Now that awards season has officially kicked off, it seems like a good time to revisit some critically-acclaimed fare from past years. This is my first review for my mother-in-law, who requested First Reformed, a taut, chilling thriller (according to Amazon Prime), because she wanted to know what I would make of it. It is A24, so I’m expecting something moody and atmospheric that veers off into disturbing pretty damn quick. I remember how many top 10 lists this one was on in 2017, so I was looking forward to watching Ethan Hawke act his damn heart out as a Reverend Toller, a priest who begins to question his faith and his place in the world. So did this reform (ahem) my view of Hawke and his talent? Well...
I honestly haven’t seen that much of his work, regretfully, and what I have hasn’t wowed me (I will never understand how Winona Ryder could choose him over Ben Stiller in Reality Bites). But this was a total game changer - the phrasing is overused, so forgive me, but Hawke is a genuine revelation in this film. We watch him grapple with a shift in ideology that causes his faith to waver, then topple in a horrifying slow-motion slide until we reach an explosive climax unlike any other I can think of.
Some thoughts:
One of the guiding pieces of the narrative is that Toller is keeping a journal for 12 months and then he’s going to shred and burn it. This is mysterious already. He refers to keeping the journal as a form of prayer but also says he is unable to pray.
Amanda Seyfried is stunning as always in her role as Mary, a young widow who comes to Toller for help. She’s got this gorgeous innocence shining through, and her chemistry with Hawke is palpable.
It must be so scary to be a priest or pastor and go into people’s homes, people you don’t know, looking to help and not knowing what you will find. Just like social workers, home health aids, repair technicians - how do you just go into people’s houses and not be freaked out about it all the time? This may be the pandemic brain talking, but I don’t think so.
This conversation between Toller and Michael (Phillip Ettinger) is a powerhouse of acting. Michael is twitchy and despairing, Toller is solemn and there’s a simmering strength and anger as he answers Michael’s questions. I’m so tense.
One of the marks of excellent craftsmanship that’s all over this movie - everything is so quiet and contained, but at no point does it feel boring. Writer/director Paul Schrader is making brilliant choices here - no music or score, the cinematography framing Toller and his parishioners. There are so many shots through doorways, through keyholes; it feels voyeuristic to see these acts of faith, these exercises in belief. Every choice made ratchets up the tension and dread as we slide toward something - we’re not sure what, but it feels like it will be terrible for all involved. In every scene, I feel more and more like Toller is a pot about to boil over.
That quiet sure does lead to an even more potent shock when it arrives.
Will God forgive us for what we’re doing to his creation? <- If I knew more Christians who grappled with the ramifications of their actions on Earth as they affect this life, rather than the afterlife, I would probably still not be BFFs with them or anything (I mean, idk, what else are they interested in? Do we share similar interests or hobbies? How do they feel about dogs and Animal Crossing and gay shit? I have standards.) but I would sure as hell respect them more.
Cedric the Entertainer is surprisingly fantastic as this big megachurch pastor - his charisma and gravitas fill auditoriums easily, and he’s got the pitch perfect vibe of a flashy showman who you can trust. He’s perfect for this role.
All of the sequences of Toller alone in his rectory drinking, doing research about climate change, sitting in the dark - it feels like a horror movie, the tension and dread ramping up with this heavy, atonal soundtrack. It’s very effective.
Ok. Pet peeve time. I recognize that this interlude with the breathing and the flying through space is a visual representation of an emotional experience and a connection between two people but honestly I hate everything about it. Its tone is so wildly different from the rest of the film - maybe it’s a pacing issue? It just ground everything to a halt for me. I was SO WITH this movie, I was really feeling the mood and the despair and this whole sequence took me right out of it.
And that ending - the ending is going to be the thing that people will use to to determine whether they did or didn’t like it. It feels immediately divisive in the same way that something like Black Swan does. For some, the ending is perfect, and for others, it’s a major letdown or just a total head scratcher. I think I’m in the former camp, but it took a lot of reflection for me to get there.
Did I Cry? No - I was trying too hard to figure out how I was feeling most of the time.
The film is critically lauded for a reason, and it’s definitely one that I think bears repeat viewing. As most of us deal with the existential crises (plural!) the pandemic has thrust upon us, First Reformed is a movie that reflects so many of the difficult, confusing, terrifying feelings we have to confront surrounding mortality, the type of society we want to be a part of, and ultimately our place in a world that so often feels like it’s spinning into chaos.
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The Four Seasons is one of my mom’s favorite movies, and I’ve definitely seen bits and pieces of it before, but have never sat down to watch the whole thing. It’s a 1981 film starring Alan Alda and Carol Burnett that concerns three wealthy married couples who take vacations in spring, summer, fall, and winter, and the trials and tribulations that their lives (and as a result their friendships) go through. Now that I’m a wise, learned married woman myself, does this film impart lessons about marriage that I can resonate with 40 years later? Well...
