Manda's MovieWatch

There’s no question that he was a great talent. A great performer. But I’m still conflicted on Michael as a person. This film is one version: painting him in a great light at a certain point in his life. Very surface level. The quick rise of his solo career and getting out from the control of his father. It was clear he was lonely and suffered pain but there’s this sense of not telling the full story that left me uncomfortable. Sure, he was strange – it’s like seeing the beginning of a journey down a rabbit hole and then it just ends. It also was odd that Janet Jackson did not exist in this film. All the other members of the Jackson family are represented in the movie, but Janet is completely erased. Ultimately, it felt like an attempt to prove that he was a good guy, a sweet and gentle man -striving to be the opposite of his dad. Yet there’s this glaring other side, “don’t look behind the curtain” that bothered me. But if you like early MJ music, and are fine staying surface level- this is a fun watch. 3 watch checks from me, Ryan would stay awake & you can watch this from home.

Will keep you interested but there’s some plot holes and Hollywood stretches here. Best thing is seeing Taron Egerton flip the switch into crazy. Worst is feeling like they ripped off Cliffhanger and the missed opportunity to loop back in the beginning of the movie plot. Some beautiful shots of the Australia outback though. One giant PSA to travel with a buddy. Perfect summer action blockbuster if that’s what you’re looking for. Ryan stayed awake, you can rent it, 3 watch checks from me.

Emily Brontë would not be very happy with this adaptation. Don’t get me wrong, watching Jacob Elordi and Margot Robbie hot for each other is a pretty sexy evening and the set & costumes designs are an incredible visual feast for the eyes. But this is not a Hollywood love story, Brontë wrote about the bitterness and revenge that can consume and ruin your life. It is supposed to be a story about heartbreak, not sex. 3 watch checks, Ryan not stay awake, even with all the sex scenes, you can stream this one!

I’ve been very excited about this movie and I wasn’t disappointed! A beautiful story about friendship, science, adventure and sacrifice. Absolutely worth seeing, I’ve read the book and the only miss in my opinion for anyone who hadn’t: is understanding just how lost, confused & desperate Grace is when first waking up in space from his coma. Piecing it together in the movie feels a little too quick and easy. Also just how advanced Rocky’s science knowledge is. I love that they both have to save each other. Ryan Gosling did an incredible job in this “Tom Hanks & volleyball” type of role. This is worth getting to the theater and watching on the big screen! 1 watch check, Ryan did stay awake but struggled- it is a little long!

Ok hear me out. I resisted this one but after it won Best Animated Film, I gave in and I’m glad I did. Yes it was a little silly, and sometimes felt like a bunch of Snapchat filters set to fun pop music but there’s a deeper message in it that’s important. When you let dark thoughts in & start to believe the negative things your brain is telling you, it only leads to a dark place. We all have to fight off the demons- the main characters here do it through song. Imagine the song was a bunch of young girls belting out “this little light of mine I’m gonna let it shine” and you might see this film in a new light:as this generation’s version of you go girl. Give it a shot and try to just enjoy the silly. 1 watch check, Ryan would stay awake and yes it’s fine to stream/rent.

First my apologies, I’ve not been as great about making posts for movies I’ve seen this year. I never posted about Train Dreams or F1 and here it is Oscar time again! My pick for Best Picture is Hamnet but I’m not confident it will win…I hope it does and I hope you see it, it’s really good. I will say that Sinners surprised me and might be a dark horse here. I hope it wins some of the many categories it’s nominated in, my best guess is score. I feel like One Battle After Another is more about recognizing the director than the movie itself although the characters in that story were brought to life with amazing acting. I’m also going to give a shout out to what I think should win the best documentary feature: The Perfect Neighbor. You should watch that and how fascinating to watch a story unfold mainly through body cam footage. The other solid movie that needs recognition somewhere was Frankenstein…makeup, costume, production design -something! Lots of great contenders all around though, enjoy the Oscars- I know I will!

My favorite thing about a movie is when it transports you to a different time/place. This movie takes you to Brazil in the late 70’s. A dicey time of political corruption. The story follows Marcelo as he fights to get his life back after it was stolen from him. Wagner Moura as Marcelo is a stand out and his performance is Oscar worthy. My only beef with this movie was the sub plots that left unanswered questions. 2 watch checks, Ryan would fall asleep in this one for sure (he’s not a fan of subtitles). Better on a big screen, but ok to stream.

Not my favorite. Watching a dysfunctional family working through grief is tedious and not what I want in a movie. I prefer a clever plot. If you’re a Woody Allen fan, maybe this is for you- but I was bored. Maybe it was a little too lost in translation for me? I’m scratching my head on the Best Picture nomination for it. 4 watch checks, Ryan would be out like a light immediately- I almost fell asleep myself. You can watch this one at home.

I guess this is branded as a comedy- and Leo is pretty comical in it, but the storyline doesn’t feel that funny, more like poking fun at revolutionaries. It’s an entertaining story with some unbelievable elements. It was good, but not as great as I expected. DiCaprio & Del Toro are the standouts here. 2 watch checks, Ryan would stay awake for sure and this one is better in the theater to stay engaged in this loopy story.

Loved this one. Not deep or complicated, just a story about two people who found each other and share a love of Neil Diamond music. I love true stories about good people. Watch it for a feel good fix and enjoy some awesome music. Very impressive job by Jackman & Hudson in this one! Only 1 watch check, Ryan would stay awake and it’s great to stream at home.