Hit Man (2024)

Pros: This was a truly solid film that kept my attention, no small feat these days. Glen Powell finally has a great leading man role and he takes full advantage of it (which is good, considering he co-wrote the screenplay). The leading man shows incredible range and the plot is also fascinating as he goes from intelligent, mild-mannered and ultimately boring. He's an avid birder and has two cats (that only makes him more attractive to me) and then, his side hustle goes sideways. He starts to go undercover as a hitman, getting people to confess and recording the whole thing, his arrest record is through the roof, until he meets Madison Figueroa Masters ( Adria Arjona) whom he gradually falls in love with. While never said, it is obvious her husband is controlling and potentially abusive but this it is this relationship that threatens to unravel everything.

Cons: The confrontation scene is a bit oddly staged and adds a weird comedic moment to this film. And while this is based on a true story, the actual Gary Johnson was born in the late 40s but they pulled this film into modern times; still, this are only minor problems.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-This film had a happy ending and actual epilogue which I love.

-Unlike a lot of films, the supporting cast is thin though Retta is a standout, as she always brings it. The screenplay carries this film, not the cast, though the leads are great.

-Gary eventually becomes a dog person.

-I wonder what his workout routine is as you never see it, just him feeding his cats and eating alone, not even in front of the TV.

-Seeing three pileated woodpeckers at once is literally my mother's dream. 

-All pie is good pie. 

Challengers (2024)

 I'm back and beware of the spoilers.

Pros: This is a slick film with some truly shocking plot twists and groundbreaking camera angles. In what is essentially a three-person drama, each actor delivers some of the best work of their career with Zendaya leading the way as Tashi Duncan, one of the best young tennis stars in the world only to suffer a career-ending knee injury and settles for coaching one of her love interests, Art Donaldson (West Side Story's Mike Faist) who loves her far more than she could ever love him. Lurking in the background is Patrick Zweig (Josh O'Connor) whose promising tennis career has floundered so much that he's resorted to sleeping in his car. But it's his returned presence that breaks the fragile eco-system that is the Donaldson marriage. 

Cons: Despite the excellent performances, the viewer is fed only breadcrumbs about their pasts and don't fully understand their motivations, especially the cold ruthlessness of Tashi when her parents remain actively involved in her life, her mother basically raising Tashi's daughter. And that cliffhanger of an ending is such a wicked thing to do to the audience but it still remains unforgettable and packs a powerful punch.

Recommend: Probably

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-The plot twist is actually a two-fold, one is that Tashi tells Art she'll leave him if he loses the simple match and then backhands and asks Patrick to lose on purpose, and then sleeps with Patrick anyway. And then during the match, Patrick uses the secret simple used when they were younger to indicate to Art that he slept with Tashi, leading to an epic match point.

-I'm grateful that Lily's paternity to appears to fall in Art's court, no pun intended.

-Zendaya is just the latest Spiderman actress to play a tennis star later on, joining the ranks of Kirsten Dunst and Emma Stone.

-That wind storm is epically wild and quite realistic with all the trash blowing around.

-I would like to know why Tashi married Art. 

Poor Things (2023)

 Pros: Emma Stone delivers another brilliant, transcendent performance as Bella Baxter, a woman who attempts suicide to flee her almost comically cruel husband, Alfie (Christopher Abbott) but instead is found by the experimental doctor, Godwin Baxter (Willem Dafoe) and her unborn daughter's brain is placed inside her own head. The film details her growth, learning more words and how the world works, in addition to discovering what makes her happy. Sure, the film takes some odd turns but it is oddly feminist and shows true genuine character growth.

Cons: Margaret Qualley is completely wasted as another science experiment for Dr. Baxter. Sure, she's good in her few scenes but she's too good of an actress for such a small role. 

Recommend: Yes, though trigger warnings should be included

Grade: A-

Side Notes:

-Mark Ruffalo is great as the buffoon who somehow apparently develops actual feelings for Bella and is livid when she rejects him. He's the closest character is a villain in this film. 

-Ramy Youssef is the opposite as the gentle-hearted genuine Mr. Max, Dr. Godwin's protégé. 

-The film begins in black and white but changes to an odd color pigment.

-The film also has great mechanics, great score, editing, mise-en-scene, set decoration and cinematography. 

9 to 5 (1980)

 Pros: Well, the cast is solid and you can tell that they such a good time with the material, such as it is. And it does deal with still relevant topics, including sexism in the workplace. 

