July Movie Round-Up: Nope, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On, DC League of Super-Pets, The Gray Man

Whew, I have had a busy July at the movies. If you want a slew of recommendations that cover a full cinematic spectrum, keep reading for some quickfire reviews:

Nope: Where do I begin with this movie? At this point, every Jordan Peele film is a must-see event, and the less you know about the plot, the better. So all I can say is, check it out. I do think Get Out and Us are slightly superior films, natch, but the man can still craft a hell of a movie. This time around, he has come up with an homage to old Hollywood and cheesy sitcoms, the relentless chase for the perfect shot, and a sci-fi mystery that unfolds in funny and frightening fashion.

Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer star as OJ and Em, siblings who have taken over their father's business as horse handlers for film and TV productions. When mysterious events start taking place at their isolated ranch, they realize a UFO might be responsible, and documenting evidence of its existence could help alleviate some of their financial woes. What follows is an insane plot to lure out this UFO that gets increasingly complex, gory, and frantic. It's a weird and bizarre thrill ride and you will never be bored for a second. But I am certainly going to need to read a lot of think pieces and listen to a lot of spoilerific podcasts of this film now. Because like with anything from the mind of Jordan Peele, there are a lot of layers to peel back, and with every answer the film gives you, it will only invite more questions. However, rest assured, you won't be bored for a second, and the film is a visual spectacle. Also, the few times Kaluuya deploys the film's title, you will laugh like a loon. Oh it's so fun. 

Marcel the Shell with Shoes On: This movie is an absolute dream. I was vaguely aware of the YouTube videos of Marcel the Shell, as voiced by Jenny Slate, but I was thoroughly unprepared for what an emotional rollercoaster I would be taken on when I went to see this movie. For an hour and a half, we follow a documentarian (Dean Fleischer Camp, who created this character with Slate back when they were still married - this feels like a relevant detail considering that in this movie Dean is recently separated from his wife) who has moved into an Airbnb and discovers a one-inch-tall shell named Marcel and his grandmother, Nanna Connie (magnificently voiced by Isabella Rossellini). He decides to make a movie about Marcel and Connie, and oh my god. It is the most heartwarming, emotional, and uplifting thing you may watch all year.

I simply cannot describe it. On paper it seems ridiculous - it's a talking shell with tiny shoes and a googly eye. But Slate voices this character with such a perfect blend of innocence and charm, and all the little ways in which Marcel has re-purposed large human objects to meet his tiny shell needs are insanely creative and magical. At one point I started crying and was like "why am I crying about a SHELL?!" Please seek out this movie. I know it sounds like the fever dream of someone who was very high, and yes, I'm sure substances were involved in the scripting of this film. But the result is absolutely extraordinary, and I am already desperate for this to win the Best Animated Feature Oscar next year. 

DC League of Super-Pets: If you have a pet owner in your life, take them to see this animated movie. They will have lots to relate to, as will you. I went with my boyfriend, who owns a dog and loves DC superheroes, so this movie was a slam dunk in every way and I would keep elbowing him to go, "It you!"

Directed by Jared Stern who also co-wrote the script with John Whittington, this is the tale of Krypto the Superdog (voiced by The Rock), who is Superman's pet. A series of events transpire whereby Superman and the entirety of the Justice League (all of whom are voiced by a veritable who's who of stars) are trapped by an evil...guinea pig. Krypto has also lost his powers like his master, so he must team up with a group of pets who have just recently broken out of an animal shelter after getting super powers. It's a great, inventive story, you won't be bored for a second, and it is wall-to-wall jokes about pet ownership and Batman's personality. This is an animated film that caters equally to kids and adults, with a fantastic voice cast, quality animation, and a stellar script. Enjoy!

The Gray Man: Directed by the Russo brothers, this movie got a lot of press for being the most expensive one bankrolled by Netflix to date. When you watch this film, you'll certainly note the money must have gone to the incredible cast, numerous foreign locations, and splendidly choreographed action scenes. However, the money certainly didn't contribute much to my enjoyment of the film. 

Based on a novel by Mark Greaney, this is the story of rival CIA agents chasing each other across the world and getting into numerous fights. The leads are played by Ryan Gosling and Chris Evans, and Ana de Armas provides a significant assist along with Jessica Henwick and Rege-Jean Page (who sadly does not sport his British accent). It's all very pretty to look at but they are working off a very clunky and boring script. It's mostly just a series of expensive action sequences strung together with silly dialogue. I would be hard-pressed to tell you about a single scene in this movie because it was so dreadfully forgettable but I certainly did not mind staring at Ryan Gosling for two hours. I don't know what he was saying, but I sure liked watching him say it. If you are an action fan, this could be a wonderfully mindless way to spend your afternoon. But if you're seeking a bit more substance, you may need to give The Gray Man a pass.

Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris: A Delightful Dream

Once in a while, I get to watch a perfect movie at the absolute perfect time. This month, that movie was Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris. Based on the 1958 novel by Paul Gallico, this adaptation is a wondrous delight of a film, full of whimsy and heart, and of course, some very beautiful dresses.

The absolutely scintillating Lesley Manville plays Ada Harris, a cleaning lady in 1957 London. Her life has been on pause for a while as her husband was missing in action during the War, but at the beginning of this movie, she receives confirmation that she has in fact been widowed. When she sees a haute couture Dior dress that one of her rich clients bought from Paris, she is suddenly consumed by this dream - she must go to Paris and get a Dior dress of her own. What follows is a series of events, some good, some bad, that lead her on an adventure of a lifetime.

I won't give away any more, because you need to simply let this movie wash over you. It is so gentle yet firm, like Mrs. Harris herself, an outspoken but spectacularly kind woman who is always trying to help others around her but has forgotten to help herself. This is a story about older women, and how they can feel invisible in a patriarchal society that doesn't acknowledge their worth and beauty. This is a story about capitalism, and how once in a while workers need to strike and demand their rights from the grasping bourgeoisie. And with costume designer Jenny Beavan at the helm, this is also very much a story about the House of Dior and their incredible creations. I am someone who buys all her clothes at Old Navy, but when Mrs. Harris laid her eyes on that beautiful gown, I immediately felt like I wanted one too.

Isabelle Huppert also stars as a snooty Dior executive who is appalled when Mrs. Harris shows up at her door, demanding equal treatment to the richer clientele who more regularly appear at the Dior showings. While Huppert is cast as the film's very stereotypical French villain (if she was a man, she would definitely twirl her mustache at some point), there's some growth and evolution to this character, and a final scene between her and Mrs. Harris that felt like a triumphant take down of the patriarchy. The gorgeous Lucas Bravo and Alba Baptista also have supporting roles as two Dior employees who are on Mrs. Harris's side, and while they have a very tropey side-plot that is oh-so-French, it is also oh-so-cute. And meanwhile, we have Jason Isaacs and Ellen Thomas back home in London, playing some of the people who are always by Mrs. Harris's side and care deeply for her. Everyone is perfectly cast and they all play off Lesley Manville so well: it's heaven.

The production design by Luciana Arrighi combined with Felix Wiedemann's cinematography will make you want to hop on a plane for a trip to London and Paris posthaste. Director and co-writer Anthony Fabian has done a marvelous job gathering all these departments together to create this delectable film, and I was entranced from the first scene to the last. So if you're in dire need of a break from your daily existence, or ruminating on how to find more joy in your life, can I suggest you run, not walk to the theater? Mrs. Harris knows exactly how to help.

Regency Romance: Mr. Malcolm’s List & Persuasion

If you need your annual dose of men in top hats and breeches and ladies in empire-waisted dresses and bonnets, never fear. There are two charming movies out to clamor for your attention. Take a sip of tea and keep reading.

Mr. Malcolm’s List: Directed by Emma Holly Jones and written by Suzanne Allain (based on her novel of the same name), this is a movie about Mr. Jeremiah Malcolm (Sope Dirisu), who is in search of a wife, but has a list of qualifications that are exceedingly difficult to meet. When he jilts Julia (Zawe Ashton), she decides to take revenge on him by enlisting her friend, Selina (Freida Pinto), to charm him by faking all the traits on this list. If you have no idea where this story is going, you obviously are not the target demographic for this movie.

I love the recent trend of color-blind casting in British films. There are very few white actors in this movie, and yet no one seems out of place at all. Instead we get this charming tale that is brimming with Pride & Prejudice vibes and is in the hands of some very delightful and capable actors. I was never surprised watching the film, but I was thoroughly delighted - you know what you’re getting, but what you’re getting is such a treat.

The costumes are gorgeous, the production design is lovely, the cinematography makes you want to swoon at every turn. And our heroine is intelligent and fiercely independent and capable. There are misunderstandings galore, many letters will be written with inky quills, some romance will brew over a game of croquet, and at the end, everyone will be coupled up and ready for their happily ever after. What more could you ever want?

