I like and what I do not like. What I like, I enjoy enormously. What I dislike, I cannot abide. For instance, the temporary pleasantries before what is determined to be a business discussion. --Murder on the Orient Express. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

The King of Staten Island is Okay?

A picture of Alexis Rae Forlenza, Pete Davidson, and Luke David Blumm in The King of Staten Island

The King of Staten Island

Directed by Judd Apatow
Written by Judd Apatow, Pete Davidson, Dave Sirus

The review:

It was hard for me to separate Pete Davidson the person, from Scott Carlin, the character* and this made for depressed feelings while watching this film, despite its funny moments. It was also a film where the character development seemed to have more to do with Scott finding out about his dead father rather than developing or changing on his own. But I did get to see Bel Powley** and Marisa Tomei,*** so that was a nice treat.****

The verdict: Good?

It’s right on the edge. It’s not quite bad enough to be a Skip, but not quite good enough to be Good

Cost: $1.42 via Redbox (take that, VOD price of $19.99 back in June!)
Where watched: at home

Consider watching instead:

Further sentences:

*It doesn’t help that like the main character, Pete Davidson’s firefighter father was killed when he was seven years old and I know that Davidson has mental health problems. It also might have to do with the humor stemming from Scott Carlin’s sub-par tattoos he gives to his friends and family. Those things don’t rub off, and they made me sad. I think I was supposed to find them funny.
**Would you like to watch Bel Powley in other films that are more fun than this? Cool. Check her out as Princess Margaret in A Royal Night Out, a minimally supervised teenager in The Diary of a Teenage Girl, and a floundering post-college existence in Carrie Pilby
***Remember when I wished she was the focus of this film? I feel the same way about the King of Staten Island.
***Also, hooray for Moises Arias! He was great in the Kings of Summer. And also in Five Feet Apart. Plus, his presence in this film led to a funny height gag.

Questions:

  • Would you eat at a tattoo restaurant?
  • What was your favorite moment in this film?
  • Which was the worst Scott Carlin tattoo? My vote is for the Moises Arias one that incorporated his navel.

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The film was scheduled to open in about one-hundred theaters, mostly drive-ins. Due to the 2020 pandemic, two days before the release date the theaters were abruptly informed they would not able to show the film. Instead, the release was limited to video-on-demand.

Other reviews of The King of Staten Island:

Orange background with a white frame. Text: We're like the only place that New Jersey looks down on.—The King of Staten Island. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

The Hustle’s Stars Are Entertaining

Picture of Rebel Wilson and Anne Hathaway in the film The Hustle

The Hustle

Directed by Chris Addison
Written by Stanley Shapiro, Paul Henning, Dale Launer, Jac Shaeffer
(One questions how much funnier this film about female con artists would have been had any females been among the writers or director.)

The review:

I greatly enjoy both Anne Hathaway and Rebel Wilson so your payoff* for this female con artist film may vary. But I was in need of a palate cleanser and this silly romp provided a nice cap to my evening.** Astute viewers of con artist films will probably pick up on stuff, but if you’re there for humorous antics by two comedians, it doesn’t really matter the predictability of the plot.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Hulu monthly fee ($11.99)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*See what I did there?
**Also, Alex Sharp was so much fun! He reminded me of early Miles Teller.

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite Anne Hathaway comedy?
  • What’s your favorite Rebel Wilson comedy?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

When Penny first meets Josephine on a train Josephine is reading the novel The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon. Alex Sharp, who co-stars in the film, made his Broadway and acting debut in the play that was the based on the novel.

Other reviews of The Hustle:

Orange background with text: Why are women better suited to the con than men? —The Hustle. Read the three-sentence movie review 3SMReviews.com

Peeples Is a Fine Meet the Parents

Picture of David Alan Grier and Craig Robinson in the film Peeples

Peeples

Directed by Tina Gordon
Written by Tina Gordon

The review:

Meet-the-parents-style films are not my favorite,* but this entry provides ample opportunity to show off Craig Robinson’s many talents.** It’s fun to watch a film with a Black cast where the big problem has to do with “fit” with family rather than standard topics we usually get. And you get to see some fun stuff from David Alan Grier and S. Epatha Merkerson, not to mention appearances by Melvin Van Peebles and Diahann Carroll.

The verdict: Good

Cost: free from the Multnomah County Library
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

  • The Wood
  • Aaaaannnd, that’s all I’ve got.
  • This is an area I need to do some viewing
  • According to the previews, every Tyler Perry movie, ever.

