Mudcat
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Florence Foster Jenkins (2016) - instantly my least favorite Meryl Streep movie.
Streep has no bigger fan than me - and I don't even exclude the possibility of an Oscar nom for this - and I wouldn't say it was undeserving - she's the best and she captures her subject - but as a movie, it is just such so ridiculous and hard-to-take.
Plot summary - and it's a true story: woman in desperate need of Simon Cowell just keeps on singing - horribly - opera, no less - in public - while enablers try to hide from her that she is a laughingstock. But she's rich and she supports the arts so it's okay or something.
It's a reasonably well-made movie by a director, Stephen Frears, who has done a bunch of stuff I like. But it is insufferable. It's not just that one of my least favorite things in the world is hearing off-key singing - and they do present that - quite a bit - it's kind of necessary - and I hate it - I couldn't possibly ever watch this movie again even if I liked the rest - just because of the bad singing. But no, the whole premise of the endless condescension of this clueless rich woman - mostly by a creepazoid leech played by Hugh Grant - and acting like it is somehow endearing or something.
There's just no movie there. And the bad singing was so bad.
3.4 out of 10
Streep has no bigger fan than me - and I don't even exclude the possibility of an Oscar nom for this - and I wouldn't say it was undeserving - she's the best and she captures her subject - but as a movie, it is just such so ridiculous and hard-to-take.
Plot summary - and it's a true story: woman in desperate need of Simon Cowell just keeps on singing - horribly - opera, no less - in public - while enablers try to hide from her that she is a laughingstock. But she's rich and she supports the arts so it's okay or something.
It's a reasonably well-made movie by a director, Stephen Frears, who has done a bunch of stuff I like. But it is insufferable. It's not just that one of my least favorite things in the world is hearing off-key singing - and they do present that - quite a bit - it's kind of necessary - and I hate it - I couldn't possibly ever watch this movie again even if I liked the rest - just because of the bad singing. But no, the whole premise of the endless condescension of this clueless rich woman - mostly by a creepazoid leech played by Hugh Grant - and acting like it is somehow endearing or something.
There's just no movie there. And the bad singing was so bad.
3.4 out of 10
Mudcat
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Sully (2016)
It's good to be Tom Hanks. Sully is certainly at the very high end of feel-good movies - but there's a problem. A pretty big one. I don't know if I should divulge exactly what Clint Eastwood has done - might be considered a spoiler - although now I think about it, everybody knows what happened - how can there be a spoiler?
Quasi-spoiler alert - Eastwood has decided to contrive an extreme villain in an NTSB investigation panel who are bent on painting Sully as a scapegoat who incompetently risked everyone's lives by landing on the Hudson instead of other options. As I was watching I was thinking, 'I don't remember that. I don't remember anyone being nasty to Sully.' Well that's because it didn't happen. It's made up. Yes, they had to do an investigation - of course - but it was nothing like this movie. And the way they come around in the movie to accepting the heroic truth really is ludicrous. I guess there wouldn't be a movie without it. It's only 96 minutes as is. But still - don't talk to me like I'm stupid.
So it's a real nice true story - the main part really happened and it's amazing - with Tom Hanks at the height of Tom Hanksness - and Aaron Eckhardt is very good - and I'm always glad to see Laura Linney - and Clint Eastwood does some nice understated stuff along the way - but with this weird tacked-on piece of BS.
What does that all come out to as a rating?
6.9 out of 10?
It's good to be Tom Hanks. Sully is certainly at the very high end of feel-good movies - but there's a problem. A pretty big one. I don't know if I should divulge exactly what Clint Eastwood has done - might be considered a spoiler - although now I think about it, everybody knows what happened - how can there be a spoiler?
Quasi-spoiler alert - Eastwood has decided to contrive an extreme villain in an NTSB investigation panel who are bent on painting Sully as a scapegoat who incompetently risked everyone's lives by landing on the Hudson instead of other options. As I was watching I was thinking, 'I don't remember that. I don't remember anyone being nasty to Sully.' Well that's because it didn't happen. It's made up. Yes, they had to do an investigation - of course - but it was nothing like this movie. And the way they come around in the movie to accepting the heroic truth really is ludicrous. I guess there wouldn't be a movie without it. It's only 96 minutes as is. But still - don't talk to me like I'm stupid.
So it's a real nice true story - the main part really happened and it's amazing - with Tom Hanks at the height of Tom Hanksness - and Aaron Eckhardt is very good - and I'm always glad to see Laura Linney - and Clint Eastwood does some nice understated stuff along the way - but with this weird tacked-on piece of BS.
What does that all come out to as a rating?
6.9 out of 10?
Mudcat
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Money Monster (2016) - Silly contrivance directed by Jodie Foster about some dope who loses his money by following the advice of a TV dipshit - played by George Clooney - so dopey guy takes him hostage and does an impression of a young Deniro while Julia Roberts looks on.
4.4 out of 10.
4.4 out of 10.
Mudcat
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I feel like George Clooney has a hole to climb out of. 3 of his last 4 movies are Money Monster, Hail Caesar! and The Monuments Men.
The other was Tomorrowland. Dunno about that one.
Dude used to be as reliable as they come but yikes.
Worse, he's older than me. Unforgivable.
The other was Tomorrowland. Dunno about that one.
Dude used to be as reliable as they come but yikes.
Worse, he's older than me. Unforgivable.
Tron
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Matty
0-fers Will Happen™
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Bridge of Spies (2015) Tremendous acting job by everyone involved, especially from the guy who plays the Soviet spy. Classic, gripping cinema from His Spielbergness and the Coen Bros.
8.3 Matty Rains out of a possible 10
Amanda Knox (2016) What a mess. I'm 51% certain she didn't do it.
7 West Coast Weirdos out of 10
8.3 Matty Rains out of a possible 10
Amanda Knox (2016) What a mess. I'm 51% certain she didn't do it.
7 West Coast Weirdos out of 10
I was dazed for about an hour after I left the theater. The film score is incredible.