Flora And Son (2023)

 

John Carney delivers another delightful romantic musical, following in the footsteps of his previous films Once, Begin Again, and Sing Street. He has a way of perfectly blending original songs with his scripts. It’s a rare commodity. 

Rating: B

Barbie (2023)

 

This felt more like an elaborate Broadway stage production, and possibly will be one day. The original songs were weak. Some bits and jokes land, but I wasn’t invested in the plot. Unsurprisingly, the characters are thinly written. It’s hard to get emotionally invested in a bunch of dolls. (except for rare exceptions like Toy Story) 

The third act fell completely flat. In different hands, this premise could have developed into an entertaining movie instead of one that people are just pretending to like. 

Rating: C-

You Are So Not Invited To My Bat Mitzvah (2023)

 

An Adam Sandler family production that did a pretty great job of portraying the adolescent drama of Gen Z tweens. Consistently funny despite a predictable story arc. 

Rating: C+

Wham! (2023)

I grew up listening to Wham on the radio, and later became a huge fan of George Michael. Enjoyed watching this doc because I never knew the origin story of their band and the transition into George’s solo career. Fun to relive the hits, styles, and scene from that time. 

Rating: C+

Bottoms (2023)

 

Unbelievably stupid, and not in a good way. The attempted humor felt forced. Almost nothing landed. The screenplay was ridiculous, the characters were shallow, and the acting was poor. No idea why Rotten Tomatoes rated this so highly. We got burned. 

Rating: F

Summer Of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)

 

Questlove’s documentary about the Harlem Music Festival in 1969 that was largely forgotten by history. It was fun to see and hear the music, styles, and dancing from that time. 

Rating: C

Joy Ride (2023)

 

Asian RaunchCom that’s spicier than a bowl of Szechuan noodles. Seriously, it will burn your tongue, and possibly your eyes. 

Rating: C

Emma. (2020)

 

Slower and more elitist than Downton Abbey. It would take a great deal of patience to get through this without tapping the FF button. 

Rating: D+

Vice (2018)

 

I put off watching this film because I knew it would provide a depressing picture of democracy that I already knew existed. The worst members of our society are driven by power and wealth, inevitably ending up in DC passing laws and making decisions that make it easier for them and their circle to gain more power and wealth. 

When a politician says they want to make America great again, what they mean is they want to gain more power and money so they can do whatever they want. 

Rating: C+

They Cloned Tyrone (2023)

 

This movie has it all. Ghetto clones. Nancy Drew pimps. Mind control grape drank. Giggly fried chicken. 

Rating: C

The Banshees Of Inisherin (2022)

I don’t quite understand all the award recognition around this Irish film. The plot is rather dull and pointless, just like the two main characters. Get it? Because he can’t point anymore due to chopping his fingers off. 

Rating: D

The Alpinist (2021)

 

Another sweaty and gut wrenching doc about a free solo climber. As someone afraid of heights, these are hard to watch. It’s hard for me to understand what drives these individuals to do this, knowing that there’s a high likelihood they will die falling to their death at a young age. At the same time, it’s fascinating to get a glimpse into their lives and what makes them tick. 

Rating: C+

I Don’t Feel At Home In This World Anymore (2017)

A home robbery pulls a depressed gal out of her funk. She and her oddball friend try and reclaim their stuff. It doesn’t go as planned. 

Rating: C