Movies: Months in Review {August & September 2018}
Warning: There's kind of quite a lot. :-P
A Quiet Place {2018}
Welp, that went about as well as I thought it would.
Christopher Robin {2018}
Awwwww. <3 This didn't touch me like Goodbye Christopher Robin did, but it was very sweet and--mainly--made me happy. (And when Pooh asked Christopher, "Did you let me go?" in that one part . . . OH MY GOSH. STOP IT. NO. )
Confessions of a Shopaholic {2009}
Hehe. This was fluffy and silly and cute. And I feel like it kind of did dig at least a little deep into what real addiction is like.
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood {2002}
Daaaaaaaaannngggg, son. This was pretty amazing. Such a good look into the complexities of undiagnosed mental illness and abuse. (The main issue I have with it is that there is way too much usage of God's name in vain.)
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? {1967}
Alright. I'm hanging on to this because of the acting, but, guys, COME ON. The whole premise is absurd. Race relations aside, who in their right mind would expect parents to be able to unreservedly bless their daughter's engagement to a man she herself had only known for a short time, the same day they met him??
(Side note, though: Katharine Hepburn is a Queen.)
Iron Man {2008}
Well, I finally got started on my plan to watch the Iron Man movies to help me figure out if Tony Stark is really becoming one of my favorite Marvel characters. Not sure that this one gave me much new insight, but one must start somewhere. I do know that I did not appreciate his playboy behavior (though I guess that's kind of the point, you're not supposed to)--*firm frown*--and I DID appreciate his and Pepper's relationship. :) <3 (Though I'm not sure she should have put up with him . . . hmm. Will have to do more Pondering. ;))
John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous in Radio City {2018}, New in Town {2012}, and The Comeback Kid {2015}
I found these very entertaining. His style of humor takes a tiny minute to get used to--it's very precise--but I liked it. :) And I like that, in terms of language, he's actually somewhat moderate when compared with his peers. That's not to say that he shies away from using God's name severely in vain (unfortunately) or using the f- or s- words, but every other word out of his mouth isn't one of those, if you catch my drift. Definitely still quite a bit of language, but not as much as there could be.
PBS Little Women {2017}
I watched the first of the new adaptations!! :D And . . .
. . . despite my original predispositions . . .
. . . I actually loved it! I don't know that I can go into all my thoughts on it because there are too many of them, but in a nutshell: it definitely had some flaws (the casting of Amy, Laurie, the way certain parts were done, etc.), but overall I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked most of it. And it made me cry more than once, which is no small feat.
Serendipity {2001}
This was cute and highly implausible and irrational but still very sweet. <3 (If only they'd left out that one random scene?!?! Or done it a different way?! Eck.)
This had some great lines. ;D
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society {2018}
Utterly lovely film. I didn't love some of the small changes (like randomly leaving out one Society member??), but it was still, again, thoroughly lovely. And the casting/acting for Mark and Sidney was SPOT-ON and it made me happy. :) (Y'know, since they're two of my favorite characters. ;))
Won't You Be My Neighbor? {2018}
Again, one that squeezed actual moisture from my eyes--a privilege not many films can claim. I learned a lot about Mr. Rogers and felt like I discovered a truly kindred spirit.
13 Going on 30 {2004}
(I'm not usually a fan of stories in which characters mess with time, but one makes exceptions for Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. :-P)
This was adorable! *SPOILERS!* I wish they hadn't gone back to being teenagers at the end and then grown up differently; I'd have preferred things to stay as they were and Matt to realize that he wasn't being fair to his fiancée and stop the wedding. But overall I'm still pleased. ;) *END OF SPOILERS!* The chemistry was real, y'all.
(Also, Andy Serkis. As that character.)
A Quiet Place {2018}
Welp, that went about as well as I thought it would.
Awwwww. <3 This didn't touch me like Goodbye Christopher Robin did, but it was very sweet and--mainly--made me happy. (And when Pooh asked Christopher, "Did you let me go?" in that one part . . . OH MY GOSH. STOP IT. NO. )
Hehe. This was fluffy and silly and cute. And I feel like it kind of did dig at least a little deep into what real addiction is like.