I will say yes but with a big ol’ asterisk next to it. Some lessons about marriage are universal. And some are based on pressures and expectations that just really, really make me glad I’m not straight. Let’s dive in.
Some thoughts:
Alan Alda wrote, directed, and starred in this! What a triple threat.
I do love that the men are all cooking and the women are in the living room talking about their work. Coming from a family that observes the strictest of gender roles at family gatherings, this is the most welcome and refreshing thing I’ve ever seen.
I have always wanted to make those cellophane noodles, and I think it’s because I saw them in this movie when I was a kid! It’s always nice to discover your roots with things like that.
Why would you jump in the lake WITH the bread? Save the bread, man!
The primary conflict starts early - one of the friends, Nick (Len Cariou), wants to leave his wife, Anne (Sandy Dennis), and I can appreciate this so much more now that I’m married. I understand what it would mean to be married to someone for 21 years and to then say “I can’t do this anymore.” I understand Jack’s (Alda’s) frustration with Nick, but I also sympathize with him - no one should feel trapped in a marriage that doesn’t make them happy. I understand most of all Kate’s (Carol Burnett’s) reaction to the news: turning to her husband and simply saying, “Hold me.”
I love Ginny (Bess Armstrong) and her being impressed by Nick for being an estate planner. She is so in awe over him because she “never met anyone who knows so much about actuarial tables!”
Why would you ever want to vacation with 6 people on a sailboat? There isn’t even enough room for 2 people, let alone 6! And only one person knows how to sail? This is a dramedy but it could just as easily have been a straight up horror movie.
And what kind of sociopath would or could have sex - repeatedly - in said sailboat where the other two couples can hear them all night? Seriously, this feels like a weird fetish vacation or something, like something out of Hostel.
I cannot believe they crammed 4 people in the back of that Mercedes and made poor Ginny sit on Nick’s lap the whole way. Do none of these people believe in adequate accommodations???
This movie passes the Bechdel test handily, because this group of female friends really cares for and looks out for each other. They talk about their relationships, sure, but they also talk about their emotional upheavals and the state of their friendship. I’m especially pleased to see this kind of female friendship and support from a movie that was written and directed by a man. It’s sad but true that this sort of thing is real damn rare.
Nick denying his daughter’s feelings and trying to coax her into smiling is so cringey I want to die.
God I feel so bad for Lisa,Nick and Anne’s daughter (played by Alan Alda’s actual daughter, Beatrice Alda!). She’s clearly so depressed and no one will offer her the dignity of just listening to her or just being with her.
I’m also getting some pretty strong ladygay vibes from Jack and Kate’s daughter Beth (played by Alan Alda’s other daughter, Elizabeth Alda). Nothing comes of it, but there are vibes, man.
I absolutely adore Carol Burnett, and when she reaches her breaking point and finally goes off on Alan Alda, it’s incredible. She’s such a gifted physical comedian but at the core of it, she is so fantastic at digging into the emotions behind the physicality - the anger, the frustration, every ugly, twisted thing every woman is shamed for letting show, she uses it. “When I’m perfect, I cease to exist!” If that doesn’t cut to the heart of every Type A woman I’ve ever met when they feel overshadowed and overlooked by men, I don’t know what does.
The women in this film are so terrified of becoming obsolete to their husbands, in large part because Nick left Anne, and while obviously that’s a real thing that a lot of couples go through, it just feels so completely foreign to me to even consider as a woman married to another woman. Like, what if your whole deal from the time you got married is that you would grow and change together and not feel like it’s inevitable that you would trade each other in for younger models? How about that, guys? Do you want to try that instead?
Why does anyone go skiing? It looks like literally the least fun activity in the world. You’re cold, you’re wet, you keep falling down, and if you’re not careful you’ll break like every bone in your body.
Oh man this turtleneck and glasses guy is really murdering “Strangers in the Night” on the saxophone. I have never wanted to go to a roadhouse more than one where that guy is the house musician.
I also think it’s a beautiful thing that in this movie, Jack is the one who wants everyone to open up about their emotions, who expresses feelings, who wants his friends to talk about everything. That is such a rare gift, to see a man, arguably the leader of his friend group, take that role in his relationships.
Ginny is given a lot of humanity and is allowed to be more than just “the other woman,” and ultimately her emotional outburst as well as Jack’s is the emotional catharsis that is needed in any relationship when tensions build until they break.
Did I Cry? No, but I did feel moved by the emotional honesty at work here. It’s really a movie that’s a love letter to friendships and to romantic relationships in equal measure, and that’s not something you see every day.
