If you haven’t seen The Whale yet, you need to go out and watch it. This is one of the best movies I have seen all year, but it is also one of the saddest. Be prepared to cry a lot.
Charlie is an obese man at the end of his life. He spends his days as a recluse, hiding away in his apartment and eating his feelings. As his health worsens, Charlie attempts to reconnect with his estranged daughter. Will he have enough time to amend his wrongs before his time is up?
Brendan Fraser shows the world his true gift as an actor in one of his most powerful roles to date. The chemistry he shares with the rest of the cast is truly moving. I am at a loss as I try to collect myself through the tears. This movie was that good.
Charlie’s story of addiction is very well done. Charlie uses food to cope with the emotional pain he carries with him. Charlie’s pain, issues, and mistakes weigh heavily on his conscience. As his time runs out, he becomes desperate for some closure. It can be hard to watch at times because Charlie faces issues common to the human condition. While some people can overcome their adversities and live the normal lives people pretend to have, others can’t. Addiction to drugs, food, or sex becomes an easy but temporary escape until it becomes a necessity. It is when a person becomes addicted to this escape that he gets stuck in a spiral toward the bottom. Some people need to hit bottom to regain control of their lives. Others will never get the chance. The Whale does a terrific job at showing the struggle of addiction as well as the collateral damage that comes with it. It can be very triggering, especially if you know someone struggling with addiction.
Anyways, please don’t let me dissuade you from watching this movie. The Whale is an important film that I believe everyone should watch at least once. The acting is fantastic, and the story is powerful. If you haven’t seen it or thinking of seeing it, watch it however you can. Just be prepared to cry a little.
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Movie Review: Knock at the Cabin (2023)
Knock at the Cabin wasn’t worth the movie ticket price. I don’t recommend you watch this movie in theaters, even if you get the tickets at a discount. If you are considering watching this film, wait for it to come to a streaming service. Even then, I would hold off because the apocalypse couldn’t come fast enough to save me from boredom.
An unsuspecting same-sex couple and their adopted daughter have their vacation abruptly interrupted by four strangers on a mission to save the world. With the apocalypse imminent, the three must choose to sacrifice one of their own, or else unleash the end of the world. Can the family make the ultimate sacrifice to save humanity before it is too late?
Dave Bautista is the only good thing about the movie. I have already forgotten everyone else, even the main characters. This movie isn’t worth sitting through for Bautista’s performance.
My biggest issue with this movie is the pacing. It takes too long for it to get to the point. You sit through a lot of backstories for a relationship you won’t care about and poorly written dialogue that becomes too preachy about humanity. Writing this bad doesn’t deserve a theatrical release.
Do not be tricked by the trailers; this is not a disaster movie. Knock at the Cabin is a pretentious take on the human condition full of lazy takes and little action. You don’t get to see any of the plagues, destruction, or deaths. Instead, you get to watch strangers talk it out. As a result, there is no sense of urgency or time limit. The world might be ending, but it doesn’t feel like it. For this movie to work, it needed higher stakes. I also didn’t care enough about the main characters for the choice to matter. The climax doesn’t feel impactful because I didn’t care about the family, and there was no sense of urgency.
I have been consistently disappointed by M. Knight’s movies for a while now. My expectations were low going into this, but Knock at the Cabin isn’t his worst movie. Dave Bautista is charismatic enough to make this movie less of a chore to sit through, and there were some beautiful moments of cinematography that I genuinely appreciated. That said, don’t watch this movie in theaters. I would wait till it comes out on streaming so that you can skip through the boring bits, but even then, I wouldn’t rush to see it.
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Your Place or Mine
It is no secret that I have been disappointed by the romcoms I’ve had to sit through this year. When Your Place or Mine popped up on my feed, I was justifiably skeptical that this movie would break my streak of sitting through subpar romcoms. Nothing about this movie suggested my experience would be different this time around. I was surprised that this movie wasn’t as bad as I expected. Don’t get me wrong, this isn’t a genre-defining title by any means, but it is a fun one.