Cons: While the film started off, it took a crazy turn, including the office mole, Roz (Elizabeth Wilson) uncovering that Violet (Lily Tomlin) accidentally poisoned the nasty and cruel boss, Franklin Hart (Dabney Coleman) when that isn't why he was injured and thus, a crazy amount of blackmail and law breaking on both sides occurs. I wanted Hart to be destroyed, I didn't want them to break the laws and be so cruel in the process.

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-Judy's (Jane Fonda's) ending of marrying the Xerox salesman is supposed to be funny but it rings hollow.

-Dolly Parton is great and her fantasy of getting back at Mr. Hart is the best as it really turns the table on him. 

Next Goal Wins (2023)

 Pros: This film features a prominent transgender character: Jaiyah (Kaimana) who clashes with coach Thomas Rongen (Michael Fassbender) from the very start. While somewhat square, this film is nonetheless worth watching as it tells a story that deserves to be told. Dubbed the bad boy of soccer and dealing with an unspeakable grief, Thomas is fired from his job in the US and forced to either face unemployment or journey to American Samoa to coach that team who rank as the worst team on Earth. But they have the support of the entire island country and while Thomas doesn't understand the customs of the island, including stopping daily to pray and attend church each Sunday but he does learn and also gets the team to utilize their skills and come together as a team and yes, they do eventually score a goal, two actually to win the game.

Cons: There's not really a true con, though the only plot twist is a tragic one and I just feel that the film wasn't suspenseful enough for the final game. And I honestly thought it could have benefitted from being a bit longer, to allow for more character development. And Sia's song Chandelier wasn't around until a few years after the film took place as the film was set in 2011. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Elisabeth Moss is Thomas's estranged wife but she's wasted in the film. Ditto for Will Arnett.

-The film was filmed in late 2019 and only just now was finally released. 

-This is also the second time Elisabeth Moss has had an onscreen daughter named Nicole, the first being in The Handmaid's Tale. 

-It is unclear if Michael Fassbender's character is supposed to be British as he does speak with an American accent. 

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close (2011)

 Pros: Honestly, it was hard to find a truly good aspect of this film though the acting was at least palatable, though the characters just seemed slightly disjointed and didn't mesh together as well as they needed. 

Cons: The film was pointless, Oskar (Thomas Horn) is sent on a journey only to have it end helping someone else instead, he's no closer to getting closure after his father's (Tom Hanks's) death and the twist of having the mute Renter (Max von Sydow) as his grandfather was predictable and even having Sandra Bullock's Linda uncover the truth rang hollow. 

Recommend: No

Grade: C+

Side Notes:

-Despite the supporting being solid, including Viola Davis, Jeffrey Wright and John Goodman, there was no saving this film.

-The idea that a sixth borough existed in New York is not the worst idea but it is poorly addressed in this film.

-It is never explained why a jeweler had a meeting in the World Trade Center on a Tuesday morning. 

Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964)

 Pros: While trite, this film tells a story of young love and loss. Genevieve (Catherine Denueve) is young and deeply in love with Guy (Nino Castelnuovo) only to have him leave to fulfill his mandatory military service. Genevieve feels as though she's going to die and her mother (Anne Vernon) is not sympathetic, having her own struggles to worry as their umbrella shop is in financial straights, only to be saved, in more ways than one by jeweler Roland (Marc Michel) especially after Genevieve reveals that she's pregnant and Guy can't come back to make her an honest woman. I also give the film credit for actually showing Genevieve visibly pregnant something that was quite rare in Hollywood at the film, though this is a French film. The tearful reunion is also incredibly memorable. The acting is great along with the brightly colored set.

Cons: While not a traditional musical, all the dialogue is simplified slightly and sung which is rather annoying and I can't help but feel the subtitles simplified the dialogue even more.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Guy ends up marrying his invalid aunt's caretaker, Madeleine (Ellen Farner) despite knowing the truth about him having a child with another woman.

-The third half focuses on Guy getting his shit together and marrying Madeleine while I feel given that Genevieve was so much of the focus for the first two parts, the film should have continued to focus on her and her marriage to the utterly devoted Roland, but maybe the film decided to focus on the guy's point of view though I feel it fails to truly show Guy's true emotions.

-Both Guy and Genevieve end up naming their firstborns the French version of Frankie, Genevieve's is a daughter while Guy and Madeleine have a son. 

-No wonder the store is in financial straights, it only sells umbrellas. 

Suncoast (2024)

 Pros: This film deals with a teen sick of caring for her dying brother and uses her freedom to her advantage, finally acting like a typical teenager only to have regrets at the eleventh hour. Though based on a true story, set against a story which made national headlines, the film has a lot going on and while it deals with it well, considering human euthanasia is a touchy subject, but Doris (Nico Parker) is just blinded by her own childhood being robbed, she doesn't seem to care about her brother. Still, this film is good, with solid performances and a great set, it just could have been a whole lot better.

