Month: July 2022

Everyone’s embarrassed by their family, but the Mitchells might actually be the most embarrassing family ever. Or they might be just like the rest of us. Who can say? 

The Mitchells Vs. The Machines is a sugary-sweet and ultra-funky family film. And when I say family, I mean for families and also about families! Think The Croods, but in a robot apocalypse.

The story goes like this:

Katie Mitchell (played by Abbi Jacobson) feels entirely out of place. No one gets her, and she feels entirely alone. So when she gets accepted to film school, she’s ready to go and find her people. 

Katie’s little brother Aaron (Michael Rianda) and her mom Linda (Maya Rudolph) just want peace in their family. Unfortunately, Rick (Danny McBride) is the dad and he is making things difficult.

Rick does not understand Katie. At all. He loves her and he wants to make her feel seen but he has no idea how to do that. It’s heartbreaking to watch, and painfully relatable for anyone that has been part of a family. 

But hey, maybe the Mitchells can connect with each other when they get attacked by man-hating robots! Right?

Maybe. You’ll have to watch it to find out.

I have a hard time thinking of things not to love, but that might be because this movie slotted perfectly into my niche interests. I love weird things, and this movie has a lot of them.

Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, who collaborated on the LEGO movie, produced this movie. You can feel their influence in the side-splitting and also strange visual gags they chose to go with. Also, Olivia Colman plays the robots’ evil leader. And the Kill Bill theme is right at home in this movie, alongside videos of screaming monkeys. So much stuff is straight-up weird and I love it.

And visually, this one is pretty darn cool. The animation is blocky and unique. The character designs are fun. The action sequences are exciting to watch. (Have you ever wondered what murderous Furbys would look like? Wonder no more.)

Emotionally speaking, this is a roller coaster. I cried thirteen minutes in and I had to pause because I was laughing so hard. The laugh part is because this film is funny. The cry part probably has something to do with being a “creative” oldest daughter that struggles to connect with her dad sometimes.

And yet, no matter what our familial background, I think that most of us could probably relate to this movie. Being part of a family is hard. We love the people that surround us, but they drive us crazy. We want to squeeze them in a hug, but we also want to scream at them. 

The Mitchells Vs. The Machines gets that. They don’t offer a magical solution, but they offer an hour and a half of chaos and emotions that assure you that you’re not alone and even if you’re weird, you can still be great.

Just make sure you don’t forget your #3 Robertson square head screwdriver. 

Jennifer Aniston, Dolly Parton, and body positivity. What could go wrong?

Frankly, a couple of questionable Southern accents aside, not much. Dumplin’ is delightful and heartfelt. It tackles the toxicity of beauty pageants, and questions what it means to be beautiful. 

Willowdean “Dumplin’” Dickson (played to perfection by Danielle Macdonald) has a rough name and an even rougher home life. That might seem impossible, but it’s not. You try being a plus-size girl in a house ruled by your mom (Jennifer Aniston), Miss Teen Bluebonnet, who is obsessed with pageantry and appearances. 

For a long time, Will had her Aunt Lucy (Hilliary Begley) to help her keep her head up. Lucy was big and confident and beautiful and Willowdean worshiped her. Before the events of the movie, Lucy died of a heart attack.

Struggling with the loss of her aunt and her mother’s obsession with looks, Willowdean makes the impulsive decision to join the beauty pageant this year. Will teams up with her childhood best friend Ellen Dryver (Odeya Rush) and new allies Millie (Maddie Baillio) and Hannah (Bex Taylor-Klaus). Their plan? To stage a revolution and change the way the world looks at big girls. 

It doesn’t go smoothly. There are plenty of bumps in the road. And, of course, it would be spoiling to tell you exactly what happens. But along the way, Willowdean finds strength in herself and her friendships. She also lives the dream and gets help from drag queens. Some girls have all the luck.

Before I start gushing, I want to acknowledge that there’s a striking lack of melanin in the main cast. The one Black character we get to know slides right into the “sassy queer friend” stereotype. The movie is set in Texas, but it feels like maybe means there should be more rather than less Black folks. 

That (important) issue aside, I have no complaints about this movie. I loved it. It’s sweet, It’s funny. The main message is “it doesn’t matter who you are, you are beautiful and you can do what you want.” The friendships — both the childhood friendship, which was pretty textbook, and the more unfamiliar friendships which made the movie — were supportive and encouraging, which is what we all need from our friends.

