Based on the characters created by Bill Parker and C.C. Beck, co-written and adapted by Henry Gayden, directed by David F. Sandberg and starring Zachary Levi, Asher Angel, Mark Strong, and Jack Dylan Grazer, Shazam is the story of a 14 year-old turned sudden superhero.

At first sight of the poster for this movie, I had less than zero desire to watch. There he was, splashed across both elevators of the AMC 25, looking like a tool.

Regardless of your Marvel or DC loyalties, if you don’t enjoy this movie (at least to some degree – even if you rated it a 6 out of 10), it is my duty to inform you that your inner 14 year-old is deceased. Time of death – TBD. Manner of death – most likely, murder by adulting. This is not like having a broken funny bone people. This is serious. You need to go back to the future or the past, or whatever you need to do and figure out exactly when this tragedy occurred, find that 14 year-old inside yourself, revive him or her, and watch Shazam again. You can thank me later.

I enjoyed this movie because it is well cast, fun, sort of goofy but not too goofy, light but not too light (thanks to those lovely demons), didn’t take itself so seriously and didn’t try too hard. It has that “for children of all ages” feel to it. It’s like a whimsical spoof and I really did feel my 14 year-old-self enjoying every (Hold up. Did I just type “every?” I meant, “most.” Let’s not get carried away here. Although, thinking back, I don’t remember one, single eye roll during this entire movie, which is extraordinary for me during a superhero flick. Also, I do remember smiling through much of it and even when I wasn’t smiling I was paying full attention. Not one yawn or watch check through the whole affair. Perhaps I enjoyed it more than I even realized…Whoa!) minute of it!

Imagine if you had somehow acquired superpowers when you were 14 years old and the subsequent jerk you would have become – but for a good friend and/or family member keeping you grounded and saving you from yourself (that is, if he didn’t turn into your “yes man” and contribute to your eventual demise).

Hmmm… Mystical growth spurt; best friend enjoying the fruits of that growth at first; things/protagonist change and the friendship deteriorates as the good friend tells some hard truths the protagonist doesn’t really want to hear about him turning into an a-hole; something happens to let the protagonist know he needs his best friend or that his behavior is/was wrong. A big part of the humor relies on the protagonist making these awkward, comical adjustments to his new body/status. A movie with a message about friends and family. Sound familiar? It should. It’s the plot to Big! And that’s another part of why I enjoyed this movie so much. (This dawned on me long after watching.)

Shazam earned 8.5 out of 10 bloops for the refreshing awakening of my 14 year-old self, if only for a couple of hours. Shazam is a good movie worth seeing in a theater, particularly if you have youngsters to take. The demons are frightening for younger ones, I’d give it 7 years old and up to avoid any nightmares depending on your kid, of course. And please don’t think it is a movie “just for boys”. It isn’t. Take the girls too. They’ll have a good time as well.

******

Here’s what you should really do, if you can: Tell your kids they should call their grandparent(s) and invite them to the movies so the grandparents can have their 14 year-old selves come out and play too! Grandparents are not going to say no. They’ll be thrilled the kid(s) called and invited them. Then you get a couple of hours to yourself! Pretty clever plan, eh?

Thank you for reading. You can scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, hit the “follow” button and enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review; or you can follow me on twitter (which I must get more savvy with and active on!) @bloopbymimi1

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

Other Reviews (Please excuse the look of this section. It is a work in progress.)
Dumbo
Us
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
The Wife
If Beale Street Could Talk
What Men Want
Eighth Grade                          Vice                                                     Roma
Mary Queen of Scots            Widows                                              The Favourite
Green Book                            Halloween                                         Nobody’s Fool
Bohemian Rhapsody            Beautiful Boy                                    The Hate U Give
First Man                                Assassination Nation                       The Oath
A Star is Born                        The House with a Clock in Its Walls  A Simple Favor

The Predator                           BlackkKlansman                              Support the Girls
Peppermint                             Christopher Robin                            Crazy Rich Asians
The Happytime Murders      RBG                                                     Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Sorry to Bother You               
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage                                   A Quiet Place                                   Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time                  Lady Bird                                          I, Tonya
The Florida Project                 Black Panther                                  Molly’s Game
The Post                                    Phantom Thread                             Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World  Coco                                                   The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist                 Call Me By Your Name

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Shape of Water                Marshall                  The Man Who Invented Christmas

Victoria and Abdul                 Thor: Ragnarok                    Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!                                     It                                             Good Time
Atomic Blonde                         Dunkirk                                 Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming   The Big Sick                          Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me                       It Comes at Night                  The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman                    Everything, everything        King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw                                           Kong: Skull Island              Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts    A Cure for Wellness           Get Out
Hidden Figures                      Fences                                   Moonlight
Hell or High Water                Loving                                  La La Land
Lion                                          Manchester by the Sea     Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge                      Nocturnal Animals            Captain Fantastic
Elle                                           Jackie                                    I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Written by Helen Aberson/Harold Pearl, Directed by Tim Burton, and starring Colin Farrell, Michael Keaton and Danny DeVito, Disney’s Dumbo is the tale of a flying elephant who saves a struggling circus which lost performers and an audience due to WWII. When the small circus is acquired by a slick entertainment conglomerate, Dumbo and his friends discover the new circus owner’s dark agenda.

Full disclosure, I’m no Disney fan nor fan of fairy tales. I’m the mom who told my daughter’s teachers to inform me if they were planning on ready any fairy tales in class because I didn’t want her listening to that drivel without me being there to explain the drivel. I’m also the mom who let it be known there was no Santa Clause, Easter Bunny or Tooth Fairy, but that’s another story for another movie and another time. Nevertheless, she lived through it, and grew up to be an outstanding, well-adjusted, well-rounded, independent thinker, and a positive contributor to society. On to the review,,,

Burton hasn’t been burning up the cinema lately, having last directed Miss Peregrine’s School for Peculiar Children (2016) (my review in the link), but with “Dumbo” he shows a lot more restraint and is better off for it. He still resorted back to his old bag of tricks, but it felt nice here, not forced.

Given our recent consciousness regarding animal abuses at circuses and zoos, “Dumbo” isn’t the choicest material to attempt to “freshen up” but Burton did what he could. I’m sort of hoping this is the last go round for this story because knowing what I know now, Dumbo made me cringe at times. The story puts us in a “when you know better, you do better,” situation.

The opening credits were so cheesy I thought I was in for a true disaster and was poised to go for my refund. Then Colin Farrell showed up and did absolutely nothing to change my mind. But somewhere along the way things improved for a decent second act and the ending sort of evened things out to average.

As far as the acting, the adult veterans dominate the space and leave very little for up and comers to do.  I was staring at Nico Parker reminding me of a young Angelina Jolie through the entire film and it ate at me until I had to know who this kid is related to. It turns out her mother is Thandie Newton.  (Hmmmm… Could it be that Thandie and Angelina resemble one another and I never noticed? This thought may cause you to snicker a bit, but go watch The Postman Always Rings Twice (1946) or even Imitation of Life (1959) and tell me there aren’tat least two frames where Lana Turner looks just like Beyonce in the face.)  I don’t know how well the young lady can act, because of the limitations of this material. She didn’t stink up the place though, so there’s that at least,  Finley Hobbins, the young man who plays Parker’s brother, contributed even less.

