Watched in 2020: Movies

2020

Life affirming. The best way to end the year with the best movie of the year (At this point)

2020

Disappointing. A missed opportunity for a legitimate sequel.

2020

This Christmas rom-com (yes another one) wasn't actually disappointing because I had very little expectation. It felt very much like a Hallmark or Lifetime movie but the characters are actually likable enough that it becomes tolerable.

Ugh, what a disappointment. I think Emilia Clarke is so likable but even this movie couldn't quite do that. The rest of the cast is awful even if I like Emma Thompson's accent. I certainly didn't like her writing and I have zero interest in George Michael's music. Barely any of the movie made sense and then in the end we were expected to be all fucking cheerful. Not my wife and I.

2020

This should be an obvious "husband choice", but it wasn't all good. There are definitely better Fincher movies out there but this was beautiful and surprisingly poignant look into the old Hollywood I love. However, I found the scenes at Hearst's castle, outside of Hollywood, to be the best parts. Oldman's amazing Quixote monologue toward the end is one of the best to ever be put on film.

2020

This should be an obvious "wife choice", but it wasn't all bad. There are definitely worse romantic Christmas movies being put through the conveyer belt.

2020

The three creators took a really good album and made it better by creating a whole new sound to the album. The interviews between each some seemed unnecessary but actually worked in a creative way; and, for my wife, was nice incite to songs she loves and singer she loves.

A beautiful score helps move this moving picture along nicely. It is beautiful to watch, too. I find this to be more of an achievement than Jenkins' Oscar-winning "Moonlight"

I mainly only cared to see this because we are having a baby, otherwise I've done a good job of avoiding this movie for the better part of a decade. It's not all bad. There are some actually funny scenes; but it's mostly contrived, cliche-ridden, and poorly directed and acted.

Linklater's latest effort is one of his weaker ones. It's certainly not bad, but it does take too long for the movie to get good. The last 40 is quite good. Blanchett is always strong but this is also one of her weaker efforts.

For most of the movie I was all in. I loved the editing, the clever format, and most of the characters, and certainly the plot; but then it ended with a disappointing ending (I know, it's based on a true story) and too much focus on one annoying character who didn't actually seem annoying in real life.

It's a little unclear what this movie wanted to be, which is maybe why it's lower in the ratings. With that said it's not all that bad, with odes to classics like "Bridge on the River Kwai" and "Lawrence of Arabia". Hanks plays the role well, like he always does.

2020

SBC turns his character into fooling everyone with basic interviews into fooling everyone with interviews and having legitimate storyline involving his daughter that actually works really well. The levels of humor/parody/improving are remarkable. With the exception of a couple seems that seemed too forced, this was a brilliant follow-up to the 2006 original.

I was looking forward to a good b-movie cult classic but it was actually just sadly bad with only a little bit of that fun that can come from a movie like this.

I kept on thinking this movie was going to get really good but then it never did and there was nothing truly unique about it.

Long. I like the cast and the story is good enough, but all the scares weren't as creative as the first movie. It's not a bad movie, but the first movie would have been fine on its own even if I know it was far from concluding.

I read the book "Orlando" earlier this year and my wife loves the book; so we though this would be a great one to watch. There really is very little about the book, it seems like she writes it overnight. True, it's more about the inspiration but it was still disappointing. The two leads are very good and there is an effective, even if strange, chemistry between the two. It's ultimately a sad movie and one that never really lifts off. Plus, there are some strange VFX choices that aren't clarified and I was left wondering what they had to do with the plot.

2020

What a sad sad movie. Come on, Zemeckis, what the fuck happened to you?

A classic 80s romp and that is both entertaining and terrible. One I've been curious about most my life. I did technically watch some of it as a kid, but it was also on cable and not the real thing. It doesn't hold up very well, quite a dated version of the boys-behaving-badly subgenre.

I'm really confused by the crazy low ratings for this. Natalie Portman is fucking great in this. The other performances a pretty solid, too. The pacing is spot on, the cinematography and production design is excellent, plus effective music and clever editing choices. Sure, the end is not remarkable, but this is a character study and it had me invested the whole way through.