Daaaaaaaaannngggg, son. This was pretty amazing. Such a good look into the complexities of undiagnosed mental illness and abuse. (The main issue I have with it is that there is way too much usage of God's name in vain.)
Guess Who's Coming to Dinner? {1967}
Alright. I'm hanging on to this because of the acting, but, guys, COME ON. The whole premise is absurd. Race relations aside, who in their right mind would expect parents to be able to unreservedly bless their daughter's engagement to a man she herself had only known for a short time, the same day they met him??
(Side note, though: Katharine Hepburn is a Queen.)
Well, I finally got started on my plan to watch the Iron Man movies to help me figure out if Tony Stark is really becoming one of my favorite Marvel characters. Not sure that this one gave me much new insight, but one must start somewhere. I do know that I did not appreciate his playboy behavior (though I guess that's kind of the point, you're not supposed to)--*firm frown*--and I DID appreciate his and Pepper's relationship. :) <3 (Though I'm not sure she should have put up with him . . . hmm. Will have to do more Pondering. ;))
I found these very entertaining. His style of humor takes a tiny minute to get used to--it's very precise--but I liked it. :) And I like that, in terms of language, he's actually somewhat moderate when compared with his peers. That's not to say that he shies away from using God's name severely in vain (unfortunately) or using the f- or s- words, but every other word out of his mouth isn't one of those, if you catch my drift. Definitely still quite a bit of language, but not as much as there could be.
I watched the first of the new adaptations!! :D And . . .
. . . despite my original predispositions . . .
. . . I actually loved it! I don't know that I can go into all my thoughts on it because there are too many of them, but in a nutshell: it definitely had some flaws (the casting of Amy, Laurie, the way certain parts were done, etc.), but overall I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked most of it. And it made me cry more than once, which is no small feat.
This was cute and highly implausible and irrational but still very sweet. <3 (If only they'd left out that one random scene?!?! Or done it a different way?! Eck.)
The Black Cauldron {1985}
I loved this, but I can see what all the controversy was about. xD WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, DISNEY?!?! Your market is YOUNG, SENSITIVE CHILDREN. xD
The Ghost and Mr. Chicken {1966}I loved this, but I can see what all the controversy was about. xD WHAT WERE YOU THINKING, DISNEY?!?! Your market is YOUNG, SENSITIVE CHILDREN. xD
This had some great lines. ;D
Utterly lovely film. I didn't love some of the small changes (like randomly leaving out one Society member??), but it was still, again, thoroughly lovely. And the casting/acting for Mark and Sidney was SPOT-ON and it made me happy. :) (Y'know, since they're two of my favorite characters. ;))
Again, one that squeezed actual moisture from my eyes--a privilege not many films can claim. I learned a lot about Mr. Rogers and felt like I discovered a truly kindred spirit.
(I'm not usually a fan of stories in which characters mess with time, but one makes exceptions for Jennifer Garner and Mark Ruffalo. :-P)
This was adorable! *SPOILERS!* I wish they hadn't gone back to being teenagers at the end and then grown up differently; I'd have preferred things to stay as they were and Matt to realize that he wasn't being fair to his fiancée and stop the wedding. But overall I'm still pleased. ;) *END OF SPOILERS!* The chemistry was real, y'all.
(Also, Andy Serkis. As that character.)
Whew! That was a lot. Let's talk! :)
What have you been watching lately?
Any of these on your to-watch list?
I've seen and love most of these movies! Ya-Ya's is great! I read the book and actually I think the movie is better! I thought the Little Women mini-series was very good, however, I've never read the book, so I'm looking at it from a movie fan POV.
ReplyDeleteNeat! Yeah, I considered reading the book but decided to pass, at least for now.
DeleteI agree! I love the book, too, but I went into it primarily wondering how it would compare to the movie.
Hmmm. I've seen some of these, well...*looks back* actually, the only one I've seen is "The Ghost and Mr. Chicken". Haha, and you know I've seen that. ;)But the others sound good, and I'll have to watch some of them at some point.
ReplyDeleteGreat reviews, Olivia! :)
Hehe, indeed I do ;) I think you'd like some of the others!
DeleteAww, thanks :)
Iron Man, Black Cauldron, and 13 Going on 30 are the only ones of these I've seen. I love your reviews, as they just get to the heart of what you thought.