Persuasion: The trailer for this movie stirred up a lot of controversy but I was thoroughly charmed. And the movie has subsequently angered many Austen fans who think it is too modern and awful and would make Jane roll over in her grave. However, I thought it was a perfectly fun romp and shall defend it from all the haters. 

I am not a Persuasion devotee, which probably helps. The last complete novel that Austen published, it is much more melancholy and is not what you would expect from her if the only thing you knew was Pride & Prejudice. As such, I have always found Anne Elliot, the heroine, a bit insipid and dull. What this movie attempts to do, however, is revamp that character into Elizabeth Bennet. So for someone like me, this is a win-win, an Austen adaptation of a novel that isn’t my favorite but that now makes it more like my favorite. But of course, if you ARE a fan of the novel, I can see why you’d be mad.

Dakota Johnson plays Anne and throughout the film she talks directly to camera. Which is useful as so much of this novel is just Anne’s internal monologue about her failed romance with Captain Wentworth (played by a suitably handsome but not particularly devastating Cosmo Jarvis). Her father, the vain Mr. Elliot, is played with relish by Richard E. Grant and as the movie progresses, you’ll meet a whole host of characters linked to Anne and her sisters. Again, there’s some great color-blind casting in the supporting cast, even though the main cast is very white, and it’s fun to see a number of men suddenly vying for Anne’s attention. There’s a pivotal scene involving a letter (it's Austen, of course there's an important letter), and I had quite forgotten about it until it happened and it still packed as much of a punch as it does when you read it for the first time and realize that things are going to work out for our hapless lovers.

Overall, this is a charming Netflix movie and I don’t think it merits the vitriol I’ve seen slung at it. It’s a modern take on the always problematic Regency trope of women who must be married to unburden their families and it manages to be funny and romantic and entertaining. It’s definitely not suitable for purists, but if you love a feisty heroine, you’ll get what you seek.

Marvel Magic: Thor: Love and Thunder & Ms. Marvel

Do you need a superhero fix for the summer? Never fear, the Marvel Cinematic Universe has you covered.  Whether you need a quick two-hour giggle fest, or a longer six-episode spectacle of a TV show where you will learn more about Pakistani-Americans than you knew before, you’re gonna be entertained for a good long while.

Thor: Love and Thunder: Directed and co-written by Taika Waititi, who also has a role as Thor's sidekick, Korg, this is a supremely silly film. The thing I love about Marvel versus DC is that they always lean into the comedy and don’t take themselves too seriously. But this movie leans all the way into that comedy in a way that may be off-putting to some people. I, of course, ate it all up with a big ol’ spoon. Thor (Chris Hemsworth) is the epitome of “pretty but dumb,” this lunkhead of a Nordic god who very accidentally became a good guy and can save people but has a lot of trouble with basic introspection and empathy. So this movie consists of watching him mostly whale on people and be dumb about his feelings until the very end.

The supporting cast are great, with Tessa Thompson getting to take on a meatier role as King Valkyrie and leaning into the queerness of that character with casual aplomb. She gets to kick some ass as well as knock some sense into Thor, particularly when Natalie Portman returns as Jane Foster/the Mighty Thor. Yup, she got an upgrade and has now become a superhero too. Much hijinks ensue and it’s great to see this alpha male flanked by two powerful women in fight scenes against Christian Bale’s villain, Gorr, who looks appropriately menacing (kudos to the makeup team). 

This movie is very random, but it’s never dull. It feels a bit like you’re watching a sketch show where actors are trying out various bits to see what sticks. There are cameos galore, and you have to keep your eyes glued to the screen for fear of missing out on any sight gags at any given moment. It looks gorgeous and has a banging soundtrack, all of which is very reminiscent of Thor: Ragnarok. Don’t expect high art, but if you expect a competent Marvel movie brimming with dumb jokes, you won’t be disappointed. 

Ms. Marvel: This may be my favorite Marvel TV series to date. Ordinarily I find the TV shows to be steeped in comic book lore and they lose me halfway through, but this show grabbed me from the beginning and didn’t let go. Probably because the emphasis is much more on the cultural and familial background of the character rather than her superhero powers. And since she’s a South Asian woman, I was all in.

Iman Vellani plays Kamala Khan (who will eventually adopt the name Ms. Marvel) and she is wonderful. She is this nerdy kid who idolizes Captain Marvel, and together with her friends Bruno (Matt Lintz) and Nakia (Yasmeen Fletcher), she’s just an ordinary kid making her way through high school in Jersey City. Until she puts on a bangle that her grandmother sent her from Pakistan that gives her superpowers. Naturally, chaos unfolds. Zenobia Shroff and Mohan Kapur play her wonderful parents, with Saagar Shaikh as her older brother, Aamir, and the joy of this show is less about the action sequences or watching Kamala figure out how to use her powers, and more about her relationship with her family, her mosque, and her identity as a brown woman in America.

