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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Wedding Season (2022)

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Wedding Season is a surprising rom-com. You have seen this narrative formula before, and that’s okay. Wedding Season has been reskinned to the experience of an Indian American couple trying to live their lives under the pressures of their community. It is a solid date night movie and one that you won’t hate if you are forced to watch it.

Wedding Season is about an Indian American woman Priya who just wants to live her life her own way and build her career. Her mother takes it upon herself to find Priya a man. Priya in an effort to take some of the pressure off herself agrees to date one of her mom’s prospects. Priya and Ravi then decide to create a fake relationship so that their families, and the rest of their society, will leave them alone. Fantasy turns to reality, and both find that their feelings for each other are real.

This rom-com was very well done, the story is cute, and the actors are amazing. I loved the new perspective and twist on this story. I can’t speak on the cultural accuracy of the movie, but I do appreciate seeing brown people in roles where they aren’t offensive caricatures. There really isn’t much more to say about this movie because you have seen this movie countless times already. I didn’t mind it because they do enough to make this movie feel fresh. My only complaint is that there are parts that dragged on for me, but I think that is a personal problem. I watch too many movies.

If you are looking for a date night movie, Wedding Season is a solid choice. If you are a fan of the genre, you will have a lot of fun with this movie. Check it out on Netflix!

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Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Don’t Make Me Go (2022)

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Don’t Make Me Go is a fantastic movie, and you should be watching it. The acting is amazing and the story is great, but keep in mind that it is sad.

Max is a single father who finds out he only has a year to live due to bone cancer. In an effort to spend his remaining time with his daughter, and leave her with the only family she has left, he takes her on a road trip to meet her birth mother. Will this trip be the perfect goodbye, creating the lasting memory it is intended for?

This movie is sad, but it has enough cute and heartwarming moments that make up for it. While the story brought me to tears, I wasn’t depressed after. It won’t ruin your day if you watch this. The ending is cheesy yet satisfying. The story is well done and made better by its cast. 

This movie has some amazing leads. You need to watch this performance. They are amazing, and the chemistry they share is unparalleled. For a movie like this to work, you need a believable father-daughter relationship, and they are able to create a cute one. You will laugh when you need to laugh, but you will also cry when you need to. The performances are that moving. 

You can stream this on Amazon if you have a Prime membership. 

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Anything’s Possible (2022)

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I thought this movie was fine, but it isn’t something I would watch again. There is an audience for this movie, and I am not it. If you are the target demo, you will have a  deeper appreciation for this movie. If you aren’t in the demo, the story and acting is fine enough where you won’t hate it.  

Anything’s Possible is about a trans girl Kalsea and her relationship with a sis boy Khal. While the movie does touch on some trans issues, the movie focuses on their blossoming relationship as they try to survive high school. This is another teen movie at its core, but one that fairs a little better than the rest.  

This is a teen movie that suffers from a lot of the same problems that exist within this genre. The narrative exists in a bubble. As a result, there are no real stakes.  The issues Kalesa deals with are resolvable, although the movie will create drama to move the plot forward. You know everything will work out at the end, but I didn’t mind it much this time because the story and the characters are interesting enough. I loved the chemistry between each character and loved the fact that this movie doesn’t try too hard to make characters hip and cool. 

As far as tween movies go, this one fairs a bit better. I enjoyed that the relationship builds at a more natural rate, although there is still some ex-machina involved. It makes sense why they are together and I wanted them to be together. I liked that they don’t make her a symbol for trans kids. She wants to just be treated normal and doesn’t want the fact that she is trans be the only important part of her identity. It is hard being part of a disenfranchised group because there is the unfair expectation and pressure to be the spokesperson for the group. I liked that this is addressed, although she does ultimately become the spokesperson at the end. Tween movies aren’t known for having the soundest logic.  

I also liked how it wove the different narratives together. You get both the lead’s perspectives as they try to figure out who they want to be while facing the pressures of society that try to mold them. It was very well edited and it all felt like one cohesive story. The way they blend streaming, texting, and social media is very well done. It doesn’t feel fragmented or like a cheap attempt to pad the time, but rather adds to the narrative in a meaningful way. I love how story telling is evolving with technology and they are starting to get it right.  

If you are the target audience, it’s a cute teen movie with a trans lead that doesn’t get too preechy. We need more positive trans leads and this is a step in the right direction. For eveyrone else, I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it, you won’t hate it if you have to sit through this.  