It was really exciting to watch a body positivity movie that was about all kinds of body positivity. In one moment, Will snaps that Ellen “isn’t built for the revolution.” Ellen snaps back that she never thought of Willowdean as fat. Rather than being throwaway lines, both girls later admit that their remarks were harmful and ignorant. That’s huge!

Dumplin’ is certainly worth the watch. The acting and writing and cinematography are all great. Plus, we get to watch teenage girls walk around in fancy dresses for the fun of it, not because they feel like they have to. May we all learn how to find the joy in our bodies, and (like Dolly says) “do it on purpose.”

Heartstopper, a Netflix original series, might be the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. I know that sounds exaggerated, but I’m not kidding. This is an adorable show.

Originally a webtoon by Alice Oseman, the characters and plot quickly captured the hearts of millions. The story grew into a graphic novel series, which you could own physically, before morphing into the Netflix series that I’m gushing about today. While I haven’t read any of the Heartstopper material, I am confident that the success of the series is due to the endearing characters. All of them are so sweet but so real, and you can’t help but want them to win. 

Also, none of the main characters are mean to one another (not on purpose, anyway). Plus they’re beautifully and wonderfully diverse. And they’re all English.

I’m just saying, I think Heartstopper is special. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Charlie Spring, a year 10 at Truham Grammar School, is gay. He’s out, technically, but that didn’t really happen on purpose. Bullying is a problem for poor Charlie, but he does his best to stay cheerful. His friends — Tao, Elle, and Isaac — help with that. When school resumes after Christmas break, Charlie is shocked to find himself assigned a seat next to Nick Nelson. Nick is cute and popular and plays rugby — he and Charlie probably wouldn’t have even looked at each other if they hadn’t been assigned their adjoining seats.

Fortunately for them (and us), they quickly strike up a friendship, which changes them both. Charlie joins the rugby team. Nick stands up to his friends when they are homophobic. Charlie starts crushing hard on Nick. Nick starts questioning his sexuality.

Though they both have difficulty with their emotions, Nick and Charlie help each other navigate the difficulties of being a teenager and being in love. They are honest and affectionate and kind and messy. It’s a lot, and it’s beautiful.

Nick’s obvious and wholehearted concern for Charlie’s well-being warmed my heart. So many romantic storylines rely on miscommunication or emotional hurt. Not Heartstopper. 

Although there are certainly some angsty moments — not to mention Charlie’s months of pining — neither boy ever tells the other a lie. Nick is honest about his feelings. So is Charlie. Charlie doesn’t ask Nick to spend more time with him in public. Nick makes sure that Charlie knows he deserves better than being kept a secret. 

Everyone is emotionally healthy and it’s pretty crazy.

When the media landscape is full of drama, death, and darkness, it is beyond refreshing to watch a fun and sweet show about two boys in love. Heartstopper is a reminder that there is more to life than grand gestures and difficult decisions. There are real and funny and caring people standing next to us on the bus. Or behind us in line at the grocery store. Or sitting next to us in class. 

Saying “hi,” saving a seat, buying someone a milkshake just because — these are the things Heartstopper wants us to prioritize. And it is beautiful.

Godspeed is a Turkish film written by Hakan Evrensel and Mehmet Ada Öztekin. It is based on a book entitled Yolun Acik Olsun, and the movie stunned me.

It is sweet and heavy and funny and dark and sometimes silly and always full of emotions. (Also, there is a crazy twist in the final three-quarters. Like… CRAZY.) I don’t know what I was expecting, but I know that it wasn’t this. 

There’s just a lot going on.

The camera opens on Salih, a former military commander, polishing his shoes. This has a lot of significance, which we learn when we see him putting on a prosthetic leg. He lost his leg in service and is struggling to adjust to civilian life. This garners him a lot of sympathy from most of the characters in the movie, but not his friend Kerim. 

Kerim, for his part, is in love with a girl named Elif, whose father has forbidden the match. He joined the military in an attempt to convince his potential in-laws to let him marry her. Unfortunately, he returns from his service to find that her father has arranged for her to marry someone else. Devastated, he convinces Salih to drive him to the wedding so that he can try to stop it.

The two storylines work together, but they are still their own entities. Salih and Kerim’s journeys are very different — and very difficult.

Speaking of difficult journeys, Duygu is Salih’s wife and she is trying desperately to help her husband recover, or at least adapt. He is no longer the man she fell in love with, and she wants to help him find his way back. Not only that — her parents are constantly urging her to get a divorce and have done with Salih.

Like I said — there’s a lot going on.

