The Big Sick

The trailer for this movie is deceiving. I expected a basic run-of-the-mill Apatow comedy, but this was something different. This was far more a drama than a comedy, with a decidedly dark tone to the whole film. I don't mean dark as in black comedy... I mean dark as in "oh shit, is the main character going to die???" kind of dark. I wasn't expecting it but it worked really well, and I felt the balance of the lighter scenes to the much heavier scenes to be just right for this story. The film was co-written by one of the leads, Kumail Nanjiani, who turned in a strong acting performance as well. The acting was extremely solid all the way through. especially Ray Romano's great performance. I enjoyed this, it hit me in the feels. 4/5

The Big Sick on Netflix

The Painting

This has got to be the most original film I've ever seen. Visually, it's really unlike anything else. I don't want to say too much, but the realization of the vision of this film is extraordinary. By the end I was truly stunned at how the visuals so perfectly tied the whole story together. The base of the story was also really cool and different from anything I've ever seen. The morals of the film, those I've seen before, but never done like this. I could watch this again right now, easily. One of the best films I've seen in recent memory. 5/5

The Painting on Netflix

Sleeping with Other People

The description of this movie on Netflix doesn't do it justice. This film is magical. I haven't felt like any film lived up to the tender mix of comedy and drama that "When Harry Met Sally" had until right now. Jason Sudeikis and Alison Brie were so so so good in this. I honestly believed their chemistry, and their comic timing was truly excellent. The script was refreshingly honest as well. I really loved this - it's been a good week for romantic comedies for me! 5/5

Sleeping with Other People on Netflix

Man Up

OMG, I loved loved loved this. Loved it so much. Simon Pegg and Lake Bell are both perfect in this. Their timing and chemistry were just divine. The script was really smart and funny, with these beautiful moments of tenderness and an utterly charming tone. I would watch this again right now I liked it so much. Highly recommended! 5/5

Man Up on Netflix

Fifty Shades Darker

I really don't know why I watch these films except to have the information to tell someone who thinks this is was a true BD/SM relationship is like that these books and films have gotten it terribly, horribly wrong. This film isn't as abusive like the last was, but it's clearly the calm before whatever storm is about to erupt. The acting is just as terrible as last time. It's abundantly clear Johnson and Dornan don't like each other, so the chemistry just doesn't work. And the plot is asinine - how did we even get from the end of the last movie to the end of this film? It honestly makes no sense at all. Ugh. 2/5

Fifty Shades Darker on Netflix

Friends with Benefits

So I actually rented this before realizing I had already seen it and given it a really nasty review back in January of 2012. But the thing was I couldn't remember the movie at all or why I gave it a nasty review, so when it showed up I watched it again. And loved it. I laughed really hard at most of it. The only thing I wrote in my old review was that I hated the acting, which is ridiculous because Kunis and Timberlake were both so great I genuinely have crushes on them both. Well, with Justin anyway, but I had one of those already. I really don't get why I originally didn't like it, because I really enjoyed it and actually would watch it again, which actually seems to be a theme in the Netflix review. So, in sum, don't know why I didn't like it the first time, I love it now, go watch it if you haven't. 4/5

Friends with Benefits

The Space Between Us

This was an adorable movie, it really was. It's soft sci-fi that's actually a romantic drama at heart, and it was sweet and lovely. It did fall a bit flat with me, though, because I never felt the stakes were high enough. I should have felt more afraid for people's lives, I should have really believed that tragedy was afoot all the time, but I didn't. So, while I did really enjoy it, I felt it could have been far more impactful if it was slightly less charming and slightly more serious. Still, a cute film. 3.5/5

The Space Between Us on Netflix

The Free World

This gritty drama is a complete gutwrencher. Boyd Holbrook and Elizabeth Moss are at the tops of their games in this. They were both absolutely genuine, down to the smallest little tics that give away chronic trauma. The connection between them was so intense I could almost feel it myself. The story is sparingly told, which was the right call in my book. I didn't want to know much more - it was far better to let me paint the details in my head. The direction was beautiful as well. This was a total home run on all fronts. Loved this. 4.5/5

The Free World on Netflix

Allied

Brad Pitt is a better actor than this. I know he is. I've seen it. But, both in this and in his movie before this, "By the Sea", he was just wooden. I cut him slack for it in "By the Sea" because I thought it might be a stylistic choice, but there was no reason for it here. Cotillard was lovely in this, as she is in all things, but Pitt's wooden boy routine left her hanging and the whole picture stale. This could have been a real home run if Pitt had shown up for work. However, I do know that this was made during the active dissolution of his marriage, so I'm guessing that's why. Still, a shame - this could have been much better. 3/5

Allied on Netflix

Southside with You

Perhaps the most amazing thing about this drama that chronicles the first date of Barack and Michelle Obama is that they found actors who look uncannily like the President and First Lady. It's actually eerie how much Parker Sawyers looks like Barack Obama. The downside, however, is that I feel the casting directors sacrificed talent for looks, as neither Sawyers or Sumpter really had the acting chops to make me really feel they were their counterparts. The writing was very uneven - great in some moments and less cohesive in others. The direction was simple and homey, which was an asset. On the whole, this was a good effort, but it was just average for me. 3/5