Technically, there is nothing wrong with Dumbo, but neither is there anything particularly special about it. The effects are fine. Dumbo’s flying is fun. There are a couple of laughs. There are a couple of moments of suspense. The ending is, of course, a pat, Disney-happy ending where the good guys win and the bad guys get punished somehow. Meh!

Dumbo earned 6 out of 10 bloops. It was okay but could have been better (always consider the source).  When it is smart to leave a movie in the original era in which it was set, one has to question whether a remake is even necessary. Perhaps as one moviegoer who is not only genuinely tired of remakes, but also a person who believes some material should just be left alone, I could have done without this one altogether.  The kids may enjoy it and it is entertaining enough for you not to fall asleep, if you’re not too tired. …What a glowing endorsement!

Thank you for reading. You can scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, hit the “follow” button and enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review; or you can follow me on twitter (which I must get more savvy with and active on!) @bloopbymimi1

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

Other Reviews (Please excuse the look of this section. It is a work in progress.)
Us
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
The Wife
If Beale Street Could Talk
What Men Want
Eighth Grade                          Vice                                                     Roma
Mary Queen of Scots            Widows                                              The Favourite
Green Book                            Halloween                                         Nobody’s Fool
Bohemian Rhapsody            Beautiful Boy                                    The Hate U Give
First Man                                Assassination Nation                       The Oath
A Star is Born                        The House with a Clock in Its Walls  A Simple Favor

The Predator                           BlackkKlansman                              Support the Girls
Peppermint                             Christopher Robin                            Crazy Rich Asians
The Happytime Murders      RBG                                                     Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Sorry to Bother You               
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage                                   A Quiet Place                                   Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time                  Lady Bird                                          I, Tonya
The Florida Project                 Black Panther                                  Molly’s Game
The Post                                    Phantom Thread                             Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World  Coco                                                   The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist                 Call Me By Your Name

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Shape of Water                Marshall                  The Man Who Invented Christmas

Victoria and Abdul                 Thor: Ragnarok                    Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!                                     It                                             Good Time
Atomic Blonde                         Dunkirk                                 Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming   The Big Sick                          Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me                       It Comes at Night                  The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman                    Everything, everything        King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw                                           Kong: Skull Island              Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts    A Cure for Wellness           Get Out
Hidden Figures                      Fences                                   Moonlight
Hell or High Water                Loving                                  La La Land
Lion                                          Manchester by the Sea     Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge                      Nocturnal Animals            Captain Fantastic
Elle                                           Jackie                                    I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Written and directed by Jordan Peele, and starring Lupita Nyong’o and Winston Duke, the highly anticipated “Us” (I saw it nearly two weeks ago. Apologies for the delay in posting) has finally arrived. You’ve probably seen a trailer or already read or heard what it’s about, but I don’t think the plot should be laid out until you see it (if you care to) – but I can still critique it without giving too much away.

The acting is good. Lupita plays her dual roles well but the evil one is stronger. I mean, it’s definitely the more interesting one. But, is it? Winston Duke provides comic relief as Adelaide’s clueless, nerdy, big for no reason, rendered nearly useless early on, husband. Shahadi Wright Joseph does a notable job. That young lady has one of the most authentic and laughable eye rolls I’ve seen in a good long time.

The writing is uneven at times, as some of the action, imagery and symbolism is outstanding, and some is… how should I put it? Not. The images of Lupita fighting/hunting a version of herself to the death to save her self/family/humanity while wearing shiny gold chains/bracelets/shackles/handcuffs – depending on your interpretation, is nothing short of dazzling.

There is some exceptional foreshadowing used in many instances that provide clues that one will only grasp onto in hindsight. In this way, the story is unpredictable, but in other ways it is textbook predictable. The purposeful way the audience is frustrated by that foreshadowing – either because certain characters should or should not have done certain things or the way they did them – all makes sense in the end. In this way, “Us” is a movie that may make you think. Not about anything profound exactly, but more about how well the script is structured. The ending is tied up brilliantly and a quality “lightbulb” moment is provided, but by the time I got there the movie had already been too muddled for that important moment to pack the punch that it should have.

This socially conscious Invasion of the Body Snatcher’s (+meets any horror movie where a family/class/group of any sort takes a vacation and/or road trip) remix is great, if that is exactly how one views “Us.” Otherwise, it’s sort of a mess. This movie becomes its own worst enemy as it gets bogged down in a tangle of messaging, metaphors and symbolism that led to me to care less about the intended meaning of the story. I understood the commentary, messages, etc., I just couldn’t find myself caring about them. Maybe that says more about me than it does about this movie, but the execution of it all just didn’t pull me in.

I came here for horror. And I got some. But I also got a lot of other “extra” stuff I just wasn’t interested in. I literally, physically, had to fight myself not to walk out after an hour and a half. The movie “only” had 26 more minutes and that 26 minutes felt like an eternity! I know I shouldn’t compare movies, but here I go anyway: In comparison to the clear-cut narrative of Get Out (my review in the link) where I was on the edge of my seat waiting to see what would happen next and fully invested as if I knew those characters personally, the narrative of “Us” is the “un-clear cut” opposite. And that would be okay if rather than finding the depth/density/gymnastics of this story telling entertaining, I found it rather tedious. “Us” feels unnecessarily complicated. Sometimes less is more. This is one of those times.

I’m proud of anyone who gets their movie made and Peele told his story, his way. I’m happy Lupita got a headlining role which she carried well. All those bunnies and not a drop of rabbit poop on the floor was quite impressive.

Alas, you know how it goes. Everything is subjective. You may like “Us” more than I did. I’ve heard the word “masterpiece” thrown about, and while I disagree, it will be a very long time (at least until it streams) before I give “Us” a second watch to confirm my first impression. To each his own, different strokes, blah, blah, blah, so on and so on, and whatever.

