Wildflower (2023)

 Pros: The acting is great in this film which deals with another marginalized group in Hollywood, the intellectually disabled. Bea, actual name Bambi (Kiernan Shipka) is the teenage daughter of Sharon (Samantha Hyde) and Derek (Dash Mihok) who have issues. Derek was struck by a drunk driver when he was 12 and suffered a traumatic brain injury, leaving him stuck as a 12-year-old for life. Sharon's issues aren't explained as well but its clear that her brain's underdeveloped also. Still, they get married, and despite objections from both parents, they marry and have Bambi, after the fawn from the classic Disney film. Sure, her upbringing is untraditional and her parents make tons of stupid decision (teaching a ten-year-old to drive probably tops the list) but Bea grows into a fully functional high schooler, complete with a snarky but sweet best friend, Nia (Kannon Omachi) and cancer-survivor boyfriend, Ethan (Charlie Plummer) and a decent life. Honestly, probably the main demons are the ones Bea places on herself. Still, the film is a great one though it may not really conquer any new ground, it is still a good story with fascinating characters.

Cons: Honestly, despite some predictability, the story is solid, though the timeline of applying to colleges seems all over the map, especially since Bea continues to apply to colleges even after prom. I also don't understand how the Johnsons are able to keep the house Sharon's disability is cancelled. Still, other than that, overall, the film is solid.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The top-notch supporting cast includes Alexandra Daddario, Reid Scott, Brad Garrett with Jean Smart and Jacki Weaver as Bea's scene-stealing grandmothers.

-Children shouldn't have to take care of their parents.

-Though Bea does plenty for her parents, Ethan does bring up a great point, she didn't change her own diapers.

-This film features a cancer-survivor, another group rarely written for films.

-There is also a minor religious component to this film, to great comedic effect.

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Oppenheimer (2023)

 Pros: This screenplay was incredibly complex, but J. Robert Oppenheimer (Cillian Murphy) was a complex individual, not just professionally but also his love life was bizarre. While his was in love with Jean Tatlock (Florence Pugh), he ends up impregnating the married Kitty (Emily Blunt) and marrying her, though I doubt it's a happy marriage. While she's supportive of his career, she's also a wretched alcoholic and neglectful mother and previously dabbled with the Communist party, which is a capitol offense in 1950s America. 

In his professional life, he's a hero for developing the bomb, but everything surrounding the circumstances for which it was created changed. It started as the Nazis were developing a bomb so the Americans needed to develop one as well. But then, Germany surrenders and it is used in Japan, to catastrophic effects. Oppenheimer later regrets his involvement, only to find himself fighting for his reputation.

While the screenplay is complicated, the cast is superb, filled with surprise actors in surprise roles, hidden cameos and great acting, and great casting. The mechanics are great, brilliant score, flawless editing and cinematography not to mention the detailed the set. Everything was truly solid about this film and the attention to detail paid off.

Cons: Minor but they need to be mentioned. There are a ton of white guys in this film and honestly, they needed name tags as it was confusing because there were just so many. Also, sometimes the score was so overpowering, lines of dialogue were missed, which cannot happen in a film as complex and multi-layered as this one was.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-The brilliant supporting cast includes Robert Downey, Jr, Josh Hartnett (he's still alive!), Casey Affleck (surprise role #1), Jason Clarke, Tony Goldwyn (the man does not age), Rami Malek (surprise role #2), Kenneth Branagh (surprise role #2-scientist Niels Bohr), Tom Conti, Dane DeHaan, Ahren Ehrenreich, David Krumholz, Michael Angrano, Josh Peck, Jack Quaid, Alex Wolff, Gary Oldman (surprise role #4, President Harry Truman) and the always delightful and solid Matt Damon.

-Truman believes Oppenheimer to be a cry-baby.

-The actual reason for Jean's suicide is left up in the air. Perhaps it wasn't suicide after all but murder at the hands of the US government given her communist ties.

-Robert Downey Jr. is the unexpected villain of this film.

-Despite Oppenheimer's hope, the creation of the bomb did not end all wars. Wars remains raging, unfortunately. 

-The last line is haunting. 

-If you liked this film, I would recommend the TV show Manhattan, about the scientists and families who did the work, it's a great show, with a pre-Mrs. Maisel Rachel Broshanan and John Benjamin Hickey.

-I still don't fully understand the science behind the bomb's creation, that's probably a good thing. 

Barbie (2023)

 Pros: From the beginning, a clear but unique take on 2001: A Space Odyssey, this film was going to be something else and it was. From the pink and crystal clear world of Barbieland to the shockingly different real world, this film covers a lot of material and while it is wildly funny, there are plenty of serious parts that cause you to think and feel, which was the film's clear intent. Margot Robbie is brilliant as stereotypical Barbie (yes, basically all of the women in Barbieland are named Barbie) save for the pregnant Midge (Emerald Fennell) and Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon) and all the men are named Ken, except for Alan (Michael Cera), who is Ken's discontinued friend. Likewise, Midge was also discontinued. 