Your Place or Mine is the story of two best friends who love each other but are too afraid to act on their feelings. Opportunity strikes when Debbie needs to fly to New York to finish her degree but doesn’t have a sitter for her son. Peter volunteers because that is what friends do. The switch allows the two to move out of their comfort zone until they can examine their feelings about each other. Will they learn about themselves and each other to act on their feelings? Yes, because it is that kind of movie.
You aren’t watching this movie for the story or writing because it is mediocre at best. The plot is riddled with holes, and they force a lot of threads to make this movie work. If you are a fan of the genre you might have a better appreciation, but I couldn’t get past the overall silliness of this movie. Instead, you will be watching this movie for the acting. The leads have fantastic chemistry and enough charisma to make it work. The best friends are just quirky jokes, but the actresses had a lot of fun playing them. I hope to see them in more movies because they were a delight to watch on screen. The whole cast seemed to be having fun with this movie, and as an audience member, I loved watching it.
Your Place or Mine is a dumb date night movie that is fun to watch, but it won’t have the lasting power as some of the classics. The story isn’t great, and the production can be sloppy in places, but the actors make up for these pitfalls. If you haven’t canceled Netflix yet and need something to throw on for date night, Your Place or Mine is a solid contender for the occasion.
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Movie Review: Somebody I Used to Know (2023)
Somebody I Used To Know isn’t the worst rom-com I’ve sat through this year, but it is hard to recommend. The movie is a modern version of My Best Friend’s Wedding but with less charm. I recommend you watch that movie instead. The acting here is fine, but the story isn’t great. If you like the genre, you might have a deeper appreciation for it, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it.
Allie was an ambitious documentarian who has settled on being a producer for a crappy reality tv show about baking on an island. As hard as she works to make her show successful and captivating, it gets canceled. Now without purpose, Allie flies back to her small hometown to figure out what to do with her life. Her plans are complicated when she meets an old boyfriend. Their spark seems to reignite between the two, making Allie believe that this is her second chance to rekindle a lost love. But there is a problem; he is getting married, and the girl he is getting married to reminds her of how she used to be. Will she find purpose in a wreckage of a relationship she helped create, or will she learn to let things go?
The story isn’t great. You sit through fake artsy talk as Alle struggles with selling out. It will try way too hard to be funny, and none of it is interesting. I like that Allie is put in a situation where she has to let things go to grow, but don’t like that she tried to break up a happy couple. I don’t like when these types of movies muddle ethics so that two people are together. I get that sometimes a couple is destined to be together, but destiny in these types of movies means flat characters exist to create easy conflict rather than a meaningful story. The goal here starts off as trying to get rid of a flat foil so Allie can get the life she thinks she wants.
I was surprised to see this movie attempt to divert from the usual formula, but this shift doesn’t do enough to make this movie better. Allie doesn’t find purpose in the guy she wanted, but she will find it in another man. Although Allie was able to move on and follow her dreams, I find her sudden success as a documentarian hard to believe. I didn’t like Allie as the main character and didn’t care about her growth. Don’t get me wrong, Allison Brie gives a great performance, but the movie isn’t good.
The chemistry between the characters is easily the best part of the film. Unfortunately, some characters are terribly wasted in this film and others are just flat and forgettable. I’ve seen worse romcoms so I was able to power through this film without much issue, but it is hard to recommend because this plot has been done a lot better elsewhere. If you are thinking about watching this movie, watch My Best Friend’s Wedding instead.
You can watch it on Amazon if you have a prime subscription, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it.
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Movie Review: At Midnight (2023)
At Midnight is the cheesiest movie the cheesiest romcom that I have seen this year. The writing is bad, and the story is predictable, but it isn’t the worst movie I’ve seen all year. If you enjoy cheesy bad movies, this one is fun.
