Collateral Beauty

It's interesting to watch this after seeing "Manchester by the Sea". Both films tackle the difficult subject of how a father grieves the loss of his child or children. I would argue that what we see from Will Smith in this film is the "typical" depiction of grief. Not that that's bad - Smith is excellent here. The way he allows grief to flow through his eyes without a word is tremendous and very heartbreaking. However, if one studies grief in men, one will find that, in fact, how Affleck portrayed grief is far closer to the truth for most fathers who have lost children. Knowing that, and having recently seen Affleck give that amazing performance, I had a hard time falling into this film. The plot was very banal - I saw nearly all the turns in it a mile away. The acting outside of Smith was only above average, and the dialogue forced. Maybe if Casey Affleck weren't still living in my head I would have reacted differently, but that's why Affleck won the Oscar and Smith wasn't even nominated I think. For me, this was just okay. 3/5

Collateral Beauty on Netflix

Sausage Party

This movie had its moments. There were some really funny things, and a lot of the voice acting was really quite good. However, in an effort to be like "South Park: The Movie" this film tried to push the envelope as far as it could. Unlike "South Park", they largely failed. This is just crudeness for crudeness' sake, and the thin plot didn't really support it all. I wanted to like this more, but I ended up rolling my eyes as much as I laughed, so it was just okay for me. 3/5

Sausage Party on Netflix

The Grand Budapest Hotel

It's simply actually. Either you like Wes Anderson movies or you don't. I liked early Anderson but have grown tired & very annoyed at his mid-to-late absurdist comedy. I don't enjoy it, I don't find it amusing or endearing, and I'm certainly tired of his directorial style. This latest film was wittier than most but still ludicrous in that way that simply annoys me. It gets a half a star for the humor though and for Fiennes' performance, which I truly enjoyed. 3.5/5

The Grand Budapest Hotel on Netflix

The Bourne Legacy

Even with no memory of the Bourne universe I found this highly enjoyable despite plot holes. Fun. 3.5/5

The Bourne Legacy on Netflix

Moonrise Kingdom

I'm so very tired of Wes Anderson's schtick. I was bored by the end of the credits. Just so not good for me. 2/5

Moonrise Kingdom on Netflix

Stone

Edward Norton & Milla Jovovich are outstanding in this subtle psych thriller about guilt, innocence and spirituality. Intriguing. 3.5/5

Stone on Netflix