So much more charming and funny than I expected from a Netflix original RomCom. Good antics and little surprises throughout (the way it handles the third act reveal of the plan really caught me off-guard), and Powell and Deutch are just delightful to watch and bring so much natural charm to this. Also Powell is so good at little bits of physical comedy throughout that give a lot of scenes an extra kick. Need to see him in another RomCom ASAP.
Pretty easily my favorite Fincher and my favorite Sorkin, I think because their respective strengths as artists end up finding ways to compliment and compensate for the reservations I usually have with the other artist's works - Sorkin brings a general warmth and humanity I often find lacking in Fincher's less undeniable works, and Fincher cuts through a lot of the bullshit that tends to clog up Sorkin's scripts when he's working with a less exacting director. As a result,…
Went into this knowing nothing of the story and having seen nothing but some stills, so once it became clear that A) Anderson seemed to be pulling straight from the Dahl text and prose of the story (I haven't read this or any of the other shorts) and B) he was doing it in the most cinematically stage-bound manner, I got pretty excited. I'm not very familiar with Dahl's writing, knowing him mostly from the adaptations of his work, but…
It's not as tight as the original trilogy of shorts were, but the titular characters are so much fun to hang out with, and Park and Box have so much fun with the various comic and action set pieces that there's nary a dull moment. And the claymation bunnies are some of the most adorable characters to appear in any animated movie. Also a fun early glimpse of Ralph Fiennes in Goofy Comedy Mode.
B-movie fun doesn't get much more solid than this. The first half is a little flabby, but once the aliens make their introduction it rarely lets up and stays pretty thrilling. Stylistically the movie could be a poster-child for the Xtreme pre-9/11 aesthetic of the early 2000s, but that style is pretty charming and fits well into its mood. The cast is decent, but the MVP is clearly Vin in one of the more commanding "A Star is Born" performance of the last 25 years.
I don't really mess with standup specials, but I've always had a giant soft spot for John Mulaney, who is such an exceptionally talented storyteller that knows exactly the best way to tell any story or make any point he wants to make in the funniest and punchiest way possible - I've probably rewatched his three previous specials more than I've watched any other comedians' specials beginning to end. This special is a much heavier and focused affair than those…
Went into this mostly knowing it was a romance between a former bully and the deaf girl he bullied, so I was a little caught off-guard by just how many other friendships it's about with regards to this central couple, and ultimately it's a larger story about depression and suicide. Some of the stories are more compelling than others, but it ultimately all adds up to a pretty sweet and moving story, I can definitely see why it's resonated with so many people (managed to get through without crying, though).
Super solid sports drama. Nice to see Sandler return to drama again so quickly after Uncut Gems, he's remarkably restrained and real here. I was also impressed by Hernangómez here, who is surprisingly natural on the screen. I really liked Zagar's first film We the Animals, and while this is a very different film it has a similarly lived in feel and has some visually striking moments - there are some montages that feel like sports commercials, but like, it's a fun aesthetic, so w/e.