I watched a lot of movies over the past two months but never got around to blogging about them. As such, here are some rapid reviews of movies that are already up for some Golden Globes but didn't sufficiently pique my interest to merit their own posts. There are only so many hours in the day, you know?
The Irishman: Everyone has heard about this movie. But how many of you have sat through three-and-a-half hours of it on Netflix (or an actual movie theater, God help you)? This movie was emphatically not made for me. I don't care about mob movies, I am not invested in these particular actors, and given that we already know the whole thing is a biography of the man who will eventually kill Jimmy Hoffa, I found that the journey was not worth the destination. Also, I was confused at how Italian everyone seemed when they're not even playing Italians. This was particularly clear when Pacino's character went on a rant about how useless Italians are and my brain exploded. Unlike some, I was not thrown by the de-aging technology (I think you need to see it on the big screen to be quite as weirded out by it as some people seemed to be), but I did notice that the actors still moved like seventy-year-olds even if they were playing thirty. So this movie isn't worth it for that gimmick either.
I was simply bored, and I know this is a deeply unpopular critical opinion. I'll be the first to confess that because I was watching at home on Netflix, I couldn't pay attention like I may have in a movie theater. But I cannot imagine my experience would have been that much improved. There was just too much extraneous material, too much luxuriating in this genre that I don't care for, much too much of everything. Nope, I did not like this movie, but I promise, I won't judge you if it's your jam. We just need to agree that we are very different people. And when it wins a bunch of awards, I'll heave a sigh and move on.
Harriet: A fairly straightforward biopic about Harriet Tubman, this movie was a great history lesson for me. I have always known her name, but never really read up on her story, so to spend two hours in the company of Cynthia Erivo playing this American icon was great. Erivo's performance is the standout aspect of the film - the script plods along in fairly predictable fashion, but Erivo imbues Harriet with all the nobility, strength, and power that the woman embodied in real life. Tubman's life story is so incredibly extraordinary and courageous, and this movie tells that story competently, alongside a great supporting cast, including Leslie Odom Jr. and Janelle Monae, who as usual, is the woman you wish you could be. Overall, I wasn't bored for a second when I watched this movie, but I wasn't shouting from the rooftops for others to watch it either. Erivo should be honored with some acting nominations (perhaps even one for Best Original Song at the end!), but otherwise, treat this movie like a very important history lesson, and not a cinematic highlight of 2019.
Frozen II: It took me FOREVER to finally get to the movie theater and watch this movie. And it was...fine. I didn't love the plot and I wasn't intrigued by any of the songs (frankly, the only thing I have ever loved about the Frozen soundtrack has been the Sami music and I would be perfectly happy if the entire movie was set to that alone). I definitely found some of the themes to be surprisingly dark and existential - maybe all animated movies are like this and you only pick up on it when you're an adult, but I certainly feel like Disney and Pixar have been leaning into the abyss lately. There was a lot of talk about change and growing older and finding purpose, and I imagine all the children in the audience just went, "haha, look at the silly snowman!" However, the absolute joy of this movie is in the quality of animation. I never tire of seeing how well we can animate water and Frozen II is an endless parade of raging seas, water droplets, ice crystals, and jaw-dropping beauty. It's a glorious ode to Nature, and I left feeling like I needed to take a hike in the Poconos right away. Also, I love every single outfit that Elsa was wearing. I deeply object to the unrealistic skinny Disney princess body type, but damn those women wear gorgeous gowns. So yes, go see this movie, but mostly to marvel at the scenery.
I was simply bored, and I know this is a deeply unpopular critical opinion. I'll be the first to confess that because I was watching at home on Netflix, I couldn't pay attention like I may have in a movie theater. But I cannot imagine my experience would have been that much improved. There was just too much extraneous material, too much luxuriating in this genre that I don't care for, much too much of everything. Nope, I did not like this movie, but I promise, I won't judge you if it's your jam. We just need to agree that we are very different people. And when it wins a bunch of awards, I'll heave a sigh and move on.
Harriet: A fairly straightforward biopic about Harriet Tubman, this movie was a great history lesson for me. I have always known her name, but never really read up on her story, so to spend two hours in the company of Cynthia Erivo playing this American icon was great. Erivo's performance is the standout aspect of the film - the script plods along in fairly predictable fashion, but Erivo imbues Harriet with all the nobility, strength, and power that the woman embodied in real life. Tubman's life story is so incredibly extraordinary and courageous, and this movie tells that story competently, alongside a great supporting cast, including Leslie Odom Jr. and Janelle Monae, who as usual, is the woman you wish you could be. Overall, I wasn't bored for a second when I watched this movie, but I wasn't shouting from the rooftops for others to watch it either. Erivo should be honored with some acting nominations (perhaps even one for Best Original Song at the end!), but otherwise, treat this movie like a very important history lesson, and not a cinematic highlight of 2019.
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