The Best Movies of 2023 So Far (according to the New York Times): What Rosy the Reviewer Thinks!

[I review Wes Anderson's latest film "Asteroid City" as well as "Are You There God, It's Me, Margaret," the French film, "Full Time," as well as "Polite Society," "Showing Up" and "Sanctuary."] 

It's been a tough couple of years at the movies, and I have to say, it's been slim pickins,' so I was happy to see this list of must see best films from The New York Times (dated July 5). I am always looking for recommendations for some must see good movies. 

But do I agree that they are really must see? After viewing the films, here is what I thought. 

Asteroid City

A retro-futuristic play within a movie that depicts the events at a 1955 Junior Stargazer convention in the fictional town of Asteroid City.  

The film opens in black and white with Bryan Cranston as a TV host a la "Twilight Zone," informing the audience that they will be watching a rehearsal for a play. Written by Conrad Earp (Edward Norton), the play takes place in the fictional town of "Asteroid City," so named because a meteor fell on it.  The story centers on Augie Steenbeck (Jason Swartzman), who has arrived in Asteroid City for the Junior Stargazer convention with his daughters and brainiac teenage son, Woodrow (Jake Ryan). Woodrow is being honored at the convention. Augie's father-in-law, Stanley (Tom Hanks) later joins them. It seems that Augie's wife has died and Augie has neglected to tell his kids. Augie and Woodrow meet Midge Campbell (Scarlett Johansson) and her daughter Dinah (Grace Edwards).  Dinah is also being honored and love blooms for both Augie and Woodrow. 

Other convention attendees include five-star general Grif Gibson (Jeffrey Wright); astronomer Dr. Hickenlooper (Tilda Swinton); Ricky (Ethan Josh Lee), Clifford (Aristou Meehan) and Shelly (Sophia Lillis), three other brainiac honorees, and their parents, J.J. (Liev Schreiber), Roger (Steve Park) and Sandy (Hope Davis); elementary children chaperoned by teacher June Douglas (Maya Hawke); and a cowboy band led by singer, Montana (Rupert Friend). They are all looked after by the motel manager played by Steve Carell.  Did I miss anyone? Oh, right. Jeff Goldblum plays The Alien, but I will get to that.

Just as the convention commences at the Asteroid City crater, a UFO appears and an alien emerges and steals a fragment of the meteorite that created the crater in the town, which throws everyone into a tizzy and forces a military quarantine (a nod to Covid lockdown)? But in the meantime, more romance blooms, this time with Montana and June.

Just when the quarantine is about to end, the alien comes back to return the meteorite fragment thus continuing the quarantine for an indefinite period of time, which upsets everyone once again, but the brainiac kids contact the press about the lockdown thus exposing a military cover-up (a nod to Roswell)? So we have a desert town, astronomy, space cadets, romance, an alien, a quarantine, the military, a cover-up, and atom bomb testing. There is a lot going on.

So, in vibrant color, that's the play. And it's all very Wes Anderson.

In "real life (filmed in less vibrant black and white)," we also get to know the writer and the actors playing the parts in the play (in a nod to The Actor's Studio and the creative process). So like I said, there is a lot going on. In fact, too much. While recording the play, Jones Hall, the actor playing Augie (who is also Schwartzman), confronts the play's director, Schubert Green (oh, right, Adrian Brody is in this too), telling him he "still doesn't understand the play."

And that, my friends, is the most profound statement in the film.  Despite the star-studded cast (everyone and their grandmother seems to want to work with director Wes Anderson - Margot Robbie also has a cameo in this), I not only didn't understand the play, I didn't get the point of the film, and worse, I did not enjoy it. But maybe that was the point. It wasn't supposed to be enjoyable. There is a lot of talk about the meaning of life and it's no fun trying to figure that out.

However, I give Wes Anderson props.  He is one of our best directors. You can count on his films being colorful and idiosyncratic with first-rate production values and original screenplays (this one written with Roman Coppola), but he can be an acquired taste.  His films are all over the place from linear, understandable and enjoyable ("The Isle of Dogs" and "The Grand Budapest Hotel") - I loved those - to way, way out there ("The French Dispatch").  I didn't like it.

 

Rosy the Reviewer says...sadly, this one for me, falls into the "I didn't like it" category.

(Streaming on Peacock and for rent on Amazon Prime)

Are You There God, It's Me Margaret

The angst of adolescence.

It's the 1970's and Margaret (Abby Ryder Fortson) returns from a great summer at camp only to discover that her family is moving from Manhattan to New Jersey.  Margaret is not happy about that because New York is where she has grown up and where all of her friends are.  This leads her to ask, "God, are you there?" And Margaret keeps talking to God as she navigates, not only the changes to her life in New Jersey and the pressures from her new friends, but the changes in her body as she enters puberty.