“Us” earned 6 out of 10 bloops because I do believe it is “good” but could have been better, but there is something masterful in the intricacy of the story telling that brings it up to 7 bloops. So I guess that averages out to 6.5 bloops in the end. It isn’t perfect, and has quite a few great, positive qualities. It just didn’t come together for me. I may have been pulled in for a minute or two, here and there, but I was never fully invested nor transported out of my seat into the action. I was just another woman in a theater watching a movie.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, hit the “follow” button and enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review; or you can follow me on twitter (which I must get more savvy with and active on!) @bloopbymimi1

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

Other Reviews (Please excuse the look of this section. It is a work in progress.)
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood
The Wife
If Beale Street Could Talk
What Men Want
Eighth Grade                          Vice                                                     Roma
Mary Queen of Scots            Widows                                              The Favourite
Green Book                            Halloween                                         Nobody’s Fool
Bohemian Rhapsody            Beautiful Boy                                    The Hate U Give
First Man                                Assassination Nation                       The Oath
A Star is Born                        The House with a Clock in Its Walls  A Simple Favor

The Predator                           BlackkKlansman                              Support the Girls
Peppermint                             Christopher Robin                            Crazy Rich Asians
The Happytime Murders      RBG                                                     Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Sorry to Bother You               
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage                                   A Quiet Place                                   Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time                  Lady Bird                                          I, Tonya
The Florida Project                 Black Panther                                  Molly’s Game
The Post                                    Phantom Thread                             Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World  Coco                                                   The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist                 Call Me By Your Name

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Shape of Water                Marshall                  The Man Who Invented Christmas

Victoria and Abdul                 Thor: Ragnarok                    Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!                                     It                                             Good Time
Atomic Blonde                         Dunkirk                                 Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming   The Big Sick                          Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me                       It Comes at Night                  The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman                    Everything, everything        King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw                                           Kong: Skull Island              Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts    A Cure for Wellness           Get Out
Hidden Figures                      Fences                                   Moonlight
Hell or High Water                Loving                                  La La Land
Lion                                          Manchester by the Sea     Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge                      Nocturnal Animals            Captain Fantastic
Elle                                           Jackie                                    I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

This is my Throwback Thursday review. Wrote this months ago and just failed to publish it. Thank you for reading.

*****

Directed by Matt Tyrnauer, Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (2017) tells the story of (then) 95-year old Scott Bowers, a man who procured sex for some of the greatest stars of the 1930s/40s/50s/60s/70s and 80s. Upon his return home from the war in 1945, Scottie settled in California and began working at a gas station near Hollywood. This is when and where his business began. It ending somewhere around the time Rock Hudson’s HIV/AIDS status was made public. The true Hollywood Madam, Scotty, makes Heidi Fleiss’s story look like a children’s book!

Scotty allowed (mostly) homosexual and bisexual actors a means by which to live their sexual lives freely, without having to lose their livelihood for doing so. He is considered a Hollywood legend in his own right. He is not a pimp, because he never took any money from anyone (his words); just a man who saw a need and an opportunity, and created a space for himself.

Scotty chronicled his escapades in his 2012 memoir entitled Full Service. In the book he names names of the mostly dead, extremely popular and famous celebrities who utilized his services. These were men whose reputations relied on them being “ladies’ men,” and “sex symbols,” even some of Hollywood’s “bombshells” indulged.

Scotty was a businessman and peddler of flesh who is portrayed as some sort of a “savior” to men and women with no other way to support themselves (the prostitutes) and these stars who sought someone to engage in sexual activities with who would be discreet and keep their secrets secret (the customers or johns – do you capitalize john when used this way? I don’t think so, but I could most certainly be wrong.).

One thing about this story that struck me and was more interesting to me than the sex, is the capability of human beings to perform what I call aerobics of the mind that helps them process information (most times unpleasant or tragic information) in a way that makes it bearable for them to live with. More than just compartmentalizing information and locking it away somewhere, the information is dealt with in a way to put a positive spin on it or put a positive light upon those whom a positive light should not necessarily be shined upon. It is a means of psychological protection; a way of skewing the blunt truth to cushion reality so we can sleep at night or at least function day to day without going mad over it. It is a way to avoid your own bullshit and act as though you’ve let it go without ever having to deal with it.

At the beginning and through the middle of this documentary I was feeling positive, like, “Good on Scotty for allowing adults to be their sexual selves at a time when they weren’t able to do so without being scandalized and shamed!” I was smiling. I was nearly ready to cheer! But then things took this turn and shit got hella-creepy. Scotty went very dark and started talking about his childhood in a way that was shocking to me because I’d never heard anyone say what he said who had been through what he’d been through. Scotty was/is a survivalist who learned early on in life to accept what is and deal with it accordingly even if it involves working those aerobics of the mind mentioned earlier. He seems to be somewhat of a sweet man when he had to be, but something was definitely missing inside. He always seemed to be “on” and when he wasn’t “on” he wasn’t as cheerful or pleasant, showing glimmers of anger and disagreeability, even the potential for nastiness. Instead of admitting there may be a void in him and that sex filled the void (he wasn’t just pedaling sex, he kept plenty for himself), he chooses to believe making others happy was filling the void.

I don’t know Scotty. We’ve never met, but I do hold a master’s degree in psychology and it’s pretty obvious if you watch, that he has worked quite hard to believe his own bullshit, and the spin he has crafted that bullshit around is extremely delicate and mustn’t be disturbed under any circumstances. He becomes defensive and short about the subjects he doesn’t care to get into too deeply. He comes up with pat, short answers and speaks authoritatively to signal that this answer is the final one and there is no need to have any further discussion on the subject. His life partner does the same when it comes to why she is with Scotty and why she stays. The narrator/producer of this documentary does the same as he glibly goes along with Scotty’s contention that he ran what amounts to a prostitution ring he claims to never have gotten a dime for running for decades to make other people happy. Okay Scotty… If you say so. If you say so.

One question asked throughout Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood is, does he feel he is betraying the trust of the people to whom he provided services? Scotty states all of them are dead (and then goes on to mention one who is still living which may or may not surprise you). But here’s my feeling about this, whether they were dead or not; Scotty is telling his own story. Like anyone’s story, there are other people involved. His stories just happen to be about people who were and/or are famous. So what? In their time they didn’t have the option to come out of any closets or tell their story unless they never wanted to work again, so there is no way to say whether or not approval would be given. As long as what he is saying is true, or rather, his version of the truth, and he has plenty of people who are still living to back up his story, I don’t see the problem.

Scotty was ahead of his time as a sexually free spirit who always accepted himself for whatever he was/is. He was never embarrassed by sex or his preferences, which is very powerful. While the stigma of being anything other than heterosexual hasn’t completely gone away it has certainly lost some power in some places. (I’m just glad I live in a time where Billy Porter can shut it down at the Oscars wearing a flowy, black velvet skirt! Did you see him?! I loved every minute of it!) I, personally, could care who someone else sleeps with (as long as everybody is consenting participant and there are no children involved) if they’re not sleeping with me. It’s none of my business. Period.

Unfortunately, this documentary wanders off in too many different directions and loses focus at times. I would have liked to hear more about the celebrities and less (as in, absolutely nothing) about Scotty’s hoarding issues.

Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood earned 7.5 out of 10 bloops. If you are a student of psychology, a member or supporter of the LGBTQIA community (I hope I included everyone. If not, apologies. Things change so quickly I can hardly keep up.), or just interested in Old Hollywood, you will enjoy watching. Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood is unrated because it is a documentary, but keep in mind there is some nudity and sexual situations depicted, so, if you don’t care to see penises, don’t bother.

