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aprilhaynes
Reviews
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
A metaphor for marriage...
This movie...I just love it. At first, it was just because of the chemistry of the two stars, both so beautiful to look at and hear.
But then, the much deeper meaning of the movie started to become clear. The whole thing is a giant metaphor to what many of do in marriages/long-term relationships. The marriage counseling at the beginning and end just sealed this for me. Starting off hiding true selves, becoming bored with the fake life you built together, hurting each other in serious ways, and then, finally, letting each other see the entirety of who you are to establish true intimacy.
The action scenes are fun, and what you'd expect. Vince Vaughan offers some comedic quips (as he does), but this movie rests fully on the strengths of the two leads.
Watching it right now for about the 15th time, I still find it enjoyable.
The Last Movie Stars (2022)
To be fair, I'm a Newman fan.
This was beautiful and charming and realistic. I think Hawke did a nice job of building a swirling narrative and then enlisting help in bringing it to life. If you like the history of Hollywood, or Paul or Joanne, watch. It's worth your time.
Sixteen Candles (1984)
Oh, how things have changed.
If I had written this review at any time up to, say, 2005, it would have ten stars and I would gush about the hilarity.
I'm glad I've grown.
The premise is still fine. The subplots, not so much. It perpetuates a date rape culture (HARD), perpetuates ridiculous Asian stereotypes, and is just all-around a great example of the attitudes about both things that prevailed for too long in this country.
I gave it four stars because the acting was good enough--typical of JH's movies. "Jake" is delicious, even though he gives his drunk girlfriend away to another boy (Ted) letting him know he can do whatever he wants to her.
In the 80s, we found that to be ROMANTIC, because it was clear Jake did that because he was interested in Samantha.
"Breakfast Club" still holds up. And "Ferris," and even "Weird Science." This one, alas, does not.
V-Wars (2019)
It's really, really bad.
I wanted to like this so much! Vampires? Yes! Scientists? Yes! Government intervention? Yes!!
I still like the plot. But the acting and directing is so bad. Like, cringe-y. Feels like a B-movie that doesn't know it's a B-movie.
The main vampire that the first few episodes focuses on is actually the only compelling actor in this whole show. The rest of them--even Somerhalder--seems miscast or just without good direction. Example: an agent is chasing down a killer who has been sighted. He wants the help of a scientist (for plot-related reasons). It's a mad rush to go get him. Yet, when the agent calls the scientist, he's just idly sitting at a desk, not running toward a car. Small example, but it's fraught with instances where the acting doesn't match the plot or writing.
Unusual for Netflix.
Yesterday (2019)
Why do critics get music-based movies SO wrong?
Last year, the consistent pans of Bohemian Rhapsody were shocking. I kept thinking, "did those critics see the same movie?"
Maybe they don't do well with emotion.
I don't know, but they got it wrong AGAIN with "Yesterday."
This movie was delightful, charming, funny and made me cry a bunch. Still crying a bit. I won't tell you why, but holy ish...not for sadness, but more for a "what could have been"-type thing.
I'm not even a Beatles fan, though I did find myself singing along in my head to all of the songs.
All the actors were well-cast. My only ding was timeline issues, which was the ONLY issue I had with BR, too. And Kate McKinnon and all she represented were the only bad guys in the whole film. I dug that, too.
Go see it. You won't be disappointed.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
I agree with critics most times...this is not one of those times.
What an enjoyable movie!
I keep reading all of these critics who say "the movie shoulda a done this," or "the movie shoulda explored that."
Ignore that. They're trying to create a movie that this wasn't.
This wasn't really a biopic of Mercury, though he took up most of the screen time, much like he did as the lead singer of Queen. There were three other band members, though, and had the movie focused just on Mercury, it would have lost some of the content that makes it so enjoyable.
There were HUGE timeline issues that bugged the sh** out of me, but I put them aside because I just enjoyed every minute. The actors were phenomenal--not just Malek (though he deserves award noms). It was witty (I really hope that Freddie delivered zingers like those I saw in the movie), so sad (geniuses can be lonely), and ultimately so uplifting that people in our theatre were yelling "A-O" back at the screen, pumping fists in the air, and delivering a round of applause when the credits started rolling.
That is a great movie experience. Critics, stop trying to rewrite this into something wholly different that would likely lose its charm.
Just enjoy the story...
Baggage Claim (2013)
Pretty bad...though a beautiful cast.
So many problems with this movie. I wanted to like it--I love so many of the stars in it, and some of them have done such AMAZING work in the past--but, alas, this one fell flat on many, many levels.
Plot/screenplay: Just awful. Just unrealistic and awful. For instance, Jill Scott's character is supposed "best friends" with Paula Patton's. In what world does a best friend NOT know you're dating someone for a few months? (This from a scenario near the start of the movie.) Juicy ridiculousness like this peppered the movie. I don't have time to list it all.
Acting: Unfortunately, this movie was built around Montana (Paula Patton). And she wasn't able to deliver. I like Patton; she's beautiful and has had acceptable performances in a few other movies she's been in. Her voice is amazing (I think she has a solid future in voiceovers). However, in this movie, she always seems forced and unnatural in front of the camera. Like, really bad. Like she's trying to act, but not managing to pull it off. And maybe this was because the screenplay was just. so. awful. that it would've been impossible for ANYONE to act well in it. All the other characters had better lines and were more realistic with solid performances.
Really, the movie wasn't funny, either, and had about five minutes of heartwarming endearments (scene reliving high school).
Don't waste your time. I wish I could say different.
Rango (2011)
Really engaging movie (and yes, even for the 7 year old)!!
So, I've seen a lot out there about parents getting' their bloomers in a bunch about this movie not being "kid-friendly."
I have one response to that: bull.
Sure, the word "he!!" is tossed around a few times, and a few others, but why in the world is that a problem for your kid? Ask my seven year old when he can start cursing, and he'll tell you "When I'm 18." Ask him when he can start drinking, and he'll say "When I'm 21." Will he do both earlier? Probably, but seeing "Rango" is not the cause. I also saw a parent's review that said the movie was all about 'death,' and therefore also not appropriate for kids. Death is the only certainty in the world, and I don't understand how talk of death isn't appropriate for kids. Best expose them now to it (on an acceptable level) so that they're not totally spun out when it touches their young lives.
Back to the movie--it was a wonderful amalgam of so many Westerns that I've seen, but it doesn't end there. Hunter S. Thompson, for example, makes a brief appearance in the first 10 minutes of the movie! There are glorious pop culture references and jokes throughout the entire movie, which kept my 40-year old a$$ very amused and engaged.
The seven year old didn't get those references--but he truly loved the story line, and the visuals were stunning to him. He was saying lines from it the rest of the day, and we both got a chuckle out of some of the scenes. Whoever cast this movie did a wonderful job--and I didn't even recognize Isla Fisher's voice at all.
If you want some entertainment, take the whole family with you. I can see all ages enjoying this flick!