All my favorite lines on this show relate to various Muslim characters sarcastically taking down law enforcement. The show's creator is Bisha K. Ali, a British-Pakistani comedian and writer, and every episode was either written or directed by someone of Arab or South Asian descent so they always stay true to this world and the lived experience of these characters. This show has an incredible soundtrack and every episode ends with a Pakistani or Indian jam that I needed to listen to on a loop right away. I felt like I was watching my own family on screen, with the same quirks and mannerisms so common to all South Asian households, and I was thrilled that the show took a whole deep dive into Partition. (Those episodes were directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, a Pakistani-Canadian journalist who has won Oscars for her documentaries about gender inequality - what a perfect choice for this show and these episodes in particular.) The show reminded me a lot of Ramy, except I finally got the perspective of a Muslim woman, and it was fantastic. At six episodes, the show is a quick treat that doesn’t overstay its welcome, and it certainly whetted my appetite for more Marvel adventures. 

Soothing Streaming Movies: Father of the Bride, The Valet, Cha Cha Real Smooth

If it's too hot to leave your house, never fear. You can stay on the couch this weekend and keep yourself entertained with a number of delightful movies that have popped up on streaming services. Today's selection is a trio of lighthearted comedies, all of which feature romance and have happy endings, but maybe not quite the happily ever after you expected.

Father of the Bride: Written by Matt Lopez and directed by Gaz Alazraki, this is a charming update of the classic film starring Elizabeth Taylor and Spencer Tracy that was then charmingly updated in 1991 with Kimberly Williams and Steve Martin as the Bride and Father, respectively. In this version, the Bride is Adria Arjona, a young Latina who met her fiance in New York and brings him home to meet her parents in Miami after a whirlwind engagement. Her parents are played by the incredible duo of Andy Garcia and Gloria Estefan, so you know that things can't go wrong from there.

We all know how this story goes as far as the Bride is concerned. There is a lot of drama around wedding preparations, and in this film, there's a whole subplot with her younger sister (played by Isabela Merced) who is a bit aimless and hasn't quite figured out her passion in life, but this wedding will give her a chance to showcase her burgeoning fashion design skills. There will be trouble with the in-laws and a lot of posturing from the Father about how he has to pay for everything, a stance that he will promptly regret. But what makes this update unique is that it is a story about immigrants and first-generation Latinos navigating America and combining their different cultures and heritages and dealing with the age-old problem of how to please your family while still staying true to yourself. And while all this is going on with the Bride, the Father has his own problems, because his wife has asked for a divorce. So really, you're getting two love stories for the price of one and it's a delightful summer treat.

The Valet: Directed by Richard Wong and based on the 2006 French movie by Francis Veber, this is a classic romcom setup - Samara Weaving plays Olivia Allan, a famous Hollywood actress who gets caught in a paparazzi photo with her married lover, Vincent (played by Max Greenfield, in an excellent bit of casting). However, another man randomly appears in that photo, so Vincent hits upon the brilliant idea of paying that man to pretend he's the one that Olivia is dating and Vincent was just the innocent bystander. That man is Antonio (Eugenio Derbez), an unassuming valet who is definitely not used to dealing with rich people and celebrities except when he has to park their cars. 

What follows is an incredibly sweet story where Olivia and Antonio become unlikely friends and help each other understand that they deserve much more than their current circumstances dictate. They both have unhappy love lives that will need to be addressed, but this movie makes their relationship blissfully platonic and supportive. And hilarious. Antonio's family is composed of an entertaining cast of characters, and a lot of the movie is just in Spanish because hey, that reflects the realities of being a Mexican family in Los Angeles. The sub-plot with his mother (played by the wonderful Carmen Salinas) is pure gold and that is the true love story of this film. It's a wonderful look at a part of LA and the people of LA that we don't ordinarily get to see in film, and you'll have a big smile on your face the whole time you're watching it.

Cha Cha Real Smooth: This is a gentle and kind movie that has a lot of heart and some very funny moments, but is mostly about two people who are ships that pass in the night. Written and directed by Cooper Raiff, he also stars as Andrew, as 22-year-old who has just graduated from college and is now living with his mother and her husband (played by the great duo of Leslie Mann and Brad Garrett) as he figures out what to do next in his life. He stumbles into a job as a party starter, getting people onto the dance floor at various bar mitzvahs and  ensuring that everyone has a good time. Which is how he meets Domino (Dakota Johnson) and her autistic teenage daughter, Lola (Vanessa Burghardt). Andrew has a way with Lola that Domino comes to appreciate and they quickly form a bond. But Domino is engaged. And Connor is only 22. So what happens now?