*****

Hollywood’s secret History

Thank you for reading. You can scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, hit the “follow” button and enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review; or you can follow me on twitter (which I must get more savvy with and active on!) @bloopbymimi1

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

What I’m seeing/reviewing next…

Peppermint
The Nun – I’m only going to see this one for you all. Why should we all have to suffer? If it’s great I’ll let y

Based on Lee Israel’s (sorry Lee, I couldn’t find a credible link to associate with your name but I found articles about you which will be listed at the end of the post) autobiographical Can You Ever Forgive Me?: Memoirs of a Literary Forger (2008), directed by Marielle Heller, starring Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant, Can You Ever Forgive Me? tells the story of how Israel went from a has-been author, writing books no one w

McCarthy does an outstanding job playing this bitter, depressed, alcoholic, washed up, nasty (in more ways than one), middle-aged, has-been with such a bad attitude no one, and I mean no one, wants to work with her. And she has an even nastier apartment (don’t look under the bed for crying out loud!) in which the true state of her depression is manifested and revealed in a painful, true-to-life way. Her bitterness has contaminated every relationship in her life. She’s run out of friends who can tolerate her; that is, until she meets an equally sour-on-the-world, sleazy, social outcast (enter Grant’s character), with whom she can wallow in self-loathing.

The audience gets to witness McCarthy as this terribly sour, dark, unlikable person with not much going for her in life, to a woman who discovers something to be passionate about again, and who you learn to understand. The character development is brilliant. (Kudos to Nicole Holofcener and Jeffrey Whitty, who also deserved some award season love because they really made this story come to life.) McCarthy’s character becomes vibrant and energized and purposeful – almost, dare I say, happy; or as close to “happy” as misery will allow. Her actions may not have been legal but she got something priceless out of it. In her middle age, she rediscovered herself, her self-worth and her passion. It’s something we all need to do as we get older.

Can You Ever Forgive Me is quite a dark, queer, quirky story, with dark, queer, quirky main characters, and it is original, interesting, well-acted, well written, and well executed all the way around.

Oh! And I failed to mention that Richard E. Grant’s performance is brilliant, as usual. He is detestable! He’s a seasoned veteran who knows his craft. It’s almost scary how much he gets into this character and makes it look convincing and effortless. (I know I’m all over the place with this post but I’m trying to get it done before the show. Can you ever forgive me?)

I’m so glad Melissa listened to me. (Hahahahaha!!! Wheeew! I crack myself up when I imagine any of these people knowing who the hell I am.) To toot my own horn (Yeah. I’m gonna toot it!), when I suggested she try some drama to pull out of the catastrophe that was The Happy Time Murders (my review in the link where I said it, without even knowing Can You Ever Forgive Me even existed btw…). I knew she was capable of so much more. I believed in her and I’ll be darned if she didn’t deliver. Now, I want to see her play a real villain in some capacity, somewhere, like a villainous Craig T. Nelson or a John Lithgow role. (Melissa…, if you can hear me, do it. Go play in your craft and let no one box you in!)

I feel strongly that Melissa McCarthy is the dark horse for an Oscar win for this role. I know Glen Close has put in her time and Gaga is the sweetheart, but if we’re talking about awarding folks based on a single performance, I’m foolishly pulling for Melissa because she really stretched herself and gave us something new we’ve not seen before from her. Such is not the case with Glen or Gaga. (Even though I know I’m going to get my heart broken. Not that Glen wouldn’t be a great pick because she did an outstanding job as well. All the ladies nominated did fine jobs. It’s a tight race.

This is my last blog about a movie before the Oscars. I rated 2 movies 10 bloops this year. One was The Hate You Give (which I knew wasn’t going to get any Oscar love when I saw it), the other was Won’t You Be My Neighbor, and we won’t even discuss the b.s. snub Won’t You Be My Neighbor got so RBG can win this award… Honestly, this was not the best season for cinema, particularly in comparison to 2016, 2017 and 2018. But it’s over now. Let’s see how these awards go down.

Will You Ever Forgive Me earned 9 out of 10 bloops with Melissa McCarthy’s performance earning 10 out of 10!!!!!! It is an excellent, albeit dark, movie. The picture of what depression and loneliness looks like is so real and so timely, it’s sort of amazing.

*****
The True Story Of Lee Israel: The Biographer Who Turned Into A Literary Forger
Lee Israel, a Writer Proudest of Her Literary Forgeries, Dies at 75
The True Story of Lee Israel and the Literary Forgeries in Can You Ever Forgive Me?

*****

Thank you for reading. You can scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, hit the “follow” button and enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review; or you can follow me on twitter (which I must get more savvy with and active on!) @bloopbymimi1

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

Other Reviews (Please excuse the look of this section. It is a work in progress.)
The Wife
If Beale Street Could Talk
What Men Want
Eighth Grade                          Vice                                                     Roma
Mary Queen of Scots            Widows                                              The Favourite
Green Book                            Halloween                                         Nobody’s Fool
Bohemian Rhapsody            Beautiful Boy                                    The Hate U Give
First Man                                Assassination Nation                       The Oath
A Star is Born                        The House with a Clock in Its Walls  A Simple Favor

The Predator                           BlackkKlansman                              Support the Girls
Peppermint                             Christopher Robin                            Crazy Rich Asians
The Happytime Murders      RBG                                                     Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Sorry to Bother You               
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage                                   A Quiet Place                                   Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time                  Lady Bird                                          I, Tonya
The Florida Project                 Black Panther                                  Molly’s Game
The Post                                    Phantom Thread                             Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World  Coco                                                   The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist                 Call Me By Your Name

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Shape of Water                Marshall                  The Man Who Invented Christmas

Victoria and Abdul                 Thor: Ragnarok                    Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!                                     It                                             Good Time
Atomic Blonde                         Dunkirk                                 Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming   The Big Sick                          Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me                       It Comes at Night                  The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman                    Everything, everything        King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw                                           Kong: Skull Island              Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts    A Cure for Wellness           Get Out
Hidden Figures                      Fences                                   Moonlight
Hell or High Water                Loving                                  La La Land
Lion                                          Manchester by the Sea     Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge                      Nocturnal Animals            Captain Fantastic
Elle                                           Jackie                                    I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Based on the 2004 Meg Wolitzer novel by the same name, Directed by Björn Runge, starring Glenn Close and Jonathan Pryce, The Wife tells the story of a wife who questions her life choices as she and her husband travel to Stockholm, where he is to receive the Nobel Prize for Literature. I know, sounds very privileged, vanilla, uninteresting, etc.

