Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, January 6, Cinemark 12
I liked Fantastic Beasts way more than I expected. That said, I do feel for folks that went in expecting a silly romp, and instead got a silly romp AND a fairly unadorned portrayal of child abuse and the execution of prisoners. Yikes. Also, seriously, Scamander, people like you are why the dodos are extinct.
Star Trek Beyond, January 7, Blu-ray
I liked this better than the last Star Trek movie, though that may have been because of the whole Cumberbatch situation, which soured me. (Have we reached Peak Cumberbatch yet? Like, he’s a perfectly fine actor, but I’m weary of the schtick he keeps getting stuck with.) I liked how the characters seemed just a little more comfortable in their skin--seeing how they grapple with conflicting desires is neat.
La La Land, January 11, Fleur Cinema
La La Land was delightful, flawless, and wholly unnecessary. The shot composition, retro sound-mixing, and choreography were masterful, but while it portrayed a not inaccurate Los Angeles, it was primarily white and implicitly affluent. I enjoyed it tons, and also, whoever taught Ryan Gosling the bearing of a classically trained pianist deserves a truckload of money. Meanwhile, it turns out Cameron Crowe ruined Emma Stone for me. And yes, LA traffic gets jammed enough that we could stage a full parkour musical number while we wait.
Hidden Figures, January 14, Cinemark 12
Our packed theatre applauded at the end of Hidden Figures, because it was, yes, entirely that good. Also, I know nothing about math, apparently, let alone old math. *boggled* And while, of course, Taraji P. Henson’s and Janelle Monae’s characters were spectacular, I was most impressed by Octavia Spencer’s. I mean, she taught herself how to code that beast of a supercomputer based on one slim book from the public library, and then she taught a dozen other women. I know not one person who has those skills, and I’ve been working in higher education for fifteen years.
Moana, January 24, Cinemark 12
My brain felt fried, so I took myself to see Moana, finally. Naturally, I cried at four distinct points in the movie. (Seriously, the spirit manta ray? I hid under my coat so people wouldn't hear me.) Also, this film is gorgeous, blending in distinct styles of animation, from Pixar’s flirtation with the uncanny valley, 2D playfulness, landscapes and horizons I’d swear are photorealistic Dutch pieces, and a weird melding of Mad Max and that twee French talking shell, Marcel. Also, I don’t look like Moana, but her grandmother looked like my grandmothers, and her cousins (I use the term loosely) looked like my cousins. #representationmatters
Arrival, January 27, Cinemark 12
I am deeply in love with just about everything in Arrival, which is kind of hilariously/perfectly about how the humanities are the key to transcending space and time. The sound mixing team deserves a million awards--if you're going to watch Arrival at home, get yourself a sub-woofer. (So far out of the Oscar Best Picture nominees, this is my favorite.)
Hell or High Water, January 28, Amazon streaming
Nothing about this movie was surprising, but in a way, I think that’s also the beauty of it. It’s a Sophoclean tragedy set in rural Texas. It’s hard to feel heartbroken, because it all feels preordained. (This, I think, is also the danger of falling into narrative tropes: the strictures of poverty aren’t absolute, except that we keep allowing them to be.)
Zootopia, January 29, Blu-ray
Holy crap, Zootopia. Folks weren't kidding about you. Also, I dig the Oscars theme of hyper-competent ladies. #HiddenFigures #Moana #Arrival #Zootopia
Real talk, though: What exactly are the predators eating? (Fish? Birds? Did we see any birds?) How did everybody evolve to the same level of sentience at the same time? Why are there no inter-species romances, aside from the apparently pan-species fascination with gazelles? HOW DO THEY CREATE MICROCLIMATES?
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