This film is sweet and its characters feel believable and lived-in. Everyone is just trying to figure out how to do the right thing, and they stumblingly get there. Along the way it is also funny and sad (the phrase "That's a period?!" uttered in absolute horror by Andrew made me burst out laughing in a scene that actually is quite dramatic) and by the end, you will feel a little bit wistful but very happy that this is how you chose to spend your day. Isn't that what summer is all about? 

Get Your Binge On: The Bear and The Summer I Turned Pretty

Last month I binged two very different shows over the course of two days. Do you want something gritty, darkly funny, and intense? Or do you want something frothy and cute that still manages to tug at your heartstrings? 

The Bear: The first season is only eight episodes long, most of those only half an hour, and it is an absolute triumph. Created by Christopher Storer, who also wrote and directed a number of episodes, this is the story of Carmen "Carmy" Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White) a man who has returned to Chicago after his brother died by suicide and left Carmy his restaurant. Carmy is one of the best chefs in the world and left behind a prestigious job at a fine dining restaurant to work at this struggling beef sandwich shop and he is thrown into the deep end dealing with a recalcitrant staff who are used to doing things their own way and are deeply suspicious of this young upstart and his fancy ideas of instituting a French brigade system to whip them into shape. The man doesn't even want to make spaghetti with tomatoes from a can, what is this anarchy?!

What follows is an incisive look at the business of running a restaurant. Financial ruin faces Carmy at every turn, and his passion for food often has to take a backseat to the need to run a solvent business. His staff of misfits eventually start to warm to him, but for every step he takes forward, there's always the drama of a surprise health inspection, a power outage, or personal trauma to take him two steps back. As the series progresses, we get to spend more time with the other characters, particularly the new recruit, Sydney (Ayo Edibiri), who was trained at the Culinary Institute of America and shares Carmy's vision, but is still extremely young and has to earn the respect of the older, more seasoned employees who see her as an interloper. Will she succeed? You had better watch to find out!

The main reason I am recommending this show, however, is Episode 7. Even if you don't binge the whole thing, I am tempted to tell the whole world to at least watch this one episode. It is only twenty minutes long, but during those twenty minutes you will have an absolute panic attack. It is a searing masterclass in how to script and edit a tight episode of television that tells a chaotic, frantic, tale of the absolute worst day at this restaurant. It follows every single character and gives them a chance to have their own personal moment of hell and keeps you riveted to the screen from the first shot to the last. It is a shot of pure adrenalin and that was the moment I knew this show was destined to be a classic.

The Summer I Turned Pretty: Look, I get it. The title makes me cringe too. My boss overheard his daughter's teenage friend describe the show as "cringey but you'll really enjoy it if you watch it alone." Which might be the most incisive review ever. An adaptation of a Jenny Han YA book series (she's the author responsible for the charming To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy), this show tells the story of Isabel "Belly" Conklin (Lola Tung), a high school sophomore who arrives at Cousins Beach with her mother, Laurel (Jackie Chung), and brother, Steven (Sean Kaufman), to spend their annual summer vacation at the home of her mother's best friend, Susannah (Rachel Blanchard), and her two sons, Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno).

What follows is an angsty tale of teen romance as Belly navigates the fact that this is the summer she has boobs and doesn't have braces and is suddenly an object of male interest. Which sounds gross, but I promise is handled with a bit more finesse than that. I didn't care about Belly and her romantic shenanigans that much, but I did enjoy the focus on her female friendships and the tensions between the new girls she meets when preparing for a debutante ball versus her old friend back home who is starting to feel left out. But the best part of the show, to me, was the mothers. Susannah and Laurel have a friendship that reminded me a lot of my best friends from college that I still love to this day. These two have an INTENSE summer, and I won't spoil anything, but the last episode wrecked me for reasons that had absolutely nothing to do with the teenagers and was all about the adults.

So give this fluffy show a chance. It has surprising heart and depth and even tries to tackle issues like racism and classism, albeit always with a light touch. It also boasts a great soundtrack and some gorgeous summer beach vibes in a house I would like to move into immediately. I'm quite looking forward to future installments and there's enough of a cliffhanger that I'm genuinely considering just getting the trilogy from the library to find out what ultimately happens to these characters. Surely there's no higher praise I can give a show?