While I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch this movie, it’s not a bad one. You can stream it on Amazon if you have a Prime membership.  

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: The Gray Man (2022)

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Netflix continues its trend of releasing disappointing star-studded films that don’t deserve your time. You are better off not watching Gray Man because even with its amazing cast, it fails to make a tangible impression. This might not be the worst movie on the platform, but I have already forgotten I watched it.

The movie is about a secret agent who magically stumbles onto a McGuffin of a conspiracy. The film is a series of action movie tropes strung together by awkwardly rendered chase scenes, all building up to a very disappointing ending.

The acting is easily the best part. The only exception would be Regé-Jean Page’s terrible American accent, but his accent isn’t what ruins the movie. The quality of the rest of the movie falls flat in comparison. There are a few moments of competence, like the phone conversations written in creative code to hide from surveillance or when Ryan Gosling refuses to throw a gun because it is dangerous that shows promise. There are even attempts at symbolism, but these efforts are wasted because the rest of the movie isn’t good.

Gray Man is a movie without a plot. There is a giant disappointing Mcguffin, an uninspired villain, and too many plot holes. The villain kills for the sake of killing, and the hero chases because it is in the script. There is no tension because Ryan Gosling has the ungodly ability to sense danger before it happens. I wouldn’t mind the lack of plot if the action was better.

The action here is unintelligible. If the fights aren’t poorly rendered, they are stiff and boring. There is a terrible fight scene on a plane that gave me motion sickness. Chase scenes don’t fare any better as they suffer from the same afflictions. Gray Man is an action movie that forgot to add its action.

If Netflix continues this trend, it won’t survive the streaming wars. The service is losing subscribers because it can’t secure content people want to watch, and the original content it has been releasing has been subpar. There are a few exceptions, but there aren’t enough good Netflix originals to give the service the lasting power it is desperately grasping at. 

Don’t watch this movie.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Candyman 2021

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If you haven’t seen the new Candyman, what are you doing? Go watch this movie now and thank me after. This is a beautiful horror movie that is well worth your time. This film not only expands the lore of the original but gives it new life. Watching the original is not a requirement, this film does a fantastic job at providing enough context to make the narrative make sense. I remember watching the original when I was younger and remember liking it although admittedly, it did scare me. I vaguely remember the plot but I never felt lost by what was happening.

The movie follows the artist Anthony McCoy who is in search of inspiration for his next show. His search brings him to the urban legend of the Candyman. Candyman is the soul of a wronged man who can be summoned by saying his name five times to a mirror. Once summoned, Candyman kills those who summon him, becoming the monster he was made to be. Antony’s fascination becomes an obsession as now all he can do or think about is related to the urban legend. Anthony has unknowingly unleashed Candyman back onto the streets of gentrified Chicago. Will this obsession be his downfall, or Anthony be the one to lay the legend of Candyman to rest?

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: The House of Gucci (2021)

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House of Gucci is one of the harder movies I’ve had to sit through this year. I took a break five minutes into this movie because of how bad the accents are. I have a headache from two hours of this nonsense. Save yourself the trouble and forget this movie exists.

The worst part of this movie is Lady Gaga’s performance as Patrizia Gucci. I couldn’t possibly pick a worse lead for a movie that wasn’t very good to begin with. I watched an interview with Lada Gaga where she talks about the different schools and methods of acting that she used for her performance, and I am here to tell you that none of them worked. She should stick to roles that take advantage of her limited range. The character is supposed to be a manipulative, obsessive, and powerful woman. Lady Gaga is awkward at best and flat the rest of the time. I struggled to restrain myself from skipping any of her scenes because of how boring they are.

The story doesn’t fair much better. With a better cast, I still don’t think this movie would be good. It would be easier to sit through, sure, but there isn’t enough here for a compelling story. You get to watch boring meetings, awkward conversations, relationship problems, and betrayal that happens off-screen. This story might make a good documentary, but there isn’t enough to make it the drama this film desperately wants to be. 

You can watch this movie on Amazon with your prime membership, but I wouldn’t bother. I understand why the Gucci family was offended. I am offended by them, and I am not even Italian.