I’m so impressed by Alan Alda and his vision for this movie. I wanted to be friends with these people. Their doubts and fears and foibles and anxieties are relatable, even if some of them are steeped in some very rigid gender roles. I highly recommend this movie for its humor and warmth - it’s hard to pass up Alan Alda and Carol Burnett under any circumstances, but these are particularly good ones.
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I have been looking forward to The Lovebirds since I saw the first trailer. As the first real Cinderella story from the early days of the pandemic in the US, I was ecstatic when it was announced that Netflix had bought it to distribute, and in an extra jubilant surprise, it was being released on my birthday! That’s a lot of build-up, PLUS the actual details of the movie itself - directed by Michael Showalter, and showcasing a couple, Jibran and Leilani, trying to solve a murder they’ve gotten roped into played by Kumail Nanjiani and Issa Rae? It’s like Netflix was raiding my dream journal again. With that much anticipation and (let’s face it) not a lot else to look forward to during the time of Covid, there was a lot riding on this. Did The Lovebirds deliver? Well...
I would definitely say yes! At this point, it’s refreshing to see a new, original comedy that’s genuinely funny with two leads as brilliantly charismatic as Kumail and Issa. The plot’s not really anything new or fresh - if you’ve seen Date Night or Game Night or any variation therein, you already basically know the story beats here. BUT by focusing more on character than chaos and letting the two leads have space to really play to their strengths, I was more than happy to spend an evening on this movie.
Some thoughts:
First of all, their chemistry is unbelievable. I mean that both from a sexual tension standpoint but also from a comedic timing standpoint - they complement each other perfectly. The script is lively and fun, but the way they argue, the way they finish each other’s sentences, the way they read each other’s reactions so well, it’s electric. Just a true delight to watch the way Kumail and Issa bounce off each other.
I’m so glad there’s a scene where they’re not going to the police and there’s a damn good reason why. It sounds ridiculous, but just having a central couple in a romantic caper like this be anything other than a straight white couple is fresh enough that it really reinvigorates the movie. And this conversation about going to the police would sound insane coming from a white couple - here, it sounds 100% reasonable and smart to avoid going to the authorities.
Wait, so you’re telling me Leilani did a WHOLE OTHER full face makeup look at her friend’s house when she borrowed this amazing sparkly dress? Aren’t you on a time crunch here?
Related though, everything Leilani wears - even the drugstore discount ridiculous outfit - is stunning. Issa Rae is maybe the most beautiful woman in the world. You could put her in a potato sack and she would make that shit a fire #ootd post.
This screenplay by Aaron Abrams and Brendan Gall is snappy and plays to Kumail’s strengths particularly well. The pedantry, the oneupsmanship, the snippy contentiousness, they all work so well. Also I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Kumail was definitely in the midst of his glow up for Eternals while filming this, and there are some sweater choices that have him looking right.
How is Bicycle’s phone not dead by at least the wee hours of the morning? Did he just charge it? Is this a BRAND NEW phone? Cause otherwise I’m calling bullshit.
There’s a whole long section of villain-monologuing-his-master-plan going on here, but I’ll allow it because the movie has built up quite a bit of goodwill with its subversion of other expectations so far.
I’m really upset we don’t learn more about the weird secret cult? Like, this is an 87-minute movie, you couldn’t have left in a few more minutes of footage of what THAT’S all about?? My one complaint is actually that the movie felt a bit rushed and underdeveloped. Jibran and Leilani are solid, but the plot around them is a tad thin - since this is mainly about having their relationship tested, it’s a forgiveable sin, but damn, I would have loved 10-15 more minutes of worldbuilding just to add to the richness that’s already there. Like, Anna Camp is barely in it and the very funny Kyle Bornheimer doesn’t even get a line as her husband!
Did I Cry? No, but I did get some tinglies from the moment before Jibran and Leilani kissed for the first time.
Do yourself a favor and watch this - it’s low stakes, and the rewards are high, especially if you’re at all a fan of Kumail or Issa’s previous work. Better to leave us wanting more than have us relieved that it’s over, after all!
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I know next to nothing about Harley Quinn. I didn’t really grow up with Batman: The Animated Series, and I certainly didn’t see Suicide Squad because I don’t hate myself but I DO hate method actors who use playing dark and disturbed characters as an excuse to treat the real people around them like shit! But I knew from the first trailer that I would probably be on board with this version of Joker’s ex-partner in crime because Margot Robbie is just a goddamn delight and because it’s about a diverse group of women just like...kicking ass, dude. Also a lot of the time they’re wearing leather and spandex. I’M ONLY HUMAN. Given Harley’s somewhat checkered past in terms of empowering characterization, I was certainly curious about which version we would ultimately get here. Would this be the lovesick domestic violence victim, little more than the Joker’s sidekick? Would this be the unhinged sociopath, just as hellbent on violence and chaos as her boyfriend? Would this be the silly, sassy femme fatale who does what she wants and just has a ton of fun doing it? Well...
