Goodbye Christopher Robin

Released: 2017

Director: Simon Curtis

Cast: Margot Robbie, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Macdonald

Everyone remembers Winnie the Pooh. Whether you liked it or not, it was and still is around. This film focuses on A. A. Milne (Gleeson) the writer who created Winnie the Pooh. After WWI, Alan suffers from shellshock or as we now term it PTSD. He struggles with it as he tries to figure out his next piece of work.

After the birth of his son Christopher Robin, Alan and his family move to the countryside hoping for inspiration to write.

One day with his son he starts to have imagination for him. They start to name the stuffed animals that his son has. Winnie for the bear, tigger for the tiger.

Alan brings the animals to life in a way only the most imaginative can do and its breathtaking. Enjoying time with his son, he finally brings Christopher’s stuffed animals to life through literature.

There are a few parallels to Finding Neverland that I enjoyed. I felt sad for young Christopher aka Billy Moon and the way he was treated once the books became big. And its yet another role I dislike Margot Robbie in. Insensitive character. But thank God she didn’t have that terrible nasally Brooklyn accent. I don’t care much for her acting. But I sympathized with Olive the nanny (Macdonald).

Through the film, Alan realizes the toll it took on his son and how it followed him in his life.

7/10

The Purge

Released: 2013

Director: James DeMonaco

Cast: Lena Heady, Ethan Hawke, Adelaide Kane, Edwin Hodge.

In 2022, the annual purge is about to commence. James Sandin (Hawke) and his family are safe and warm behind their security system. That’s the thing about security systems. They only work if you actually keep the activated. During the Purge, once a year for 12 hours, all crime is legal. Everything including murder. Those who don’t want to be involved can hide away behind tight security. James’ son Charlie brings up a valid question to his parents. Why don’t they take part in the purge instead of hiding? As much as I hate the phrase white privilege…if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck..

The Purge was created by the New Founding Fathers of America or NFFA who overthrew the government and took control. This is some scary possible dystopian shit. Especially with the state of the country right now. I don’t condone this regardless of how successful it is. It’s ridiculous. On one hand, look at the good it does. No violence during the year save for 12 hours on a particular day. They claim it works.

Man, what is it about neighbors in these horror films? And also, kids should never have any sort of code. Once you turn 18, fine you can do whatever you want but until then, NO CODES.

This film angers me so much. I absolutely love every single cast member but these characters piss me off. The film also feels a but empty for me. I know there are a few sequels and a prequel out now so I’m hoping they have some substance to them more than this.

6/10

It was a good idea but I’m not huge on the simple execution. Hopefully that will change in the other films.

The Shawshank Redemption

Released: 1994

Director: Frank Darabont

Cast: Tim Robbins, Morgan Freeman, Clancey Brown, Bob Gunton.

Based off of the Stephen King short story ‘Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption’.

This is one movie I have been wanting to see for a long time but never got around to it for one reason or another. But I’m glad I finally did. Even though my father put some doubts in it, I found this to be amazing. The beautiful narration is done by Morgan Freeman’s character Red about his time at the Shawshank State Penitentiary and how another man changed his life.

After being wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and her lover, Andy Dufresne (Robbins) is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. During his time he makes a few friends. One being Red (Freeman) who he clicks so well with. Over the years, Andy learns the ins and outs of the prison. The good and the bad. And while he does he dreams of a better life outside of the prison. He makes friends and learns how to work the system. But he also leaves his mark on the others and shows them that they can still feel like free men even on the inside if they’re smart. If you dream hard enough and are persistent, someone’s bound to cave.

The warden is a pure bastard. Manipulative, crooked, slimy.

There are several key things in this film like the message to never lose yourself in a time where you think all is lost. And also never lose hope because to lose hope is to lose it all. Hope is a very strong feeling and the more you hope, the better the chance. Frank Darabont adapted a few of Stephen King’s written works, The Mist, and The Green Mile. And this had the same feel and captivation as The Green Mile without the supernatural. In this, the supernatural aspect is simply just hope and perseverance. And smarts. If you’re smart, you can achieve many things.

Still the same message that someone can come along and change your life around in the best way possible.

10/10

Before I Wake

Released: 2016 FIFF; 2018 US

Director: Mike Flanagan

Cast: Thomas Jane, Kate Bosworth, Jacob Tremblay

After the death of their son Sean, Jessie and Mark Hobson decide to foster a child. They take in a kid named Cody who isn’t what he seems. Cody is quiet and shy but he isn’t an ordinary kid. As the days continue, strange things start to occur in the house from butterflies that disappear to seeing their deceased son all when Cody is asleep and dreaming. But there’s something darker that’s haunting Cody.

