Here's my February in film -- 10 movies, ranging from rom-coms to horror movies to Black Panther, obviously.
1) I, Tonya*
I adored this movie. The more I think about it, the more I like it. It's hilarious, insane and distinctly American. It's a meditation on class, fame, competition and what it means to be "likable." It's a story about wanting to be a hero and ending up a villain. It's got an amazing soundtrack. And Margot Robbie knocks it out of the park in the titular role. She shines as both versions of Tonya: the grating, trashy antihero and the scrappy underdog champion. No matter what you believe really happened, she made history -- "and that's the truth."
2) Don't Breathe
I'd wanted to see Don't Breathe since it dominated the box office in 2016 and it didn't disappoint! The home invasion genre can sometimes seem a little stagnant, but this film breathed some new life into it (pun intended). It was full of twists I didn't expect, but what impressed me most was the cinematography. It reminded me a bit of Panic Room (another good home invasion film, directed by one of my faves, David Fincher), but was overall a bit smoother. The panning shots paired with the nerve-wracking premise -- try not to make a sound while being hunted in a house -- made this one a real nail-biter, in the best way.
3) Mystic Pizza
There's been kind-of a movement recently -- largely due to the success of the delightful The Big Sick -- where people are like, "Hey, what happened to all the rom-coms?" And I would also like to know. What happened to movies that are just sweet, funny and romantic? Not dramatic Nicholas Sparks sagas, not heartbreaking period pieces, not raunchy sex comedies -- good ol' rom-coms! The market hasn't gone anywhere and there's a lot of space to improve upon the genre (starting with more diverse casting and women behind-the-camera, please). Anyway, the point: Mystic Pizza is a good ol' rom-com. It's sweet, it's funny, it's romantic and it has aged remarkably well for a film that came out in 1988. Is it a little predictable? Sure. But that's kind-of what rom-coms are all about. There's comfort in the formula.
4) To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar
This film was exactly what I expected it to be, in the best way. A delight from start to finish, it was fun and silly, but most of all, it was kind. Definitely a "feel good" movie and packed with one-liners. (If you laughed when the new Queer Eye guys said, "What in gay hell?," you have this movie to thank.) Also hit me with a pang of sadness because wow, do I ever wish we still had Patrick Swayze.
The hype is real: it's a masterpiece. Go see it immediately.
6) Constantine
I had technically seen this film once before, but could only remember vague flashes about it, so I'm considering this the first time. I really, really enjoyed it! I love media about the complexities of good and evil and the fate of humanity, especially re: angels and demons (think The Prophecy), so I was super into this one. It also nailed the look and feel of the darker side of comic book/graphic novel adaptations. Plus, your girl loves Keanu Reeves.
7) 3,000 Miles to Graceland
This movie is not...good. There are good things about it: it is occasionally very funny; Kurt Russell and Christian Slater are in it; Kevin Costner makes a very convincing bad guy. But the unfortunate cocktail of rampant misogyny, weird cinematography and no clear tone make it too much of a mess to really enjoy.
8) Tragedy Girls
I really wanted to love this film because horror-comedy is my favorite. But it mostly left me feeling...meh? It gets some elements right: a good soundtrack, fun cinematography, biting satire and Brianna Hildebrand as Best Dressed Sociopath. But where it falls short is trying too hard. It's like the writers blended together better horror and black comedies and ended up with a lesser final product. It fails because when you're joking about awful things and leading your film with intentionally terrible characters, you have to be really funny to balance out the darkness. And this film made me laugh once.
9) While You Were Sleeping
As mentioned above, I love a good rom-com. But everyone knows watching romantic movies means suspending some of your disbelief. Almost all of them feature at least one element that doesn't make sense (I mean, it's super weird that Cher and Josh fell in love, right?). But even by that set standard, While You Were Sleeping is especially insane. It still manages to be fairly charming, of course, driven by America's Sweetheart Sandra Bullock, paired with Bill Pullman as an endearing everyman. But it was harder than usual for me to stop thinking, "This is bananas. This would never work. WHY DON'T PEOPLE JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER?" It's good escapism, but I couldn't leave logic behind.
10) Apollo 13
Seeing this movie was an inevitability because I, like all functioning humans, love Tom Hanks. And it was good! I totally get why it's considered a classic -- it's well-acted, well-directed and based on a true story. It features an iconic line ("Houston, we have a problem") and it's stressful in that special way films about space travel usually are. If you're a fan of high-stakes dramas, this is an enjoyable one.
This month, I also started reading 18 and Life on Skid Row by Sebastian Bach and In Some Other World, Maybe by Shari Goldhagen (s/o to the Abilene Public Library for doing "Blind Date with a Book"!); finished Waco (amazing) and started Parenthood; repeatedly watched this music video; and jammed out to these songs.
Happy March, y'all!
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