Anybody's couch have a 🍑 imprint yet?

Dec 16, 2020

"Maybe yes he is a little bit...
...MAGOO"

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.

Last week I linked to the (very big deal) announcement that Warner Brothers is releasing all of their 2021 movies on HBO Max the same day they're scheduled to release in theaters ("scheduled" because this is assuming theaters still play them).

I didn't discuss it, in part because I was curious to see the response and the after effects. While the effects aren't likely to be seen for a while (e.g. losing projects because directors don't want to work with them), the response definitely showed up. Christopher Nolan, a long time WB director, called HBO Max the "worst streaming service" in his excoriating reaction and Denis Villeneuve, who made the upcoming Dune, said WB may have killed the franchise (this first movie apparently only covers the first half of the classic novel). A lot of other people had comments, but maybe none bigger than WB's financing partner Legendary, who may sue.

So yeah, it's a bit of a shit show. But in large part because people didn't know about it before it happened. Would the reaction have been different if they had? Maybe not on the overall, and the announcement may have leaked if they'd talked to people beforehand, but at least filmmakers would't have felt quite as slighted. One can understand why WB made the decision (see: "the bullshit" + Netflix + Disney +), but what's harder to say is if they should've. But they did and here we are. Which isn't really different than where we were. But where we're going? That, my friends, is gonna be interesting!

Note: speaking of Christopher Nolan, Tenet is available to buy now for $20. Rental to come.

MA RAINEY'S BLACK BOTTOM

Vibe: play, but a movie, complete with monologues
Rotten Tomatoes: 99% (out of 104)
Details: 1 hr, 34 mins | R
Trailer

The necessary prologue to any discussion of this movie is that it's Chadwick Boseman's last acting role. Which is already incredibly sad, and only compounded by the fact he's in strong contention for an Oscar nomination (something that never occurred while he was alive). It also reminds one of the movies Boseman will never get to make, and we'll never get to watch.

But to focus on that at the expense of his part in Ma Rainey's would only be adding to the sorrow; instead, we can highlight what's here now. Which is Boseman opposite Viola Davis in a movie adaptation of an August Wilson play that's getting superb reviews as well as best picture talk. Davis won her first Oscar (she could get a second here) for her role in another Wilson stage-to-film adaption, 2016's Fences.

Davis plays Ma Rainey, an extremely talented and well known blues / jazz singer, while Boseman inhabits a "thinks he's hot shit, and just may be" member of her band. Most of the movie is set over the course of a recording session where the two leads (and others) banter, argue and get into deep discussions and monologues on race and more.

And while it stars big names and will likely get nominated for a lot of awards, you can imagine this is still the sort of movie who'll see a smaller audience than say... the six bajillionth movie about the end of the earth (see: below). But then if you watch it, you can say you saw the last great performance from a late great actor. And that ain't nuthin.

GREENLAND

Vibe: BLAMO! KABLOOIE NOOOO!!
Rotten Tomatoes: 86% (out of 28)
Details : 1 hr 59 mins, PG-13
Trailer

Things gonna blow up in this movie. A lot of things. And while stuff being smashed into tiny pieces can be fun to experience as long as you're not one of said pieces, not to mention visually spectacular, it would get pretty damn boring to only see that for two hours (barring the involvement of "extracurriculars"). That's why we need us, very squash-able, humans involved. A reason to care. Not like a ton of caring mind you, just enough to keep us interested during the segues between destruction.

And who better as host for the end of the earth than... can you guess? I bet you can. Nooo, not that grizzled action-movie vet with a funny accent. This one.

Yes, Gerald Butler is back to guide you (and his estranged wife & son), sweet viewer, through the most calamitous of events - life destroying comets. See, this is different than Armageddon where one giant asteroid was trying to upper cut the planet right in the face. Instead, we have lots of smaller, but no less lethal, celestial entities landing body shots over and over, until there's nothing left alive.

There aren't a ton of reviews yet, but the vast majority say while it nothing you've haven't seen before, but it is the better version of what you've seen - in large part because of the solid performances and smartly doled out action.

I think the calculation here is, do I want a big dumb action movie, that is slightly smarter than all the rest? If yes, than yes.

Note: this was to be released in theaters around now, but "the bullshit" shifted it to become a "premium VOD" release; i.e. it's $20 vs the normal five or six.

LET THEM ALL TALK

Vibe: that really interesting table next to you at brunch
Rotten Tomatoes: 90% (out of 84)
Details: 1 hr 53 mins | R
Trailer

There's a reason movie stars are movie stars; they're (generally) very good at what they do. Acting. It's sometimes said about the best actors that you could watch them do anything and they'd be compelling. Well, that isn't exactly this movie, there is a plot of course, but it sounds kinda relevant here!

See, in this, the fifth movie from Steven Soderbergh since he retired from making... movies, you have a lot of star actors kinda just hanging out, on a cruise boat. Which is literally how this movie was made - most of the dialogue improvised, shot on the Queen Mary 2 in two weeks, on a real trip with actual passengers aboard, no professional lights, just Soderbergh (who also handled DP and editor responsibilities) holding a camera in a wheel chair plus some sound equipment.

But that's the how, the narrative why for this naval adventure is Meryl Streep's character wanting to rectify past issues with some of her best friends from college. Streep plays an author struggling to write her next novel and she's looking for inspiration, just as she's set to receive an award in England (but she's not much of a flier, hence the boat). Streep gets a few free tickets so she brings aboard those college friends, Candice Bergen and Dianne Wiest, as well as her nephew Lucas Hedgers. Streep's agent also sneaks on board to get intel on this as yet to be written book.

The three friends haven't spoken much in the past 30 yeas, so they're a bit flummoxed as to why they're being included, with Bergen being particularly skeptical since Streep based her most successful novel on Bergen's life, which she thinks messed it right the hell up. And there we have the setting for some delightful conversation, which you will most certainly get, from some of the best actors around. Enjoy.

Highlights

Nomadland - full trailer for the movie that's getting looots of Oscar talk - both best picture and acting for Frances McDormand as a woman exploring the country after the great recession. Extremely good reviews (but it certainly won't be for everyone).

Herself - a woman who left her abusive husband tries to build a home for her and her daughters. Get ready for a tear or three thousand w/ from its uplifting vibe. Really nice reviews too.

Nobody - basically John Wick (it's from a producer of John Wick, so) with Bob Odenkirk as a simple family guy who... is very much not that. If you liked Wick, good chance this'll look good.

French Exit - man, it's so fun to see Michelle Pfeiffer in a starring role. She plays a widow who's run out of money, but still somehow is off to Paris with her directionless son (Lucas Hedges). Solid early reviews.

What's In Theaters +

Discussion about this post