Southside with You on Netflix

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men

I know I rented this movie when it was first released on DVD, and my review said I hated it. However, I couldn't remember why, so I thought I should rent it again and give it another chance. I'm glad I did. First, before I say anything further, I have to say there are moments in this film of utter brilliance, pieces that are so sublime in their execution that they are, quite simply, perfect. For a first time director, as Krasinski was, this is an incredible achievement. I think the first time I watched this film I allowed the surface layer of emotional shallowness and heartlessness to envelope my whole viewing. However, that's not what's really being said here. What is initially shown as disdain and contempt turns around to actually expose the real insecurity, fear, and self-doubt that men feel when confronted with strong women. I also think I read the lack of depth of the main character to be misogynistic, when it fact it was empowering to have her be the sole pillar of strength in the film. This is a complex film with a lot of layers, and I'm glad I went back to look at it again. I think this is a real triumph for Krasinski, and I hope that other who had similar first experiences like me will also give it another chance, because it really is worth it. 4/5

Brief Interviews with Hideous Men on Netflix

Paterson

Straight off the bat, I must confess I am not a Jim Jarmusch fan. I actually doubt I would have rented this had it not been for the presence of Adam Driver, who I love. There's a strange rhythm to this film that I did find myself caught up in. It's a simple, very low-key affair, with strange and interesting characters. One could debate how to view Driver's character for days, which I liked a great deal. The problem, one that I habitually have with Jarmusch's films, was that everything moved at a glacial pace. I don't mind slow, but ten minutes felt more like twenty. Things picked up towards the end, and I was pleasantly surprised at how well everything wrapped up. All in all this wasn't bad - I liked it more than I expected to. 3/5

Paterson on Netflix

Frank & Lola

I feel like I've seen so many versions of this film before, that of the spurned man and the wily, game-playing woman. The man feels the cuckold, he goes a little nuts, the plot thickens... you know the story. This version wasn't especially different or more interesting than others - I saw it all coming a mile away. The one thing that was better than average was Imogen Poots in the female lead role. She was rather spectacular, but not enough to raise this above three stars. Just average for me. 3/5

Frank & Lola on Netflix

The Handmaiden

This is easily one of the best pictures of last year. I can't imagine why it wasn't nominated for multiple Academy Awards - perhaps it wasn't released in theaters? The direction is masterful. For the entirety of the film I marveled at it, so I wasn't surprised to see Park Chan-Wook's name in the credits. He's a genius, and I've been a fan of his work for many years. The story is absolutely intriguing, and the acting is top-notch. There isn't a true flaw in this film - it's a genuine masterpiece. A must see. 5/5

The Handmaiden on Netflix

Last Tango in Paris

I realize this film is a classic, but I honestly couldn't stand it. I'm surprised I finished it I disliked it so much. The script made no sense at all to me. I don't know who these characters were or why they did what they did. The direction was just bad, and the music was worse. I've never been a Brando fan, and I found him nearly intolerable in this. The only saving grace for me was Maria Schneider, who I found beautiful and very compelling. She was much too good for this atrocious movie. 1.5/5

Last Tango in Paris on Netflix

Identicals

I didn't realize how hated this movie was until I saw pages and pages of one star reviews on Netflix. I don't think I've ever seen any film with this many one star ratings, but I found it more intriguing than most. To start off, the visuals are so gorgeous. Simon Pummell's visual style is breathtaking, and there are sequences in this film - the mirror room scene at the end most of all - that I think I will remember forever. However, the plot was very murky with almost no exposition or understanding of the bleak world in which this film resides. That is the reason most reviewers hated this film - it's nearly impossible to truly understand what's happening, because we are never given the rules of the world. It's just characters meeting and intersecting repeatedly with no real rhyme or reason to it. It's an interesting mix of "Upstream Color" and "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", but less clear. But I have to say that, muddy as this story was, I was so taken by the visuals and the acting of the leads that I can't give it less than three stars. I don't know that I would recommend it unless you are looking for a visual feast, but I did enjoy more than most. 3/5

Identicals on Netflix

I Origins

This sci-fi film is really engaging. The premise unfolded slowly, allowing the viewer to become invested in the world before upending it. The direction was very solid and well paced. I have to say that I was less impressed by the acting of Pitt and Marling, which really surprised me given that I am a fan of both of their work. Their acting felt flat to me, and I think that's why I ended up connecting with the story but not the people in it. Still, a solid film with a great premise. 3.5/5

I Origins on Netflix

Damsels in Distress

I'm sorry, but this really didn't work for me at all. The whole thing felt like a badly adapted Jane Austen novel, which is strange because the director recently released a very good Austen adaptation in "Love and Friendship". Everything felt wooden and dead, and while I know that deadpan style was the point, it didn't connect for me. I didn't get the point of the story - what was this a commentary on? Satire needs a point, and I didn't get one in this film. Not for me. 2/5

Damsels in Distress on Netflix

Love & Friendship

I wasn't sure about how overly stylized the beginning of this Jane Austen adaptation was, but I fell in love with it quickly. The acting is superb across the board, the direction very picturesque, and the script tight and well paced. This is one of the better Austen films I've seen to date. 4/5

Love & Friendship on Netflix

The Dressmaker

I guess I'm just not sure what film this wanted to be. It was, all at once, magical realism, western, black comedy, romantic drama, and absurdist. It's possible to successfully blur so many genres, but I don't feel this film pulled it off well. The acting was good for the most part, but, at times, the characters veered into such absurdity that I was quite confused as to their story arcs. The direction was sublime, and I was highly entertained for the most part, but I just couldn't settle into this film - it was too uneven for me. 3.5/5

The Dressmaker on Netflix