The movie is about a generic couple that can’t be together because of their social status. Sophie is a famous movie star stuck in a role she doesn’t want. Her life changes when she finds her boyfriend cheating on her, but because of her fame, Sophie must stay in this relationship. Alejandro is a hotel assistant manager who until he meets Sophie, doesn’t believe in love. A secret fling in paradise quickly turns into something more. It soon becomes impossible to keep their love a secret. But can their love survive the pressures that come with fame and status? Of course, it can! This is a cheesy rom-com.
At Midnight takes every chance it gets to namedrop the title, and it isn’t subtle. This obsession leads to my absolute favorite line of dialogue in this whole movie, and it goes like this:
After a few secret dates, the relationship between Sophie and Alejandro becomes more serious. They sneak away at midnight every chance they get just to share a few moments together. As they sit for a romantic movie date, the Paramount Pictures logo shines brightly against the camera so that the couple appears as simple silhouettes. Sophie turns to Alejandro, the logo still visible, and says “Midnight with you is my favorite hour.” Alejandro looks down at her and responds “Midnight isn’t a time. It is a place we can be together.” This is the best example of what kind of movie it is. It’s not a good one, but it is fun if you like to make fun of bad cheesy movies.
The acting is the best part of this movie. Don’t get me wrong, no one is getting an award here, but I appreciate the energy put into the performances. The leads had decent chemistry, and it certainly has its moments. It doesn’t do enough to earn a recommendation, but I had enough fun with this movie that I didn’t mind watching it.
The movie is bilingual, and I have to say I preferred the Spanish bits. It felt like the cheesy telenovelas I used to watch with my grandma, but this movie required a lot less commitment. They aren’t a great example of Mexican cinema, but I found the plot threads a bit more interesting than the English bits. All the English plot lines involved the life of a fake actress and her struggle with identity, but none of that struggle was interesting. At least in Spanish, I got to hear people argue.
This movie is lazy. The plot is very predictable as it follows the same generic plot common in the genre. They even dare to rip off the speech from Say Anything because they probably ran out of ideas. This is a movie riddled with holes and terrible lines, and it will try to distract you with shameless fan service. As much fun as I had with this film, it isn’t good.
I have a soft spot for cheesy movies like this, so I enjoyed it more than I should have. You aren’t watching this movie unless you love this genre or love making fun of the bad ones. It is a lazy generic romcom with a pretty terrific cast. I didn’t mind that I watched it, but can’t recommend it. If you don’t believe me, check it out on Paramount+.
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Movie Review: Babylon (2022)
I would like to take a moment to thank Catherine for buying me coffee and for her kind words. I can’t function without coffee and I appreciate every drop I drink. I wish you well on your journey hope you stay blessed. Thank you so much for your support! It means the world to me.
Babylon is a fictional snapshot of the end of the silent film era. It follows different players as they struggle to adapt to the evolving landscape of cinema. Things move too fast in Hollywood, and not everyone can adapt fast enough. Those left clinging to a world that has become obsolete struggle with the harsh reality that the world has moved on without them. It is a tragic tale and one that this movie does well.
The music is fantastic, the acting is phenomenal, and the stories are well done. Unfortunately, this movie isn’t going to be for everyone. A lot of this movie focuses on the uncomfortable debauchery of the era. This movie is filled with drugs, nudity, and sex. Keep that in mind if you find the overuse of these themes problematic. I was fine with it, but I think it was a bit overdone. This movie could have been shorter and better without as much indulgence, but it wasn’t so much that it ruined the movie. The real issue I have with this movie is that it will sacrifice the story for its raunchy scenes. You have to sit through a lot of wild parties before you get any development. I understand that it is important for describing the era, but this movie could have been shorter.
I liked the structure of this movie and how quickly it moves through its many plot points. This movie made me feel like I was on as much cocaine as the people in the movie. It gave me well-earned anxiety and kept my attention for the most part. The constant shifting between stories was a bit jarring, but a great emulation of the pacing emblematic of Hollywood. This movie also does a great job of showing the changing of an era. One moment, an actor rules the world surrounded by adoring fans, and in every theater, the next moment, he struggles for relevance as he is no longer compatible with the scene. This movie does an excellent job of showing the tragedy of washing out in Hollywood.