ReplyDelete3 good ones. Awwww, thank you! That makes me happy :)
DeleteI've seen almost all of these, and adored almost all of these!!! Aww, a pre-teen fav of mine is definitely 13 Going On 30, and Confessions of a Shopaholic. A Quiet Place is one of my all time favorites oops. I love suspense/thrillers. XD
ReplyDeleteCool! *high fives* Ahh, yes, those were sweet. <3 (Especially 13, I think ;)) Hehe, I mean, it's a great movie, just not a great one for ME. (I don't usually like movies that leave me feeling purely sad at the end.)
DeleteMark Ruffalo is so lovely in '13 Going on 30', makes me cry every time that bit at the end! And you didn't like the Laurie casting? I thought he was great but I was never the biggest fan of Christian Bale's Laurie. With you on Amy though!
ReplyDeleteHe is! I loved him in that <3 Hmm, I mean, I do like Christian Bale's Laurie, but it was more just I didn't care for the other guy's portrayal in general. He just didn't seem very Laurie-of-the-book to me (though to be fair neither does Bale). But to each their own! And yeah, that Amy wasn't great. :-/ She was okay as adult Amy, I guess.
DeleteA Quiet Place and Little Women! YUSSSSS. Love both those movies so much.
ReplyDeleteBoth excellent movies!
DeleteI want to see Little Women! I've heard good things about it!
ReplyDeleteI think you'd like it, Katherine!
DeleteI was skeptical of the new Little Women before I watched it, too, but I ended up LOVING it! I thought it was beautifully done. Plus, the cinematography was lovely.
ReplyDeleteAnd the Guernsey movie! I watched the film first, fell in love with it, and then had to read the book as soon as possible. Believe it or not, I actually kind of like the film a little bit better? This isn't usually the case, but I feel like they made some changes in the film that, in my opinion, were for the better. But anywho, "utterly lovely" is the perfect way to describe this film! I particularly like the fact that they showed Eben (I think it was him?) pick out Northanger Abbey from the abandoned bookstore! That made me so happy; NA deserves so much more recognition! :D
Same, Molly! It was. <3
DeleteThey're both awesome! I did read the book before watching the movie (kind of unusual for me, actually, haha!), so that's probably part of why I wasn't totally in love with some of the changes they made. But that was a very minor thing, and I still enjoyed the movie very much! Awww, now that you mention it, I thiiiink I remember that?? That is neat. :D
"Welp, that went about as well as I thought it would"--LOL!! Do I take this to mean you didn't enjoy A Quiet Place? ;-) I'm not even going to watch it. I don't do thrillers.
ReplyDeleteChristopher Robin!!!! *explosion of heart-eyed emojis*
JOHN MULANEY. OH MY STARS AND STOCKINGS. I. ADORE. THAT. MAN. Truly, madly, deeply. I'd marry him in a second if he wasn't *coughs* so happily married already ;-) His sense of humor is precisely my cup of tea.
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww, I loved Mr. Rogers so much <3 His show was the best. (Did you watch it as a kid? Or was this your first introduction to him? You and he definitely would've been Kindred Spirits *nods*)
Hehehe . . . Ummm . . . yeah, basically. Now, that said, AQP is a good movie. It's easy to see why it's gotten so much acclaim, and I'd say it deserves it (it has some great family dynamics going on). It's just not good for me, because, well . . . it made me sad. And I don't like it when movies leave me feeling just plain sad more than anything else. :-/ (Hehe, yeah, I don't do thrillers, either--but this one IS a little different than your average thriller.)
Delete<3 <3 <3 <3 <3
Ahh, really?! I feel like I should have known that . . . maybe I did . . . Hehe, "precisely"--I see what you did there. ;) But I know, isn't it a little adorable how happy he is in his marriage? It is As It Should Be. :)
Yes! <3 (I did watch it some when I was very little--my memories of it are very hazy, but I do remember watching it at least a little. It was really neat to learn more about him and the show, however. :) Awwww <3)
OMW CHRISTOPHER ROBIN!!! I loved it so so much. It was too perfect; the begining, the middle, the end, OH I can't wait for it to come out on DVD. <33333
ReplyDeleteI grew up on Mr. Rogers; my family and I hope to watch that documentary sometime soon.
