Author: curdyfive

I really wanted to like this movie more than I did. I got bored. I was hoping it would delve more into the mind of Leonard Bernstein, maybe his creative processes…(like show us how he came up with West Side Story!) or his struggle with his sexuality. But instead, it kind of danced around his life without ever going deeper. Like a silly caricature…the couple scenes of him with his daughter or wife where he struggled to hide his true self- were awesome and what I wanted more of. Carey Mulligan was excellent, she deserves the Oscar nom. I love Bradley, but this felt forced…or silly…or something. 4 watch checks. Ryan would for sure fall asleep (I almost did). Rentable.

This movie bummed me out a little. We watch romantic movies because there’s a certain formula we’ve come to expect. This movie doesn’t follow the formula, but that may be the beauty of it. It’s very real life and I think every person wonders about past loves and what could’ve been. The problem with this movie is you’re confused on what to root for. There’s a lot of beauty in this story, just not a lot of closure. 3 watch checks, Ryan would be snoozing away, you can rent this one for sure.

I’m a total sucker for an underdog sports movie, Rudy is one of my favorites so it’s not surprising that I liked this movie. This inspirational story shows that anyone, no matter their age or gender, can achieve their dream. I enjoyed this movie more than I thought I would. As an older woman, I can’t help but cheer for Diana Nyad, even though her character is off putting. I mean to swim from Cuba to Florida you must be a little crazy. I also loved that this movie showed that behind the star, it takes a dedicated team to make dreams happen. It’s a little slow but it’s worth a watch. Ryan actually stayed awake for it (a surprise to us both!). 2 watch checks, you can rent this one (on Netflix right now!).

Bizarre. Think Mary Shelly on an acid trip and throw in porno vibes. The set, costumes and cinematography are beautiful, but the score was very annoying (like plug my ears annoying). The performances by the lead actors were awesome too, Mark Ruffalo was my favorite. It was an interesting concept, but I couldn’t help feeling that Tim Burton’s Dr. Finkelstein & Sally were first. Also, don’t say I didn’t warn you: there’s a ton of sex in this movie: don’t take the kids. One thing I did appreciate was a refreshing point of view on life in general. 3 watch checks, it is worth trying to see on the big screen because the visuals are the best thing about it. I think Ryan would stay awake for this, but that might be due to the afore mentioned warning.

I love it when a movie can take me to a place I’d otherwise never get to experience: an all boys prep school in 1970 for example. Remember being in high school and thinking your teachers were all vile idiots? This beautiful story shows how connected we all are once we stop and pay attention. Paul Giamatti is a genius and does an amazing job here, no surprise. I actually wish these characters were real – just so I could find out where they are now. You just can’t not relate to each person in this movie and especially the vile idiot. 0 watch checks, I think Ryan would stay awake for this one, totally rentable and I absolutely recommend that you do!

This is an interesting look at the forensic evidence of a tragic event….but “phycological thriller”- it is not. Still waiting for the big plot twist. It did feel very “real” and so, if you can’t stand movies with no musical score to hide loud chewing or loud breathing, this is not the movie for you. The acting is amazing- I really did believe these people were their characters. Was just too slow for me. Ryan did stay awake (even through subtitles!)- so maybe there is some anticipation thrill there that I missed. 3 watch checks, you can rent it for sure.

So this one is a pretty cool history lesson. A bit on the long side though (maybe like most history lectures feel). Excellent acting- some Oscar noms for sure! I think this will have a strong run at Best Picture. It’s not full of visual effects but it is visually beautiful. It definitely gives you a respect for the scientists of that era. It’s a long one but it didn’t feel as long as it was- which to me is always the mark of a good movie. 1 watch check (at 3 hours that’s pretty amazing), Ryan did stay awake (but wasn’t a big fan of this movie- I suspect Florence Pugh’s boobs helped here), this is better on the big screen (apologies for this being too late for that, I’m catching up!).

The potential of this story was there: to see and feel the love story from Priscilla’s perspective and watch her come into her own as this strong woman raising a child and dealing with the fallout after Elvis’s death. But sadly, it didn’t get there: such a missed opportunity! It felt more like a teen girl’s pop crush coming to life and an inappropriate relationship made cute (she was 14 and he was 24 when they met). “Daddy control issues” was the central theme here- he treated her like his child and addicted her to pills. This should have been a more exciting story- I can’t really figure out why it felt so slow. I will say both lead actors gave great performances. I was left wishing we could hear more from Priscilla. 3 watch checks, Ryan would not stay awake (I barely did), you can rent this one.

Mildly entertaining flick that helped me understand the GameStop stock blow up thing. It’s always cool to watch a group of people band together to create change. It would be even cooler if they weren’t trying so hard to become the thing they claim to hate: controllers of the stock market. Predicting the stock market ain’t easy- many think they can and thats what gets them in trouble. 2 watch checks, Ryan would stay awake- and did (thankfully, he explained a lot of stock market stuff to me), you can for sure rent it.

Whoollp…not sure how to type the sound for gagging- but ewww. So there’s some great performances in this movie and wow: the bravery of Barry Keoghan, but it feels like they ripped off The Talented Mr. Ripley. I suppose you should see it to see what all the young people are talking about but don’t say I didn’t warn you. If you get grossed out easily, skip it and see Wonka instead. 3 watch checks from me, Ryan would stay awake- the story itself is a fascinating one…in a “just can’t look away” feel, and you can definitely rent this.