Salih and Kerim’s road trip is the central focus of the movie, although there are plenty of flashbacks and minor side plots. Their relationship is difficult to figure out. At first I thought that Kerim annoyed Salih, who he calls “Sir.” (Salih was Kerim’s commanding officer when they were in the army.) There’s plenty of banter that gives that impression. But then Salih tells Kerim, “stop calling me “sir.” Just call me brother.”

It’s a very sweet moment, and it’s at that moment that I threw up my hands and gave up on trying to define their relationship. (To be sure, the men keep bickering as they drive along the highway, but what brothers don’t bicker?) 

In addition to the guys and their road-trip-friendship, Godspeed has a huge theme of being caged and imprisoned. Everyone is trapped in some way, but Duygu and Elif, the women of the film, are the ones that are most caged — by society, by their partners, by their parents. I appreciated the chance for these women to shine, even when Salih and Kerim are ostensibly the stars of this show.

It’s a film with layers and meaning, and if you have a couple of hours and you are emotionally stable I’d recommend it. If not, you might want to think twice before watching.

The Good Place aired its series finale over two years ago, but it is a far cry from outdated. 

The Good Place is Michael Schur’s fourth major hit show — he also produced The Office, Parks and Recreation, and Brooklyn 99. Like his other projects, The Good Place is funny, sweet, and smart, but I’m biased and consider it to be the best out of the Schur quartet. 

The show stars such talented names as Ted Danson, Kristen Bell, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, and Jameela Jamil (to name a few).

On its release, audiences and critics alike found the show delightful. The acting is fantastic, the writing is original, the characters are charming, and the setting is startlingly intriguing. It’s refreshing without feeling like too much, brilliant without being condescending. I’m telling you, there’s nothing not to love!

The basic plot of season one goes like this: 

Eleanor Shellstrop (Kristen Bell) is a selfish and calloused woman from Phoenix, Arizona. She finds herself in the afterlife — the titular Good Place — and immediately knows that something is wrong. After all, everyone around her is so good. How can she belong here?

As Eleanor searches for answers, she finds some unlikely friends. The perpetually anxious and upset academic Chidi Anagonye (William Jackson Harper), reluctantly agrees to help her out. The Buddhist monk Jianyiu (Manny Jacinto) may be more than he seems. The beautiful benefactress Tahani Al-Jamil (Jameela Jamil) seems entirely too perfect, but Eleanor reluctantly befriends her. 

And in the meantime, Michael the Architect (Ted Danson) is trying to figure out what is going on in his neighbourhood. The not-a-robot-not-a-lady entity Janet (D’Arcy Carden) knows everything there is to know about the universe, and she’s on Michael’s side. How is Eleanor going to keep her stolen place in Paradise?

As the story unfolds, there are laughs and gasps and a huge twist at the end of the first season. (Seriously, that season is worth watching just for the twist. One of the best in the history of television, if I do say so myself.)

A fun story told in a breezy manner, but it imparts some very real wisdom. I watched this show before my first year of university. When I got to Philosophy 101, I already knew most of the content because of The Good Place. It is no mean feat to make content that is both entertaining and educational (without feeling educational). Somehow, The Good Place manages to do that without you even realizing that it’s happening.

Michael Schur clearly has a preoccupation with morality and what it means to be a good person. He even wrote a book about it. It is delightful to explore these big questions through flawed, funny, fascinating, and thoroughly loveable characters. They make mistakes, they learn lessons, and they care about each other fiercely and beautifully. 

Maybe that’s the key to being a good person, or maybe there’s some other answer that we haven’t uncovered yet. Either way, The Good Place is a fun frolic with some deep thoughts. If you haven’t seen it yet, I’d highly recommend it.

Today I watched Sierra Burgess Is a Loser for the first time. I know, I know — I’m super late to the party. But Shannon Purser, who plays Stranger Things’ Barbara Holland, stars in this one. “Okay,” I thought, “there’s probably no better time to watch this movie than now, when Stranger Things is quite a hot topic.”

Frankly, I don’t know if there is a good time to watch this movie. It’s definitely watchable — thank you, Shannon Purser and Kristine Froseth, for your magnificent performances — but overall I found it lacking.

The Plot

Smart and sweet but unpopular Sierra Burgess (Shannon Purser) is constantly bullied — especially by Veronica (Kristine Froseth), who is a cheerleader and has a boyfriend who’s in college and just generally is popular.

I will say — it impressed me that despite all of the bullying, Sierra has a pretty healthy view of herself. There’s minimal self-hatred, and she always responds with clever quips. Even though she isn’t popular, she does have a best friend with whom she has a very healthy relationship.