A mix of all three, really, and in trying to have their cake and eat it too, DC has managed to create a version of Harley Quinn that’s nuanced, complicated, and the kind of character that could anchor her own prestige cable drama for 5 seasons if women were allowed to do that. The basic plot is simple: Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and the Joker have broken up, and without his protection, there are a BUNCH of people in Gotham City who really want her dead, but none more than Roman Sionis (Ewan McGregor). Meanwhile, Roman’s trying to get his hands on this really big diamond that’s been stolen by a scrappy lil pickpocket named Cassandra Cain (Ella Jay Basco, who holds her own against these other powerhouse actresses with aplomb). Basically everyone else in the movie is either trying to find Harley or find Cassandra and by the time they all come together in the last act of the movie, everyone’s just trying to prevent Roman from blowing everyone the fuck up.
Some thoughts:
First of all, I had a great fucking time. The colors, the chaotic energy, the pure FUN of the whole thing is intoxicating. Cathy Yan’s direction and Christina Hodson’s rollicking good time of a script combine to form something that’s just a bomb ass time at the movies.
I feel like it goes without saying, but Margot Robbie owns every second that she’s on screen. She’s equal parts merry and mayhem, and she does bad things sometimes. But you still root for her, you can’t help it. Robbie is magnetic - you cannot take your eyes off her, even if you want to, and she imbues Harley with so much pathos and growth in spite of her less than savory actions that she could kick both Don Draper and Walter White’s ass no problem.
Ewan McGregor’s American accent isn’t great, but honestly, he’s having a great fucking time too so I don’t mind it so much.
The costuming is FANTASTIC. I am shouting out the film’s costume designer, Erin Benach, SO HARD here because she did an incredible job. Every single character’s outfits are unique and perfectly perfect for their personality and arc. Roman is all velvet blazers with no shirt and leather gloves and Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell, who I have loved since Friday Night Lights and I love even MORE now because she did all her own singing in this and is just so good) wears the most incredible sultry-lounge-singer-with-a-Pam-Grier-throwback-vibe gold and black ensembles. Most of all, I love that Harley’s outfits are revealing - slutty even - without feeling gross or exploitative. They’re slutty in a way women like, which is so refreshing I could cry.
I really enjoyed the soundtrack and score as well. There’s some Heart, Joan Jett, and Kesha going on, but there’s also a fire Megan Thee Stallion and Normani track over the credits. And the score is effective but not invasive, which I always appreciate.
Speaking of the credits, there is not a post-credits scene exactly but there is a little easter egg of a joke that was worth staying for!
Everything about this movie reveals a thoughtfulness and engagement with the female characters that unfortunately just doesn’t happen that often in films created by and for men. You know how I know this film allowed women to be in the rooms where the decisions happen? Because Harley and her frenemies are sexy but not overtly sexualized; every single woman in this movie has her own arc and character growth; they’re strong without being forced into the Strong Female Character archetype; and the camera frames their faces rather than their tits.
I love Bruce the hyena so much because he is perfect and has never done anything wrong in his whole life.
For as gay as this movie is, I am pleased to report that it is also ACTUALLY GAY because there are lesbian characters in it! Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez, taking NO SHIT) and Ellen Yee (Ali Wong) are ex-girlfriends! Who are specifically named as lesbians! Imagine! The novelty!
There is a brief scene of sexual humiliation that is deeply uncomfortable to watch, but you know how I know it was directed by a woman? Because the scene is brief but impactful, it is meant to showcase how evil Roman is, and the way the scene is shot we are forced to focus on the woman’s face or her knees rather than her bra and underwear.
I confess, I had to laugh when Roman finally put on his big evil character mask because he looks like an evil luchador.
Mary Elizabeth Winstead is so hot as Huntress that I thought I was going to dehydrate myself into a coma while watching this movie. Her lack of people skills only made me love her more. Between this and Ramona Flowers, MEW is the gift that keeps on giving to ladygays of my generation.
I just feel like I can’t stress enough how much I loved all the moments that were included in this film because women were the ones creating it. Harley offers Black Canary a hair tie in the middle of a fight scene and I felt like my heart grew three sizes in that moment, which was so simple and funny and perfect.
For an R-rated comic book movie, it’s shockingly not very bloody. I was expecting cartoonish levels of Deadpool-style gore, but really the only R-rated thing the film showcases is naughty language. There’s certainly violence, but again, it doesn’t feel gross or exploitative.
Did I Cry? No, I was having too much fun!
Each of these women ultimately save themselves from their own circumstances - be it an abusive relationship, a shitty job, a mission of vengeance, or just being held in the clutches of a madman. I cannot recommend this movie enough for its sheer joy at its own existence and every thoughtful choice that was made behind and in front of the camera to tell a story about women that can compete with the big boys.
