March Movies Part 2: Flow & Black Bag

I got sidetracked by TV and haven't watched many movies this month, but here are two good recommendations to tide you over till the end of the month. Whether you're looking for Oscar-winning animation or a slick and stylish spy thriller, there's something here for everyone.

Flow: This is the Oscar-winning animated movie from Latvia, the first movie from that country to win an Oscar. Even better, it was made using completely free open source software for a ridiculously low budget, and still managed to beat out top animation studios like Pixar and DreamWorks. Isn't that backstory enough to make you a fan?

Directed by Gints Zilbadolis, who also co-wrote the script with Matiss Kaza, this movie follows a little cat who is trying to make its way through a seemingly post-apocalyptic world where a flood keeps threatening the land. In a desperate attempt to escape the rising sea level, the cat manages to hop aboard a sailboat that has been boarded by a capybara. Along the way, they pick up a secretary bird and a lemur. There are also some very dumb dogs that show up and cause some complications.

This movie might be Latvian, but it has entirely no dialogue, just the universal language of these animals trying to work together in their very unique ways to survive the flood, get some food, and get on with their lives. The animation can feel like it was done for free at times, but mostly it feels quite astonishing and clever, perfectly capturing how these animals move and act, particularly the differences between cats and dogs. It beautifully depicts the natural world and is a simple story, magically told.

Black Bag: There's nothing simple about this story. Written by David Koepp and directed by Steven Soderbergh, this is a movie about a married spy couple, George and Kathryn (played by the impeccably cool combination of Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett), who work for MI6 in London. George is tasked with conducting an internal investigation when a top-secret software program goes missing and MI6 suspects they have a mole. There are five suspects, one of whom is...Kathryn. So, George invites the other four to dinner and has the world's most awkward dinner party. Following which, more things start to unravel. 

I won't get into any more plot because this movie is twisty and complex and a sheer delight. Even if you don't care about the story, you'll just be captivated at how elegantly Cate Blanchett wears her coat. Honestly, the woman prowls around a room more elegantly than a leopard. The cast is amazing, and there are many moments in this film that are quite funny, right in the middle of everything being insanely tense. You will be on the edge of your seat for much of this film, and you'll have a grand ol' time. And because it's directed by Soderbergh, the cinematography and editing are crisp and precise. I particularly enjoyed the fact that any light in this film has a bit of a halo around it, making everything seems slightly more ethereal and fantastical. You will not know who to trust in this movie until the very end, and with a tight runtime of 94 minutes, it's an absolutely perfect piece of cinematic entertainment.

March Binges Part 2: Deli Boys, The Pitt, Apple Cider Vinegar, The Residence

I binged way more shows than I thought I would this month so here are some more recommendations coming your way if you feel the need to get solidly acquainted with your couch cushions!

Deli Boys: Created by Abdullah Saeed, this show is a thoroughly delightful binge. Asif Ali and Saagar Shaikh star as Mir and Raj, two brothers in Philadelphia who discover in the wake of their father's death that he was actually a criminal. And they must now take over his drug empire with the help of his right-hand woman, Lucky (the indomitably great Poorna Jagannathan), and annoyed CFO, Ahmad (Brian Geroge). These two spoiled Pakistani-American men must quickly figure out how they are going to get back to making this business a profitable enterprise that can help them sustain the lavish lifestyle to which they have become accustomed, all while dodging a persistent FBI agent and negotiating with hardened criminals who would only be too happy to see them permanently put out of business.

It's a wild and wacky premise, and every episode ends on an amazing cliffhanger that makes this impossible not to binge. Trust me on this - my ordinarily "I can only watch one episode at a time!" husband was the one clamoring for us to hit Play Next Episode every day until we polished off the ten episodes that make up the first season of this show. It is funny, smart, full of desi jokes, a little bit bloody, and genuinely exciting and intriguing. Bring on the second season ASAP, but until then, just rewatch this first season on a loop. 