Babylon does a fantastic job of dramatizing the cruel revolving door that shows business. It does a great job at not only capturing important moments in cinematic history but also showing how quickly it evolved from silent films to what we have now. I enjoyed this movie flaws and all, but I wish it was shorter. I don’t think this movie is worth the full ticket price, so I suggest you wait for it to come to streaming. Three hours is much too long to spend in the theater with a movie like this. If you are interested in the movie and don’t mind the debauchery, check it out when you have time. It isn’t something I would go rush to see, but it’ll pass the time and it tries something interesting.
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Movie Review: You People (2023)
I wasn’t a fan of You People because it is a lazy movie at its core. It has good actors who give fantastic performances, but this is a movie that sacrifices narrative in order to make its pretentious points about racism. If you are interested in watching this movie, you won’t hate it, but keep in mind that it isn’t the quirky rom-com that you think it is.
The story is about an interatrial couple and the struggles they face as their cultures clash. There is also a subplot about a podcast, but there really isn’t much more to this movie.
The acting is fine, but the leads share no chemistry. It feels as if the only reason the two are together is to create the uncomfortable situations the movie is brimming with. The white family will constantly make tone-deaf statements as they desperately attempt to not appear racist. The African-American family seems to be equally one note as they become the foils to the Jewish family. This back-and-forth gets old almost instantly, but I can’t deny that the performances were excellent.
This movie seems to be shamelessly made to make white people uncomfortable. While I appreciate some of the commentary it makes, the tone is directed toward a particular audience. I find it problematic to exclude a group of people from a conversation about racism. This movie also boils down such a complex issue into something too simple for cheap laughs. I felt like this movie doesn’t do anything other than try to make its audience uncomfortable.
These uncomfortable moments and discussions are tied together by its poorly and barely existent plot. This relationship exists outside of various clashes and unintended racism which would be fine if this wasn’t a rom-com. If you take away these moments, you get a couple of montages and a crappy podcast. I was not a fan of the fact that I had to sit through a fake podcast full of bad takes because there wasn’t enough plot for a movie. I am very upset that this movie forgot it was a rom-com, but remembered the main character’s rise to a successful podcaster.
I can’t recommend this movie because there really isn’t much to it. While there are some great performances and some valid humor, it doesn’t do enough to earn a recommendation. There are older rom-coms that deal with the same subject but do it better, I recommend you watch those instead. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this movie, nor do intend on rewatching it, but you can stream it on Netflix if you have nothing better to do.
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Movie Review: Shotgun Wedding (2022)
If I had to only use one word to describe the comedic cinematic genius that is Shotgun Wedding, it would be cheap. This film is a collection of cheap action sequences, cheap CGI, and cheap jokes bundled in a cheap script to fill up a digital catalog. This movie required more suspense of disbelief and patience than I am capable of. With how hard Amazon is advertising this movie, I expected something that didn’t feel like a bargain bin direct-to-vhs action movie. If you are desperate to watch a JLO comedy, The Wedding Planner is a better movie.
A generic couple plans a destination wedding in the Philippines. Conflict between the couple has slowly been boiling over until they get into a huge fight on the day of the wedding. Luckily for them, pirates have crashed their wedding and taken their guests as hostages. JLO and her husband are now forced to work through their relationship while they attempt to save the day. Can they do so before the pirates start killing hostages? Yes because this is a poorly written movie.
The acting in this movie is lazy, and most actors seem to be there for the paycheck. To be fair to the actors, there is only so much that can be done with this script. The plot is dumb, and there clearly wasn’t enough of an idea for a movie. If you cut out all the filler and the ending karaoke scene no one asked for, there are 30 minutes of “plot” left for your enjoyment. Less than half of that is enjoyable. I would be lying if I said this movie didn’t make me laugh. This movie had its moments, but most of them are in the trailer, so there really isn’t a need to watch it for an additional joke or two.