This kid is so adorable. I want my kid to look like him, he’s that cute. He’s going to grow up to be a really handsome young man. And seeing Thomas Jane on screen again is always a pleasure. Performances were amazing in this and the heartbreak over the loss of their son, I could feel their pain.

There is some crazy stuff in this film. Things I didn’t expect to happen, that’s for sure. Like oh okay, Cody’s getting some rest- what tHE FUCK?! Mothera is not to be fucked with. This is probably the best child’s nightmare film hands down.

The acting in this was really good for a film like this. I just wish the runtime was a little longer. An hour and twenty just isn’t enough. I feel a film like this deserved a bit more to add some substance to it. The metaphors are beautiful. And I also really dislike large moths. But the story was beautiful. Things that are normal but scary for us as adults, children view differently. Their minds see things in different lights and the imagination creates these monsters.

8/10

 

Disobedience

Released: 2017 TIFF, 2018 US

Director: Sebastián Lelio

Cast: Rachel Weisz, Rachel McAdams, Alessandro Nivola

After being estranged from her father, Ronit Krushka (Weisz) flies back to a strict Orthodox Jewish town in North London from New York when she hears he passed away. Ronit was shunned by them and the story unfolds throughout the film. She soon finds out her cousin and best friend have been married. Her best friend is her former lover. Sticky situation, huh. As the film progresses, we learn why Ronit was shunned and the negative side of strict religions and how hard Esti tries to be someone she’s not.

Hey, all religion isn’t terrible. Everyone has their own personal views and some are stricter than others and that’s okay. But for someone who is different, the having to hide in secret becomes too much to handle. Choosing a religion and being born into it are two different things.

Not one of my favorites but it was nice to see these actors together. It was a beautifully crafted film but not for me.

5/10

Lady Bird

Released: 2017

Director: Greta Gerwig

Cast: Saoirse Ronan, Laure Metcalf, Timothée Chalamet, Beanie Feldstein.

I love my fair share of teen dramas and this was eccentric. So many forbiddens happening in Catholic school. I don’t miss those days. And the things people do to fit in.

People are calling this a coming-of-age story like no other. I, however, beg to differ. I’ve seen films that held the same ground of coming of age as this does. There is one difference and that is that this is set in 2002 and not our modern day where many things are finally accepted. It’s hard to think that 16 years ago these things were still partially taboo. This like being gay, premarital sex, etc.

Christine “Lady Bird” McPherson lives on the wrong side of the tracks where her parents struggle with money and she lives an eccentric life at a Catholic school, wishing like hell to get out of Sacramento. Her relationship with her mom is very rocky. She learns a lot about her life before she graduates high school. Both good and bad things but all life lessons nonetheless. It’s a good movie about fitting in and what happens when you try to be someone you’re not.

Okay so honestly, I wanted to like this movie because I heard it was amazing. I wanted to love this movie. But. I couldn’t. I found it to be just…okay. I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch it but if there was nothing else on, sure. I applaud the cast and Greta Gerwig for this but it wasn’t for me and it wasn’t unique.

3/10

The Open House

Released 2018

Director: Matt Angel & Suzanne Coote

Cast: Dylan Minnette, Sharif Atkins, Piercey Dalton.

After the death of his father, Logan (Minnette) and his mom (Piercey Dalton) move into his aunt’s mountain house until they can get financially stable. The townies are a little strange towards Logan and his mother. Every Sunday the house is open for an open house sale.

Think about this. You give your keys to a stranger who lets people into your house and they might not even double check to make sure all the people have left the house. Makes you wonder if everyone left or if someone’s still in the house.

Man, that is some freaky shit. Like literally makes my skin crawl at the thought of someone being in the house. Like that story or just creepy thing somewhere on the internet of the babysitter who got a call from the parents who were checking in on her and she mentioned she liked their clown that was just standing in the corner of the room and they replied by telling her to leave the house because they didn’t buy a clown. It was a serial killer. FREAKY. SHIT.

Christ. I found myself checking the corners of the screen whenever the camera panned away, just high anxiety waiting for something to happen.

And not for nothing but Dylan can’t seem to keep a dad or a house and I mean that in the sense that he was in Goosebumps and him and his mom moved to a new house as well. Poor Dylan. Also, when the hell is Goosebumps 2 coming out? I needed that yesterday.

Aside from the scare factor the movie itself was terrible. I wouldn’t recommend it. It’s very empty with too many holes for my liking. Too many unnecessary elements that really didn’t help the film move forward or weren’t worked into it a slightly different way to make it more suspenseful and appealing.