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All I know about Candyman is that I saw the movie cover innumerable times at Blockbuster as a child and it ALWAYS freaked me out. I think bees are involved? And a hook, and maybe a mirror? And the great Tony Todd, whom I know better from the Final Destination films, and whose voice is one of the all-time great voices in horror or anywhere else. With the new Jordan Peele-produced Candyman coming out this year (maybe...if, you know, movies ever come out again during the apocalypse), I wanted to watch the original for the first time, so I’d have an idea of what I was getting into.
Basically a couple of grad students, Helen and Bernadette (Virginia Madsen and Kasi Lemmons), are studying local urban legends and folklore in Chicago when they find out about the legend of Candyman (Tony Todd), a murderous spirit that haunts the projects in Cabrini Green and the poor black folks who live there. As Helen digs deeper into the mystery, strange things start happening to her until she finally is forced to confront Candyman face-to-face and then things REALLY go off the rails. So is this a slasher movie filled with racial tension, the precursor to more cerebral horror fare like Get Out or Midsommar? Or is this more Eddie Murphy Vampire in Brooklyn 90s ridiculousness? Well...
Much more the former than the latter. There’s a lot of stuff going on here, and not all the ingredients in the smoothie work well together. There’s a lot of good - strong performances, some great set pieces, and some truly tense, nerve-wracking sequences. My 7-year-old self was definitely right to be super freaked out by that VHS cover.
Some thoughts:
Ok this Philip Glass soundtrack is already really unsettling and weird in a great way. It turns out the soundtrack is one of the elements that really makes this film memorable and stand out from typical slasher schlock.
Ah, it’s based on a story by Clive Barker, ok so this is gonna be violent and sexual and uncomfortable, got it. [Ed. note: this assessment was pretty accurate.]
I don’t understand in what universe you want to like, play a Bloody Mary type game when you’re about to have sex. Is that what turns some people on? I’m not here to kinkshame anyone, but I just feel like there are other ways to court a bit of danger during sex that don’t involve invoking a murderous mirror spirit.
I am loving these oversized sweaters. Was any decade better for oversized sweaters than the 90s?
The set design is really incredible - this derelict building in the Cabrini Green projects is eerie, there’s an oppressive presence and an abandoned feeling to it all at the same time. And Wife pointed out that man, people really loved painting walls pink in the 90s, you just don’t see that kind of pink anymore. This movie has a really rich feel to it, like all the decisions were made with real craft and care. I can definitely see how this had ripple effects on other atmospheric horror, especially in urban settings, later down the road.
I can’t help but feel like our white woman protagonist is a tourist in a world she doesn’t understand. That sense of not belonging is a big part of the horror here, and at first I was very uncomfortable that this was playing into racist stereotypes of the young blonde white woman being threatened by all the big bad black people. But instead, the film humanizes and offers an air of protectiveness over the residents of Cabrini Green, and in many ways it is Helen who is shown to be the dangerous and harmful outsider.
The jump scares are real, and very effective.
Um what grad student has business cards tho, c’mon now.
Ah yes, the Clive Barker of it all arriving right on time with this completely unasked for child mutilation.
I love Jake (DeJuan Guy) and his incredulousness. He’s a pretty fantastic and emotive child actor.
Can I just say, Helen is really really out of Trevor’s (Xander Berkeley) league. I don't know what she sees in him. And it skeeves me out that he’s a professor and she’s a grad student because, although it’s never explicitly spelled out, I would bet a million dollars that she was his student.
Man, Candyman looking fly as hell with that fur trimmed coat and those shiny black shoes. “Be my victim” ok, Tony Todd, ok, I’m on board!
OH NO THERE IS GRAPHIC VIOLENCE TO A DOG. IT’S VERY GRAPHIC AND SUDDEN AND UPSETTING EVEN THOUGH IT’S FAKE LOOKING.
There’s also a lot of tasteful sideboob if you’re into that sort of thing.
You know, grad school was a stressful time for me, but at least I can say I was never woke up covered in blood and was accused of murder.
This dramatic motherfucker flying out the window backwards. Between this and the outfit, Candyman is extra AF.
I can’t get over how much Virginia Madsen resembles Gillian Anderson in early X-Files days. It’s similar facial structure and those big eyes, sure, but a lot of it is this hair as well. As any millenial lesbian can tell you, Gillian Anderson in early X-Files days was Very Important to our cause, so uh, I’m pretty into Helen’s whole vibe honestly.
At first I thought this was going to be about racial symbolism and Candyman being a physical embodiment of the horrors inflicted upon the black community in urban environments, but thigs get muddy with this whole murder plot and framing of Helen as this victim of some supernatural conspiracy theory, and I’m not really sure what I’m supposed to take from it? But damn, this is compelling and stressful.