It was really sweet! Like I said, I think Goodbye Christopher Robin "got to me" first, but I did enjoy Christopher Robin. <3 :D
DeleteYou should absolutely see it! It's excellent. <3
Yay! I like these posts. :D
ReplyDeleteSo... wait, what DID you think of "A Quiet Place?" :P I haven't seen it. Frankly, I don't know what to think of it, but I love the idea of Emily Blunt acting wife to her real husband.
I haven't seen Christopher Robin OR Goodbye Christopher Robin yet!!!
Heyyy, I recently saw Confessions of a Shopaholic for the first time too!! My sisters and I thought it was hilarious. xD (And super silly.)
Yes, I liked the Little Women series, too. It wasn't my favourite adaption, but I certainly enjoyed it, and would watch it again!
Yes, totally agreed about the Guernsey movie!!! There were a few things that irked me, but I thought they got Sydney and Dawsey FANTASTICALLY. (What did you think of the change in the ending?)
I've hardly seen any movies lately. Over one month, I've seen the extended Fellowship of the Ring with my sisters, a handful of Gilmore Girls episodes, and 1 episode from the last season of Sherlock. And... I don't think anything else?? 'Tis a pity. :(
Awwww, thanks, Gabby! I'm glad :D
DeleteHehe, I'll direct you to my response to Jessica's comment ^^ . ;) Emily and John are really good together.
YOU SHOULD SEE BOTH. For reasons. <3
Hey, really?! Haha, twinsies! *high five* Hehe, exactly: funny and silly. ;)
Same here! I don't think anything but the 1994 movie will ever be my favorite adaptation, but I was surprised by how much this one touched me. I guess we'll see! :)
YESSS. <3 (Hmm . . . I think I liked it! I mean, yeah, it was a little different, but I did like that we got to see them happily married and together with Kit in their little garden. :) What about you?)
Ack, 'tis a pity indeed. :( I thought I saw somewhere else that you've been super busy recently? I'm sorry! *hugs* That can be really stressful. I hope things calm down soon and you can have some more time to relax! :) <3 <3 <3
I actually saw Christopher Robin last weekend! (It was an extremely spontaneous decision, something I'm not normally apt to do. ;)) I enjoyed it! It was very sweet, and I do like Ewan McGregor. <3
DeleteWell, at first when I saw the new ending (of the Guernsey movie) it took a little getting used to... when he went to England and proposed there... but then I was like "You know, I think I'm okay with this". ;) It was forgivable, haha, but yes, I loved seeing them happily married with Kit in their garden. That was super cute. <3
Yes, super busy is a good depiction... I'm in the middle of graduating school, getting my driver's license (which was two years of practice leading to this moment) and also working two days a week! But it's okay - I'm learning to handle the stress and pressure, and I do get time for some fun stuff on the weekends. :D Also, I know it won't last forever - I'm VERY much looking forward to my big holidays only a few weeks away!! *happy sigh*
Oh, neat! (Haha, well, see what a little spontaneity does for you?? ;D Heehee, just kidding; it's not something I'd normally do either.) I'm glad you liked it. :)
DeleteSame. ;D I had more of a problem with some of the things they left out, like John Booker and Remy (I think that was the girl from the concentration camp??). But still, great movie!
Ahh, busyness! I'm glad you're still having some time to decompress. :D Oh, I feel you on looking forward to the holidays!! I'm really looking forward to Christmas, myself. *joins you in a happy sigh* How were your holidays? :)
Serendipity is one of my favorites. We watch it every Christmas.
ReplyDeleteI would really love to see Won’t You Be My Neighbor. I love Mr. Roger’s gentle soul <3
I have never heard of The Black Cauldron. Animated movies are a guilty pleasure of mine.
That's so neat! I enjoyed it and would probably like watching it again. <3
DeleteIf you're a fan of Mr. Rogers, you definitely should see WYBMN. It's quite good, and I'm not even a fan of documentaries, usually.
Aren't animated movies wonderful?! TBC was fun but also a little disturbing . . . mixed feelings, haha!
Thanks so much for visiting and commenting, Joellen! :)