2020

Sorkin is still an incredible writer. I'm so glad this film that was in development for so long is actually really good. The ensemble is noteworthy and the filmmaking is quality enough. Sorkin's second directing job makes it clear he is much more than a writer.

A beautiful love story of a young dancer and an old clown. Chaplin is incredible in the lead and behind the camera. Claire Bloom is entirely enchanting, so much so that I can't believe she wasn't in more movies.

A superbly-paced documentary on a filmmaker's journey from childhood to retirement, as told from the polarizing man himself.

Murphy is awesome in this biopic of a true artist in the most unartistic of ways.

Two characters who are a documentarian's dream. Even if nothing major happens they keep us hooked the whole time and continually have us asking more questions.

This was not ever meant to be a great movie, but for as simple as it is it packs a lot of heat and so effectively paints a beautiful story of two hetero best friends living a depressing life right until the end. It's very Duplass, but not even directed by him/them.

2020

Interesting covering the history of "outlaw art" but not nearly as interesting and creative and "Exit Through the Gift Shop"

This is an enjoyable family film, even if surprising come from Jeunet. The lead actor is likable and the filming techniques are notable; but I think there was an issue with the editing toward the end. Maybe a producer issue trying to make it shorter.

A superbly-paced, smart, and gripping mystery drama. The acting is strong and the ending makes it all worth the intrigue even if not entirely original.

The one-child policy is such an interesting subject and there are so many ways this affected the people of China and the world, yet the documentary seems to focus only a couple aspects, likely to give us the most emotional impact; but I was left wanting more.

2020

It's difficult to combine so many themes and metaphors into a single film and have it still be entertaining, profound and worthy of multiple viewings... but Kaufman is the master in such accomplishments and he has done it again.

A uniquely-paced movie with a unique point of view in a place that's ignored by a placed that's fantasized.

The set up good, the acting good, the progression of action good, the ending fine enough; but the title quite misleading. There was little attention put on the bridges being closed and the effect that had.

An awesome, meandering, non-epic of scavenger-hut delight, that is both dark and bright. It's full of cleverness and mystery. Sadly the ending is unsatisfying, but that's actually all right in this story.

Possibly my favorite Winter Olympics shown in every beautiful detail. This was a great way to revisit the feast of sporting events.

Ouch. This movie didn't start off too bad, but as it dragged on Rogen became more and more unlikable and the editing in this killed any chance of Michel Gondry making an interesting superhero-type movie.

I had been wanting to watch this, and with her passing, no better time. There isn't anything innovative with the form here, but the documentarians laid out her life, relationships, career, and societal impact pretty effectively.

I like a good get-the-band-together kind of movie, which this was, but maybe my first one to see about making a high-end restaurant. Solid ensemble and nice food cinematography. I really liked the ending, which could have easily been predictable, but the filmmakers made it not.

Not as clever and genre inspiring as the first, not that it was really expected; but still entertaining while being informative.

Necessary viewing because of subject matter; but not wildly entertaining even with respectable performances.

A poorly edited and directed movie that still had strong performances and script. Wasted potential for a truly good and different type of romantic comedy.

A feel-good movie that should be able to put anyone in a better mood. Nothing special here, but the two lead performances and their chemistry is something worthy of note.

Jimmy Stewart killing it again in the Western genre. The movie wasn't anything impressive but hey, still entertained in the end.

2020

I went into this knowing it was going to be silly and expecting at least some laughs. I was not disappointed. My wife, who isn't a fan of silly movies, especially ones with Will Ferrell, still liked it... so that's saying something.

A very important and interesting subject, I'm just not sure it needed to be so long, even if the development of the story was important and effective.

Not a bad movie, but is rather dull and full of cliches. The chemistry of the two geriatric leads was worth the watch, at least.

Nice learning a little more about the wildcard of CSNY. Lived quite a full life and the emotional regret was effective.