Change Your Image
beckwith-92198
Ratings
Most Recently Rated
Reviews
Wonka (2023)
So relieved this was good
I had my doubts, but I put them aside to see this, and I'm so especially glad I saw Wonka in a theater. It exactly captures the happiness and wondrous feeling when I enter any candy store. Wonka successfully tells a new yet chronologically believable story of Willy Wonka's start-up while giving a tasteful homage to the classic original film and the work of author Roald Dahl. Anyone familiar with Dahl will see the iconic character styles and aesthetic sprinkled throughout. I particularly think of Mrs. Scrubit and Bleacher, being dark and ridiculous and exaggeratedly despicable caricatures like the Twits.
On the more vibrant side, Chalamet brought such energy and heart to the role that a few times through the film I found myself fully believing that I was watching a young Willy Wonka. You have to remember that this is Wonka right at the beginning of his professional venture whereas the original 1970s film is literally depicting his retirement, so some differences in his tone and motivation are to be expected here.
Wonka and the young girl, Noodle, have great on-screen presence together. The rooftop dance with the balloons was whimsical and touching like many moments in the movie, maybe being one of the my favorite feels. I liked the songs and all the actors were leaning heavily into their roles, no matter how oily or silly or dastardly or orange... haha.
Wonka is not perfect (hence not 10/10), but this is not the original, it is not a remake of the original, and despite not being absolutely perfect, it should not be given a poor review because of infractions that are slight and few. I love the classic Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and this Wonka felt completely worth the ticket and my time because it felt like it was worth the time and attention of the movie makers.
Asteroid City (2023)
A fanciful feat with excusable flaws
The set design is awash with Wes Anderson color and style through and through. Lots of long dialogue sprinkled throughout with typical witty dry humor. Sometimes the exposition goes on a few beats too long, but other moments are a triumph of actor over script - the speed and accuracy of delivering such long, vocabulary soaked, almost tongue twisters of speeches is impressive to watch. Almost felt like clapping after one in particular, but I will not be one of those people who claps at the movie theater :p. The actors truly carry the movie which is hardly a surprise based on the names included, and is an asset since there is not so much of a plot as much as simply following the characters through their individual, and then combined, experiences due to shared circumstances. Bright, goofy, 5th wall breaking (yes, 5th not 4th, you'll see), touching, and knowingly overdone. Not the absolute best movie of the year, but certainly worth seeing on the big screen. If you like Wes Anderson, you'll pretty much know what you're getting into and you'll likely come out with a smile.
Smile (2022)
Sufficiently creepy to make up for originality issues
This film will probably be more effective for those who have not seen It Follows. It leans quite heavily into the atmosphere and plot/entity as that movie, sometimes so much that it was difficult for me to enjoy Smile as its own thing. Basically smiling rather than sex as the entity mechanics. Regardless, it was not difficult to continue watching the psychological spiral and most of the scares were effective, my favorites usually occurring when Rose was in her vehicle. I don't know if a lot of people consider diabolical smiling scary? That was honestly the least disturbing part of this story for me. There was already a plethora of reasons to feel uneasy in the situations the characters found themselves in. No new ground is really broken here, but the atmosphere, eerie score, and the heart in the actor's performances led me through.
The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014)
Grand indeed
Increasingly outrageous and marvelously lively throughout! Ralph Fiennes and all the starry cast are excellent to watch; they really lean into the quirky nature of Wes Anderson's direction and Fiennes carries the main role with dexterous ease. The visuals are captivating and much different than the standard film, so much so that sometimes I missed what the characters were saying while I was busy taking in all the details of the scene. If you want a smile on your face, take this whirlwind tour through the history of the Grand Budapest Hotel.
The Rental (2020)
Drama here, get your drama!
If you are looking for a horror movie, this is definitely not it. If you want a thriller, it doesn't quite reach that level either. But the cast makes this movie entirely watchable and I appreciate how the director and writers create scenarios which better validate the reasons for decisions which are typically dumb or illogical. It's like an updated Cabin in the Woods, complete with cleaner, fancier lodging and arguably more educated, privileged, or successful young people. And it doesn't veer in the same outlandish direction - it is a grounded film that seeks to be eerie in how relatable it can be. Not what I was expecting and doesn't really get under my skin, but at no point did I think about turning this film off.
Run (2020)
At least your mother wasn't that bad
The tense suspicion and devastating mystery solving of the first hour of the the film was better than the outcome in the last 20 minutes, in my opinion. The most sinister feeling I got was while the girl was unraveling the horrible truths of her mother and her entire reality. And it is scary to know that some people like this exist in the world. "Run" is almost like a dramatized case study of one such scenario.
Shookum Hills (2021)
Not expected, but no regrets
The soundscape was one of the defining features of this film. I really enjoyed the sonic atmosphere, music, and sound effects from the earliest scenes to the very last. The suspense was both built and carried by it.
During the first time the entity is most clearly revealed, I had a momentary lapse of fear because, like most creature features, the actual design is a bit underwhelming. But the film spared no time in restoring the threat factor to the creatures with how disturbing their mannerisms are.
I didn't regret watching this movie. I cared just enough about the characters that I wasn't rooting for them to die, but my mental grip was loose enough to let a few dumb or unrealistic things slide without too much problem. If a friend wanted to watch this, I'd willingly watch it again.