Aloha

Wow, I remember when Cameron Crowe made good films. Hell, the man wrote "Fast Times at Ridgemont High" and directed "Singles" and "Jerry Maguire". He was my god for a while. However, his last few films have been bad, and this was downright awful. Everything you've read about how offensive it is to native Hawaiians is absolutely true, and I have no idea why Emma Stone was cast in the role she was in. This was really a miss for me, and I wish Cameron Crowe could just find his way again. 2/5

Aloha on Netflix

Saw III

In many ways, this movie is just a solid and well thought out as the original. That's not a surprise when you note that Leigh Whannell and James Wan wrote it together, just as they did the first film. The plot is very tight and well controlled, with twists coming quickly throughout the film. I didn't remember the ending, and I was at the edge of my seat with it. The problem for me with this film is that the amount of violence and sheer gore rose dramatically from the first two films. The first two were violent, but you didn't see a ton of the violence on camera, just the aftermath of it. This film was gore-tastic the whole way through, and it added nothing. I hope the filmmakers remember that, at its heart, "Saw" was as much of a psych thriller as a horror film, if not more so. This was the last "Saw" film I watched, so I'm moving into uncharted territory next week. 4/5

Saw III on Netflix

Saw II

According to Netflix, I originally gave this film only three stars - I'm going to bump that up to three and a half. This was not directed by James Wan and it shows - the feel of the film was more superficial and generic than the first film. However, the acting is definitely superior to the first film, and the plot held together extremely well even on second viewing. Of the three main twists at the end I only remembered two of them, and even knowing the other two didn't diminish the flourish of the reveals. I think this film is a worthy successor to the original in nearly every way. I'm glad Leigh Whannell was around to co-write this script - he really kept it on track. "Saw III" coming up this weekend. 3.5/5

Saw II on Netflix

This Must Be the Place

I rented this after being truly stunned by Paolo Sorrentino recent film "Youth", which still lingers in my memory as something very special. This film was also lovingly shot with beautiful visual textures and framing that I found very affecting. Sean Penn is simply outstanding in this very unusual role, but beyond that I'm afraid I don't have much praise to offer. The script for this is all over the road and nonsensical at times. I found myself drifting and not really caring what happened to the characters, and, after how profoundly "Youth" affected me, I was surprised by my lack of interest. This was just okay for me, but I will give Paolo Sorrentino another couple of tries. 3/5

This Must Be the Place on Netflix

Saw

My regular readers will know I recently declared my intention to finally watch the entire "Saw" series in my effort to catch up on many of the horror franchises I have been missing. I have only seen the first three installments of the "Saw" series, and I remember none of them well enough, so I'm starting from scratch with the first film. I remembered many of the twists of this rather ingenious plot, in particular the dramatic ending, so I was curious if the film would hold up even knowing what I did. Surprisingly it did. I remember being substantially confused when I first saw the film as the narrative changes and plot twists had me rather confused at times. It was much easier to follow this time through, and I found there were so many small details I had missed originally that jumped out at me now. I still found the acting to be pretty awful, and Wan has grown a lot as a director since this film, but it's a solid piece with suspenseful elements that weren't present in much of the horror of the day. I enjoyed this reviewing and am looking forward to the rest of the series. 4/5

Saw on Netflix

Nerve

This thriller is just an internet version of "Would You Rather?", which was a superior movie in most ways. The ending really didn't work for me, but I enjoyed the cinematography and the music a lot. Good acting from Dave Franco and Emma Roberts as well. 3/5

Nerve on Netflix

Sundown

This movie tried so hard to be the "Risky Business" for this generation, right down to the Porsche, but they got all the important things wrong. It's popcorn fun with good music, but nothing more than that. 2.5/5

Sundown on Netflix

Wide Awake

There's a reason no one has ever heard of this early M. Night Shyamalan film. Because it's horrid. It's family dramedy that is Hallmark quality and faith-based. I couldn't make it past the halfway point without turning it off. Not good at all for me! 1.5/5

Wide Awake on Netflix

The Perfect Guy

This thriller was very paint-by-the-numbers, no real detail or motivation given at all. There were strange moments when characters were clearing referencing material cut out of the film, which made things all the more confusing. The acting was just average - there was nothing special about this for me. 2.5/5

The Perfect Guy on Netflix

Insidious

I've realized lately that I seem to have missed a big swath of popular horror in the last several years, so I've been attempting to remedy that as of late. I just finished the two "Conjuring" films, and now I've moved on to the "Insidious" franchise. You can't miss a James Wan film. He has a particular eye and color palette that is just unmistakable. This film is visually beautiful, but I felt the script lacked focus and the characters were weakly drawn. This was just average for me. I will say this has also inspired me to watch the whole of the "Saw" franchise as well, so that should be an interesting few weeks! 3/5

Insidious on Netflix

A Ballerina's Tale

This documentary about Misty was both beautiful and a bit frustrating. It was beautiful because I had never seen Misty dance for extended periods of time and she's just breathtaking to watch. She has such a gift, it's amazing. But it was also frustrating because I wanted to know more about Misty the woman and less about the issue of Black women in classical dance. This would have been a five star film if I could have learned more about what really made Misty the amazing dancer she is. 4/5