The Wife played right across the street from my job for many weeks when it was first released and I just kept putting off seeing it. I had no idea what the story was about. If you know me, you know I don’t like to know. All I knew was Glen Close starred in it. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to see The Wife. I did. I mean, Glen Close is in it! I just didn’t make it a priority for some reason or another.  (I was also going through some sickness or another during that time.) I watched the other day on YouTube Movies and was quite pleasantly surprised. (I just stumbled upon YouTube Movies the other day. Honestly, I didn’t know it existed before this week! It’s amazing! Really great for when a movie is not playing in your area or in an inconvenient location. I know I’m acting like the first person to discover it when I’m sure millions already knew, and I’m late to the party. Just passing on the info for those who may not know. Okay. Back to the review…)

Similarly to Phantom Thread (my review in the link), The Wife examines the complexities of this long-term marriage and relationship. We get a look at the ups and downs of this marriage; the different ways they need and use one other – the ways they abuse one another and/or care for one another. The underbelly of this relationship/marriage is laid bare, where they can’t stand one another one second but then some event or a moment of joy can cause them to forgive, forget and reconcile – until the next time. We see how sacrifices which appear to be noble can sometimes be selfish. How sacrifices fester into bitterness and resentment. How lies in relationships will corrode everything. How suppressed feelings and resentment can cause one to explode. How one can tell a lie for so long one can train oneself to believe their own bullshit. And how to have that truth revealed and the secret unraveled can be a huge blow to the psyche; even to the soul. (Their son also travels with him and the dynamics between him and each of his parents are explored, but that is the less interesting part of the film, but his character’s presence is integral to the plot.)

The writing is intricate. The way the truth unravels is very satisfying. It seems like two people are simply having a conversation, but there is so much nuance and emotion behind every word. Every word and expression is punched once you get the gist of the back story and the real nature of the relationship these two have shared over the years. (It’s almost as though I need to watch it again knowing what I now know to see how different it feels.) The resentment, the selfishness, the egotism, the success, the joy, the love, the triumphs. It is quite a ride. It is the type of situation that one cannot say what they would do unless one were in it. It’s a real marriage.

The Wife is superbly acted by the two leads. Glen Close is just a pro who is guaranteed to nail it every single time. Period. (Good luck on getting that Oscar Glen, but Melissa McCarthy is going to give you a run for it, I believe. I’ll be reviewing Can You Ever Forgive Me Next, by the way.) Jonathan Pryce made me want to slap his face several times. He was outstanding as a boorish, selfish, cantankerous, arrogant, horrible hypocrite. I thought he did a better job than Close! (You want to talk about someone who deserved a Best Supporting Actor nod, at the very  least. Here he is.) Max Irons as the couple’s son does a great job at being annoying and melancholy. I couldn’t stand him! His interactions with his father were intense and powerful. Talk about daddy issues… I would have liked some more background on his mental health issues. I can’t say whether it was intention, but it certainly seemed as though he may have had something going on there. His energy was so low when he wasn’t going at it with his parents.

The Wife earned 8.5 out of 10 bloops. (If I watched it again, it might get bumped up to 9 bloops, but I don’t have time right now. On to the next!) It’s a great movie, not to be missed. It is playing in some theaters or you can rent/stream it. (Oh, look out for that choir though… Hahahaha! I was sooo confused!) Enjoy!

Thank you for reading. You can scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, hit the “follow” button and enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review; or you can follow me on twitter (which I must get more savvy with and active on!) @bloopbymimi1

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

Other Reviews (Please excuse the look of this section. It is a work in progress.)

If Beale Street Could Talk
What Men Want
Eighth Grade                          Vice                                                     Roma
Mary Queen of Scots            Widows                                              The Favourite
Green Book                            Halloween                                         Nobody’s Fool
Bohemian Rhapsody            Beautiful Boy                                    The Hate U Give
First Man                                Assassination Nation                       The Oath
A Star is Born                        The House with a Clock in Its Walls  A Simple Favor

The Predator                           BlackkKlansman                              Support the Girls
Peppermint                             Christopher Robin                            Crazy Rich Asians
The Happytime Murders      RBG                                                     Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Sorry to Bother You               
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage                                   A Quiet Place                                   Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time                  Lady Bird                                          I, Tonya
The Florida Project                 Black Panther                                  Molly’s Game
The Post                                    Phantom Thread                             Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World  Coco                                                   The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist                 Call Me By Your Name

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Shape of Water                Marshall                  The Man Who Invented Christmas

Victoria and Abdul                 Thor: Ragnarok                    Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!                                     It                                             Good Time
Atomic Blonde                         Dunkirk                                 Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming   The Big Sick                          Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me                       It Comes at Night                  The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman                    Everything, everything        King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw                                           Kong: Skull Island              Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts    A Cure for Wellness           Get Out
Hidden Figures                      Fences                                   Moonlight
Hell or High Water                Loving                                  La La Land
Lion                                          Manchester by the Sea     Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge                      Nocturnal Animals            Captain Fantastic
Elle                                           Jackie                                    I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Co-written (with Scott Lobdell) and directed by Christopher Landon and starring Jessica Rothe, in Happy Death Day 2U our heroine, Flower “Tree” Gelbmans, discovers that being murdered over and over and over again was surprisingly easy compared to what is going on now. You have no idea how mad I am at myself for not reviewing the first one! Happy Death Day (2017) was released right in the midst of an Oscar season that started pretty early, and was very time consuming (Because 2017 was a much better year filled with better movies than 2018. I’ve found 2018 to be sort of lackluster, personally.), so it didn’t get the attention it deserved. It wasn’t a masterpiece or anything, but it was certainly a notable film which turned out to be much better than I anticipated going in and it was certainly worthy of a watch and a write up with a recommendation to see it. It is well acted, well written, and fresh-feeling for a concept that has been attempted many times (the time loop).

The writing is still pretty strong. It takes a while for Happy Death Day 2U to get going (You may feel differently if you’re just jumping in here.) but once it does it’s another fun ride. The concept of the day you were born becoming the day on which you are murdered and have to relive over and over again is intriguing. The addition of an element of science fiction /time travel/dimensions makes Happy Death Day 2U as fun and as satisfying as the first installment. There is just enough humor so it doesn’t become goofy. It isn’t too gory (thinking back on it, there’s really not much gore at all. There’s hardly any!). The film doesn’t rely on scare jumps. The plot is super interesting as Tree faces this great, life altering decision about her past and her future. This movie brings up philosophical questions about life and change and choices – the what ifs and what would you dos, and if you could – would yous?…  Imagine the possibility of getting a “do over” in life. I am growing to enjoy the concept of these films more and more. (Now I have to go back and watch the first one again! Because of this blog I’m always watching something new and needing to move on. I rarely get a chance to see anything for a second time unless it is so brilliant that I must.) I also like the multiculturalism of it all because it is a college campus, that’s what most American college campuses look like, so why not? It’s realistic and doesn’t feel forced.

Jessica Rothe is so stinkin’ cute (with her Blake Lively-looking self. (My review of A Simple Favor is in the link because, why not!?) She reminds me of another actress as well but I cannot put my finger on exactly who. It will come to me eventually…), that I find her face to be hilarious when she gets pissed off. I love it! She does some really good acting here (just as in the first installment) and I think she is a large part of what really puts the Happy Death Day “franchise” (Is it too soon to call it that just yet?) a notch above other run-of-the-mill slasher movies. Rachel Matthews does a notable job as well. The intensity of Steve Zessis is hilarious. The remainder of the supporting cast were the weak(er) link in the formula and made Happy Death Day 2U feel like a school play, at times.

And can we please talk about those big, scary babies? Haaaaaaahaaaaa! Those crazy looking babies are scary, creepy as heck and comical in the best possible way, all at the same time. I mean…Just. Wow!