The film kicks in gear when Barbie starts to question her basic existence and then enters the real world to right the world only to have everything go completely awry. Ken (Ryan Gosling) comes with her and they both discover how different the real world is. It empowers Ken and saddens Barbie and when she returns to Barbieland with Mattel employee, Gloria (the brilliant America Ferrara) and her sullen tween daughter, Sasha (Ariana Greenblatt) in tow, the world is upside down, with the men in charge and the place basically an old Western film. Women have been stripped of their power and seem thrilled. Fortunately, thanks to Gloria's empowering speech which highlights have difficult the world is for women to navigate, especially after having children, the women spring to life and take back their power, but at least they're willing to compromise and give men some smaller roles in government. And Barbie decides to enter and stay in the real world just so she can have an ending even if she doesn't know what it will be, forcing us to think about what is actually better, finally living a life even if it is unpredictable, filled with ups and downs, good and bad or choosing the simple and predictable, knowing you're secure in your future.

Cons: Despite the comedic efforts and great cast, it is confusing that most of the characters have the same name and there is a great cast but with so many characters, it is hard to differentiate them which is unfortunate. And while the last line is hilarious, it is also open-ended and I would have liked to know far more about Barbie's new life in the real world. Hopefully, there are some deleted scenes to fill in the blanks.

Recommend: Yes, absolutely, 100%

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-The supporting is great and Simu Liu should have gotten higher billing. There's Helen Mirren as the narrator, and then smaller roles and cameos from Dua Lipa, John Cena, Alexandra Shipp, Issa Rae (as Madam President), Kingsley Ben-Adir, Rhea Perlman, Emma Mackay and Will Ferrell. 

-Barbieland is bizarre as there are no actual liquids or stairs, you just float from one floor to another.

-Ken's role is simply beach.

-You almost feel sorry for Ken as he needs Barbie's attention to live and have a purpose. Hopefully, he does better. 

-No one kisses throughout the course of this film. While it was good that Barbie and Ken don't end up together, it was also a missed opportunity.

-There are a few great musical numbers. 

-Greta Gerwig and Noah Baumbach hit a home run with this screenplay.

-I am completely willing to start America Ferrara's campaign for Best Supporting Actress for all the awards. 

Pulp Fiction (1994)

Pros: Solid acting leads this sort of bizarre and tragic film as many characters die or something super bizarre happens to them. Vincent (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) survive jumping some foolish drug dealers who thought they could rip off their boss, Marcellus (Ving Rhames), an accidental killing in their car, then a diner hold-up before Jules decides to leave the business just because he survives some gunshots that should have killed him. Vincent continues on, nearly causing Marcellus's wife, Mia (Uma Thurman) to overdose before he's shot coming out of the bathroom. Only some characters get the ending they deserve.

Cons: Despite the brilliance of this film and relatively diverse casting, none of these characters (save maybe Mia and Fabienne (Maria de Medeiros) are actually good characters with decent morals though both of them are with men who are abusive, Marcellus to others, Butch (Bruce Willis) is verbally abusive to Fabienne. Yet, the film remains a masterpiece.

Recommend: Though there is a lot violence, physical abuse and drug use, yes, though it should come with a trigger warning.

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-The best scene, bar none, is the dancing scene in the odd 50s diner with Vincent and Mia.

-The rape scene is the most disturbing, of course. 

-Butch does get his watch back, killing Vincent in the process.

-Also, you should always take your weapon with you to the bathroom.

-It is theme of something happening while Vincent goes to the bathroom.

-We never really learn what is in Marcellus's briefcase. It is part of the mystery. 

Mrs. Brown (1997)

 Pros: A solid film about a time in Queen Victoria's (Judi Dench's) life after the death of her beloved Prince Albert, when one of his former groomsmen, John Brown (Billy Connelly) arrives to care for Queen Victoria's horses. While he respects her, unlike the rest of the staff, he refuses to treat her with kid gloves. Though he comes off gruff and insensitive, he soon becomes one of her most trusted advisors, causing rumors to swirl around about the true nature of their relationship. 

The acting is solid, with a largely unknown cast and while the opulence is still there, it isn't as overdone as in the Bridgerton series, which makes the film more realistic.  

Cons: While the titled Mrs. Brown, after the Queen, John Brown is actually the film's main character and Connelly delivers a great performance. Dench is great but overall, she has too little screen time. There are also too many jumps in time and odd scene jumps; Still, the film manages to be solid.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Judi Dench's real-life daughter, Finty Williams, has a cameo as one of Queen Victoria's daughters. 

-I do think it is rude when Mr. Brown refers to the Queen as woman.

-Gerard Butler has a small role as Archie Brown, John Brown's younger brother.

-Prince Albert (the son) hates the power John Brown has over the Queen and hires goons to beat him up. He's a fool feeling that would work for a native Scotsman. 

-Dench does write with her left hand, as Queen Victoria, was left-handed; however, she does everything else with her right, such as eating.