The Pitt: There are still a few episodes left to air to finish out the 15-episode first season, but just start bingeing already, OK? This is one of the best shows airing on TV right now, and unless you are already a doctor who cannot bear to watch a medical show, your eyeballs should be glued to Max as you soak in this ambitious and remarkable televisual feat. Created by R. Scott Gemmill, the show follows one shift in the Emergency Room of the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital. Each episode features one hour in this most nightmarish of shifts and you're following the various doctors, nurses, students, social workers, and other support staff that keep this place running. As well as a varied mix of patients who are presenting with a number of complaints, some of which might be resolved within an hour, and others of which you'll be tracking over several episodes until they finally leave the ER (for either good or bad reasons). 

Noah Wyle stars as Dr. Michael "Robby" Robinavitch, the senior attending who has to preside over this motley crew and ensure they do no harm while working under horrendous administrative pressures. The man is brilliant, but he is also exceedingly human, and he is still reeling from the PTSD of working in the ER during the COVID pandemic. This day, in particular, is a hard one for him, and as the day progresses, things just keep getting worse. A breakdown is imminent, but oh man, it's not clear who is going to snap first, because every single character on this show is going through some gnarly shit. Also, this is the day that the new medical students and interns have rotated into this department, so we quickly get to see who will survive this trial by fire, and who is going to suffer (one of the students faints during a gruesome procedure, and let's just say that I felt very seen.) 

Every actor on this show is doing phenomenal work, and the writers are simply geniuses, effortlessly doling out backstory as they simultaneously cover every medical complication known to man. Keep an eye on anyone you think might be a background actor - someone might seem like they're just an extra in the waiting room on Episode 1, but then they get admitted in Episode 5 and get to have a whole story arc of their own. The production design is incredible, and you will get to see hyper-realistic depictions of everything that goes on in a trauma center. This show is certainly not for the faint of heart, but if you can stomach all those bodily fluids, you are in for an emotional and thrilling ride.

Apple Cider Vinegar: From realistic medicine, we go to absolute quackery. Created by Samatha Strauss, who adapted this from the book, The Woman Who Fooled the World, by Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano, this miniseries is the true story of Australian influencer, Belle Gibson (played with an amazing accent by the always reliable Kaitlyn Dever). Belle was an entrepreneur and wellness guru, who faked having brain cancer in order to amass a social media following and tout her wellness recipes via an app and cookbook. Over the course of six episodes, we see how this woman got to this point, and the various institutions and people that enabled her to get away with it. 

In parallel, we also get the story of Milla Blake (a fictional character, though based on a real woman, played by Alycia Debnam-Carey), a young woman who truly does have a rare cancer in her arm, but chooses to pursue alternative medicine instead of listening to her doctors who say amputation or an experimental treatment might be her only options. She also becomes an inspirational figure in the wellness industry, with a popular blog touting her alternative medicine approach that consists of juicing and coffee enemas. All of which, of course, is dangerous and leads many people astray who need proper medical attention. 

The series is a little uneven and at times it can feel like this didn't need to be extended out into six hour-long episodes. But at its core, it's a fascinating and remarkable look at the very real dangers that these so-called wellness experts pose, particularly during a time when our society is fond of attacking and questioning scientists and medical professionals more than ever. Medical misinformation can have truly devastating consequences, and following the trajectory of these two very different but oddly similar women offers up a compelling vision of why we must always remain vigilant.

The Residence: Ready for a complete pivot? Binge all eight episodes of this murder mystery instead! Created by Paul William Davies, Uzo Aduba stars as Detective Cordelia Cupp, an avid birder who also happens to be one of the best detectives in the world, who is called in to investigate what happened when the Chief Usher of the White House (played by none other than Giancarlo Esposito) is found dead in the game room. Who could have done it?!

Turns out, a lot of people could have done it. The White House was hosting a state dinner that night, so a bunch of Australians are present (including some famous ones!), but more importantly, the White House employs a lot of staff members, a number of whom had intricate relationships with the Chief Usher and various motives and agendas that may or may not have resulted in his murder. If that wasn't enough, the President's own family members and friends are behaving awfully suspiciously as well. As Cordelia interviews all these people and runs around the White House looking for clues, she finds a very tangled web.

