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Mr. Right (2015)
A great time, no alcohol required
... especially if you are okay with zany / whacky characters at the center of your story.
Imagine "Bringing up Baby" with a complementary - rather than contrasting - male lead, mix in a few mobsters, and sprinkle in Sam Rockwell's charm.
I'll cut the part where the review is half-synopsis and just cut to the chase.
We had a great time watching this one. It's not Citizen Kane - or even Star Trek: Into Darkness - but it beats the heck out of a lot of the garbage on the streaming services. It's fun, it's engaging, and doesn't overstay its welcome. A few items could have been developed further. The low-to-modest budget went far.
I'm looking forward to the re-watch.
Wonder Woman 1984 (2020)
Loved it for the fan service...
But that's about it. There isn't much going on here apart from a watering down of the independent badass that Gal Gadot has been in at least two movies, instead turning her into an irrational, love-sick caricature of Wonder Woman.
The plot is painfully slow. If you write it out on paper, the villain's story actually more interesting that the totality of what's going on with Diana. If you find yourself enthused or cheering, it's probably because they just treated you to some fan service. I won't spoil it, because it made my Christmas morning all the sweeter, but on re-watch there was nothing more to see.
The movie puts a massive question mark on Diana's powerset as it struggles to adhere to the continuity of the already schizophrenic DCEU / DC film-verse. It also fails as a female-empowerment film because - as mentioned - it takes the strong, independent Wonder Woman that went on to live a life after loss (as seen in the first Wonder Woman film) to suddenly spiral deep back into senseless heartache and illogic.
You might still enjoy the movie if you can get past all that.
LOL: Last One Laughing Australia (2020)
If you like the hilarity of the ridiculous
Opens with a screamer, bit of a lull in episode two, ramps up for the mid-section, and cruises into the grand finale.
There's not a lot to spoil here. I don't know any of the comedians outside of this show, but it definitely made me want to look up a few of them. Some were witty, some performed body humour, others were strictly deadpan; almost all were gust busters.
Would recommend if you need something easy and silly to laugh at after a long day of self-isolation.
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Better than expected. Enjoyed myself thoroughly
I enjoyed it. A lot. I was fixed to the screen throughout and sweat through the intense scenes.
The romance wasn't amazing, but it was compelling.
The pacing was interesting, because the story was told in three distinct parts, with individual fades to black to cue the transition. After reviewing the manga, it's clear these map _roughly_ to the themes of the first three volumes of the manga, but significant swaths of the movie are covering just a few issues in the first volume.
Susan Collins, while a secondary character, had an arch that I believed. "A mom and a doctor" indeed.
Rosa Salazar was great as Alita, and it was great to see her get knocked down: no Mary Sue, but flaws, growth and complexity.
* Even in the final scene, we see she is still grieving. She's successfully made it to the final round of the Motor Ball championship, but she slices the tear that she sheds for her lost love.
The plot twist, unveil, at the end wasn't insanely surprising, but it was intricate. The oppressed that make up Iron City - that all seek to abide in the city in the sky - were lied to: told the rebellion against the city - Zolom - were the "enemy".
There's mention of Martians that start the rebellion, but everything went quickly. I'll have to rewatch it, or read it, to catch the details. Having sampled the manga and Wikipedia, I know there are great things in store.
Maybe it's just me, but the last movie I was told was bad and watched (anticipating the badness) wound up being rather enjoyable, save a few pacing issues.
* Maybe it is a trend - and my tastes are becoming more accepting of worse and worse art - but there wasn't a lot wrong with this movie.
What could be nit-picked:
* Hugo - love interest to Alita - had a few friends that were just window dressing. They made the world feel lived in and offered the typical person's view of Alita joining their lives: "just some freak whose going to ruin the good gig we've got going; get rid of her so we can get back to making money."
* Hugo was a little weak on the acting front and there were a few parkour scenes where he should have avoided the movement he executed (e.g. shoulder roll when someone just broke his clavicle)
* CGI young Alita looked just barely out of place. Your eyes adjust. Her adult form is attractive, realistic, and much easier to look at.
* One shot near the beginning that was badly green screened
* I checked how much of the movie was left three times because I was
1. Surprised at how dense (in a good way) the story telling was. The time elapsed was impressive.
2. I held concern for how they would get to tell this story to its end within the time limit.
8/10 for
+ good characters. though fewer with more individual focus would've been better, I think everyone on screen was useful
+ compelling story telling. Even if the plot wasn't a singular quest, I was rooting for Alita to remember and be who she believed she should be.
+ Fantastic action. I couldn't get enough of it. Again, Alita loses, at least two or three times. But she also kicks a lot of trash. Oh, is it a sight to see.
+ Splendid world building. Laced with intrigue, I want to know more about everyone in this world who made it to the end credits alive.
+ Great lead, who goes on an arch and still has room to grow by the end of the movie
Liz en Septiembre (2014)
A bright, intriguing treat
Liz in September, in a word, is "relaxing". There's no intense action scenes, no fierce love-making, no heart-wrenching sobs. This is the brilliant blue flame, the size of a pilot light: warm, constant, and ready to start something new.
I wanted to describe how this film *felt* because what happens shouldn't be spoiled. There is a richness and layering to the characters that is well developed through "show, don't tell" techniques, which is commendable. The plot, while simple, is a HEAVILY character-driven affair and it simply wouldn't have worked without this wonderful cast. Everyone is on top of their character, and they most make the most of the handful of sets.
I find a hard time pointing out things done *wrong* in this movie, as "lesbian romantic drama" is so often shallow. There is a SINGLE moment that I think distracts from the character-focused portrait; if you don't find it, you'll probably enjoy it even more than I did!
It wasn't spectacular, nor the best of the sub-genre, but it's a delight. I wanted to hangout with these gals, even though the film had ended, just to share in the good times.
You won't regret this one.