Enter Jayme, played by Netflix’s golden boy Noah Centineo. Jayme is a football quarterback that is really into Veronica. Through a twisted turn of events, he ends up texting Sierra thinking that she’s the cheerleader. And Sierra texts back. Desperate to keep the heartthrob talking to her, she ropes Veronica into a plot to keep Jayme hooked.

Ta-da! A case of mistaken identity and miscommunication and deliberate deception is all set to unfold.

Problems

The Cyrano de Bergerac-inspired story has a lot of potential, but I had some pretty major problems with it.

For one thing, there’s a lack of consent in Sierra’s plan. Her deliberate deception leads to some ethically dicey situations. No spoilers, but there is most definitely a kiss that breaks all kinds of consent rules.

And speaking of deception, it was frustrating to watch the girl that I thought was stable and smart make poor choices. She lied to everyone she cared about and let everything in her life slide for a boy that she hadn’t even introduced herself to. Making a mistake doesn’t negate intelligence, of course. It’s just that giving up everything you have for someone you’re crushing on is overused and unhealthy. It hurt to watch Sierra do such a stereotypically rom-com thing when I had so much hope for a protagonist that dealt with her emotions in healthy ways.

All of this hasn’t even started on a certain scene that is totally insensitive to the deaf and hard-of-hearing community. Yikes.

And Yet, There’s Hope

And yet, despite all this, I didn’t hate everything about the movie. I loved the fact that an unlikely girl-on-girl friendship developed. Girls supporting girls never gets old. Also, despite the fact that Sierra stumbles into believing that she needs to be someone else to get the guy, there is a pretty positive message about being yourself tucked into the movie.

In short, I wouldn’t recommend it, but Sierra Burgess Is a Loser is certainly not totally lame.

Chunky animation and bright colours present a deceptively deep story in Vivo. Starring Lin-Manuel Miranda as the titular kinkajou, Ynairaly Simo as his unlikely adolescent friend, and Grammy Award winner Gloria Estefan as a Cuban-American singer, the movie is breezy and delightful. Sure, it’s made for kids, but it’s not a bad way to spend an hour and a half. And some of the songs (that’s right, this is a musical) are absolute bangers.

Vivo is a kinkajou that lives in Havana. He and his human friend Andrés (Juan de Marcos) play music in a town square every morning. Vivo loves his life in the city. He knows his routine and he loves his routine and his routine is never — oh, okay, there it goes. 

When he suddenly finds himself in Miami, Vivo is lost and confused. He has a mission — one that relates to the love of Andrés’s life, Marta (Estefan). He’s just not sure how to accomplish it. At the mercy of his new friend Gabi (Simo), along with a few other friends they met along the way, Vivo is in a race against the clock as he tries to deliver a message before it’s too late.

I found Gabriella to be a difficult but lovable character. She is loud and brash. (So loud and brash that I had to turn the volume down for her solo.) She is aggressive and intense. But she also loves fiercely, and she’s reeling from the loss of her dad, and she’s very sweet. I love seeing that much depth in a character, and especially in one that’s a preteen girl!

In the end, Vivo is an exploration of grief, friendship, and adaptation in the face of adversity. And it’s also a story about how anyone can learn to get along, even if they’re a loud little girl and a cranky Cuban kinkajou.

I really enjoyed the music in this movie. The songs were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, who penned such musical hits as Hamilton, In the Heights, and Encanto. They feature the same quick-hitting lyrical style that made his other hits popular, and it is fun to watch a kinkajou rapping his heart out. And Alex Lacamoire, who wrote the film’s score, offers a perfect complement to the wordy songs. 

The animation style is also worth noting. Some might criticize it for being “unrealistic” — real humans definitely look a little different than the ones in the movie — but I think it’s the perfect vessel for the story. It’s a little bit weird and a lot fun to look at. It’s the perfect way to present a world that is definitely similar to the real one. And yet, in this one it makes sense for a kinkajou to be chatting it up with some spoonbills. Amazing!

You might be tempted to give Vivo a skip, especially if you don’t have kids. But if you’re looking for a little bit of sweetness — mixed with some excellent beats and ridiculous jokes — Vivo is well worth your time.

Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between is a high school rom-com. It’s based on a novel of the same name which was penned by Jennifer E. Smith. I can’t speak for the book, but I thought the movie was adorable. 

Written by Amy Reed and Ben York Jones, Michael Lewen directs this feature which is about teens in love trying to get out of it.

