I've decided to try a new thing - a monthly recap of the movies I watched, both first time viewings and rewatches. I'm going to break down each month into five groups: Favorite First Time Viewing, Favorite Rewatch, Worst First Time Viewing, Worst Rewatch, and Most Disappointing Viewing.
For April, I watched a total of 18 movies. It was a very diverse group, to say the least.
Favorite First Time Viewing
CODA (2021) - 9/10
I didn't know a whole lot about CODA before I watched it. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture not too long ago, but that doesn't always mean much when it comes to quality. In this case, though, I think The Academy definitely got it right. CODA tells the story about a young woman about to graduate high school and contemplating her future. She's torn in two different directions because she's the only hearing member of a deaf family and her parents heavily rely on her to help with their family business. The movie shines a light on an issue I wasn't very knowledgeable about and manages to be both intensely funny and moving at alternating moments. While the story itself might not be much more than what you'd expect from a Lifetime movie-of-the-week, what elevates CODA are the performances, nuanced dialogue, and technical achievements behind the camera. Every aspect is first rate. I'm a sucker for movies that affect me emotionally and this viewing was one of the most emotional ones I've had in quite some time. I highly recommend it for anyone who's interested in a terrific family dramedy.
Worst First Time Viewing
The Last Blockbuster (2020) - 2/10
Upon first glance, this seems like a perfect film for me. A documentary about a business that I legitimately loved (and worked at for several years) filled with people talking about movies and their experiences "back in the day" going to a rental store? I could probably count on one hand the number of documentaries that I absolutely hated - usually I chose subjects which are inherently interesting to me and even the worst are generally competently made - but The Last Blockbuster definitely joins that short list. The filmmakers didn't seem to have a solid idea on what to present or how to present it, so the whole thing is kind of a jumbled mess. Also, a lot of the talking head interviews are very poorly done and drag on. Not to mention that several of the interviewees are downright annoying to listen to. Doug Benson, especially, becomes very grating as the film runs on. There are so many docs available on Netflix, so please don't waste your time on this one.
Favorite Rewatch
I had first seen Out of Sight when it was originally released on VHS, so probably late in 1998 or early 1999. I didn't remember much from that viewing other than I generally thought it was just an okay movie. Now, all these years later, I decided to give it another chance. I recently read the Elmore Leonard novel, which was perfectly fine, like most of the Leonard I've read over the years. The movie adaptation, though, is legitimately great. It's got a fantastic cast (George Clooney, Jennifer Lopez, Don Cheadle, Ving Rhames, Luiz Guzman, Steve Zahn, Catherine Keener, Michael Keaton, Dennis Farina, Albert Brooks, and even Viola Davis in one scene) and with Steven Soderbergh behind the camera, they all shine. J-Lo delivers the performance of her career, a combination of sex appeal, fierceness, and quiet confidence. I don't rave about her work (or looks) often, but she was a total knockout here. The script is exciting and funny and moves at such a pace that I was enthralled with every scene. I definitely won't wait another 20+ years to watch it again.
Worst Rewatch
This is almost the exact opposite of Out of Sight. I remember loving Confidence when I saw it in the theater and shortly thereafter on home video. At some point in these intervening years, though, my tastes have changed significantly. What I watched now was very poorly made and written con/heist film that is trying way too hard to be flashy and quippy. You can tell it was probably pitched as "Tarantino meets Leonard", but the producers and filmmakers apparently forgot that was done (and done so much better) years before with Jackie Brown. Confidence has a great cast on paper, but most of them are either given not enough to do (Paul Giamatti, Luiz Guzman, Rachel Weisz) or way too much to do (Dustin Hoffman in a rare over the top performance). Also, Edward Burns should not be the lead in any movie, especially one designed to rest on his ability to be cool or engaging. The writing is shallow and the director tries to use too many tricks to liven up the mostly bland story. Everything comes across as flashy "look at me!" filmmaking and all it does is make you wish you were watching a better movie.
Most Disappointing Viewing
I missed Widows in the theater but ended up buying the Blu-ray sight unseen, thinking it was right up my alley and sure to be an enjoyable crime thriller. It's a mistake I've made numerous times in the past, but I never seem to learn my lesson. This is another example of a great cast completely wasted by a terrible script and lackluster filmmaking. The script fluctuates from making tired, cliched choices to absurd, off the wall ones, and back again. Characters make decisions that make no sense and behave in ways that no real person ever would. Overall, it amounts to a boring, annoying, and frustrating film. Even normally exceptional performers like Viola Davis are bland, but I assume she knew what she had gotten herself into and just didn't care enough to try. One of the few positive aspects is the great Robert Duvall, who has a small and memorable role. Like always, he is magnetic onscreen, drawing you in and leaving you wanting more. Unfortunately, he's not the star and couldn't save this from being the most disappointing dreck I watched all month.
My month, in watch order:
* = rewatch
Widows (2018) - 2.5/10
Antlers (2021) - 7/10
Titane (2021) - 8/10
* Ghost World (2001) - 4/10
* Out of Sight (1998) - 9/10
* Saved! (2004) - 6/10
The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021) - 4/10
On the Rocks (2020) - 8.5/10
* My Life (1993) - 6/10
* A Perfect World (1993) - 6.5/10
Dads (2019) - 7/10
CODA (2021) - 9/10
* Confidence (2003) - 3/10
Haywire (2011) - 5/10
Sonic the Hedgehog 2 (2022) - 2/10
The Last Blockbuster (2020) - 2/10
* In the Line of Fire (1993) - 6.5/10
Pig (2021) - 4/10
What about you guys? Have you seen any of these movies? If so, what did you think? Did you watch anything great or really disappointing in April?
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