Recently Watched Movies 2021

[Bomber36]

Being the Ricardos. 2021 Prime. So, the story of Lucile Ball and Desi Arnez, starting Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as the leads. This is an interesting film and I quite like the use of three real people to provide commentary at the start and key moments. People who were actually there and are played by actors in the film. The focus is on on critical week in the making of I Love Lucy. But there are flashbacks that fill out the story of how they met and how the show came to exist. It's quite interesting. One early comment from the real folks involved was certainly interesting: 60 million weekly viewers. In the early 50s. There is no modern equivalent, even in total numbers, let alone as a % population. Both lead actors do a good job, and JK Simmons is great as William Frawley (Fred Mertz). I found it quite an enjoyable film that delves into the story people we also know and remember at some level.

Interesting movie. Another one worth a watch, although I felt it was slow at times. I’m not sure I’m reading your comment on the “real people“ correctly. Their older selves were also played by actors.

• Tony Hale as Jess Oppenheimer
  • John Rubinstein as older Jess Oppenheimer
• Alia Shawkat as Madelyn Pugh
  • Linda Lavin as older Madelyn Pugh
• Jake Lacy as Bob Carroll
  • Ronny Cox as older Bob Carroll

 

[storrsroars]

Two things I thought about a few times today that made me chuckle again:

The General charging for the free snacks, and Kate’s obsession with it;

Ron Perlman. His lines—and his delivery of them—were hysterical.

It has been interesting reading some of the mixed reviews today. Most seem to think it was too on the nose and too arrogant to “convert” the people who need to be persuaded if meaningful climate and other policies are going to be accepted by enough people. I think that misses the point of satire, and also expects too much. A softer touch would not have made a bit of difference on that score imo, and it would have been at the expense at some great lampooning.

Another of those movies where the audience ratings are much higher than professional reviewers. When I went back and looked at trailers on YT, the comments added by those who actually watched the film were like 99% positive. It's already been nominated for four Golden Globes and a bunch of other awards. Again, I do not understand the economics of going to streaming so soon and opening in so few theatres. Apparently Leo got $30 mill and Lawrence got $25 mill. Add in the rest of the cast and the CGI and you're well over $100 million budget.

The professional reviews that cracked me up the most were those that said Don't Look Up was too heavy-handed and there was either no realism in the characters or they weren't as crazy as the last administration, thus no comedy value, while at the same time praising McKay's handling of Anchorman, one of the stupidest comedies ever written. Like anyone in that is remotely believable.

I watched it a second time. There are lots of small jokes throughout, and with the way a lot of the scene cuts seemed to be in mid-sentence, that also added to the humor. The detail in the montages, whether its magazine covers or news articles have detail that a lot of other movies miss when they just use gibberish or filler. If you pause during any point when those are on the screen and read them, you can see a lot of work went into the tweets, Instas, and newstand articles.

Jonah Hill's part is fairly dumb (Don Jr) but he's got some good zingers. I noticed on 2nd viewing that he won't acknowledge Kate is a woman in the WH scenes. The "I had them put the hood on," was great. And that prayer to "stuff" was a nice touch.

The more I think about Peter Isherwell, the more I was thinking about Sterling Hayden's character in Dr. Strangelove talking delusionally about "essence". Rylance really turned what could've been a simply Jobs/Musk imitation into a totally creepy character. If I had a qualm about the movie, it's that I think Rob Morgan (Oglethorpe) could've been given more to do.

"Our algorithms say you get eaten by a bronteroc. We don't know what that is." At least he got one of the two death predictions right.

 

[storrsroars]

Being the Ricardos. 2021 Prime. So, the story of Lucile Ball and Desi Arnez, starting Nicole Kidman and Javier Bardem as the leads. This is an interesting film and I quite like the use of three real people to provide commentary at the start and key moments. People who were actually there and are played by actors in the film. The focus is on on critical week in the making of I Love Lucy. But there are flashbacks that fill out the story of how they met and how the show came to exist. It's quite interesting. One early comment from the real folks involved was certainly interesting: 60 million weekly viewers. In the early 50s. There is no modern equivalent, even in total numbers, let alone as a % population. Both lead actors do a good job, and JK Simmons is great as William Frawley (Fred Mertz). I found it quite an enjoyable film that delves into the story people we also know and remember at some level.

My wife loved it, so I watched it today. The early scene with Ethel and Fred digging at each other during the read through gave me a lot of hope that Nina Arianda would have a lot to do as she was just terrific in Goliath. But she didn't have much to do after that. Otherwise acting was solid all around from Kidman, Bardem, and Simmons, just the story wasn't as compelling as I think Sorkin thought it was.

