Stay tuned…
Movies: seen on TV, probably on a streaming service, or on an airplane
- The Substance: There seems to be a difference in opinion. Husband absolutely loved this one. I found it well-made in parts but simplistic and disliked the camera’s voyeurism over the younger persona. And then was just grossed out, and not in an enjoyable way. But husband absolutely hated …
- Anora … and the characters and thought there was no story at all, just a lot of yelling, whereas I found them interesting and engaging, and even when I felt uncomfortable, I didn’t mind being uncomfortable.
- The Holdovers: I remember the buzz about this film and so had expectations. But I found it a cliché.
- How to Make Millions Before Grandma Dies: I was also interested in the buzz about this film. The pace is so different than a Western story that I wondered if the mostly terrible characters would ever get their redemption. But they do, and I quite liked it in the end, though it shows a part of Thai society that is poor and tradition-bound that I suspect is unfortunately very common in east Asia.
Movies (seen in the cinema)
- Conclave: Wow, it takes us to February to see a movie in the cinema. Ralph Fiennes is incredible, such gravitas. I found it amusing that they made a thriller out of the selection of the new pope, but it worked, and the images were beautiful. I’m glad we saw it on the big screen. Ludicrous ending but I’m happy we saw this.
- Emilia Pérez: I was totally in for the first, say, 20 minutes. It’s bonkers and Zoe Saldaña is fantastic. The Busby Berkeley style song and dance number about gender confirmation surgery was nuts and entertaining. But then I kept falling out of the film because of many reasons: Selena’s terrible accent in Spanish. And I love her in Murders in the Building but she seemed totally miscast. And because of using the Mexico drug cartel murders as a plot device. And the ludicrous plot developments.
- Fantastic Four: First Steps: I remember the Fantastic Four well from my childhood, so I should have been more excited about this than I was. But it was a good date night. Love the design of the film and sets, the retro-futuristic look, and the actors are fantastic. The story is ludicrous as with most superhero films, but if you just give in to that, it’s fine. Husband loved it. I thought it was a 7.5 out of 10.