Happy Death Day 2U earned 7.5 out of 10 bloops. It’s a good movie, worth seeing in a theater for the ambiance. After getting a foot in the door and earning some recognition with the first rated PG-13 installment, amping up the gore a bit would have given this installment more impact. It makes a great popcorn movie. Good job keeping up the quality from the first film through the first sequel. If it does well at the box office over this weekend, I’m sure there will be a third.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, hit the “follow” button and enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review; or you can follow me on twitter (which I must get more savvy with and active on!) @bloopbymimi1

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

Other Reviews (Please excuse the look of this section. It is a work in progress.)

If Beale Street Could Talk
What Men Want
Eighth Grade                          Vice                                                     Roma
Mary Queen of Scots            Widows                                              The Favourite
Green Book                            Halloween                                          Nobody’s Fool
Bohemian Rhapsody            Beautiful Boy                                     The Hate U Give
First Man                                Assassination Nation                        The Oath
A Star is Born                        The House with a Clock in Its Walls  A Simple Favor

The Predator                           BlackkKlansman                                Support the Girls
Peppermint                             Christopher Robin                              Crazy Rich Asians
The Happytime Murders        RBG                                                   Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Sorry to Bother You               
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage                                   A Quiet Place                                   Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time                  Lady Bird                                          I, Tonya
The Florida Project                 Black Panther                                  Molly’s Game
The Post                                    Phantom Thread                             Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World  Coco                                                   The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist                 Call Me By Your Name

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Shape of Water                Marshall                                 The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul                 Thor: Ragnarok                    Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!                                     It                                             Good Time
Atomic Blonde                         Dunkirk                                 Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming   The Big Sick                          Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me                       It Comes at Night                  The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman                    Everything, everything        King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw                                           Kong: Skull Island              Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts    A Cure for Wellness           Get Out
Hidden Figures                      Fences                                   Moonlight
Hell or High Water                Loving                                  La La Land
Lion                                          Manchester by the Sea     Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge                      Nocturnal Animals            Captain Fantastic
Elle                                           Jackie                                    I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

 

Adapted from Philippe Pozzo di Borgo’s autobiographical work, directed by Neil Burger, starring Bryan Cranston and Kevin Hart, The Upside tells the story of an unlikely relationship between a wealthy, successful paraplegic (Cranston) and ne’er-do-well ex-convict (Hart). The wealthy, successful dude is white and the ex-convict is black. It’s sort of a role reversal from Green Book (my review in the link) where the white dude was the thug and the black guy the sophisticated one. I would say it’s too soon on the heels of a black guy/white guy movie, but I’ll allow both because each is based on a true story.

Compared to the original French film, The Intouchables, The Upside is a watered down, inferior version of the film for certain. The original won seven or so international film awards. The Upside is winning anything. This is the case most times when great (or even good) foreign films and/or television shows are adapted into an “Americanized” version. This is the very reason that even with Tom Hanks attached to the project, I am not particularly looking forward to the Americanization of A Man Called Ove (my review in the link). So, what I won’t do is compare the two because there is no comparison. I’ll look at The Upside for what it is and recommend you see the original and judge for yourself.

The Upside is a cute, funny, safe, middle-of-the-road, non-offensive, formulaic movie that almost anyone can enjoy. Cranston does what he does and he does it well, as usual. Kevin Hart does a really good job with this role. (Just don’t compare him to the 6′ 2¾” Omar Sy, who starred in the same role in the original. I know I said I wouldn’t compare but this was one helluva glaring and hilarious difference between characters.)

The screen play is very well balanced. The Upside never gets too sappy, too preachy or pretentious. It’s a very comfortable movie in that way. The heavier parts are still light enough to allow for some humor and the humor is subtle enough to allow for the gentler moments without any of it feeling forced.  Kevin Hart gets to show a bit more range than he has in the past as this non-judgmental caretaker who educates others on how to be respectful to disabled individuals along the way. He and Cranston play extremely well together. The jokes are frequent, well distributed, and most importantly, they are actually funny. There are highs and lows, moments of triumph, moments of defeat and it’s all wrapped up in a tidy bow at the end. I didn’t mind the tidy bow at all. It’s just a sweet little feel-good film.

The Upside earned 7.5 bloops out of 10. It is a solidly good movie that is enjoyable and absolutely worth seeing. I stop short of calling it “great” because it’s not unlike many movies we’ve seen before in structure. The premise feels too familiar. I can’t say it’s not to be missed because I think you’ll be able to get over it if you miss it. When I use the term “don’t miss it” I usually mean “don’t miss seeing this movie in a theater.” And if you insist on seeing it in a theater you can go to the matinee. There is some nice cinematography and set design here, but The Upside doesn’t really require a theater view to be enjoyed. Streaming should` be equally satisfying.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll all the way down this page and hit the “follow” button, enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review or follow me on twitter @bloopbymimi1

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

Other Reviews (Please excuse the look of this section. It is a work in progress.)

If Beale Street Could Talk
What Men Want
Eighth Grade                          Vice                                                    Roma
Mary Queen of Scots              Widows                                               The Favourite
Green Book                             Halloween                                           Nobody’s Fool
Bohemian Rhapsody              Beautiful Boy                                     The Hate U Give
First Man                                Assassination Nation                          The Oath
A Star is Born                         The House with a Clock in Its Walls A Simple Favor

The Predator                           BlackkKlansman                                Support the Girls
Peppermint                             Christopher Robin                              Crazy Rich Asians
The Happytime Murders        RBG                                                    Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Sorry to Bother You               
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage                                 A Quiet Place                                     Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time                 Lady Bird                                            I, Tonya
The Florida Project                Black Panther                                     Molly’s Game
The Post                                  Phantom Thread                                 Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World   Coco                                                    The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist                 Call Me By Your Name

 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Shape of Water                Marshall                                 The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul                 Thor: Ragnarok                      Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!                                   It                                              Good Time
Atomic Blonde                       Dunkirk                                   Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming    The Big Sick                           Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me                      It Comes at Night                   The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman                     Everything, everything           King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw                                         Kong: Skull Island                  Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts     A Cure for Wellness               Get Out
Hidden Figures                       Fences                                     Moonlight
Hell or High Water                 Loving                                    La La Land
Lion                                        Manchester by the Sea           Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge                       Nocturnal Animals                 Captain Fantastic
Elle                                         Jackie                                      I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Based on the novel of the same name written by the inimitable James Baldwin, directed and adapted for film by Barry Jenkins and starring KiKi Layne (as Tish) and Stephan James (as Alphonso or “Fonny,” if you’re family),  If Beale Street Could Talk tells the story of a young woman and her family/community working to free her innocent, wrongfully accused/incarcerated/convicted boyfriend/father of her unborn child.

I was trying to make this review shorter, but there’s no way. I’m usually at about 600 words and I will certainly be over 1400 by the end of this. It took Barry Jenkins 5 weeks to write this screen play. It took me nearly two weeks to perfect these 1400 or so words. …Talk about feeling like an amateur… (Just joking. I don’t compare myself to others. Ever. And Barry had Baldwin as his guide.)