 Cons: You don't know the sick brother's name (Max) or Mom's (Kristine's) name until the film is basically over, which bothers me constantly and Doris's friends sometimes seem genuine and other times don't, so I guess they are typical teenagers but I just feel the film could have been so much more.

Recommend: Maybe

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-Laura Linney is great as a foul-mouthed, hell-bent determined mother to ease her son's passing, but she neglects her healthy, living child in the process. 

-Woody Harrelson is also great as one of the protestors.

-Though I remember this case, the film doesn't mention that Terry Schiavo does end up dying nor does it discuss the importance of a living will.

-For the record, while I'm terrified of dying, I do not wish to be a vegetable for decades on end. 

Rye Lane (2023)

 Pros: While this is ultimately a rom-com and has so many of the traditional tropes, it still manages to feel fresh, from the meet-cute between Yas (Vivian Orapah) and Dom (David Jonnson), who are as different as two people can be and both are dealing with the aftermath of a rough break-up for each of them, but they are drawn together nevertheless. The screenplay is clever and the two leads are brilliant and it isn't overly long so it's like goldilocks, it's just right.

Cons: It does start off weird, with some bizarre flashbacks or memories personified, but you eventually get used to it and those grand romantic gestures just don't happen in real life but it sure makes a good film.

Recommend: Yes

Grade: B+

Side Notes:

-Colin Firth makes a cameo appearance, it's great.

-Meeting each other forces the leads to grow-up which is so sweet.

-When asked Yas describes her relationship with Dom as low-key screwing, which is utterly hilarious.

-It is never appropriate to save your urine in old wine bottles.

The Holdovers (2023)

 Pros: This film is top-notch from top to bottom, even though Paul Giamatti's character is a wretched sod of a human being, though he does redeem himself by the end. He portrays with brilliance Paul Hunham, a history and ancient civilizations teacher whom no one likes; he's tough on his students, sometimes fair but way too strict but he's livid that he's in charge of the left behinds over Christmas break, though eventually, it's just Angus Tully (Dominic Sasso) left as his mother picks her new husband over her teenager son along with head cook, Mary (Da'vine Joy Randolph, superb). Together, they have some interesting adventures and learn fascinating truths about each other and grow as people. The screenplay is great along with a truly realistic setting along with pitch-perfect performances, this film is undoubtedly one of the best of the year.

Cons: Honestly, there isn't a true con, despite all the smoking which was unfortunately, realistic as the film is set in 1970 though it does take you a little bit to figure out that Lydia Crane (Carrie Preston) is a secretary. 

Recommend: Yes

Grade: A-

Side Notes: 

-Mary is actually a great cook, making the most with a little but she's also in deep mourning, her only son was killed in Vietnam as he couldn't afford to go to college and thus missed out on a deferment. 

-Ironically both Paul and Angus are nearly the same person as both had rotten and depressing childhoods. 

-Paul's book idea is actually a monograph on ancient cameras.

-Kids shouldn't get a free ride even if their parents are rich. 

Dumb Money (2023)

 Pros: This film deals with stocks and finances during the darkest days of the pandemic and actually truly captures what the pandemic was like, including most, save the super rich, don masks to prevent the spread of the disease. And that's not the only thing that the rich seemed exempt from, getting prosecuted from being charged with crimes despite ganging up on each other to shut down websites and prevent GameStop stock from being bought, which has got to be all sorts of illegal. This film details the resilience of those hard-working people, determined not to let Wall Street executives win.

Cons: Despite the screenplay explaining the financial terms well, investing money still confuses me and the whole concept of dumb money is still muddled. Still, the film is solid.

Recommend: Probably

Grade: B

Side Notes:

-The cast is brilliant and stacked with talent from top to bottom with Paul Dano leading the way, Pete Davidson as his brother, Shailene Woodley as his wife, Kate Burton and Clancy Brown as his parents and then there's America Ferrera as the hard-working nurse, Anthony Ramos as the actual Game Stop worker who hates his mask, and then Seth Rogen, Nick Offerman, Sebastian Stan and Vincent D'Onofrio as the rich executives.

-Vincent D'Onofrio's character has a pot-bellied pig that follows him around his estate.

-DoorDash driver's should not eat the food they are delivering.

-We don't know what happens Paul Dano's character or any of them really, except the executives, who lose money but not are not publicly charged with anything. However, they will still pay for their poor actions.