This show definitely suffers from Netflix bloat, constantly re-hashing the plot and re-summarizing what we have learned so far instead of just getting on with it. It could have been a lean six episodes, but instead is a very long eight episodes, that will occasionally wear on you. But the actors are charming, and the mystery itself is quite elegant when you finally unravel it all. This is one of those shows that might have been better as a novel than a series, but with Shonda Rhimes as an executive producer, you are least guaranteed sumptuous production design and a visual spectacle to keep you engaged in the duller moments. It's like watching a Poirot novel come to life, so if that's your jam, have at it.

March Movies Part 1: Mickey 17 & The Monkey

Headed to the theater? Well, I've already been and here are some thoughts on what's out right now.

Mickey 17: Written and directed by Bong Joon Ho, this is the story of what happens when an Expendable named Mickey becomes a Multiple. OK, hold on, I'll have to explain some more, won't I? This movie is set in the future where various groups of humans are striving to colonize other planets. Mickey (Robert Pattinson) is a man who is fleeing all his debt collectors on Earth, so he agrees to sign up for a mission to the planet Niflheim as an Expendable. Humans have developed the technology to print out clones that can contain the memories of the original, so as an Expendable, Mickey is basically a human lab rat who tests out various hostile environments or substances to see how a human would die, and then he gets re-printed out the next day as a new version of himself who still remembers everything that happened to him. As you can imagine, there are many dubious ethical and moral implications to this, and all of that comes to a head when his overlords accidentally print out the 18th version of him, assuming that Mickey 17 died. Only, of course, Mickey 17 is still alive, and now he and Mickey 18 must figure out how they both co-exist as Multiples. 

Everything that I've explained is contained in the 2-minute trailer for this movie, which I watched a dozen times while at the movies last year. In the movie, however, all of that backstory takes up almost the entire first half, which is why I accidentally fell asleep for a lot of it. Oops. So, I'm here to tell you that this movie wasn't quite my cup of tea. It's an intriguing premise, but the execution fell flat for me. Pattinson is doing a good job, but the comic tone of the film was often histrionic and too over-the-top for me. Particularly when we get to Mark Ruffalo and Toni Collete as the villains of the piece who are just being way too zany for my liking. I don't think this movie quite nailed its tone, and while it had a solid philosophical quandary at its center, it resolved that quandary in a way that felt a bit too pat and Hollywood. I'm sure there are a lot of people who might get a lot out of this movie. But I was not one of them.

The Monkey: Written and directed by Osgood Perkins, this movie is a very funny horror movie about a cursed toy monkey and the twin boys who unfortunately become enmeshed in its bloody vendetta. Theo James plays identical twin brothers Hal and Bill (Christian Convery plays them as young boys), who have a rather difficult relationship, with Bill constantly bullying Hal. But then the brothers find a creepy monkey toy in their closet, and every time they turn the key in its back, some random person in the vicinity dies a gruesome death. They try to get rid of the monkey after it kills someone very important to them, but then we flash forward to 25 years later where Hal is now a loner who is too terrified of having close relationships lest the Monkey rear its ugly head. Which it does.

This movie is only 98 minutes long, so while it doesn't have much plot, you'll be perfectly entertained for the entire run time. It's based on a short story by Stephen King, and you can tell there isn't much story there to stretch out, but as we are subject to increasingly zany and bloody deaths, you can't help but chuckle and settle in for the ride. It's very silly, but very entertaining, and sometimes that's all you want for a quick diversion at the movies. 

March Binges Part 1: The Agency, Paradise, Running Point

Now that the Oscars are over, do you need recommendations of some new shows to binge? Well don't fret, I've got you covered!