2/10

I Feel Pretty

Released 2018

Director: Abby Kohn & Marc Silverstein

Cast: Amy Schumer, Michelle Williams, Emily Ratajkowski.

This film is for anyone and everyone. Okay so maybe not children but you get the idea. The acting was superb but it’s the main point of the film that really hits home to myself and probably many men and women.

It’s these beauty stores, the fitness centers, the magazines, even clothing ads that beat it into our society that you need to look a certain way to be beautiful. Like not eating that extra cookie or that carbs are the devil. IT’S NOT TRUE. You want to rock that crop top and skirt but you’re plus size? Go for it. The point is it’s okay to be yourself and love your flaws.

Yes everyone has flaws. We’re not perfect. Science deems it so! But what we can do is stop judging others for doing something different. It’s the point of having confidence. The more confidence you have in yourself, the more you’ll be noticed whether in a good way or bad. Either way, it’s better to support each other.

I lost count how many times I’ve looked at my thin friends when they say they’re fat and need to lose weight. When they’re a good 50lbs lighter than I am. The ‘rules’ that these industries have set into children is ridiculous. There are people who can’t lose weight no matter what they do and others who can’t gain it. Whether your size is your control or not, have confidence because at the end of the day you are worth it.

This film is amazing. Amy Schumer’s character Renee wants the perfect job, a secretary position at a cosmetics company. She also wants to be noticed. It’s sort of a Big moment only instead of actually changing her appearance, what changes are the way she views herself. She no longer sees her flaws. Instead what she sees is a beautiful woman and she walks with that confidence. Until one day the confidence starts to go to her head and she starts to recreate the people she loves.

I absolutely loved this movie.

9/10

Brain on Fire

Released: 2016 TIFF, 2018 US

Director: Gerard Barrett

Cast: Chloë Grace Moretz, Jenny Slate, Tyler Perry, Carrie-Anne Moss, Richard Armitage.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this movie. After the film, I found out that it was based on Susannah Cahalan’s memoir Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness. Where Susannah explains the disease she suffered that was literally an attack on her brain.

Susannah (Moretz) wakes up in the hospital cuffed to the bed with absolutely no memory of how she got there or why or what led up to this.

In the film, Susannah is a writer for the New York Post. She’s got a serious relationship that seems the be a first for her.  One day she starts hearing these strange noises in her head like buzzing, starts losing time, and hallucinations set in. Her boss and coworker start noticing her acting strangely, irritable, zoned out, just not all there. Different.

The body is a very complex and interesting organ and in this we see Susannah’s body attacking herself. Seizures. Thankfully her parents (Armitage and Moss) fight hard for her when many doctors just diagnose her as mentally ill instead of really studying her.

That’s the thing that angers me though. There are too few doctors who take the time today to properly diagnose someone either because they’re sticking to their initial diagnoses because if they waiver they don’t want to look like fools or their workload is already filled to the brim or they just don’t care enough about the patient to really look into it. Either way, it’s doing more harm than good. Too many people walk around the country if not the world, misdiagnosed in one form or other.

I’ve had it happen to me a handful of times and I’ve given up. but my point is if you know there’s something wrong, keep searching for an answer. Read up on things but don’t assume that just because you have similar symptoms that that is what you have. Study your own body and habits and don’t let anyone try to distract you from what’s really wrong.

I applaud this woman for what she endured and the strength she had to bounce back from it all and raise awareness.

9/10

 

A Quiet​ Place

Released: 2018

Director: John Krasinski

Cast: Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Millicent Simmonds, Noah Jupe.

Oh man, this movie. Hands down a favorite. The opening scene is amazing. The town/world is overrun by these creatures that respond to sound. Maybe blind? Lee Abbott (Krasinski) and his family are living without speech and shoes so they don’t make any sound. With their daughter already deaf, they use ASL (American sign language) to communicate.

Comedians are coming up in the world outside of the comedy genre and I’m here for it. From the mind of John Krasinski (The Office), a movie like this is something sort of breathtaking and beautifully crafted for the horror genre.

There’s a simplicity to it that a lot of films today seem to lack. And John captured it with this. It’s gripping from the very beginning and there is an on the edge of your seat feeling. Although I would have liked more of a backstory on the creature and where they came from and such, I was kind of glad this lacked it because it still leaves you with questions for more. These creatures are beautifully crafted from their size and shape to their hearing ability. Personally, I was completely in love with them.

What’s amazing is there are a few moments where you sit there going, “Oh shit. Oh shit.” I’d be dead in minutes. I laughed, I cried, I knawed my fingers down to nubs.

I found it to be satisfying and powerful.

7.5/10