I was interested in seeing Steven Soderbergh’s latest, Let Them All Talk, and not just because it features three legendary actresses, but also because I’m a fan of some of Soderbergh’s previous work, such as Erin Brockovich. Also, I was curious to see how the cast handled the mostly-improvised script; screenwriter Deborah Eisenberg provided brief outlines and biographies for the actors, in addition to a few scripted scenes.
Comedy
Review: Borat Subsequent Moviefilm (2020)
I’ll be honest: I have not yet seen the first Borat film, released about 15 years ago, so I have no real background on the Borat character aside from what I’ve heard other people say about him — include Sacha Baron Cohen, the man who portrays him.
Review: When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
I had seen When Harry Met Sally at least a few times before rewatching it recently (actually, it was my first watch of 2021), when we stumbled across it on HBO and my brother said he’d never seen it before. That was reason enough to revisit the Rob Reiner-directed classic, which has called by many to be the best romantic comedy of all time.
Review: A League of Their Own (1992)
Honestly, A League of Their Own one of those movies I can watch over and over and never get sick of it. It never fails to entertain and to be worthy of 2+ hours’ worth of my time. For a film that was released nearly 30 years ago, it still holds up very well; it’s still funny, well-directed and acted, and deeply feminist.
Review: Paddington 2 (2017)
Fact: Paddington 2 is currently the highest-rated film on Rotten Tomatoes; it has not only achieved the rare perfect 100% score, but has achieved the highest number of positive reviews ever. Is it the best film ever made? No, but it’s impossible to dislike.
Review: Promising Young Woman (2020)
How do I review a film that I unabashedly adore, and one that receives a rare perfect score from yours truly? It’s my favorite film of 2020 so far — there’s still more to see, but I highly doubt anything will be able to top this. Promising Young Woman marked my first time at a theater in person in several months…I’d heard amazing reviews from critics lucky enough to get to see the film a year ago, at Sundance; some even praised it as the best film of the year, and even though I was excited to see it, I doubted it could possibly be that good.
Review: Paddington (2014)
I didn’t watch the Paddington films until recently, and in quick succession, as I was so taken with the first one that I had to see the second one (and am now eagerly anticipating a third film). Strangely, I reviewed Paddington 2 first, although it doesn’t really matter; it helps to have seen the first film before watching the 2nd, as the first introduces you to the character of Paddington and the Brown family, with whom he ends up living.
Review: On the Rocks (2020)
I was semi-excited to see On the Rocks, because I knew Sofia Coppola was a talented storyteller — Lost in Translation is so original and clever, and Marie Antoinette is a unique take on the famed figure — and I was curious to see Bill Murray in a new role, which some deemed as his best work since his [sole] Oscar-nominated performance in Lost in Translation. And, while I was impressed with Murray’s work here, I found the film to be incredibly disappointing and a waste of my time, despite only being 96 minutes long.
Review: Amadeus (1984)
People may complain about the historical inaccuracies of the events that transpire in the film, but what they may not realize is that it is based on the play written by Peter Shaffer (who also wrote the screenplay). The play itself isn’t based on fact; rather, it is a dramatization of events that probably didn’t happen, and a sort of fantasy about the rivalry between two talented composers, Mozart and Salieri, one of whom (Mozart) is obviously more talented (a genius, really).
Review: Ocean’s Eleven (2001)
Ocean’s Eleven is one of those movies that is probably nearly impossible to dislike, even if you find nit-picky elements that you dislike or find off-putting; I find it to be a near-perfect film that I’ve seen more times than I can count (most recently, just a couple weeks ago).