 

[8893]

The Unforgivable, 2021 Netflix. Sandra Bullock plays a woman released from prison after serving a sentence for the murder of a sheriff under murky circumstances that are slowly revealed throughout the movie. She is trying to find the younger sister she left behind and having a hard time rejoining a society that rejects her because of what she has done.

It’s a dark drama/thriller with some interesting twists, and Bullock is excellent in this very unglamorous role, showing some serious range when compared to the likes of her role in The Blind Side. We watched it based on my daughter’s strong recommendation so my expectations were probably too high. It’s a decent watch with some good characters but it never really took off for me.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

"Our algorithms say you get eaten by a bronteroc. We don't know what that is."

One of the best payoffs on a callback joke that I can remember.

 

[Mano]

In case anyone was curious of your chances. An interesting read.

How to Survive a Killer Asteroid

The impact that wiped out the dinosaurs would probably have killed you too—unless you were in the exact right place and had made the exact right plans.

www.wired.com

 

[Dove]

Sideways (2004) - Never saw it before but knew it won awards. Pretty damned good. And seeing a young Sandra Oh was pretty cool.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Death to 2021 (2021, Netflix). When they did "Death to 2020" it was somewhat amusing. But now we've seen it, the jokes are mostly the same and it falls flat. Only of interest to the Nelsons and Jibseys of the world.

Since you are the one that wasted an hour plus of your life watching that garbage, and I didn't, maybe you shouldn't use it to take a shot at me.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

Another of those movies where the audience ratings are much higher than professional reviewers. When I went back and looked at trailers on YT, the comments added by those who actually watched the film were like 99% positive. It's already been nominated for four Golden Globes and a bunch of other awards. Again, I do not understand the economics of going to streaming so soon and opening in so few theatres. Apparently Leo got $30 mill and Lawrence got $25 mill. Add in the rest of the cast and the CGI and you're well over $100 million budget.

The professional reviews that cracked me up the most were those that said Don't Look Up was too heavy-handed and there was either no realism in the characters or they weren't as crazy as the last administration, thus no comedy value, while at the same time praising McKay's handling of Anchorman, one of the stupidest comedies ever written. Like anyone in that is remotely believable.

I watched it a second time. There are lots of small jokes throughout, and with the way a lot of the scene cuts seemed to be in mid-sentence, that also added to the humor. The detail in the montages, whether its magazine covers or news articles have detail that a lot of other movies miss when they just use gibberish or filler. If you pause during any point when those are on the screen and read them, you can see a lot of work went into the tweets, Instas, and newstand articles.

Jonah Hill's part is fairly dumb (Don Jr) but he's got some good zingers. I noticed on 2nd viewing that he won't acknowledge Kate is a woman in the WH scenes. The "I had them put the hood on," was great. And that prayer to "stuff" was a nice touch.

The more I think about Peter Isherwell, the more I was thinking about Sterling Hayden's character in Dr. Strangelove talking delusionally about "essence". Rylance really turned what could've been a simply Jobs/Musk imitation into a totally creepy character. If I had a qualm about the movie, it's that I think Rob Morgan (Oglethorpe) could've been given more to do.

"Our algorithms say you get eaten by a bronteroc. We don't know what that is." At least he got one of the two death predictions right.

There is no reason to be subtle in a movie like this. It set exactly the right tone, and delivered. Definitely the best movie Netflix has ever produced, and the Dr. Strangelove comparisons are appropriate. It is that good.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The Two Popes (2019, Netflix). I strongly recommend this movie. It is a very interesting story about the handover of the Papacy from Pope Benedict to Pope Francis, and the friendship that developed between these very different men. It is well written, but the actors have to carry a film that is mostly just two old guys talking. Anthony Hopkins is so good that he can spend roughly an hour of screen time with just him and Pryce and the movie is still totally captivating. Pryce is good, but Hopkins is a whole other level, yet Hopkins reins it in just enough that he doesn't blow Pryce off the screen.

This is one of the best movie portrayals of power politics I have ever seen. Both men were swamped by world events far beyond their power to control, yet both can be rightly blamed for major mistakes made in handling their respective crises. I am not a religious person, but this movie, more than almost any I have seen, illustrates the internal conflict that the Catholic Church has had in the 20th century, often simultaneously a force of good and oppression/exploitation.

 

[dbmill]

The Informant! (2009) - This corporate crime film was directed by Steven Soderbergh, and stars Matt Damon. It is based on a true story. Damon plays a guy who is rising through the ranks at his place of employment, who ends up blowing the whistle on the price fixing schemes of his company and ends up becoming an FBI informant. The story starts there, and as the FBI investigates it spirals all over the corporate crime map. To say the least, Damon’s loopy character gets more than he bargained for. It’s an entertaining film, with a fine performance by Damon.