Meanwhile, Margaret's parents, Barbara (Rachel McAdams) and Herb (Benny Safdie), are also navigating their new lives.  Barbara has given up her job as an art teacher to become a stay-at-home Mom, and she is not doing well with that.  She volunteers for all of the PTA committees because she has nothing else to do, but her heart isn't in it.

So Margaret is struggling to adapt to her new life in New Jersey, and so is her mother. But what 11-year-old cares about what is going on with her mother when there are so many other things to think about like...boys?

Herb is Jewish and Barbara is Christian, so they deal with that by not celebrating any religious holidays. They want Margaret to make her own decisions when it comes to religion. When Margaret's teacher assigns Margaret a paper on religion, Margaret starts asking questions about Barbara's parents. Margaret has a close relationship with Herb's mother, Sylvia (Kathy Bates), but doesn't know Barbara's parents at all. Barbara shares that they were not happy about the marriage and disowned her. Now Margaret's conversations with God are really urgent as she grapples with religious choice.

I trained as a young adult librarian and, when Judy Blume came on the scene with the book upon which this film is based, it was a huge deal because she dealt with real tween and teen issues, something that hadn't really been done before, especially all of that talk about menstruation, which has caused this book to be banned many times over the years.  Never mind that young girls might need some reassurance that puberty is natural and that they will get through it.  Judy Blume performed a public service to skittish parents who avoided these kinds of discussions but what thanks does she get?  Her book gets banned. 

Blume was able to capture the tween world of young girls, and this movie also does a good job bringing it all back to those of us growing up in the 60's and 70's. Margaret is befriended by Little Miss Know-It-All, Nancy Wheeler (Elle Graham), who confidently talks about boys and bras and the importance of getting one's period.  She brings Margaret into her secret club where the girls are obsessed with boys, practice kissing on their bedposts (I practiced on my Dr. Kildare pillow), and long to wear a bra, diligently performing exercises to fit into one - "I must, I must, I must increase my bust?!" When that fails, stuffing it with toilet paper works!    

Adapted from Blume's book and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, the film is well-acted (I especially enjoyed Fortson who is fun to watch because she has one of those really expressive faces) and captures the spirit of the book and the times and what it's like to be a young girl on the cusp of womanhood. I am surprised it has taken this long to get this film version made.  The book was written in 1970.  Judy Blume is one of the producers, so maybe it's one of those things where if you want to get something done, do it yourself. There is nostalgia for those of us who lived this era - Princess phones and 70's music - but hard to believe today's 11-year-olds would be this naive.  I mean, do kids still play "Spin the bottle?"

Fortson is the center of this film as her face tells it all.  But McAdams is also wonderful, exuding a loving warmth as Margaret's mother.

Rosy the Reviewer says...A fitting tribute to a watershed coming of age book. (Amazon Prime)

Full Time 

What it's like to be a single working Mom in France...during a transportation strike.

Julie Roy (Laure Calamy) is a working mom with two kids.  She has moved to a Paris suburb to give her kids a good life, but it's not such a good life for her because she works in Paris as a maid supervisor in a five star hotel and her commute time is killing her. She takes her kids to a babysitter at the crack of dawn and then embarks on a long slog to get to Paris. Her babysitter is threatening to stop caring for her kids because her schedule is so erratic. The ex-husband is slow with his child support and her money is running out.  It comes to light that she had a high end job at one time, and she has managed to get an interview for a better job, but how does she get to that interview without her boss finding out?  She can't afford to lose her current job but it's not looking good for her. Add to that a transportation strike and her life is hell. What will happen?

Who knew a movie about a single mom trying to get to work would turn out to be a thriller?

Written and directed by Eric Gravel, the film will pull you into Julie's world. The acting here is wonderful.  Calamy is believable and powerful and the production values are also first-rate. Whether it's Paris or the U.S. this is as real as it gets when it comes to a single parent trying to do the best for her kids and it's about time these folks get some props for the stressful balancing acts they must perform every day. 

Rosy the Reviewer says...it's a gripping foray into the world of a working mom.  I liked it, but as a film experience perhaps not for everyone. (Amazon Prime) 

Polite Society

Ria plots to save her sister from a bad marriage.

Ria (Priya Kansara) is a young Pakistani girl growing up in upper class London with her parents and older sister Lena (Ritu Arya). She aspires to become a movie stuntwoman like her idol, Eunice Huthart, who won the British TV series "Gladiators" and then came back as a Gladiator herself known as Blaze.  Ria calls herself "The Fury" and creates YouTube martial arts movies with the help of her sister, Lena, who has dropped out of art school, discouraged and depressed, feeling she wasn't good enough to become an artist.  Ria's parents are not too happy with Ria's dream, but Ria does not want to live up to conventional expectations.   

