Another day, another chance to make it great. 💜

Nov 11, 2020

"So I got that going for me,
which is nice."

PINNED: this newsletter is supposed to be a friendly recapping of the movies in, and coming to, theaters. But things be real weird right now. So until that changes in earnest, I'll either be suggesting old favorites to revisit, pointing out recent flicks you may have missed or calling out notable new VOD / streaming options.

So, holiday movies are comin' up. A lot of them (mostly on Netflix). I may even feature one here and there. And they'll inevitably feature confusing if not downright questionable behavior. But can we all agree this behavior from the now "classic" Love Actually is not only questionable, but just plain shitty? Disagree?? Change my mind!

Moving on. If you're one of the few hundred thousand people hittin' up movie theaters right now, things have been sparse; this weekend helps with that a bit. First there's Freaky, which is supposed to be a real fun combo of body-switching comedy and slasher horror. Same director as Happy Death Day, it's Vince Vaughn as a serial killer who swaps bodies with Kathryn Newton, a highschool girl.

Already out last weeked, there's also Let Him Go, which has Diane Layne (swoon) partnered with Kevin Costner (Man of Steel reunion) trying to wrench their grandson and daughter-in-law back from the family of the daughter-in-law's abusive new husband. It was actually the #1 movie last week. It's also supposed to be solid, mostly due to the acting from vets Layne and Costner.

Good chance I'll feature 'em proper when they start streaming, but if you're heading to theaters, "the bullshit" be damned, at least you finally have a couple solid options.

This Week's Theme: movies starring stars before you knew who they were

MISS STEVENS
(2016)

The big "before you knew who they were" here is definitely Timothée Chalemat, but Lili Reinhardt from Riverdale competes quite strongly as well. They're both featured in what can be called the definition of a "small" movie. One that deals with issues that are localized to the people in the movie, but often times universal in feel. Rachel Stevens, sorry, Miss Stevens as the kids are required to call her, is a teacher who is old enough to no longer be a kid, but young enough that she hasn't fully "grown up." But the question the film gets at is what does it really mean to shed your adolescence and become an adult? And is it really possible? The transition to adulthood is talked about and held up as some distinct demarcation point in life, when really it's more likely an indiscriminate process that progresses at difference speeds (or doesn't at all).

The snapshot of the lives here is an acting competition where Stevens is the chaperone for three students, including Chalamet and Reinhart. Miss Stevens is grieving her dead mother and the trip sees her in a vulnerable state. Chalamet clearly has a crush on her and while the movie isn't about a teacher-student affair, it does include a teacher-student connection, which, age be damned, is really just a human connection.

Give It a Shot If: you can still look in the mirror and see the kid inside / you can still look in the mirror and CAN'T see the kid inside

Details: 91% on RT (23 reviews)
NR, 1 hrs 25 mins, 1091

BEAST
(2018)

This only came out two years ago, so you might be wondering how the hell there could already be someone who is a big enough star to warrant inclusion in this week's theme. All I got to say is, a lot can happen in 12 months (see: this year).

The reason to to include Beast is Jessie Buckley, who has quickly become of those "jesus christ, they're in everything" actors. Right after Beast, she was in Wild Rose, then HBO's Chernobyl, and recently the fourth season of Fargo plus the Charlie Kaufman Netflix movie I'm Thinking of Ending Things. Not to mention a part in the Keira Knightley movie I featured a few weeks back, Misbehaviour. So yeah. She been busy.

In Beast, her first starring movie role, Buckley plays a young woman emotionally tamped down by her family (although potentially with understandable reason). She meets a rough young man (Johnny Flynn from EMMA.) at the same time a number of rapes and murders are occurring in their small community. They begin a romance as Flynn is eyed as the main suspect, but their attraction makes Buckley think Flynn is innocent, maybe because she truly believes he is, or maybe because she truly wants him to be.

It looks like the type of movie you watch not for the outcome (although for that too), but the evolution of the characters until that inevitable messy end.

Give It a Shot If: you could use a little moral ambiguity in your life

Details: 92% on RT (144 reviews)
R, 1 hr 47 mins, Roadside

SHORT TERM 12
(2013)

I admit Brie Larson was not a complete unknown before this movie came out. She had done supporting stuff in 21 Jump Street and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, but this was the kind of movie that became a career shifter. It didn't get her an Academy Award nomination (which caused a bit of a stir), but it probably helped get her the role in Room (for which she did win an Academy Award) and set her on the path to becoming Captain Marvel. Thing is, even excluding Larson, this movie still has a bunch of people in "before they were stars" roles, including: Rami Malek pre Mr. Robot / Bohemian Rahpsody / Bond villainy, Stephanie Beatriz just as she was turning into the badass Rosa Diaz on Brooklyn 99, as well as Kaitlyn Dever before she sarcastically sniped her way through Booksmart. Oh, and friggen LaKeith Stanfield in his first role, a dude who has definitely gained "in everything" status.

Ok, cool, but what's the damn movie about? Well, the subject matter is a teensy bit darker than the bright faces of the stars in it. Larson works as a counselor of sorts in a group home where she helps oversee "at risk" kids spending time at the facility for various reasons. You're no dummy so you'll expect a wrench to be applied to your heart as you can imagine the backstory for many of the kids will not be cheery. Add to that Larson with her own story befitting her role in helping these kids through a tough spot in life, and buckets you may need (note: ya know, 😭). But don't fear melodrama here, you can bank on the movie steering closer to the realism side of the tracks.

Give It a Shot If: you want a reason to let out all those tears you've been holding in (note: you don't need a reason, it's ok to cry)

Details: 98% on RT (173 reviews)
R, 1 hr 36 mins, Animal Kingdom

Highlights

Happiest Season - a couple (Kristen Stewart & Mackenzie Davis) goes home for the holidays, except one partner (Davis) hasn't told her family she's gay. 😬 Looks like a pretty classic rom-com with a (slightly) progressive bent. Note: was to be a theatrical release until "the bullshit"

Superintelligence - Melissa McCarthy comedy - she has to teach a supercomputer (voiced by James Corden) that humans are worth saving

Wild Mountain Thyme - a seemingly straightforward cheeky romance movie where two people (Emily Blunt & Jamie Dornan) have been in love since childhood and their partnership seems ordained. Until Jon Hamm comes in as foil to those plans

What's In Theaters +

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