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Series Reviews

Movie Review: The Night House(2021)

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I expected The Night House to be another badly made and generic demon possession movie. Instead, I got a creatively disorienting narrative about a woman trying to piece together and understand the sinister events that slowly unravel around her. Beth is left to pick up the pieces of her life after her husband’s sudden suicide. Unfortunately, these pieces begin to unravel the dark secrets that her husband left behind. Is Beth’s husband as innocent as she remembered, or has the grief left her chasing shadows that aren’t there?

This is a fun movie that is very much worth your time. The acting is great, the visuals are amazing, and the story is entertaining without being convoluted. I love the direction and risks this movie takes in creating a truly disorienting experience. The use of shadows, mirrors and CGI all help create an endless maze of confusion as you are left to piece together a mystery with fragments of clues. The clues given are often incomplete or misinterpreted, further adding to the confusion and mystery. The deeper Beth gets into her investigation, the more confusing narrative gets. The horror of this movie doesn’t rely on cheap jump scares, but rather on the disorienting experience the aftermath of the suicide brings. Not knowing what is going on helps emulate the same fear and confusion Beth goes through. It is an experience that is masterfully done through the blending of reality, dreams, and delusions. Watch this movie for the interesting visuals and the fantastic performance. 

Go watch this movie on HBO if you like disorienting psychological horror. It might not give you nightmares, but you will have a lot of fun with it. 

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Heat (1995)

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If you want to see a classic and thrilling heist movie, you can find Heat free on YouTube. This heist movie focuses on a cat and mouse chase as a cop and a crook battle it out in the mean streets of Los Angeles. You have a fantastic cast telling an amazing story, what more can you ask for? Do not be intimidated by the almost three hours run time, this movie is worth every minute.

The acting in this movie is amazing with action to match. What I love about this movie is how good it is at telling the story. It pieces together different narratives in a way that never slows the pacing of the movie. I love how it is able to tell a story with small scenes or moments. You have a cop dealing with his crumbling marriage as his obsession with his job interferes with his life. You have the story of a young girl working with her abandonment issues. You have the crook who is addicted to the game, and the movie becomes more of the chase than the score. These stories blend together and build up to a final satisfying confrontation. It is brilliant, and if you haven’t seen this movie, you should do so now! You can find it free on YouTube.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: The Man From Toronto (2022)

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I am fairly certain that Netflix is struggling and desperate to create content that will retain and grow its fleeting subscribers. All of the recent Netflix originals I have watched have been these uninspired half-baked films where the main draw is a story written around a named brand actor or group of actors. The Man From Toronto is no different. Kevin Hart plays the same character as always, in a film you’ve seen done slightly better elsewhere.

In possibly the dumbest mix-up in movie history, the world believes Kevin Hart to be the infamous Man from Toronto, a highly-skilled gun for hire. Kevin Hart, an average Joe, must take on the Façade and save the world.  Can he talk his way out of a difficult situation, learn to be more serious, and become the man worthy of his wife’s love? Yes he does, and it is terribly unfunny.

This unoriginal movie moves from story beat to story beat, throwing the easiest jokes available at the audience hoping one of them will land. They don’t, and instead you are left with the disappointment that the talent in this movie was wasted. Woody Harrelson steals every scene he is in, but he doesn’t have much competition. Kevin Hart does not have the charisma or acting talent to make this movie work.

I can’t recommend this movie because it isn’t funny. If you are a Kevin Heart fan, he does this exact movie better elsewhere. It is a lazy and uninspired movie that isn’t worth anyone’s time. You can watch it on Netflix, but I wouldn’t bother.

Movie Reviews, movies

Movie Review: Home Team (2022)

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You have already seen the plot to this movie play out many times before. This one does little to stand out against anything else in the genre, but it isn’t the worst way you can spend two hours. Kevin James is refreshing in a role that doesn’t revolve around him being fat. It is nice to see a movie that isn’t another Paul Blart rip off because he has proven that he has the range to do anything else. I hope this means that James will begin his transition into more serious roles. He definitely has the talent for it.

The movie focuses on the story of the disgraced Saints coach Sean Payton. It deals with the aftermath of his headhunting scandal as Payton deals with his suspension by coaching his son’s football team. It is a solid redemption movie, one where he learns what is truly important in his life.

This movie is fine. The acting is solid and the story is fine, but it isn’t anything award winning. If you like this genre of movie, this is a solid choice. If you are forced to sit through this movie, you won’t hate the time you spend on it. Go  watch it on Netflix.