Both sisters are very close until Lena meets the suave Salim (Akshay Khanna), and they decide to get married and move to Singapore.  But when Ria discovers Salim's dark intentions, she is determined to stop the wedding, so she enlists the help of her two best friends, Clara (Seraphina Beh) and Alba (Ella Bruccoleri), and they concoct a plan to save Lena.

First they try to use diplomacy.  That doesn't work.  Then they try to find dirt on Salim and eventually they plan to smear his name by breaking into his home and planting incriminating evidence. It all goes very wrong and is all very funny.

Written and directed by Nida Manzoor, there is a lot to enjoy here. 

From Ria's Jackie Chan kicks as she practices her martial arts to "waxing as torture" when Salim's mother (Nimra Bucha) catches Ria breaking into her house, the film is a nonstop mix of genres and it's a delight.  There are funny nods to spy movies, sci fi, musicals, westerns, even Jane Austen and actress Kansara is obnoxiously endearing.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a joyful comedy of manners that is over-the-top but stylish and fun and with a message to young girls that cuts through cultural lines. Be yourself and follow your dreams. (Streaming on Peacock)

Showing Up

A sculptor prepares for her upcoming show but everyday battles threaten to interfere with her life.

Michelle Williams stars as Lizzy, a quiet woman living in Portland, Oregon, who just wants to get her art show ready.  But stuff keeps happening.  Not very much stuff, mind you, but stuff.

Her water heater doesn't work and her landlord and seemingly best friend, Jo (Hong Chau), is taking her time getting it fixed. Jo is also an artist and Lizzy is envious of Jo. Jo is the opposite of Lizzy.  Where Lizzy is downtrodden and rarely smiles, Jo throws parties and seems to have it all figured out. And then there is a wounded pigeon that Jo foists onto Lizzy and taking care of it also interferes with her work.

Judd Hirsh plays Lizzy's father and there are some humorous moments with him but all in all, this was kind of a slog, because Lizzy is a downer. 

This film is Williams' fourth collaboration with director Kelly Reichardt (who also wrote the screen play with Jonathan Raymond), but I have to wonder what drew her to this project.  The film is deliberate and slow and not much happens. I know it's all about the world of artists and the creative process, but the film didn't make me care about Lizzy or that, and the bit with the bird is a rather obvious metaphor about breaking free but...yawn. It just took too long to get to the point and I'm not even sure what that was.   

Rosy the Reviewer says...yes, Michelle Williams is in this film and she is a fine actress but otherwise?  Zzzzzz (Amazon Prime)

Sanctuary 

Gee, what does a man do when his dominatrix goes rogue?

Not something most men have to deal with (I hope), but that's what happens to Hal (Christopher Abbott) in this rather kinky two-hander (that's Brit for a film with just two actors) that also stars Margaret Qualley, Andie MacDowell's talented daughter. 

Qualley has cut quite a swath through Hollywood. She came onto the scene in "Once Upon a Time in Hollywood" as one of Manson's girls and later starred in "Maid," a wonderfully good mini-series.  Here she plays Rebecca, the dominatrix for Hal, a man who has just inherited his father's hotel empire and Hal, anticipating his new high profile role, wants to end the relationship so he doesn't get found out.  Rebecca says, "Nope!"

Written by Micah Bloomberg and directed by Zachary Wigon, it's just Qualley and Abbott in something like a love story.  It's all about the acting and the relationship between the actors, and I can appreciate that but it's yet another kind of a slog.  I have a high tolerance for slow moving talkie films, but this one took too long to get to the point.  It's all about control and gender and sex but you don't even get to see any sex.

Rosy the Reviewer says...it's well-acted and an interesting concept, but I can't for the life of me understand how this got on a mainstream "best of" list.  This is TOTALLY not for everyone. (Amazon Prime)

So my final word...

This New York Times list came out before "Barbie," "Oppenheimer" and even the latest "Mission Impossible" and Indiana Jones movies, so one can't help but wonder if any of those films would have made that list.  I have a feeling the answer would be no.  Except for "Asteroid City," the entire list is made up of indies, so that seems to be the jam. I would like to have seen "No Hard Feelings" on this list because it's one of the few comedies I have seen in the last few years that actually made me laugh, but comedies don't often get the respect they deserve. But it's on MY best of list.

All in all, I question whether these films are the best films for the first half of 2023, but thank you, New York Times, for alerting me to some movies I might not have known about, especially "Polite Society," which was my favorite on this list. 

So, the "best of" moniker aside, were these films at least must sees?

Rosy the Reviewer says...in order of appearance...maybe, yes, sort of, yes, and no and no.

So there you have it. You and I are not in agreement, New York Times, but no hard feelings?

And as Rosy the Reviewer always says...I see the bad ones so you don't have to!

Thanks for reading!