 

[nelsonmuntz]

The Meyerowitz Stories (Netflix, 2017) - This movie sucks. Despite a huge cast (Adam Sandler, Dustin Hoffman, Ben Stiller, Emma Thompson), it is pretentious treacle, with a dash of offensive gratuitous vulgarity. I didn't make it through the movie before turning it off. Save yourself the time and skip it. I don't get why anyone thinks Noah Baumbach is a good director. He is terrible.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The Matrix Resurrections. 2021. So I wasn’t sure what I’d think. I thought the 2nd and 3rd Matrix movies were a mess. Not very coherent. Not much fun. So, on a night I started by smelling some Scotch I left in a glass yesterday and yes, smelling it again, it felt appropriate. Like a release from the Matrix. There is nostalgia here. For the original film, the original characters and actors. Keanu is at full John Wick hair, which, given #4 comes out soon, feels right. He’s kind of like an aging 70s hippie in the modern world. The story is actually good. The action is sufficient but doesn’t overwhelm the story. I really quite liked it and I didn’t think I would. The new characters work well, but it isn’t about them. It‘s an old worn leather jacket, that still fits.

 

[Dove]

Now I'm thinking, I hope this NASA DART mission works.

 

[8893]

Outstanding movie. DiCaprio was great. As was Rylance. As was Blanchette. Streep was good.

One hysterical scene: Morgan and Lawrence were locked in a room while Leo was in a meeting.

J Hill: "You wanna come?"

Lawrence: "Yeah!!!"

[Hill closes door]

I read somewhere that they spent a whole day on the set with Hill improvising various and creative ways to insult her.

 

[Dove]

I read somewhere that they spent a whole day on the set with Hill improvising various and creative ways to insult her.

This came up on my phone as a News item. It was Jonah Hill Improv Day.

I thought he kind of mailed it in for this movie.

 

[8893]

This came up on my phone as a News item. It was Jonah Hill Improv Day.

I thought he kind of mailed it in for this movie.

He basically played himself. Or at least a grown up version of his character in Superbad.

 

[HuskyHawk]

The Unforgivable, 2021 Netflix. Sandra Bullock plays a woman released from prison after serving a sentence for the murder of a sheriff under murky circumstances that are slowly revealed throughout the movie. She is trying to find the younger sister she left behind and having a hard time rejoining a society that rejects her because of what she has done.

It’s a dark drama/thriller with some interesting twists, and Bullock is excellent in this very unglamorous role, showing some serious range when compared to the likes of her role in The Blind Side. We watched it based on my daughter’s strong recommendation so my expectations were probably too high. It’s a decent watch with some good characters but it never really took off for me.

If the acronym that is similar to the word milk hadn't been invented, it would have needed to be invented for Ms. Bullock in The Blind Side. She was pretty good in that. I think I need to rewatch Speed. She was adorable and Keanu wasn't old or Ted.

So yeah, this is quite a different look.

 

[8893]

If the acronym that is similar to the word milk hadn't been invented, it would have needed to be invented for Ms. Bullock in The Blind Side. She was pretty good in that. I think I need to rewatch Speed. She was adorable and Keanu wasn't old or Ted.

So yeah, this is quite a different look.

I hated Speed, and that turned me off to both her and Reeves for a very long time. But after so many people insisted I watch The Blind Side I gave in and I loved it; I've probably watched it at least a half dozen times because I will frequently stop and watch if I catch it while I am channel surfing. And yes, she is a big part of the attraction.

The Unforgivable is definitely worth a watch for the aching quality of her performance, but yeah not so much any "attraction."

I've thought about it a bit since and have a better sense of what I think they could have and should have done better, and some things they could have done without. But in general I think the some of the same themes were much better handled in "Mare of Easttown." Although they had seven hours to work with there, so perhaps not a fair comparison.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I hated Speed, and that turned me off to both her and Reeves for a very long time. But after so many people insisted I watch The Blind Side I gave in and I loved it; I've probably watched it at least a half dozen times because I will frequently stop and watch if I catch it while I am channel surfing. And yes, she is a big part of the attraction.

The Unforgivable is definitely worth a watch for the aching quality of her performance, but yeah not so much any "attraction."

I've thought about it a bit since and have a better sense of what I think they could have and should have done better, and some things they could have done without. But in general I think the some of the same themes were much better handled in "Mare of Easttown." Although they had seven hours to work with there, so perhaps not a fair comparison.

Speed was dumb, I admit. But she was just so appealing in that cute, approachable way that total knockouts are not. I'm torn on Unforgivable based on your review and the trailer. I'll keep it on the back burner list.

 

[storrsroars]

I hated Speed, and that turned me off to both her and Reeves for a very long time. But after so many people insisted I watch The Blind Side I gave in and I loved it; I've probably watched it at least a half dozen times because I will frequently stop and watch if I catch it while I am channel surfing. And yes, she is a big part of the attraction

Speed was dumb, I admit. But she was just so appealing in that cute, approachable way that total knockouts are not.