The Agency: Created by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, the cast of this show is a veritable who's who of Hollywood, featuring folks like Michael Fassbender, Jodie Tuner-Smith, Jeffrey Wright, and Richard Gere. With the occasional cameo from other famous folk. Fassbender stars as Brandon Colby (though he usually is only referred to by his CIA code name of Martian). He was deep undercover in Africa for six years, but when he is suddenly recalled back to London Station, he has to abandon the woman he has fallen in love with, Dr. Samia Zahir (Turner-Smith). He becomes a senior case officer, dealing with various shenanigans involving a missing agent in Belarus and a new field officer who could be deployed to Iran. But when Samia shows up in London, Martian is desperate to somehow win this woman back, under the guise of his old cover. As you can imagine, trying to juggle his undercover love life with all of his important case work proves to be a challenging task. Particularly as Samia starts to get mixed up in something the CIA might want some intel on.

This show is twisty and complex and will always keep you on your toes. There are multiple threads and characters that don't always seem to be interrelated, and by the end of the ten episodes, you do get the sense that maybe what you've watched is a very long prologue to set up a more satisfying Season 2 climax. But it's well worth a watch if spy thrillers are your thing, and this cast is firing on all cylinders. John Magaro offers up a lot of comic relief as a junior case officer who always seems to be in over his head, while Jeffrey Wright and Richard Gere are fascinating as Martian's bosses who have to maneuver through all the bureaucracy of managing the CIA. Fassbender's accent is definitely questionable (I had to remind someone multiple times that he was meant to be American in this show), but overall, this is quite an indulgent, high-budget TV treat if you're looking forward to a long, riveting binge. 

Paradise: For a truly riveting binge, however, might I introduce you to Paradise? Created by Dan Fogelman, this show stars Sterling K. Brown as Xavier Collins, the lead Secret Service agent on the President's detail. The President is Cal Bradford (James Marsden), and spoiler alert, he dies in the very first episode. What follows is a murder mystery, with plenty of flashbacks so we get to spend more time with Marsden. But, if that's not enough, there's a whole other twist to this show that is revealed at the very end of Episode 1. I absolutely refuse to spoil that, so you're going to have to watch to find out what the more mind-blowing aspect of this show is that makes every subsequent episode of its eight-episode run so fun to watch.

There are some great performances from Julianne Nicholson, Krys Marshall, and Sarah Shahi, but I won't get into any details about who they're playing as you need all of that to unfurl over time. Suffice to say, this show has a thoroughly engaging and intriguing premise that never gets stale, and with Sterling K. Brown at the helm, how could you possibly take your eyes off the screen? The production design is also spectacular, for reasons that will become apparent. This is a high-concept and highly entertaining show that I eagerly watched week to week, but now you can gobble up the first season in one fell swoop and wait with me desperately for the second.

Running Point: Speaking of gobbling up a season in one fell swoop, I devoured the ten episodes of this show over two days and it was utterly delicious. Created by Elaine Ko, Mindy Kaling, Ike Barinholtz, and David Stassen, this show stars Kate Hudson as Isla Gordon, a woman who unexpectedly becomes the CEO of the professional basketball team her family owns, the LA Waves, when her older brother (played by Justin Theroux!) has to step down to go to rehab. She has her other brothers Sandy and Ness (Drew Tarver and Scott MacArthur) beside her as the CFO and general manager, respectively, as well as her best friend and fiercely competent chief of staff, Ali Lee (Brenda Song). And she's engaged to a lovely man, played by Max Greenfield! I mean, the number of charming actors in this show just keeps growing and growing. If that's not enough, Chet Hanks plays one of the obnoxious basketball players on the team, and it is by far the most exquisite casting I could have ever imagined for that singular man.

This show is absolutely chock-full of plot and every single episode ends with an insane cliffhanger that is designed to have you hitting Play Next Episode on repeat. Isla's work life is an endless barrage, but there's also plenty of relationship drama to go around for everybody, and it's impossible to get bored for a second while you watch this engaging cast of characters play off of each other in increasingly wild and wonderful ways. It's like a big bag of candy that has something for everyone, and the impeccable costumes and production design certainly make it easy on the eyes as well. This is a gem of a comedy; the only thing wrong with it is that it's all over too soon and we now have to wait for Season 2. Alas.

And the 2025 Oscar Goes To...

