mattmaemic Reviews

Then Came You (2018)

Short, sweet, all too close to home.

[10/10 · 25 July 2020]

Non-spoilers: A hypochondriac and a person with late stage cancer become friends and it's legitimately one of the most touching films put on screen.

Spoilers: The way this film ripped my heart out at the end and still had me smiling with dried tear tracks down my face is an indicator that the film is good. Maisie filmed this between seasons of Game of Thrones, and it really helps shed the restrictive roles she'd been limited to. If you haven't seen it but don't care about spoilers: Something I feel it's often overlooked in sorties about death are the lingering impacts. What hurts the most in real life about a friend dying is the persisting knowledge that they are gone, the rest of your life where that person is absent. A lot of films that came out close together were about young pairs that both happened to have life threatening cancer and one or both of said party would be gone by the end of the story. This movie nails a mix where the leads are both compatible but never pursue a romantic relationship, and one lead is clearly marked for death while the other has to live after she's gone. Calvin isn't without his own trauma, and it gets explored in the movie, Skye has some personal difficulties with relationships, and the pair make excellent friends. Which means you're going to carry that weight.

Excellent movie, 10/10.

Joe Versus the Volcano (1990)

From bleak to colourful.

[7/10 · 25 July 2020]

This movie starts heavy, and brightens up a lot. Meg Ryan nails all three of her roles, it's written well, and it's acted well. A good time all around.

Little Italy (2018)

Under Promoted Gem

[8/10 · 18 July 2020]

It's written well, acted well, and a lot better than half the stuff on Netflix. This is how Italian families are in Australia, and there's an air of sincerity to everything in this movie. I'm sad it didn't get more promotion, it's good.

Mulan: Rise of a Warrior (2009)

Not Disney, but not the usual Wu Xing story either.

[9/10 · 14 July 2020]

Other Wu Xing movies usually focus around one big battle. This is a lot more biographical, definitely still a war movie, but it's not about a battle. It's also not as flowery as the Disney movie. That said, it's good. Really good. Watch it yourself.

A Simple Favor (2018)

A Great Watch

[9/10 · 4 July 2020]

Netflix put this under "comedy" for some reason, but it's still incredible. It's a great ride from beginning to end. No spoilers, no plot explanations, you want to know more, just watch it.

Unicorn Store (2017)

No Citizen Kane

[8/10 · 20 June 2020]

A delightful romp about trying to be creative in a dull world. Brie, Joan, and Samuel are all highlights. It's not a perfect movie, but it's better than it has any right to be.

Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019)

Shocking, it was super effective.

[8/10 · 13 June 2020]

We finally have a good video game movie, and it's a Pokémon movie to boot. Justice Smith does a great job as a fish out of water, Ryan Reynolds is adorable, Aipom are now one of my biggest fears, and the story is actually pretty good. What you're really here for is to see some of your favourite Pokémon brought to life on the big screen, and they did so incredibly well.

Brightburn (2019)

Close, but no cigar

[7/10 · 13 June 2020]

As a longtime fan of the Man of Steel, no one was more hype for this movie. The trailers basically said "what if Clark Kent was bullied and didn't have the patience of a saint?" A long running notion in the cultural sphere that's critically misinformed is that Superman is indestructible, only stops bank robbers with tommy guns that have no hope of hurting him and can die from spying Kryptonite from three galaxies away. Anyone who has ever even glanced at a graphic novel, or other Superman media, will know this isn't true, but this movie was a chance to overcome those ideas. It didn't. If anything, it leant into them. Yet, it wasn't a bad time. Brandon is a kid who puts together a costume, identity and logo offscreen, and seemingly from simply being told he wasn't allowed to keep an air rifle he was gifted. Simple motivation, but horrifically flawed. The focus of this movie was on the perversion of iconic Superman panels, but it does this remarkably well. As others have said, it all happens at an insane pace. It'd benefit greatly from a few explanation scenes, scenes of Brandon processing information about himself or others, or a proper epilogue.

Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)

It's not First Contact

[9/10 · 13 June 2020]

Other Star Trek movies felt like the characters were forced into generic movie roles. This one felt like a Star Trek story. The only issue is that Worf was married and widowed between First Contact and Insurrection and it isn't mentioned once, the other Star Trek series feel less important in these situations.

The Half of It (I) (2020)

Wasn't expecting this one.

[8/10 · 13 June 2020]

Call it anti nostalgia, but I love movies about teenage friends that aren't all wrapped up in romance. We've had decades of those, this is something different. A lot of negative reviews on here are clearly written by people who didn't get it, that's why they're writing wishy washy essays on the subject, but if you've known people like these characters, this is a great sit down and watch movie.