OK but if she’s been in the hospital for a month, then this baby has been in this dirty ass room for a month with only a dramatic hook spectre man taking care of him? What did he feed baby Anthony?? I happen to know that he’s covered in bees and babies can’t eat honey.
Why do they have a giant paperclip on their wall as decoration?
The actor who plays Trevor, Xander Berkeley, is so burned in my memory as the foster dad from Terminator 2 that I keep expecting him to make the same dumb face while he’s covered in blood (because let’s face it, I’m expecting EVERYONE to die in this movie, and he’s been particularly shitty) and ope time almost ran out but there it is! 1991/1992 were the glory days for this guy dying bloody in movies.
Did I Cry? No, but I was VERY distressed about that dog :(
Overall, I can definitely see why this has entered the cult classic pantheon. Strong central performances from Virginia Madsen and Tony Todd carry a lot of this film, but there are elements that I’m still confused about, mainly due to a muddled and overstuffed plot. The racial injustice and lynching feels like rich material to draw from but then why is the belief in Candyman yielding the murders of other black people living in Cabrini Green? I would think the vengeance would be on the heads of the folks who actually did the lynching. Why did he have to kidnap the baby? Was it for leverage to get Helen to do what he wanted? Surely someone she had a stronger personal connection to - Bernadette, probably - would have been a wiser choice? And if, instead, this is all some Dracula-esque plot to reconnect with the reincarnated spirit of his long lost love, what on earth was all this other bullshit about? It’s a movie that works best when you don’t ask too many questions about it, and the soundtrack and visuals - especially that mouthful of bees - are ones that are going to stick in my memory for a long time.
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I never played Super Mario Bros. until I was in college - we were a Sega household or we were nothing. While my friends were busy rescuing Princess Peach and throwing barrels as Donkey Kong (is that how that game works? I have no idea), I was zipping along collecting rings and fighting a mad...robot...doctor? Not really sure what Dr. Robotnik’s whole deal was, but the point is I was a Sonic girl through and through. In spite of feeling a little silly, that means I was genuinely excited about the movie adaptation, which is frankly ridiculous as video game movies couldn’t be less of a cursed movie genre. Even amongst horrifying character redesigns (why the TEETH??) I kept my optimism intact.
I loved Sonic so much as a child that, as an adult 20 years later, I adopted a pet hedgehog named Hamish. Those of you who know me well have probably met Hamish or have seen his pictures on the internet in his annual Halloween costumes (tiny hats are key). He was most people’s first hedgehog friend in real life, and I delighted in learning as much about hedgehogs as I could so that I could teach people fun hedgehog facts. Despite normally living 1-3 years in the wild and 2-4 years in captivity, Hamish kept right on trucking, running miles and miles every night in his wheel and eating dried grubs out of my hand as a treat for almost 7 years. He got sick a couple weeks ago - stopped eating and drinking, and when I took him to the vet he got some meds and supplies for syringe feeding and it seemed like he might be able to recover. It had been a really stressful few days, and I was constantly worried about Hamish, so I wanted a little bit of escapism - a fun, probably forgettable family movie sounded perfect. And after I got back from seeing Sonic the Hedgehog, I gave Hamish his medicine and food and held him in my hand for the last time. He passed away that night while I was asleep. I’m not usually the type to ascribe significance to coincidences like that, but it felt like there was a reason I saw this movie on the day I did. Was my faith misplaced? Was this a mere trifle or a fitting tribute to Hamish’s memory? Well...
I think the things that I loved about the movie are many of the same things that I loved about Hamish - a playfulness, a sense of humor, and in spite of a silly-looking exterior, a beating heart full of affection and comfort. I was all primed for disappointment - I had high expectations, the studio went through that costly redesign, and I was already in a pretty emotionally tangled up place. Not the best circumstances going in, which makes it all the more impressive that Sonic is one of my favorite films I’ve seen this year by far.
The basic plot is simple - Sonic (voiced by Ben Schwartz) is an alien who had to leave his home planet in a hurry, and uses magical golden rings to travel portal-like to other planets where he will be safe from any enemies who want to harness his powers. So he’s been hanging on Earth for awhile, hiding out in a teeny town in Montana. Sonic is kinda obsessed with the town sheriff, Tom (James Marsden) and his wife Maddie (Tika Sumpter), who are a nice, normal, kind couple who love each other and their town - all Sonic wants is to be friends with them because he’s so lonely. One night, that loneliness manifests in a big way through his superspeed powers - enough to garner the attention of Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey, returning to the rubberfaced comedy that made him famous). In his efforts to escape Dr. Robotnik, two things happen: Tom discovers Sonic’s existence and subsequently makes Sonic lose his magical rings. So you know what that means - oddball buddy road trip movie time as they go on a quest to get the rings back!
