The American Meme
Kicked off my December watching with a Netflix documentary on Internet fame. It was a pretty interesting, compelling and harrowing look at a very strange type of existence that all of us who use social media dabble in, but some of us build lives around. Definitely serves as a snapshot of this time.
Dumplin'
A little Whip It, a little To Wong Foo, a lot of Dolly Parton. Very enjoyable. "Texas, ain’t she grand?" Also, if you like this one, I suggest The Year Dolly Parton Was My Mom (for obvious reasons) and Dirty Girl (for reasons that will become obvious). Also times two, this is one of those films where I could feel my accent getting stronger as I watched it. Truly terrifying.
The Lake House
This movie doesn’t really make sense because time travel movies rarely do (and neither does time itself, really). But does that matter? No, it doesn't. What does matter is that Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock are in love and their love defies the laws of nature. Also, there is a cool house (that we don't see enough of, unfortunately) and a really cute dog.
The Devil's Advocate
The end of this movie is a mess. But! The movie itself is really good. It plays on the fact that whether or not you believe in the Actual Devil, there are a lot of bad people in the world -- and, man, Al Pacino is great at playing a bad person. It's like ol' Willy Shakes said: “Hell is empty. And all the devils are here.”
Ellen Degeneres: Relatable
First things first: Ellen's 2003 special, Here and Now, is one of my all-time favorites. I think about it almost every day. So, I was very excited to watch Relatable -- and I wasn't disappointed. It's very, very funny. Also: I was struck by how candid Ellen is in this special about being gay. She is one of the most famous LGBTQ celebrities in the world and her story of how Hollywood treated her coming out remains a powerful one. In Here and Now, she makes one sly joke about her sexuality. In Relatable, she does an extended bit and references her wife, Portia, on multiple occasions. After a year of watching other great specials from other great lesbian comedians (Tig Notaro, Hannah Gadsby, Cameron Esposito), I really enjoyed seeing Ellen really get to be herself after all this time.
Bird Box
I liked this movie enough, but it felt disjointed to me. Like two or three movies trying to be one. I think the different parts (the actual epidemic; the people in the house; Sandra Bullock and the children on the river) might have worked better on their own.
The People vs. Larry Flynt
I had wanted to see this for a long time because I like 1) Woody Harrelson and 2) movies about freedom of the press and/or freedom of speech. This film, about the founder of Hustler magazine and how he became an unlikely champion for the First Amendment, is wild -- like Flynt himself. Woody Harrelson does a great job of playing a man who is, for me, at once deeply unlikable and kind-of...admirable from a journalistic standpoint. And Courtney Love is also amazing as Flynt's wife and co-publisher. It's a film I finished feeling oddly inspired.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
After watching The People vs. Larry Flynt and getting all riled up about guaranteed freedoms, I decided to remain riled up by watching something sure to make me angry: a movie about conversion "therapy." The Miseducation of Cameron Post is a really good movie. I felt so many different emotions while watching it, some I don't think I've even fully processed yet. It's going to stay with me for a while. (A note: I don't want to spoil anything, but there is a part in this movie that is more shocking and uncomfortable than I expected going into it, knowing it would likely be a hard watch. Just prepare yourself.)
Hearts Beat Loud
This movie is so nice! It's so sweet! I loved it so much! It reminded me a lot of Begin Again (which I also loved) because it's a movie about making music and expressing yourself. But it's also extra soft because it's about the bond between a dad and a daughter. I'm close with my dad, so I liked it a lot. Also 10/10 would accept Ted Danson in every movie, especially as a bartender.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse*
Ever since the first trailer for this film was released a year ago, I have just been yelling about how it looked "SO COOL." And I was totally justified because it is, in fact, so cool. There's so much action, the voice actors are perfect, the animation is astounding, the soundtrack rules -- it's perfect. It's everything a superhero movie should be.
The Favourite*
This was definitely not a film I would've watched just for funsies -- but I'm glad I did. It's really weird, but also very funny, in both absurd and normal ways. Also surprisingly tense, thanks to its performances and score. Kind-of a dark comedy Phantom Thread.
Black Mirror: Bandersnatch
Netflix released this as a "film," so I'm counting it as a film. Not one of my all-time favorite Black Mirror efforts, but really good. The concept of an interactive, Choose Your Own Adventure film is something I haven't seen before and, in true Black Mirror fashion, it added to the exhilarating dread. Also, I had no idea that removing the duration bar at the bottom of the screen would cause me such stress!
Taylor Swift: reputation Stadium Tour
Listen: I love Taylor Swift. I have always loved Taylor Swift. And I will probably always love Taylor Swift. And I also loved this concert film.
To wrap up, here are some of the best articles I read in December:
- This article does a great job of explaining why You've Got Mail is still so great (though I personally love When Harry Met Sally the most of the Ephron/Ryan collabs).
- I didn't watch 7th Heaven (...obviously), but I watched the hell out of South of Nowhere and this piece about how both, in their own ways, helped the writer realize she is gay is fantastic.
- This incredibly in-depth piece on the surprisingly long-lasting power of Jem and the Holograms is fascinating.
- This piece on the demise of the great Rookie Mag is heartbreaking and real.
- Rob Sheffield broke down why we're still so obsessed with the '90s -- it's nostalgia, but there's something else to it too.
- And, finally, what they say is true -- a picture really is worth 1,000 words. These are some of the most powerful photos taken in 2018.
Happy New Year!
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