Further sentences:

*I always spend the run-time of the movie thinking, “Mr. Rogers thinks you are good enough just the way that you are, so don’t engage.” Or “This person is not worth it. Run away! Run far away!” This film fell into the “run away” category, thus making it hard to root for the ending I knew I was going to get.
**IMDB tells me he gets steady work, for which I’m glad, but I think if we were in an era where the musical theater nature of actors was better able to display, plus if we valued our talented Black performers, he’d have a much bigger career.

Questions:

  • Do you think this happens in real life? I feel like 90% of people aren’t that overt in their dislike. And even their passive/aggressive game is weak.
  • Were you rooting for the couple, or not?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The filmmakers found an existing house in Connecticut that they transformed into the Peeples home complete with details of the family’s ancestry including a painting of Ignatius Toussaint Peeples who lived between 1766 and 1844 that can be seen hanging in the front hall of the home.

Also this:
The cast was constantly singing and dancing on set in between takes, so much so that the producers had to lock the piano during filming.

Other reviews of Peeples:

Joy Ride Is a Fun Ride

Picture of Steve Zahn, Leelee Sobieski and Paul Walker in the 2001 film Joy Ride

Joy Ride

Directed by John Dahl
Written by Clay Tarver, J.J. Abrams

The review:

I greatly enjoy both Paul Walker and Steve Zahn, so your mileage may vary* with this ridiculous thriller involving a CB radio, a prank, and a very persistent trucker.** The key to success with a movie like this is the level of commitment and the cast is all in. This is also a thriller that was pitched at my favorite level of thriller*** and made for a nice Saturday afternoon escape.****

The verdict: Good

Cost: free from Multnomah County Library
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*See what I did there?
**Not only does this have Walker and Zahn, I also picked it because LeeLee Sobieski is in it, though she turned out to not be super great. But John Dahl, director of Red Rock West, directed this! And with J.J. Abrams as a co-writer, you can see how it might turn into something worth watching.
***Not really scary because it isn’t going to happen to me.
****It appears there are sequels, but I will not be going any further in the franchise.

Questions:

  • What’s your favorite kind of ridiculous thriller?
  • What did you think about the triangle?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

For the nighttime chase scenes, the headlights of the trucks and cars were replaced by aircraft landing lights for extra brightness. This helped to bring down the exposure enough to keep the sky consistently black even at early dawn.

Also this, which I wondered about:

To avoid the unpleasant effects of having to remove tape from Leelee Sobieski’s hair and skin after the take, she was tied up with a strong, thick plastic film (like thick Saran Wrap) which looked like tape and stuck almost like tape, but which had no glue, making its removal simple and fuss-free.

Other reviews of Joy Ride:

  • Kit Bowen, Hollywood.com
  • Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com
  • (You know what’s hard to find? Live links to a so-so movie from 2001 reviewed by women.)
Orange background with a white frame. Text: I'm not going anywhere until somebody tells me why I should be afraid of a radio. —Joy Ride. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

The Uncomfortable Film I’m Thinking of Ending Things

Picture of Jesse Plemons and Jessie Buckley in the film I'm Thinking of Ending Things

I’m Thinking of Ending Tings

Directed by Charlie Kaufman
Written by Charlie Kaufman (based on Iain Reid’s book)

The review:

It’s a Charlie Kaufman film, so settle in and wait for the weird.* In this case, two Jesses** take us on a very long, very uncomfortable meet-the-parents journey.*** I have a debate going about whose story this really is,**** and while I don’t think this is Kaufman’s best, it provided a lot of Kaufman things, plus two productions numbers from a famous musical.*****

The verdict: Good

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

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*Charlie Kaufman films = long, weird, uncomfortable, nonsensical, mesmerizing. If you’re tired of the same old same old, a Kaufman film is always a great palate cleanser.
**Jessie Buckley, so good in Wild Rose, and Jesse Plemons who imprinted on me in Friday Night Lights. Both seem to be carving out roles that let them show off their range.
***It’s possible, that with the quarantine, you’ve been missing uncomfortable family dynamics. This provides a perfect remedy!
****If it’s Jessie Buckley’s story, Kaufman made a film for the #metoo era.
*****I’ve got a short list of movies with musical production numbers. This and Bernie. What can you think of?

Questions:

  • What do you think is Kaufman’s best?
  • Who’s story is it?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

The first car scene lasts roughly seventeen minutes and fifteen seconds (not including the brief interludes of seeing the Janitor). The second car scene lasts twenty-two minutes and thirty-seven seconds (not including the Tulsey Town detour)

Other reviews of I’m Thinking of Ending Things:

Orange background with a white frame. Text: It's tragic how few people possess their souls before they die. —I'm Thinking of Ending Things. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

Daisies is Art-House Fun

A picture from the film Daisies of Jitka Cerhová and Ivana Karbanová wearing bikinis and sitting against a wall.

