Movies: Last Movie You Watched and Rate it | {Insert Appropriate Seasonal Greeting Here}

[Unholy Diver]

Sonic the Hedgehog 3 - 8/10

fun flick, Jim Carrey great again as Robotnik and also his mad scientist grandfather, lots of good one liners and pop culture references, Idris Elba and Keanu were great in support as Knuckles & Shadow

 

[kihei]

September 5 (2024) Directed by Tim Fehlbaum 7A

September 5 is a procedural that deals with the ABC's sports broadcast crew who were tasked with reporting from the 1972 Olympics in Munich when a group of Palestinian terrorists kidnapped and killed 11 Israeli athletes as the world watched in horror. It was the first time a major act of terrorism had been witnessed on live television for all to see. The editing here is great despite the fact that the film seldom leaves the confined space of the ABC control room. The ensemble acting is among the best of the year. As journalistic procedurals go it is right up there with the best of them, and it raises questions of ethics and morality that were important at the time, and probably more important now when these crucial considerations seem ignored by too many news sources.

I had to ask myself, though, why are we seeing this piece of history now? It seems like an odd subject to green light--an act of terrorism that occurred at a sporting event over a half century ago. Perhaps the producers thought a lesson in journalistic ethics was needed at this moment. Or maybe the movie intends to underscore that violent antisemitism is an ever present danger. A more cynical interpretation is that the movie is a not so subtle reminder of whose side we should be on right now, who the good guys really are. I wouldn't lose too much sleep over that, though. Whatever the purpose or combination of purposes, September 5 is a hell of a ride that will keep your eyes glued to the screen from start to finish.

 

[kihei]

Queer (2024) Directed by Luca Guadagnino 6B

Well, Daniel Craig cannot possibly get further away from James Bond than this. Craig players author William Burroughs' stand-in William Lee, a sleazy middle-aged gay man who trolls the seedier bars of '50s Mexico City looking for an easy pick up. When he first casts eyes on Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey) it is love at first sight. Unfortunately, the ultra-enigmatic Allerton reciprocates only very marginally, just enough to keep the poor fish on the hook. So what we have is a mostly unrequited romance that drives William Lee nuts. Queer is definitely worth seeing for Craig's great performance, but the movie as a whole has several problems. Foremost is a clash of aesthetics. Director Luca Guadagnino makes movies that are pretty to look at, that stylize the squalor. Burroughs writes tough prose that makes no concessions to smoothing off the edges on anything. Plus, the movie seems like it is not sure where it wants to go, with a sudden abrupt change of direction in the third act and a coda that is, oddly, a direct homage to 2001: A Space Odyssey's intentionally ambiguous ending. Go figure on that one. Finally the distinctive Trent Reznor sound track and accompanying use of songs by Prince, Nirvana and New Order is striking, but it seems intended for a different movie, certainly not one set in Mexican gay bars in the '50s. But, again, Craig almost single-handedly makes up for all of these flaws. It's the best performance that I have seen all year.

 

[Chairman Maouth]

Devotion (2022 film)

Cast:

• Jonathan Majors as Ensign Jesse L. Brown
• Glen Powell as Lieutenant Junior Grade[12] Tom Hudner
• Christina Jackson as Daisy Brown
• Thomas Sadoski as Lieutenant Commander Dick Cevoli

"Devotion is a 2022 American biographical war film based on the 2015 book Devotion: An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice by Adam Makos, which tells of the comradeship between naval officers Jesse L. Brown and Tom Hudner during the Korean War." — Wikipedia

This film started slow.
Then it got great.
Then it got stupid.

Then it became touching and heartwarming, but the damage was already done. There was a moment so stupid that it pretty much ruined the entire film for me.

2 out of 5 stars.

 

[kihei]

A Real Pain (2024) Directed by Jessie Eisenberg 5B

As their deceased Grandma wanted, two cousins, David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkan) spend part of their inheritance on a guided tour of Poland in which they visit various WW II historical sites, including Nazi death camps. David is thoughtful and conventional, but Benji is an unpredictable wild card who nonetheless has the ability to charm his way out of some of the socially awkward situations that he gets himself (and David) into in the first place. There is not a lot of plot here, just a slowly deepening examination of a couple of young Jewish men trying to find a way to respond to a cultural heritage that they have yet to fully come to grips with. Misleadingly billed as a comedy, A Real Pain provides little laughter as it really is about dealing with pain, both historical and personal. Culkan's bravura performance has sincerity going for it, but his is not a character with whom I wanted to spend much time. I found Eisenberg just plain annoying--the same facial expressions and nervous mannerisms that he brings to every role he is ever in are once again in evidence. It seems he can only portray one character, and for me, anyway, that character is wearing very thin. A Real Pain is a good enough movie for what it does, sort of like Sideways, except, as one commentator pointed out, with a focus not on wineries but on concentration camps. Ultimately kind of a downer.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

The Holdovers (2023) -

Paul Giamatti is hands down one of my favorite character actors, and he has a rare ability to make you forget he’s playing a role - he just makes his characters quite believable like few actors can.

In this film he plays a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul) at a New England prep school to perfection.

Unfortunately for Paul the headmaster has a personal beef, which lands him the unenviable task of babysitting the Christmas holdovers.

I didn’t expect some of the plot twists thrown at me, but that is part of what made this movie so charming.

This film is very much in step with the aesthetics and overall feel of Manchester by the Sea.

It had the same kind of grip on my thoughts days after watching it - and it’s one of those unique films that is time well spent, and makes you very satisfied that you invested a couple hours of your time viewing it.

I have little doubt that like Manchester by the Sea, I will one day be longing for the nostalgia of the experience I had watching The Holdovers for the first time.