Another year, another Oscars. With less diversity, but still some excellent storytelling. We can't have it all, folks. Let's dive into it and see what we got this year!

Best Picture: We've got another wide-ranging set of movies, covering a slew of genres, making it an even more ridiculous exercise to say that one of these was "Best" when they are all so audaciously different from each other. But my pick is The Brutalist. This movie was unfathomably astonishing, and I know that it's fashionable for people who haven't seen it to quibble about its three-and-a-half-hour runtime, but just give it a shot. This movie is sublime, earns that runtime, and absolutely deserves all the kudos it is receiving. Next up, I would say that Anora and Conclave are tied for my affections. These movies feature crackling performances and propulsive plots that kept me on the edge of my seat up until the very end. And then we have Nickel Boys, I'm Still Here, and The Substance, three films that remind us of why we need more gender and racial diversity in film, both in front of and behind the camera. These are great films, tackling very different subjects, but approaching them from a unique, often mind-bending perspective, and wholly immersing the audience in the characters. Then we get to the two musicals, Wicked and A Complete Unknown. Wicked is the better movie, a complete package featuring excellent music, production design, and performances, while A Complete Unknown is a thin biopic that shines in terms of the performances from Timothee Chalamet and Monica Barbaro. And yes, there is a third musical, the chaotic Emilia Perez, but the less said about that the better. That movie has had a true fall from grace over the course of its Oscar campaign and is destined to become a laughable footnote in cinematic history. And then, we have Dune: Part Two as our final nominee. Listen, I don't know why this movie is nominated for Best Picture - it was a spectacle, sure, but this is clearly just a plea to get more audience viewership for the Oscars by nominating some big box office films. Let's move along.

Best Director: Coralie Fargeat has nabbed the one nomination for a woman in this category, for her truly visionary work in The Substance. While I thought the movie was spectacular and she is clearly a force to be reckoned with, I loved The Brutalist too much and am rooting for Brady Corbet to win this award instead. Fresh off a DGA win, however, Sean Baker might end up as the winner for Anora; he has rapidly become one of my favorite directors, so I wouldn't be mad about this win, but oh, poor Brady Corbet. And...no to James Mangold for A Complete Unknown or Jacques Audiard for Emilia Perez. Mangold is a journeyman director who put in serviceable work, but this is a pretty basic movie, while Audiard is an example of why we need someone other than a white man behind the camera when telling a movie about Mexican folks. RaMell Ross should have been nominated here instead, for his truly remarkable work on Nickel Boys, but alas. We'll have to give him his Oscar some other year.

Best Actress: Well, we know Karla Sofia Gascon will not be winning for Emilia Perez, so let's quickly dispense with that. While Cynthia Erivo put in phenomenal work in Wicked, she is going to have to just be happy to be nominated this year. Which leaves us with Mikey Madison for Anora, Demi Moore for The Substance, and Fernanda Torres for I'm Still Here. I loved all three of these performances, but I will have to personally root for Demi Moore just because it would be a fitting tribute to her long "popcorn movie" career. Madison has plenty of time to earn another nomination, but Torres is a worthy opponent for Moore who may never have a second chance at this, so I won't begrudge her if she nabs the trophy instead. 

Best Actor: This is an interesting category. I love Colman Domingo and wish he would win an Oscar already, but Sing Sing didn't move me as much as it did other people, and he does not seem to have much of a shot of getting up on that stage this year. Timothee Chalamet was fantastic in A Complete Unknown and put in so much work that I honestly would enjoy seeing him walk away with a statue. Adrien Brody was superb in The Brutalist, and while I loved his performance, the man already has an Oscar so why can't he share the wealth? Interestingly, Brody was the youngest man to win Best Actor in 2003 for The Pianist but if Chalamet wins, he will snatch that record from Brody. Doesn't that feel fitting? Of course, he also has stiff competition from Ralph Fiennes for Conclave and Sebastian Stan for The Apprentice. I was surprised to discover Fiennes has never won an Oscar before, but this will still not be his year. Stan has been putting in remarkable work this year, but he will probably have to wait his turn like everyone else.