There is plenty to like about If Beale Street Could Talk. Foremost, there is some outstanding acting going on here. Most notably from Brian Tyree Henry (whose doesn’t have a lot of lines; but man oh man, the ones he has are powerful and haunting. The development of the depth of his character takes literal moments and it is flipping brilliant!), and the underrated Colman Domingo. Regina King has won a Best Supporting Actress Golden Globe award for her role and is a favorite for the Oscar. Congratulations Regina!

Jenkins’ directing and the editing of Joi McMillon and Nat Sanders are outstanding! This movie has so much geographical movement that enriches the story with palpable energy. We’re on the street, in an apartment, back on the street, in another apartment, at a bar, in the visiting room at the jail, in a department store, oooh, look… we’re in Puerto Rico! We’re on a rooftop, in an alley, in a grocery store, yet another apartment, in a bathtub, etc.

This movement, in conjunction with Nicholas Britell’s score, makes If Beale Street Could Talk feel vibrant and alive and invites the audience into every scene, with every character, every step of the way.

If Beale Street Could Talk contains (nearly) two, (mostly) loving, (mostly) supportive black families (even though Alphonso’s mama is crazy and his sisters are being raised to be horrible people) full of strong Black women and a father in both homes as a norm. That was nice to see for a change of pace and I need more of it, please.

The film presents a potential “white savior” who fails! How often do you see that happen?!! But dude, you failed at the wrong-est of times! Fonny needed you, man! (I’m halfway joking about the white savior thing. On one hand, I’m sure anyone in Alfonso’s position couldn’t give a care about the ethnicity of whomever might have the ability to “save” them, but on the other, a story written by James Baldwin containing anything about a white savior would mean the world as we know it would make a little less sense.)

Cinematographer James Laxton makes certain that If Beale Street Could Talk is a masterpiece to behold visually. The set design and wardrobe are thoughtful and beautiful. The setting and subject matter, each vacillating between romance/hope/love and fear/despair/helplessness, fit right into Jenkins’ stripped-bare, pensive style of directing exhibited in Moonlight (my review in the link. I must say, I watched Moonlight a couple of weeks ago and fell right back in love with it all over again). Laxton captures it all. What a dynamic pair they make.

If Beale Street Could Talk is only Jenkin’s second feature film and it is quite a daunting endeavor. I’m proud that he went for it, but along with the praise, I have a bit of criticism which it pains me to share, but share I must. Alright, alright, alright…there’s quite a lot of criticism.

Using the same musical director, cinematographer and editors on both films pretty much ensures the same “feel” and tone, which is probably what Barry (I call him Barry as though we’ve met. I’m sure he won’t mind, because I love him.) was going for and that is fine, but at times – specifically during the third act – I literally felt as though I was watching Moonlight with some changes in faces, circumstances, location, etc. Both films are unconventional love stories with vague endings. The pauses, the shots, the use of music, the colors, all felt so familiar but not always necessarily in the best way.

Tish provided quite a bit of narration in order to move this story along. My feeling is – there’s a point where a movie can have too much. When I’m watching a movie, I want to see the movie, not listen to it. Not even in Baldwin’s beautiful words. I know that no one wants to sit for a four hour, sad movie? Specifically, not I; but there was so much narration it causes me to question the “adaptability” of this book to film, or at the very least, whether this was the best way to execute the adaptation or the best of Baldwin’s book to adapt.

The subject matter is too vast and too dense. Baldwin was a deep and complicated person, thinker and writer, so I would imagine during an adaptation of even what seems like his simplest work, there is a lot of material to sift through with many, many layers to untangle. From one moment to the next, If Beale Street Could Talk confronts the audience with teen pregnancy, generational poverty, police harassment/corruption, unlawful imprisonment, sexual harassment, young love, family support, domestic violence, the frustration of the Black man in America, religion/faith, loyalty between friends, lovers and family, etc., etc., etc.

It was a lot. In fact, it was too much. Respect for the original work is important, but in movie-making (Not that I’ve ever made one, but I’ve watched enough of them to know the things that make one better than another), many, many times, adjustments and even sacrifices have to be made in the name of clarity and focus in succinct storytelling.

Barry, where was the resolution? I didn’t mind being left hanging when Moonlight ended. I thought it was perfect and beautiful for that film; but here, I would have appreciated the opportunity to at least see Alphonso free after all the agony we went through together. I don’t care how the book ended, satisfy the viewer – book; movie – there is a difference.

And lastly (Dang, that feels like a lot of criticism right there! Sorry Barry. I still love you though!), if there wasn’t going to be a resolution at the end, you know what would have been absolutely perfect!? This movie could have been tied into the modern day wrongful conviction exonerations and releases spirited by the Innocence Project, for whom 2018 was a record-setting year in exonerations. A couple of these innocents were locked up right around the same time as Fonny/Baldwin’s writing and are just now getting out. There could have been a few statistics on DNA exonerations of the wrongfully accused and how people of color, specifically Black men like Fonny, are disproportionately the victims of such injustice. Lastly, show some pictures of men who’ve gone through what Fonny went through in real life with their name and the number of years lost from their lives due to these injustices. When If Beale Street Could Talk was over this is all I could think about and I wanted it to happen desperately; but it didn’t. It could have been so perfect and so powerful. There would have been applause at the end. I know this to be true of my screening, at least, because I would have been the one leading it!

I know Barry, I know, you were probably thinking about this as a love story and I’m thinking of it as more of a cautionary tale – more like an anti-love story. There is nothing that says “love story” about your love spending his entire youth locked up for a crime he didn’t commit. There was love in the acts and sacrifices made on Fonny’s behalf. That’s where the love comes in. Just because they stayed together through their hardships does not make it a love story in my opinion. I know all “love stories” do not end in happily ever after, but this was just sad. Some sad, sour love.

Whatever way you look at it, love story aside, of all the “fiction” written herein, the incarceration piece is the most heart wrenching, as many people – mostly Black men – have lost their lives, livelihood, freedom and youth being arrested, tried and convicted for crimes they did not commit, and to not highlight that is a missed opportunity, in my humble-never made a movie in my life-opinion.

Alas… If Beale Street Could Talk earned 8.0 bloops out of 10 bloops. Although it’s not perfect, it is a solidly good movie with a lot going for it. A brilliant second effort by Jenkins and his crew. I just think it could have been better had the subject matter been more finely tuned. The hope and despair were palpable and wonderfully executed and if it gets people who would not otherwise have to explore and/or read Baldwin’s works, kudos! I’m excitedly anticipating seeing what Mr. Jenkins will do with Colson Whitehead’s The Underground Railroad and anything else he wants to take on.

Thank you for reading. You can scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, hit the “follow” button and enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review; or you can follow me on twitter (which I must get more savvy with and active on!) @bloopbymimi1

Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

Other Reviews (Please excuse the look of this section. It is a work in progress.