A Ballerina's Tale on Netflix

Anguish

I am so blown away by the cinematography in this film. Every frame was like a piece of fine art. It was lush and framed so perfectly it was just breathtaking. Ryan Simpkins was magical in the lead, which was not an easy part to play in the least. I don't know why the complaints about the ending - I adored it. It was the perfect way to end this film. I loved this. 4.5/5

Anguish on Netflix

The Meddler

I admit I'm not a big fan of Sarandon but she was really great in this. It reminded me of "Hello, My Name is Doris" in feel and tone, although I connected more with the message of "Doris". A solid feel-good comedy with good performances. 3.5/5

The Meddler on Netflix

The Double

This twisty thriller reminded me of "No Way Out", but with a couple of extra twists. I didn't see the final ones coming, although in retrospect I should have. Decent acting, engaging plot, I just wish there was a bit more character development. 3/5

The Double on Netflix

A Bigger Splash

This arty drama had promise and a strong lead performance from Tilda Swinton, who managed to deliver poignant emotion with virtually no dialogue and never speaking above a whisper. The plot built slowly to its inevitable conclusion, buoyed by another strong performance by Fiennes. Unfortunately, my praise ends there, as the rest of the characters were derivative and the plot slow and clumsy. I had expected it to be more daring, but it never seemed to get going for me. Just average I'm afraid. 3/5

A Bigger Splash on Netflix

Joshy

I thought I knew what type of movie I was getting when I read this Netflix description, but the first four minutes of the movie over the opening credits stunned me so much I had to rewind and watch them again. This is a black comedy ith a big dark underbelly, but it's also sweet and funny and really laugh-worthy. It's hard to straddle that kind of divide, but this film does it beautifully. Loved this. 4/5

Joshy on Netflix

A Perfect Day

This drama is actually pretty witty and clever - I'm not sure why the label "dark" is attached to it. Well, yes, there are dark elements, but I wouldn't call the film dark in tone. Del Toro and Robbins are both excellent, and the plot is interesting and concise. I liked this. 3.5/5

A Perfect Day on Netflix

Slow Learners

This was a genuinely sweet, laughably funny, and very endearing comedy. Yes, it was predictable, but it really didn't matter. The two leads were excellent and I really enjoyed it. 4/5

Slow Learners on Netflix

The Conjuring

Yes, this was a pretty straightforward no-frills basic possession/haunting story. But it was acted quite well by Farmiga and Taylor, and it did legitimately freak me out at times, so it's definitely worth a watch. I'm interested to see the sequel. 3.5/5

The Conjuring on Netflix

Weiner

This documentary was really difficult for me to watch. Weiner gave this documentary crew tremendous access to his life and his campaign. I was honestly stunned with how much he allowed them to film. But what was was most shocking was the relationship between Weiner and Abedin. Speaking very frankly, Weiner seemed abusive and awful to Abedin throughout most of the film. A reporter commented, after watching them together, that Huma looked like an abused spouse, and I totally agree with that assessment. Weiner was a bully, not just to her, but to people on the street, to reporters, and to everyone who dared stand up to him. Knowing the most recent scandal that has broken from his camp, I feel sickened by everything that has transpired. This is a brilliant documentary about a subject that, for me, was just very difficult to watch. 5/5

Weiner on Netflix

Into the Forest

This is one of those rare post-apocalyptic movies where you never get to see the apocalypse, just humans in the aftermath. Wood and Page were both excellent - the movie wouldn't have worked without both of them firing on all cylinders. Lovely direction, haunting story. I enjoyed this. 4/5

Into the Forest on Netflix

Swiss Army Man

This film was, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the absolute best films I have ever seen in my entire life. It is also the most wholly original film I have ever seen in my life. It's going to take a long time to fully wrap my head around what I just saw. It's so rare to see a film that is, at its heart, a comedy, but also a deeply tragic and poignant questioning of humanity and what we hold dear. The performances by Dano and Radcliffe were just astonishing. There is no doubt in my mind that Radcliffe deserves a Best Supporting Actor nomination for this. And the music was just perfectly sublime and fit the film so well. This is such a good film, it's just beyond anything I had hoped for. If you do nothing else, please watch this. Just amazing. 5/5

Swiss Army Man on Netflix

Cell

I didn't hate this like most of the reviewers on Netflix, but it wasn't great either. The premise reminded me a bit of "Pulse", the Japanese horror film form several years back, with the same basic meta-commentary about the evils of reliance on technology. The acting in this was clunky, the story full of plot holes and leaps of logic, and I really didn't get a sense of the Big Bad Guy at the center of everything. Boiled down, this is just a zombie movie, and if you take it as just that, it's okay, but just. I would have three-starred it but the ending really disappointed me. 2.5/5

Cell on Netflix

City of Gold

I admit I've never been adventurous when it comes to food, but watching Jonathan Gold eat what, to me, were exotic cuisines out of food trucks and strip mall restaurants all over LA made me really hungry and want to try new things. A very loving portrait of a man and his legacy of food. 4/5

City of Gold on Netflix

In the Name of My Daughter

This is certainly an interesting story, and I'm going to look up the real case to see what truth there is in this movie. I was struck by the acting, but, even at two hours, I didn't feel I learned enough to really make a judgment about the fate of Agnes Le Roux. It all felt very surface to me. Good, not great. 3/5

In the Name of My Daughter on Netflix