Zoolander

Zoolander

Village Roadshow Pictures

September 28, 2001

Comedy

DVD
B

I thought this was hilarious at the time but hadn't seen it since.  It is still hilarious in spots, and generally amiable, with of course incredible fashions and fun music.  It also exists in a universe where almost anyone can show up, from pre-marriage Donald and Melania Trump to Garry Shandling to at least two of the Spice Girls.  (I laughed uproariously for several minutes at the David Bowie cameo.)  I tagged who I could.

Ben Stiller of course stars, but he also directed and co-wrote.

When Marnie Was There

When Marnie Was There

Studio Ghibli

19 July 2014

Anime, Drama

DVD
B

A twelve-year-old falls in love with the ghost of her grandmother.  OK, not exactly, but there's an awful lot of blushing and secrets and declarations of love for your standard "kid meets a cool ghost" story.  Either way, this is the first Studio Ghibli anime I haven't rejected.  The scenery is gorgeous, the story is compelling, and the voicework is solid.  Yes, I would've liked a different ending, but the one they offer is still moving.

Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi co-adapted the novel by Joan G. Robinson.

Waterboys (2016)

Waterboys (2016)

Venfilm etc.

1 December 2016

Dramedy
DVD
B

This is one of those rare movies I enjoyed without actually liking any of the characters.  They're funny, poignant, and believable.  I'll admit this might've been a B- without the Scottish scenery and the music by the Waterboys, whose one-hit "The Whole of the Moon" is one of those songs I haven't thought of in decades but instantly remembered.  Robert Jan Westdijk wrote and directed.

The Uninvited (1944)

The Uninvited (1944)

Paramount

February 10, 1944

Horror (technically)

DVD
B

I honestly had no expectations about this movie, which turned out to be both charming and genuinely spooky.  It has elements of witty comedy, sweet romance, and soap opera, including illegitimacy and lesbianism!  Plus a cute dog, cat, and even squirrel.  Oh, and this may have the most stunning haunted house ever on film.

This is based on Dorothy Macardle's novel Uneasy Freehold, and was Lewis Allen's first feature-length film.  (I didn't care for Suddenly, from a decade later.)

A Street Cat Named Bob

A Street Cat Named Bob

Stage 6 Films etc.

4 November 2016

Dramedy

DVD
B

Both heartwarming and heartbreaking, this honestly would be a C+ or B- without Bob as himself.  Without doing anything un-catlike or anthropomorphized, he offers his viewpoint and is both wise and adorable.  The human acting is pretty good, too, although there are some faults in the writing that might be due to the adaptation of the based-on-real-life book.  Roger Spottiswoode directed, thirty years after The Best of Times.

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

Columbia etc.

December 14, 2018

Animation, Sci-Fi, Action, Comedy
DVD

B

I was very pleasantly surprised by this movie, especially the visuals.  The story is solid, too, as are the acting, music, etc.  If I can't go higher with my grade, it's that there are limits to my interest in superheroes, but I did appreciate that Miles is both an everyteen and a specific individual.  I would happily watch the sequel, whenever it'll be released.

Bob Persichetti, Peter Ramsey, and Rodney Rothman co-directed.  I was confused that one of the Spider-folk was not voiced by Jake Johnson the singer, because I am old.

A Simple Favor

A Simple Favor

Lionsgate etc.

September 14, 2018

Crime Comedy?

DVD
B

I read the Darcey Bell novel this is based on and found it so bad it was good, so obviously I was curious about this, especially with a director like Paul Feig and a "can't do anything wrong" star like Anna Kendrick.  (I don't hold Pitch Perfect against her.)  I found it delightful, aware of its own outrageousness but still working as a mystery.  (With significant changes from the book.)  I wouldn't quite say it's a great movie, but I was entertained, even through three (!) commentaries.

Searching (2018)

Searching (2018)

Sony Pictures Rising etc.

August 31, 2018

Mystery
DVD
B

One of the best contemporary mysteries I've ever seen, although not flawless.  (Messing sadly is not on Cho's level in this.)  It uses modern websites, apps, etc., to tell its story, without ever seeming gimmicky, and the title works on at least two levels, with Cho as the worried father searching on the Internet as he searches for his daughter.  That it is set in a modified version of a city I know well (San Jose, CA) adds to the feeling of heightened reality.  Aneesh Chaganty directed and co-wrote.

Rear Window

Rear Window

Paramount

September 1, 1954

Mystery, Romance, Dramedy

DVD
B

I'd seen this once or twice before and, although it's one of my favorite Hitchcock movies, I don't regard it as perfect.  To be honest, it would probably be a B- without that amazing set, since it's hard for me to like or care about any of the characters but the always incredible Thelma Ritter.  That said, I think the movie does get better as it goes on and it sucks the viewer in more.

Hors de prix AKA Priceless

Hors de prix AKA Priceless

TFM Distribution

13 December 2006

Romcom?