Well, she was definitely well-toned for her age in Gravity. But have either of you watched Keanu and Sandra in "The Lake House"? Impossible plot, but a movie I've seen a few times as a guilty pleasure.

 

[8893]

Speed was dumb, I admit. But she was just so appealing in that cute, approachable way that total knockouts are not. I'm torn on Unforgivable based on your review and the trailer. I'll keep it on the back burner list.

My criticisms of The Unforgivable are mostly related to things that could have been developed or explored better imo, especially the issue of her chance for redemption. It's a fascinating scenario she's in and one worthy of exploration, and there is a very interesting twist that I didn't see coming. But I thought both were given too little attention; whereas a couple other aspects of the story (especially the screwed up sons of the fallen cop) were given too much attention.

 

[8893]

But have either of you watched Keanu and Sandra in "The Lake House"?

I have not.

 

[Dove]

The Unforgivable, 2021 Netflix. Sandra Bullock plays a woman released from prison after serving a sentence for the murder of a sheriff under murky circumstances that are slowly revealed throughout the movie. She is trying to find the younger sister she left behind and having a hard time rejoining a society that rejects her because of what she has done.

It’s a dark drama/thriller with some interesting twists, and Bullock is excellent in this very unglamorous role, showing some serious range when compared to the likes of her role in The Blind Side. We watched it based on my daughter’s strong recommendation so my expectations were probably too high. It’s a decent watch with some good characters but it never really took off for me.

Outstanding movie!!! We just watched. Bullock will get nominations for this.

Loved the final twist.

I thought J Bergdahl was great, too.

 

[nwhoopfan]

Watched "The Alpinist" yesterday and "14 Peaks" today. Both interesting seeing climbers pushing the limits of what is humanly possible. Very different in how they went about their pursuits.

 

[8893]

Outstanding movie!!! We just watched. Bullock will get nominations for this.

I was surprised to see that she was not nominated for a Golden Globe. Usually that's a good indicator of Oscar noms. I agree that a nomination is warranted for her performance.

Here are my relatively minor issues:

How does Viola Davis go from skeptic to believer so quickly? I didn't ring true to me. I would have liked to have seen more a little more time spent on how that happened.

How did the little sister forget about shooting the sheriff so quickly? I get that she was five years old; I remember having kids that age. Again, it didn't ring true to me that a pancake breakfast somehow erased her memory instantly. And how were they eating at a diner after that transpired anyhow? And how and where did she learn to play piano?

I get that the point is that what Bullock is perceived to have done is "unforgivable," and thus her near-universal rejection by everyone; but I would have liked to have seen a little exploration of her opportunity for redemption, especially given the twist. We get a small taste of that with Viola Davis's turnaround, but again that happened in a flash and there was no real focus on that, which I think is very fertile ground to explore.

Finally, I get that the two sons of the sheriff were screwed up, but the amount of time spent on them seemed wasted--especially the scene with the wife cheating with the other brother. That was totally unnecessary and once again didn't ring true to me.

 

[Dove]

Yes, the Viola flip was very strange. I guess a momma knows.

Katie got serious kick back from the gun. And perhaps the trauma of foster care was not good for her mental state. And another thing...she knew how to handle a huge rifle like that and aim it at an intruder? This was my #1 'yeah right.'

Her redemption started when she approached Donofrio. She had very little opportunities for help. The parole officer was of little help.

I thought the sons got just enough rope. The cheating scene was the domino that sent that kid over the edge to give us that final scene.

 

[Letsgohuskies11]

Watched "The Alpinist" yesterday and "14 Peaks" today. Both interesting seeing climbers pushing the limits of what is humanly possible. Very different in how they went about their pursuits.

14 peaks should have been a series, it felt too rushed at times. Like a 3 minute segment explaining climbing K2. Enjoyed the alpinist, guy almost had a death wish given the extremes he went

 

[Palatine]

The French Dispatch. (2021) A silly little film that I found quite dull. I once had a conversation with director James Mangold (who won an Oscar for best picture with Walk the Line). We were discussing a shot and he he said, "Nobody cares how wonderful your set is. The set is there to help you tell the story." The French Dispatch is the complete opposite. It is a movie about the sets. The actors and story are simply a vehicle used to tie the sets together. It is designed to be a visual feast. It succeeds modestly at this. That's not enough. One Star.

 

[Deepster]

Tick, Tick...Boom. Watched this last night and loved it. It's a musical based on Jonathan Larson's life prior to writing "Rent". Rent is my favorite musical and the music and vibe of the movie have Rent's fingerprints all over it. And Andrew Garfield really impressed me with his singing and theatric abilities.

It's a musical. It's based off Rent. If you don't like or know much about either? Don't bother. If you do? I think you'd really enjoy it.