Best Supporting Actress: Zoe Saldana is the shoo-in here for Emilia Perez. She delivers a powerhouse performance that is by no means "Supporting," but I guess we'll play this game. I was truly delighted to see Monica Barbaro's nomination here for A Complete Unknown, because I was worried people were giving Chalamet all the kudos for his work as Bob Dylan and neglecting to acknowledge her work as Joan Baez. She won't be winning this year, but hopefully she will now have many future chances to win an award. Ariana Grande was wonderful in Wicked, but this is not her year - maybe she'll have a shot next year with the sequel! Felicity Jones has a meaty role in The Brutalist, but she can't quite eclipse her competitors in this category. And Isabella Rossellini is barely even in Conclave - this is a truly Judi Dench-esque Supporting performance, and she will not be winning for it.

Best Supporting Actor: Kieran Culkin is going to walk away with this one for his incredible work on A Real Pain, and it is rightfully deserved, even though, this is very much a Best Actor performance and not "Supporting" in any way. I was personally delighted to see Yura Borisov nominated for his work in Anora where he does more acting with his soulful eyes than anyone else and I was a complete sucker for it. Jeremy Strong and Guy Pearce deliver strong performances as hateful, powerful men in The Apprentice and The Brutalist, respectively, but an award seems unlikely. And while Edward Norton is wonderful as Pete Seeger in A Complete Unknown, he simply does not have a shot this year. Better luck next year, gentlemen.

Best Original Screenplay: Anora just won the WGA award, so that dizzyingly entertaining and endearing script is likely the frontrunner. But the first time I saw The Brutalist, I genuinely thought it was a true story - doesn't that deserve something? And September 5, which is not nominated for anything else, has a taut and brilliant script that I dearly loved. And then A Real Pain and The Substance are equally brilliant and creative and wild in their own ways. My God. This is a thoroughly stacked category where I'm hoping for a five-way tie - can we make that happen please? 

Best Adapted Screenplay: Nickel Boys won the WGA award, and I'm certainly rooting for them to win the trophy here. No to Emilia Perez (boooo!). I loved Conclave, so it's probably my runner-up in this category. Sing Sing would be a very deserving winner, but I don't think it has a shot, while A Complete Unknown was just another humdrum biopic and doesn't need to be winning here. 

That's all for the major categories. There has been a lot of back-and-forth in the precursor award shows and it's not clear who the real frontrunner is - Anora has been staging a massive comeback, and The Brutalist seems to be increasingly sidelined, but I do hope they can each divvy up a slew of awards as they were two of my favorite films this year. That being said, I loved many of these movies and performances, so this is a year when I'll truly just be happy with whoever wins. Except Emilia Perez. Boof.

February Movies Part 3: Nickel Boys, The Apprentice, I'm Still Here

The Oscars are less than a week away so as you can imagine, I have been desperately scrambling to finish watching the last few nominated movies I haven't yet seen. And now, here are my reviews for your viewing pleasure.

Nickel Boys: Directed by RaMell Ross who also wrote the screenplay with Joslyn Barnes, based on Colson's Whitehead's 2019 novel, this is the deeply dark and distressing tale of two teenage boys at Nickel Academy in the 1960s. Nickel is a racially segregated reform school, where the Black boys are inevitably treated harshly and cruelly and have absolutely no recourse. They are told that they could get out for good behavior, but of course, that is simply a lie, as the school benefits too much from hiring these boys out as cheap labor while not even bothering to feed or educate them properly. We begin our story with Elwood (Ethan Cole Sharp), a young man who ends up in Nickel completely by accident through a gross miscarriage of justice. He meets Turner (Brandon Wilson), another boy who has been stuck at Nickel for years after he grew up in a terrible home. The two of them form a bond, with Turner trying to teach Elwood how to fly under the radar, while Elwood, a bright kid who took part in Civil Rights protests, still can't quite fathom how this place could be allowed to exist.