DVD
B

With its frothy tone and look, "jet-set lifestyle," and poppy soundtrack, this feels like a '60s sex farce (yet with references to the Euro and the Internet), although there's a dark undercurrent bubbling beneath.  It feels both familiar and unsettling.  The "romcom" tag isn't quite right, and yet it is a romantic comedy, just between two "kept" people.  I found it witty and charming and sexy, but I could also see people absolutely abhorring it for various reasons.  Then again, I almost always like Audrey Tautou, so there's that.  Pierre Salvadori directed and co-wrote.

Plus One

Plus One

Studio 71 etc.

June 14, 2019

Romcom

DVD
B

This is one of the best romcoms I've seen in ages, but I will freely admit that it is about a mismatch that works despite itself, both romantically and in terms of talent, because Maya Erskine is a raunchy but layered delight as Alice, and no one else is at her level, including Jack Quaid as her best friend and possible love interest.  Jeff Chan and Andrew Rhymer co-wrote and co-directed.

On the Basis of Sex

On the Basis of Sex

Focus Features etc.

December 28, 2018

Historical Drama

DVD
B

This is a solid biography of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, focusing particularly on 1970, a life-changing year for her and the country.  I did feel that the story tried to juggle too many characters, losing some in the shuffle (like her students and even her son), but overall I was entertained and enlightened.  Mimi Leder directed, twenty years after the forgettable Deep Impact.

Night And Fog AKA Nuit et brouillard

Night And Fog AKA Nuit et brouillard

Argos Films

January 1956

Documentary

DVD
B

A short (half-hour), powerful film that must've been truly shocking in its initial release, when so much was still hidden about the Nazi concentration camps, and it still is heartbreaking now.  I wouldn't say I "like" the movie, but I was most impressed by the contrast between individual faces and the mass graves.  Alain Resnais directed.

The Muse (1999)

The Muse (1999)

October Films

August 27, 1999

Comedy, Fantasy

DVD
B

Very witty Albert Brooks vehicle about life in Hollywood, with some nice supporting material for Stone, McDowell, and Bridges, as well as fun cameos.  The "fantasy" tag (spoilers) may not be strictly accurate, but I choose to believe it is.

So I Married an Axe Murderer

So I Married an Axe Murderer

TriStar

July 30, 1993

Comedy, Horror?

DVD
B

I saw and, to my surprise, liked this movie over twenty years ago, when it was still relatively new.  Now the '90sness adds to its charm, especially that soundtrack!  And it's set in San Francisco, and I used to live in the South Bay, so there's a certain nostalgia to that.  And then there are the cameos, including Steven Wright as a prop-plane pilot!  So I can forgive the unevenness and plot holes and just enjoy all that, and the still funny and still sweet moments.  Not a great movie, maybe even at the time, but still delightful.

Thomas Schlamme directed.  Note that the third and final disc of this "Laugh Out Loud" collection didn't load, but at least I got to watch this again.

Jefferson in Paris

Jefferson in Paris

Buena Vista (yes, Disney)

March 31, 1995

Historical Drama*

DVD
B

This was better than I expected, although I think the history can definitely be quibbled with, especially the simplistic presentation of Marie Antoinette.  But it's an absorbing story, with many viewpoints, so it's not just about Thomas Jefferson.  I like all the little period details, but it's also a very human side of history.

*Although Jefferson's "love life" is front and center, I don't see this as a romance as such.

I'm All Right, Jack

I'm All Right, Jack

British Lion

13 August 1959

Comedy
DVD
B

Uneven but often hilarious satire of labor-management relations, with rock & roll (including an awesome title song), advertising jingles, television panel shows, and nudist camps thrown in.  This is based on the Alan Hackney novel Private Life and directed by John Boulting, whose Heavens Above!, from 1963, disappointed me.

Ice Princess

Ice Princess

Disney

March 18, 2005

Sports Drama

DVD
B

This movie caught me off guard by how good it was.  The performances were solid, particularly of course Cattrall and Cusack as the moms, I didn't see some of the plot twists coming, and I even liked the Aughties soundtrack.  And I am not at all interested in sports, including skating, but I winced at every fall and cared about these characters.  The title is awful though, as is the release poster, making this seem fluffy in the worst sense.  Tim Fywell directed.

Hidden Figures

Hidden Figures

20th Century Fox

January 6, 2017

Historical Drama

DVD
B

Although I don't really care about the space program, this is a solid story of three heroic women's real lives, not just their genius and persistence, but their everyday moments with family and friends, especially each other.  Although it's not a comedy, or even a dramedy, I appreciate the moments of humor.  This is based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly, and directed by Theodore Melfi, 

Gunless

Gunless

Alliance Films

30 April 2010

Historical Comedy

DVD
B

William Phillips wrote and directed this "Northern" about an American gunslinger who tries to adjust to life in a peaceful Canadian town.  It's not quite a spoof but it does play with Western tropes, and I found it funny and intelligent, with of course lovely scenery.