What Men Want
Eighth Grade                          Vice                                                    Roma
Mary Queen of Scots              Widows                                               The Favourite
Green Book                             Halloween                                           Nobody’s Fool
Bohemian Rhapsody              Beautiful Boy                                     The Hate U Give
First Man                                Assassination Nation                          The Oath
A Star is Born                         The House with a Clock in Its Walls A Simple Favor

The Predator                           BlackkKlansman                                Support the Girls
Peppermint                             Christopher Robin                              Crazy Rich Asians
The Happytime Murders        RBG                                                    Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Sorry to Bother You               
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage                                 A Quiet Place                                     Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time                 Lady Bird                                            I, Tonya
The Florida Project                Black Panther                                     Molly’s Game
The Post                                  Phantom Thread                                 Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World   Coco                                                    The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist                 Call Me By Your Name

 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Shape of Water                Marshall                                 The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul                 Thor: Ragnarok                      Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!                                   It                                              Good Time
Atomic Blonde                       Dunkirk                                   Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming    The Big Sick                           Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me                      It Comes at Night                   The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman                     Everything, everything           King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw                                         Kong: Skull Island                  Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts     A Cure for Wellness               Get Out
Hidden Figures                       Fences                                     Moonlight
Hell or High Water                 Loving                                    La La Land
Lion                                        Manchester by the Sea           Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge                       Nocturnal Animals                 Captain Fantastic
Elle                                         Jackie                                      I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster

Directed by Adam Shankman, written by Tina Gordon, Peter Huyck and Alex Gregory (giving credit to the team who wrote the original, “What Women Want” (2000), of course) and starring Taraji P. Hensen, What Men Want is Mel Gibson’s What Women Want, except that Mel’s character is now a Black woman. Each characters is successful in their field. Both are self-absorbed, arrogant, energetic, results-driven, work hard/play hard characters. He was a male chauvinist self-absorbed, jerk who ended up with empathy, compassion and a heart of gold. She was a disconnected, hardened woman who learned to warm up, open up and trust someone beside herself (and her father). If you’ve not seen the original go watch it.

Both movies are equally entertaining. In the interest of being a person who likes to know what I’m talking about, I watched the original today (Friday, February 8, 2019) for the very first time. It was an enjoyable, solid movie. Don’t know how I missed it. I’m a huge fan of Mel Gibson’s work.

Taraji P. Hensen can be quite funny at times. She and Josh Brenner played extremely well off of one another. Erykah Badu fits in perfectly here and steals the entire show with her scary, crazy self. She really is such a good actress. If you’ve not seen The Cider House Rules (1999), do so.

Clichés include the woman-on-top sex scene that every comedy starring a black woman seems to require nowadays, the most Caucasian sounding, up-tight acting White woman somewhere in the orbit (a friend/coworker/neighbor) of a crew of Black women – oh, and of course she gets her man back in the end. I refuse to give a spoiler alert for any of this because it is part of the formula and anyone who has seen a rom-com knows how it goes and what to expect. Everything gets tied up with a pretty little bow in a neat package. The end.

I like the addition of a father (Richard Roundtree) for Taraji’s character. That character is part of what separates this movie from the original, even more so than whatever gender of ethnicity the characters may be. What makes this movie stand out is the super positive representation of men as fathers. No man bashing here. These were stand up dudes, each in their own way (Richard Roundtree, Tracy Morgan and Aldis Hodge), doing their best to raise their children well.

(I can’t lie…the fact that the fathers are Black men is an added bonus for the positive representation. Since I’m a Black woman who sees a lot of movies each year I can tell you, I cannot think of one movie I’ve seen in the past few years – any years honestly – which featured kind, thoughtful, communicative, heterosexual, Black men. There may be a movie with one! But not three! And if you don’t know: Yes, that is important. I’ve been watching (and enjoying) movies featuring nothing but white people my whole life without complaint. I’ve seen negros, Black people, African Americans evolve from slaves/servants, pimps/hoes, gangstas/gang bangers and any other negative, stereotypical nonsense one could think of on film. So yes, I will be pleased by positive representation each and every time, even though it plays a minor part in how I rate a film. If representation is done extremely well, as it is here, I might bump it up .5 bloops, but I will never give a movie that earned 8 bloops 10 because the main character or the cast is Black.)

What Men Want earned 8 (.5 bump included) out of 10 bloops. This is a smart remake that does much more than just change the gender and ethnicity of the main character. It goes a step further with the addition of these positive men/fathers who happen to be Black. It’s a great Valentines Day movie because it isn’t a strict “chick flick.”

Thank you for reading. You can scroll all the way down to the bottom of this page, hit the “follow” button and enter your email address to subscribe to bloopbymimi, and never miss a review; or you can follow me on twitter (which I must get more savvy with and active on!) @bloopbymimi1

 Bloops:

1   =   worst ever, avoid at all cost
2   =   very bad, forget about it!
3   =   poor movie, not recommended
4   =   not good, even for free – NO!
5   =   so-so, worth it if you don’t have to pay
6   =   not bad, could have been better
7   =   good movie, worth seeing
8   =   great movie, don’t miss it!
9   =   excellent movie, a must see!
10 =   a masterpiece, go see it now!

Other Reviews

 Eighth Grade                          Vice                                                    Roma
Mary Queen of Scots              Widows                                               The Favourite
Green Book                             Halloween                                           Nobody’s Fool
Bohemian Rhapsody              Beautiful Boy                                     The Hate U Give
First Man                                Assassination Nation                          The Oath
A Star is Born                         The House with a Clock in Its Walls A Simple Favor

The Predator                           BlackkKlansman                                Support the Girls
Peppermint                             Christopher Robin                              Crazy Rich Asians
The Happytime Murders        RBG                                                    Won’t You Be My Neighbor
Sorry to Bother You              
You Were Never Really Here
Rampage                                 A Quiet Place                                     Ready Player One
A Wrinkle in Time                 Lady Bird                                            I, Tonya
The Florida Project                Black Panther                                     Molly’s Game
The Post                                  Phantom Thread                                 Den of Thieves
All the Money in the World   Coco                                                    The Greatest Showman
The Disaster Artist                 Call Me By Your Name

 

Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

The Shape of Water                Marshall                                 The Man Who Invented Christmas
Victoria and Abdul                 Thor: Ragnarok                      Kingsman: The Golden Circle
Mother!                                   It                                              Good Time
Atomic Blonde                       Dunkirk                                   Girls Trip
Spider-Man: Homecoming    The Big Sick                           Baby Driver
All Eyez on Me                      It Comes at Night                   The Wedding Plan 
Wonder Woman                     Everything, everything           King Arthur: Legend of the Sword
Raw                                         Kong: Skull Island                  Logan
The Girl with All the Gifts     A Cure for Wellness               Get Out
Hidden Figures                       Fences                                     Moonlight
Hell or High Water                 Loving                                    La La Land
Lion                                        Manchester by the Sea           Arrival
Hacksaw Ridge                       Nocturnal Animals                 Captain Fantastic
Elle                                         Jackie                                      I Am Not Your Negro
The Lobster