Daisies

Directed by Vera Chytilová
Written by Vera Chytilová

The review:

I’m not really your art-film gal,* but this was part of the Filmspotting Overlooked Auteurs Marathon, so watched it, I did. It was weird, but charming** and managed to stay charming even as the young women become more and more puckish.*** I’m never going to watch this again, and probably a lot of it went over my head, but unlike some films,**** I don’t regret my time spent.

The verdict: Good

Cost: Free, via YouTube (Another bonus. It was free and easy to find.)
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I can indie drama with the best of them, and I like foreign films, but once surrealism and other arty things enter, I get impatient and wonder how much time is left. This was 75 minutes, so I knew I would make it through.
**One of the first scenes (pictured above) shows Jitka Cerhová and Ivana Karbanová talking about how bored they are. Each arm or head movement is accompanied by a squeak, as if their limbs need oiling. This was fun to watch. I recommend watching for just this scene.
***And I mean that in the rabble rousing, not-so-charming way, rather than the mildly irritating, yet amusing way.
****I’m looking at you, Once Upon a Time in America.

Questions:

  • What’s the first thing you do after you watch a film that you don’t understand?
  • In five years, which scene from this film do you think will stick with you?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Banned by Czech authorities upon its release for “depicting the wanton”.

(There is some not-subtle snipping of cylindrical objects that I’m sure had the censors crossing their legs. That was probably enough for the “wanton” designation.)

Other reviews of Daisies:

  • Christina Newland, Little White Lies (This review provides a lot of context and I recommend you read it either before or after you watch)
  • Richard S. He, Birth Movies, Death (also good for context)
Orange background with text: That's what I don't understand. Why does one say "I love you"? Do you understand? Why can't one say, for example, "egg"? —Daisies. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com

Bumblebee: Transformers for the Whole Family

A picture of Hailee Steinfeld hugging the robot Bumblebee in the film Bumblebee

Bumblebee

Directed by Travis Knight
Written by Christina Hodson

The review:

God bless Travis Knight and Christina Hodson for creating a gem that manages to combine robot cars,* a coming of age story, lots of humor, and 80s pop cultural markers to make a delightful cross-generational film. Hailee Steinfeld is excellent as the mechanically minded Charlie, still grieving her dad’s death. But the digital artists who created Bumblebee also deserve many kudos for creating such a nuanced character.**

The verdict: Good

Cost: $1.80 via Redbox
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*This is my first Transformers movie, and it was a good first-of-series choice.
**Bumblebee inside the house is one of the most amusing scenes of this summer’s movie watching.

Questions:

  • Why could some transformers turn into vehicles that fly, but some could not?
  • What’s your favorite scene with Bumblebee?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Bumblebee’s model is a 1967 Volkswagen Beetle with bumpers, available only for export. The yellow color was also only available for the export version Volkswagens as the color in Germany was used by the then-state-owned German Postal Service (Deutsche Bundespost).

Other reviews of Bumblebee:

Orange background. Text: They literally call themselves Decepticons. That doesn't set off any red flags?

I Used to Go Here: Winning Failure

A picture of Gillian Jacobs and Rammell Chan in the film I Used to Go Here

I Used to Go Here

Directed by Kris Rey
Written by Kris Rey

The review:

Much as I was charmed by a unique aspect of Kris Rey’s Unexpected, so was I by the flailings* of Gillian Jacobs’ character Kate in I Used to Go Here. It’s the relationships that make this film fun, and the humor is sly and subtle.** There’s a wistfulness to this film that I loved,*** as well as the exuberance of youth viewed by someone past that stage.

The verdict: Good

Cost: $6.99 via Redbox On Demand
Where watched: at home

Consider also watching:

Further sentences:

*I love a good woman-flailing movie, especially if the flailing doesn’t have to do with romantic relationships.
**Kate’s book reading is a great example of this.
***There are so many good things to remember about being in college, and so many reasons to be glad you are through those years.

Questions:

  • What do you think Kate will do next?
  • Who was your favorite college student?

Favorite IMDB trivia item:

Kate’s address is given as 4569 N. Baltimore Rd, Chicago, IL 60640 (on the letter to her ex boyfriend), however the building she enters is actually 4623 N. Western Ave, Chicago, IL 60625, and is above Spyners Pub. The interiors may have been shot elsewhere.

Oh, internet, you are so detail oriented!

Other reviews of I Used to Go Here:

Orange background. Text: Personal essay is dead. —I Used to Go Here. Read the three sentence movie review. 3SMReviews.com