Some thoughts:
Ben Schwartz is amazing in this role. It’s perfect casting, and a great voice performance as he injects so much joy and wonder into every moment. You really feel Sonic’s outsider status, his loneliness, his yearning, and his ceaseless joy at every new experience he has.
There is a Very Good Dog in multiple scenes of the movie! He is doing the best job!!
Such a fantastic surprise to see Adam Pally in a supporting role as a deeply earnest and clueless deputy.
And is there any more reliably affable actor than James Marsden? I have never NOT liked him in anything I’ve seen, and he seems like just a general good-natured stand-up guy. His chemistry with Sonic is really great, which is always impressive when you imagine him acting next to a tennis ball or otherwise strange CGI stand-in.
One of my favorite things about the film is Tom and Maddie’s marriage. Even though Tom is one half of the madcap buddy duo that makes up the bulk of the film, Maddie is his equal partner. They are shown to genuinely like each other, and she is never depicted as the nag or the lame wife who is trying to stifle his adventures or act as the Voice of Reason who is demanding he come back for his safety. She supports this crazy ride because Sonic is in danger and she has a big heart and wants to help him too. I’m particularly glad they didn’t shove her into a subservient nonexistent wife role, or an Angry Black Woman role. I just think it’s so good for kids to see this married couple who are working together to help someone and who love AND like each other.
The biggest highlight is obviously seeing Jim Carrey return to his form as a sort of evil, power-hungry Ace Ventura. He’s over-the-top, his whole body is made of rubber, and he’s having the time of his life. Case in point - he has a dance sequence in the middle of the film that made me grin so hard my face hurt. He’s cartoonishly evil in the best way, and it works because Dr. Robotnik is one of those villains that wants to fuck shit up just cause. That’s difficult to buy into, but Carrey’s madcap performance and his absolute commitment to being the smartest person in any room and hating everyone else for it really makes it work.
I was so delighted by how tight Patrick Casey and Josh Miller’s script is from start to finish. There’s an actual good reason Tom and Sonic are stuck together. Sonic loves watching action movies (from the bushes outside Tom’s house) so the movie is full of fun classic action movie homages and lines that keep things light and fun even in the midst of some peril. And there’s real emotional and physical stakes here as Sonic tries to find a friend and a place he can call home where he won’t have to worry about running from his enemies.
Did I Cry? I teared up a little near the end at some very tender friend talk!
There are two extra scenes during the credits - don’t miss them, particularly if you are a fan of the whole Sonic mythos in general!
This movie is sweet, fun, genuinely funny, and just as quick as its namesake. I went into it just for a little escapism, and came out with a movie that will forever be tied to my memories of one of the best friends I’ve ever had. I think Hamish would be proud, Sonic, and I’m glad I got to have the time with both of you that I did.
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Have I told you all about the wildly inappropriate movies I watched as a child? I grew up in a house that didn’t censor much - my parents were the type to believe that I had a healthy view of the difference between reality and fiction, and that I probably wouldn’t get the more sophisticated, nuanced adult themes but that broad strokes were probably ok. I’m completely grateful for it, because it contributed hugely to my love for movies and pop culture in general, but in retrospect, it’s probably a little messed up that I got in trouble at school for singing “Touch-a Touch-a Touch-a Touch Me” from Rocky Horror at age 7 or that I saw Scream in theaters at age 9 or that when asked what my favorite movie was at age 12, I would say Diner. I was a weird kid, ok? But I’ve also discovered that there’s a lot I missed in those movies I saw as a kid, things that you just don’t get until you’ve been around the block a little bit. And nowhere is that more true than in Chad’s pick this month, Trading Places. The basic premise is a fantastic elevator pitch - two millionaires, the Duke brothers (Ralph Bellamy and Don Ameche) decide to settle a nature vs. nurture debate by plucking a young homeless grifter named Billy Ray Valentine (Eddie Murphy) off the streets and essentially giving him the life of Louis Winthorpe III, one of the snooty, privileged rich men in their employ (Dan Aykroyd), while taking said rich boy’s life away from him - no job, no money, no wealthy fiancee, no car, no butler, no home. All those things have been given to Billy Ray instead. But Billy Ray catches wind of the Dukes’ plans, and conspires with Louis to get revenge. Classic rags to riches (and vice versa), but this is a madcap 80s comedy so you know certain elements may not have aged all that well, right? Well...
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I’m not a big war movie buff, but I’ve been excited to see this film from the moment I heard the words “Sam Mendes.” Skyfall is one of my favorite movies of all time, and my hopes for this were SKY HIGH (get it? You get it). However, I know a lot of people think that the one continuous shot thing is a gimmick that obscures the larger story. And at this point, how much more is there to say about the nature of war? Well...