Of course, the thing everyone is talking about in this movie is the way that it is shot. Told from a first-person perspective, the camera acts as the eyes of the different characters and so you are mostly looking out at the world as Elwood or Turner sees it. It's a powerful way to literally put the audience in these characters' shoes and also feels like absolute magic. There were multiple shots where I would go, "I don't understand how they shot that." That does mean that the camera work can be shaky at times though, so you might get a little unsettled and queasy if you're prone to motion sickness. Even if you're not so afflicted, the horrific story will make you unsettled all the same. While Nickel Academy may be fictional, it is based on the very real Dozier School in Florida, that was only shut down in 2011. So please do give this movie your attention. It is beautifully shot, well-acted, and a powerful reminder of this country's sordid history.

The Apprentice: Directed by Ali Abbasi and written by Gabriel Sherman, this is the story of Donald Trump's rise to power in the 70s and 80s after he was taken under the wing of the powerful and disreputable lawyer, Roy Cohn. Was I dreading having to watch this movie? Of course. But once I steeled myself to do it, I discovered it was a genuinely good film. And can now understand why Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong have been nominated for their performances as Trump and Cohn respectively. Stan, especially, is wondrous at portraying this heinous man that dominates our collective consciousness. He somehow captures all those mannerisms and tics and ways of speaking that are so familiar, without descending into all-out parody or a too-uncanny impression. He has nailed the essence of Trump but then lets us get on with the story of how this venal man came to be, under the tutelage of the equally venal Cohn.

Obviously, your mileage may vary. Far be it for me to recommend a Trump movie to anyone, because who the hell wants to give the guy more airtime? But this is a well-made film (with a great soundtrack to boot) that provides some insights into how this man has always operated and why he is currently obliterating our government. Maria Bakalova also offers up a stand-out performance as Ivana Trump, with one particularly heartbreaking scene that should fill everyone who voted for this man with shame. But they won't care, so alas. Watch it if you're an Oscar completist but spare yourself if the news already has you down. It's a good movie, but it's not worth that much trauma.

I'm Still Here: Directed by Walter Salles and written by Murilo Hauser and Heitor Lorega, based on Marcelo Rubens Paiva's 2015 memoir, this is the true story of Eunice Paiva (played by the incandescent Fernanda Torres), a woman who is a national hero in Brazil, but who I had never heard of until watching this film. This film will quickly explain to you why she became such a hero, even if it is a rather harrowing tale. It all begins in 1970, where Eunice and her family live in Rio de Janeiro and enjoy a rather idyllic life right by the beach. She and her husband, Rubens (Selton Mello), are very much in love and have five children, who all seem to be having a lovely time. However, Brazil is under a military dictatorship, and one night, some men claiming to be the police take Rubens away for questioning. The next day, Eunice and her daughter are taken in for questioning as well, and no answers are forthcoming as to what the army thinks Rubens has done.

The movie is mostly concerned with these events in 1970, but we do then get some time jumps that explain what happened to Eunice and her family in later years. If I have one quibble about this film, it's that it felt like a superhero origin story, more concerned with how this woman acted as a wife and mother, rather than giving us the story of what she did with her life that made her a truly celebrated national treasure. This movie is so well-told and features immaculate performances from every cast member, but now I am desperate for a sequel. This is a woman who really LIVED, and one movie is not enough to contain her greatness. If, like me, you are woefully behind in your knowledge of South American history and feminist icons (or have simply never watched a Brazilian movie), watch this movie posthaste. It is a remarkable reminder of all of the many ways that ordinary people can fight back against injustice and continue to smile.

February Movies Part 2: Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy, Love Hurts, Captain America: Brave New World, You're Cordially Invited

February isn't just about catching up on Oscar movies. It's also about watching the random dregs of cinema that studios throw into theaters and on streaming. Wade on into those murky waters - you may find some gold!

Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy: It should come as no surprise to everyone that I absolutely love the Bridget Jones novels, newspaper columns, and movies. I love Colin Firth, I love Pride & Prejudice, it is all one big meta dream for a Jane Austen fan. But of course, when Helen Fielding decided to kill off Mark Darcy in the third novel, I was thoroughly devastated. And this is the movie adaptation of that tale. So naturally, it is bittersweet, but it does feature a ghostly Firth as well as a still alive Hugh Grant as a slightly less roguish Daniel Cleaver, who is no longer ruining Bridget's life but is a "helpful" babysitter of sorts as she tries to move on with her life. And Renee Zellweger is charming as ever while delivering Bridget's endless stream-of-consciousness monologues. There are plenty of reappearances from original supporting cast members, but we also get the wonderful Chiwetel Ejiofor as Mr. Wallaker, Bridget's son's science teacher, as well as Leo Woodall as the ridiculously named Roxster, a hot young thing that Bridget is cougaring up with after some Tinder texting. There should be no surprises in terms of how things end up, but like all great romcoms, the joy is in the journey, not the destination. While I missed Mark Darcy, this movie is still a fun nostalgic romp and a reminder of how you can never help rooting for Bridget. It's also very melancholic, and I did find myself getting weepy for our darling heroine at times. But do not worry - everything works out exactly as you want it to, in breathtakingly swoony fashion. It's an absolutely perfect post-Valentine's treat.

Love Hurts: I was excited to see Ke Huy Quan and Ariana DeBose team up in an action romance - that's some fantasy casting right there. This is a movie about what happens when a realtor named Marvin (Quan) is confronted by his dark past that he thought he had left behind, as well as by Rose (DeBose), the woman that he thought he would never see again. You'll get all the back story you need from the trailer, so suffice to say, Marvin used to work for some bad people and did bad things, he got out of the game but is now being dragged back into it, and will team up with his lady love, Rose to win the day. Along the way there is a LOT of ultra-violent fighting, so don't go into this if you don't like watching people get stabbed and killed in various painful ways. Quan used to be a stunt coordinator, so the man is incredible to watch in these fight scenes, but I prefer my cinematic fights to be bloodless, thank you very much. It's hard to appreciate the artistry of stunt choreography when a man has been stabbed in the eyeball. So, check it out if action movies without much plot are your thing, but don't go into this thinking you're going to get a lot else. 

Captain America: Brave New World: This movie is...fine? Directed by Julius Onah and written by a bunch of dudes (you will definitely get the sense that this script was written by committee), this is yet another installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe where we get to see Anthony Mackie's Sam Wilson officially swan around as Captain America and save the world. We even have Harrison Ford as the American President who has a testy relationship with Cap but recognizes the need to work together. There is the usual slew of Marvel jimjams, all of which sailed right over my head, especially since I had never watched the 2008 Hulk movie with Edward Norton that this movie apparently was referencing a lot. Mackie and Danny Ramirez as Cap's sidekick, Joaquin Torres, aka the new Falcon, are charming as ever and had great chemistry, and Carl Lumbly continues to be great as Isaiah Bradley, the Black super soldier who was experimented on for thirty years, then finally given his due in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, and now is due to be treated horribly again in this film. Like with any Marvel movie these days, you can go into it to be mildly entertained, but if you're expecting to have a transcendental experience, think again. Even Harrison Ford couldn't save this one. 

You're Cordially Invited: Written and directed by Nicholas Stoller, this movies stars Will Ferrell and Resse Witherspoon as Jim and Margot, two people who have accidentally double-booked the same small inn on a remote island for the wedding of a loved one. In Margot's case, her sister Neve (Meredith Hagner) is getting married, while Jim is there for his daughter Jenni's (Geraldine Viswanathan) wedding. As you can imagine, many shenanigans ensue between the two wedding parties after they decide to share the space for the weekend and end up sabotaging each other in a myriad of ways. And of course, weddings bring out a lot of complicated family dynamics, with Margot struggling to reconcile with her difficult family that she feels very out-of-touch with, while Jim struggles to truly let his beloved daughter go after years of raising her as a widower. There are certainly over-the-top moments, and this is by no means a subtle comedy, but it does have a tremendous amount of heart and a decent understanding of how humans behave in high-pressure familial situations. I found it be to a thoroughly mindless and entertaining way to while away an afternoon so can happily recommend it as a decent distraction this weekend.