Clare (Talia Ryder) is nervous to get into a relationship. She’s moved around for most of her adolescence, and she’s watched her parents’ marriage disintegrate. Even so, when cute, quirky, hilarious Aidan (Jordan Fisher) asks Clare to date him she agrees — on one condition. She wants to break up before both of them leave for college.

No problem, says Aidan. They make their pact and then they dive into their relationship headfirst. Their “being together” montage is nothing new or innovative, but what comes after is. I’ve never seen a “last date” before, but most of the movie is centered around one. Before they even started dating, Clare and Aidan agreed that before they broke up they’d have a last date. This is the titular “goodbye,” the last hurrah of a teenage relationship.

As the night progresses, Clare starts to second-guess her plan. She loves Aidan, and she knows that he loves her. Is this really the best choice to be making? What if she’s throwing away the best thing she’s ever had?

I can’t answer these questions for you, because of spoilers, but I will say that I was pleasantly surprised with the way the film handled them.

As a general rule, critics don’t seem to be a fan of the movie. I respect their expertise but I liked it just fine, and I’ll tell you why.

Talia Ryder and Jordan Fisher do a pretty good job in their leading roles. I sometimes find myself wanting to shut the TV off when I’m watching movies about teenagers. There were still some moments that made me wince, but Clare and Aidan are mostly likeable. That’s a win!

And then there are the stellar supporting characters. Nico Hiraga of Moxie plays Aidan’s best friend, who is constantly getting suspended and also somehow owns a boat. Stella, played by Ayo Edebiri, is Clare’s bestie since childhood, and she offers some great advice and some truly impressive comic relief. I laughed out loud a few times, which I don’t always do when a movie is trying too hard to be funny. Way to go, Ayo! 

It’s always fun to fantasize about “the one that got away,” and this movie feels like it’s trying to do exactly that… before the one gets away. It’s an interesting concept, and it leaves you thinking about the nature of relationships. And love. And friendship. You know, just simple little things.

I really enjoyed Hello, Goodbye, And Everything In Between. The movie is about exactly what the title says, there were cool design choices, and I smiled and cried. Maybe its cringe, but its also cute.

Did you know that there is a long history of Black cowboys? And did you further know that inner-city horsemanship is a big thing in some U.S. cities? Because until I watched Concrete Cowboy, I had no idea about either of those important cultures.

Concrete Cowboy is a film adaptation of Greg Neri’s novel Ghetto Cowboy. The novel, in turn, is inspired by the very real Fletcher Street Riding Club. This club helps youth in the city learn to ride and take care of horses, and it is part of that legacy of Black cowboys that I mentioned. It’s an emotional and moving story, brought to life by super-talented actors Idris Elba and Caleb McLaughlin.

Caleb stars as Cole. He’s an irritated teen whose mother sends him to spend the summer with his dad, Harp (Idris Elba). Cole is furious. He doesn’t want to stay with his dad who barely has any food and seems to care about horses more than him.

Tempted to embrace the street life with his friend Smush (Jharell Jerome), Cole grudgingly agrees to learn how to work in the stables. He learns how to muck stalls and use a wheelbarrow, and he also learns that he likes horses. 

After a crushing loss, Cole struggles to remember who he is. With the support of a community behind him, he just might manage to keep himself together — and develop a real relationship with his dad, too. 

I will say — this was a gorgeous movie that I liked very much. And yet, I was disappointed to find that both screenplay writers were white. I think that this article does a great job elaborating why this is less than ideal. 

When white writers tell Black stories, they are telling stories that they themselves will never be able to relate to from personal experience. Even more problematic is that oftentimes Black stories told by white writers are more popular than Black stories told by Black writers. I want to make sure I mention that.

There was still lots to love, though! 

Mr. Elba is incredible in this movie, as per usual. He brings depth and nuance to his character, who might otherwise slot easily into the “deadbeat dad” category. Harp is real and flawed and frustrating and lovable. We can’t totally support him, but we can’t villainize him either. I love it!

Caleb McLaughlin also puts in a fantastic performance. Cole is a lost and confused and angry teenager. Everything that he feels, you feel with him. I had only ever seen Caleb as Lucas in Stranger Things and I was impressed with his dramatic acting chops.

Also, a lot of the secondary characters were played by real life Fletcher Street Riders. A memorable montage of those riders talking about the ways in which Fletcher Street has improved their lives plays over the credits. It’s heartwarming and beautiful.

Concrete Cowboy is well worth your time if you want to watch some great acting, some pretty horses, or learn more about Black cowboys. In other words, I recommend it.