I am tired of the JLO character at this point. She plays the same character in all her movies, whether she plays a stripper or is playing herself. I understand that a lot of this has to do with the fact that she doesn’t have the range to play any other character. Here it’s problematic when the lead needs to be more charismatic than JLO is capable of being. She didn’t has no chemistry with the husband, her comedic timing is inconsistent, and she was too goofy for the action bits. Maybe one day they will find a role where this character works, but not today.
I can’t recommend this movie because I don’t really count it as a movie. It doesn’t take advantage of its cast, there is no plot, and it’s barely funny. It may not be the worst comedy I have seen, but your time is better spent elsewhere. For those curious, you can check it out on Amazon.
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Movie Review: Sick (2022)
Sick is as good as you’d expect from a thriller horror movie about covid made for a streaming service you probably don’t have. The film certainly has its moments of competence, but it derails and is only worth the trouble if you have nothing else to watch.
The movie takes us back to the time of Covid lockdowns. Toilet paper is out of stock, people sanitize everything, masks are mandatory, and everyone stands six feet apart. A killer is hunting down seemingly random teens, but we won’t know why till the end. The movie will focus on a pair of college girls who quarantine at a secluded cabin. But the killer has followed them to their haven. The two must now run for their lives as they try to survive the night. Can they make it out of quarantine alive?
The acting is fine, but the leads aren’t good enough scream queens to carry the movie. The weakness in their abilities is particularly noticeable towards the end after the climax. I think they did the best they could with what they were given, but I don’t think they would do better in a different movie. The story is dumb, but I appreciate that there was an attempt at creating deeper characters. It was an attempt that ultimately fails, but it was nice to see characters that aren’t the usual archetypes. The movie isn’t terrible. Some very well-done tense and suspenseful moments were pretty scary, but the movie loses its momentum towards the end, making it a flop in my book.
They ran out of ideas after the big reveal. The ending is disappointing. There are a lot of issues with the realism of the movie that I could have forgiven if this movie was more fun. People in this movie tend to teleport and gain almost superhuman survival abilities when the plot asks for it. It isn’t so I suggest you skip it unless you are starving for content.
There isn’t much more to say about this movie. It is a dumb thriller based on a simple concept that doesn’t pan out all the way. You can stream it on Peacock, but I wouldn’t go out of my way for it unless you’re starving for content.
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Movie Review: The Old Way (2023)
The Old Way is a mediocre attempt at a western that is better left forgotten. This movie is boring and a complete waste of time. Even if you are desperate for something to watch, you have better options available.
The movie is about a generic infamous gunman with an impressive reputation but no personality. He has set his violent ways behind him and has settled for a quiet life in a new town where he runs a general store and has started a family. But his past has come to haunt him. A mysterious villain and his crew have moved through town and killed his wife. Now it is up to Nick Cage and his daughter to hunt down his wife’s murder and get his revenge.
This movie is made unremarkable by its terrible acting, lack of interesting story, and dull action sequences. This film lacks everything that makes westerns fun and instead replaces them with a lot of walking and pointless conversations. The script is bad, and the conversations make this movie feel longer than it is. There wasn’t even enough action in this movie to save me from boredom. The available action lacks the excitement to make me interested.
It seems as if I was as disinterested in this movie as the actors. The movie features a very tired and unimpressive performance from Cage and most of the actors supporting him. The child actor is the only one that seemed to show any passion for the project, but I doubt more passion from the rest of the cast would save this movie.
There isn’t much more to say about this movie because it left no impression on me. I was so bored that I needed multiple breaks to power through to the end. This movie is so unremarkable that I have already forgotten that I watched it. It isn’t worth your time or the trouble of looking it up. Even if you like making fun of bad movies, there isn’t anything for you here. Do not watch this movie. It is a waste of time.
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