The themes may not be new, but we all need a good reminder now and again, and this one is wrapped up in the prettiest, most beautifully executed razor sharp package you could ask for. 1917 is the tale of two lance corporals, Blake (Dean Charles-Chapman) and Schofield (George MacKay) who are tasked with a nigh-impossible mission: to get a message across no man’s land and beyond the German lines to a group of infantrymen who are poised to attack at dawn (about 16 hours from now) because new intelligence confirms that those men are walking into a German trap. If they do not receive the General’s orders to stand down, 1600 men will be killed for no good reason at all, as opposed to the very good reason they were all there in the first place, you see.
What follows is a harrowing trip through the trenches, across no man’s land, and into the French countryside as the corporals try to reach the infantry in time and stop the attack, and save the lives of those 1600 men, including corporal Blake’s brother - and it’s all done as one long single tracking shot.
Some thoughts:
Goddamn Sam Mendes knows where to put a camera. I know it’s not all him, and that Roger Deakins’ cinematography is also to thank here, but just. GODDAMN. There are shots in this that are so gorgeous I want to compose poems in their honor. It’s a delicate balance between the camera disappearing so as not to call attention to the gimmick/the camera deliberately reminding you that this is happening in real time, that these moments are passing by quicker and quicker and the world is literally on fire and all we can do is just keep moving forward. I know it doesn’t work for some people, but great googily moogily did it work for me.
The tension in the film starts as soon as Black and Schofield enter the tent to receive their orders, and it doesn’t let up after that. Oh sure, there are quiet interludes, and there are moments when the horrors of war aren’t directly being pushed into your eyeballs, but even in the background the score, the lighting, every micro-expression that crosses our actors’ faces, they all remind you that time is a luxury and it is running out.
Speaking of, Thomas Newman’s score is great - unobtrusive but pulsing.
Having seen They Shall Not Grow Old (which, if you haven’t seen it, is an absolutely INCREDIBLE documentary), the recreation of all the trenches is so perfect and detailed, and you really get the sense of their scope and scale as Blake and Schofield are making their way through the labyrinthine tunnels.
There is a Very Good Dog sighting! Which is, in fact, period accurate, because there were lots of stray dogs that the soldiers took in and made friends with during their down time in the trenches.
For those of you sensitive to harm coming to animals, there is some pretty disturbing and graphic footage of some deceased horses and a deceased dog :(
Oh sweet jesus there’s some body horror for real, Sam Mendes is not shy about showing the horrors of war and the indignities done to the human body when there is so much carnage that we can’t honor our dead.
Did I Cry? I was doing ok. Things were, you know, upsetting but fine. And then the line “Talk to me, tell me you know the way” happened and it was raining buckets on my face.
I love these moments of surreality, like the soldier singing this haunting song, or catching glimpses of the photographs the German soldiers left behind. They’re beautiful and absurd and highlight just how outside of reality war is.
Every single British actor is in this and they’re all killing it. Colin Firth doesn’t have a ton to work with, but he gets in, he gets out, and yeah, I’d take a secret suicide mission from him too. Andrew Scott is fantastic - weary, defeated, and furious. Oh hello Mark Strong! Hello Mark Strong in uniform mmmmm. Ol’ Benny Cumbs coming in at the end, looking a little rough around the edges with that scar. He’s got the imposing war voice down, and his jaded outlook feels like the final kill in the world’s bloodiest horror movie. Then at last we have Richard Madden, who goes through more emotions in the 2 minutes he’s onscreen than most people have to in their whole lives.
Did I Cry? Part 2. I don’t even like kids that much, but I challenge YOU not to cry when a traumatized and bloody soldier recites poetry to a baby to get her to quiet down while her city is literally on fucking fire.
My MVP award of the movie has to go to George MacKay’s performance as Schofield though, for real. His task is not an easy one, and he carries a good deal of the movie on his shoulders, growing more and more haunted by the second. More than anything else about this movie, I will remember his face.
It’s not a classic war movie in terms of showing big battles or even being that bloody. Most of the carnage actually comes into play as decay, as things left behind to rot or get buried in the muck and the mud, or bloat lifelessly in a river. But it showcases the battle for our humanity when we subject human beings to the random, senseless cruelty of war better than any war movie I’ve ever seen. The whole time I was watching it, I was reminded of why Wilfred Owen in this English major’s favorite poem of all time. This movie will haunt me the same way the final stanza of “Dulce et Decorum Est” always will:
If in some smothering dreams, you too could pace
Behind the wagon that we flung him in,
And watch the white eyes writhing in his face,
His hanging face, like a devil’s sick of sin;
If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood
Come gargling from the froth-corrupted lungs,
Obscene as cancer, bitter as the cud
Of vile, incurable sores on innocent tongues,—
My friend, you would not tell with such high zest
To children ardent for some desperate glory,
The old Lie: Dulce et decorum est
Pro patria mori.
Notes:
Latin phrase is from the Roman poet Horace: “It is sweet and fitting to die for one’s country.”
