Well...as usual..from the shadows...in July I give you my best and worst of the year so far.
As you can imagine...so far this year has been a small sample size...only 15 films watched in all...which is rather sad.
However I push on.....
I will start with...in no particular order...my top 3 films released in theaters this year...in no particular order:
PHOTOGRAPH
A series of events lead 2 people together into a relationship.
Oh my gosh what a nice sweet film!! Highlighted by a wonderful soft performance by LaKeith Stanfield as Michael Block. Michael is a reporter who is looking into some old photographs he stumbled on. This leads him to the photographers daughter Mae...played by Issa Rae. This also leads to us following another story of Mae's mothers past.
Some would call this film slow. I have to agree with that, it is slow...however the film catches you with wonderful characters and a nice soft performance by Stanfield. When Stanfield and Rae are on the screen they remind me of Delpy and Hawke in Before Sunrise, who wanted tell each other so much, they're feelings, but were afraid to go to big at first, which adds tension. You as the viewer gets hooked!!
THE INVISIBLE MAN
Cecilia's ex-husband takes his life and leaves her a fortune. However is he really dead???!!
Elisabeth Moss is great!
Elisabeth Moss is great!
Elisabeth Moss is great!
Elisabeth Moss is great!
Elisabeth Moss is great!
Did I happen to tell you that...Elisabeth Moss is great!
If you are a frequent flyer to this rambling, grammatically incorrect, real, anti-critic blog, (you really should be) you will know I am not a horror film guy. So...I went into this with much trepidation.
So?
Well Elisabeth Moss is great!
The film is inexhaustibly... good. I mean...it is not easy to watch some one get harassed for 90 minutes of a 2 hour film. I felt like walking out!! It is difficult!! What kept me there...is...Elisabeth Moss is great!
Other than Elisabeth Moss being great, what else works?
The story by Leigh Whannell actually delivers what people coming to this film actually want...thrills,and tension. Her story, even though is not possible to be invisible, make you really believe. Plus, she does not get into the science of it all, we just want to know it happened and move on.
Casting was spot on with Moss and her best friend James played by Aldis Hodge, they had great chemistry.
This film just works
THE GENTLEMAN
An American Mickey Pearson (Matthew McConaughey) is trying to sell his profitable marijuana empire in London. Then they want to live a relaxing life with his wife Rosalind (Michelle Dockery). Somethings are difficult to do.
This film starts slow but becomes a lot of fun. I really enjoyed this. It takes to about the second hour to really get the film moving and understand what is happening here. The story (and director) Guy Ritchie gives it a nice build. The film becomes crazy; violent; often funny.
Highlighted by performances by the big four here:
McConaughey and Dockery already mentioned.
Charlie Hunnam as Ray, Mickey's bodyguard or maybe assistant.
Hugh Grant as Fletcher who is, kind of the storyteller here.
Then there are a couple small performances that are wonderful:
Colin Farrell as Coach. He wants no part of this but he cant step away because his kids in the gym are getting him into trouble.
Henry Golding as Dry Eye as a gangster want-a-be.
This film works because it does not take itself too seriously. Plus it does not overstay its welcome. Its just a funny, loopy violent often; gangster type film. It works and gets it all done in under 2 hours.
By the way is McConaughey overrated? He is so fun to just watch, often you wonder if he is even acting lol.
So there are my three best so far this year...
HOW ABOUT THE WORST:
I have a two ............
DOWNHILL
Barely escaping an avalanche during their family ski vacation...the event puts a knife into the plans for a fun vacation.
I am one of the rare people who saw the French version in the theaters Force Majeure which was wonderful. I was excited to see the American version.
Well ...this version tries to add more humor it fails. Two directors, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, both could not make it work. The tone shifts were clunky. Pete (Ferrell) is a nervous wreck afraid all the time of death. Billie (Dreyfus) is just a miserable person.
There is not much that is good about this film. Awkward in a bad way. A flat tone. Not funny. We do not care about the characters to get or feel the drama.
It is just not pleasant.
The french version I think did not try the humor, it trusted the humor in the situation, everything flowed..This was not good...they should have trusted the source material.
THE RHYTHM SECTION
Stephanie Patrick (Blake Lively) is seeking revenge against those who orchestrated a plane crash that killed her family.
MMMM...Blake Lively is raw here. Not the Blake Lively we are used to. This is a dirty, drugged up, seeking revenge Blake Lively. A bold decision and she is pretty good here playing against type.
Other than that...to be blunt..this film is awful.
It is boring.
It goes no where.
The film has a training scene that is plain stupid and silly.
I cant figure out why she is being trained. They had no one else...who is at least partially trained?
Her approach to ..revenge...is unrealistic.
I have to say...Director and Screenwriter Mark Brunell delivered a piece of crap.
Oh by the way ....did I mention this is boring.
Okay....how about the best performances so far...
Best Male Performance so far this year:
BEN AFFLECK
To be honest there was really no other choice. In a small sample size...its Affleck...in The Way Back.
You can question, knowing his past, is he acting here. I am giving him the benefit of the doubt..he is great here as Jack Cunningham, a high school basketball coach fighting his demons.
As for the film, its a hard watch...to watch someone in a bad place and watching him hit bottom.
Best Female Performance So Far This Year:
ELISABETH MOSS
Unlike best male so far this year, there were options here...
Julia Garner in The Assistant
Anya Taylor Joy in Emma
However, lets face it....Elisabeth Moss in The Invisible Man is on another level.
Worse Performance So Far This Year:
K.J. APA
I am not sure if it is because Apa was acting with a very good actress in Britt Robertson in I Still Believe, but ...I can tell you he is stiff as a board in this better than average film.
WORST DECISION FOR YOUR TOWN OR CITY
I was annoyed by Hamilton and Scoob and Greyhound.
Everyone is so happy Hamilton is on Disney +!!!!!!!!!!
However lets back it up......................
In the beginning of the year Disney shocked everyone by saying they will be bringing Hamilton live on stage to the theaters in 2021!! Exciting for sure!!
Then during the Covid shutdown, Disney decided to bring Hamilton to Disney +.
People rejoice!! So Easy!!
However...what about the theaters? People are out there marching and screaming for the little guy or gal. MMMMMM....lets see. Pulling Hamilton from theaters which would have sold out local theaters. This will be keeping money in that certain area..by hiring more concession workers....more ticket buyers...cleaners...staff in general. That's gone...just gone. Hamilton..which should be a communal watch...on a big screen...was pulled.
Now on your side you may say:
1-We can't afford to go to the movies. Well..okay..then you wait for it to be on Disney+, just like you waited for it to be on the screen and not on stage/theaters. It is called patience.
2-You may also say theaters are dying, and streaming is the replacement. I agree. However..do you want it on your watch? When something is dying do you want to be the one to walk away from it? That is your call. I believe in creating local jobs not just feeding the big monster far away. Yes when you see a film you are feeding the big monster but in a little way you create local jobs also.
Not just Hamilton to be fair (But this of course was the biggest) but also Greyhound on Apple TV (Tom Hanks, these theaters created you...but you said nothing about Greyhound being pulled from theaters. Shame on you) and Scoob on pay per view.
Last thought I hear an up roar on how Hamilton should get an Oscar nomination...ahhh no...it does not work that way..it is not in the theaters. Maybe an Emmy....but not an Oscar.
Well that is my so far this year. Coming later on this week a list for you..movies coming out this year to look forward to as theaters start to open and try to recover...no thanks to Tom Hanks and Hamilton and Disney.
From The Shadows As Always Thanks For Your Time!!
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