See you next time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer 

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critic Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

(NOTE:  If you are looking for a particular movie or series, check out this cool site: JustWatch.  It tells you where you can access all TV series and movies)

"Barbie" and "Oppenheimer"

I just couldn't bring myself to name this post "Barbenheimer."  I didn't want to jump on that odd couple bandwagon but turns out it was a genius marketing ploy because the film industry was able to turn the openings of two disparate films into one of the top five biggest opening weekends in film history.

But I was not lured into seeing the two as a double feature.  Even I, Rosy the Reviewer, can't do five hours in a row, but I managed to see both films within four days of each other (c'mon, I'm old.  I need to recover from things).

So...What did I think?  Well, I am glad you asked.

Barbie (2023)

Barbie has an existential crisis and must enter the Real World to save her perfect Barbieland.

I was 11 or 12 when I got my first Barbie doll.  I know.  I was still playing with dolls at 12! But little girls weren't as sophisticated in the 50's as they are now. No Internet to warp our little minds.  Just Walt Disney.  Anyway, I think of that doll often, particularly what she might be worth today if I still had her.  I had the black velvet evening gown and the pink party dress and all of her accessories.  I kept her safe for years but when I went to college my mother said my niece wanted my Barbie.  I hesitated but then said okay but I wanted her back when she was done playing with her. Guess what?  I never saw her again.

But Barbie had an impact on me.  And that's what this movie is also trying to do.  Yes, it's silly - I mean it's about a doll coming to life - but there is a message.

Barbie (Margot Robbie) lives in Barbieland, a perfect world where she gets up every day in her pink bed in her pink room in her pink Dream House.  Looking perfect, she greets her fellow Barbies and flies out of her house into her pink Corvette to go do whatever perfect dolls do. Barbieland is a society where the women run things.  They are self-confident and successful and hold all of the important positions, from doctors and lawyers and astronauts to positions on the Supreme Court to President.

Margot Robbie plays "Stereotypical Barbie," but Barbieland includes all of the various Barbies that Mattel has created over the years - from Midge, the pregnant Barbie (never knew about her) to Share a Smile Becky, the Barbie in a wheelchair.  Tanner, a toy dog that actually poops, is also there (didn't know about him, either) along with Ken's long forgotten friend, Allen (Micheal Cera), a running joke throughout the film.  And, yes, then there are the Kens, but they hang out mostly at the beach. They don't have much to do. Beach Ken (Ryan Gosling) only feels good when Barbie acknowledges him.  He wants to have a relationship with her but Barbie prefers her independence and girl sleepovers. It's all a perfect Barbie World.

Until one day Barbie suddenly thinks about... DEATH!

What!!!  And then her naturally high-heeled feet go flat and horrors of horrors - she has cellulite.  What is going on?  She goes to see Weird Barbie (Kate McKinnon). In case you didn't know, Weird Barbie is a Barbie who has been tortured and mistreated by her child owner as in having her hair cut off and her face painted with markers.  Anyway, Weird Barbie tells her that there has been an opening in the dimension separating Barbieland and the Real World and it has been caused by a child playing with her and feeling bad and Barbie needs to go to the Real World and find that child to solve the problem.

So off she goes and wouldn't you know, Ken has stowed away in the back seat of her Corvette.  She reluctantly lets him tag along.  Not good.  When they get to the Real World, which in this case is Los Angeles, Ken discovers the patriarchal system so rampant in the Real World and likes it. Here it's men who run things and he likes that. He feels respected for the first time.  He heads back to Barbieland to institute his own version of the Patriarchal System, which to him is more about horses and little beer fridges, but he also manages to subjugate the other Barbies to handmaiden status.

Meanwhile, Barbie has located the cause of her doll version of an existential crisis.  It's Gloria (America Ferrera), a Mattel employee, who was depressed about her daughter rejecting her so she started reminiscing and playing with her daughter's Barbies, thus transferring her angst onto them and causing our Barbie's issues.

Still with me?

When Barbie returns to Barbieland with Gloria and her daughter, she is horrified to learn what Ken has done and become.  He has become a mansplaining bro and turned her Barbie Dream House into the Casa Dojo Mojo House. 

Barbie needs to extricate her fellow Barbies from Ken's control and at the same time bring back her own self-esteem and help Ken with his.  Will she be able to do it?

Gloria gives Barbie a great speech about what we women have to live with and it helps shake Barbie out of her stupor.

"It is literally impossible to be a woman...Like, we have to always be extraordinary, but somehow we're always doing it wrong...You're supposed to stay pretty for men, but not so pretty that you tempt them too much or that you threaten other women because you're supposed to be a part of the sisterhood...You have to never get old, never be rude, never show off, never be selfish, never fall down, never fail, never show fear, never get out of line... I'm just so tired of watching myself and every single other woman tie herself into knots so that people will like us. And if all of that is also true for a doll just representing women, then I don't even know."

Needless to say, you can image how this message would fly with certain male politicians and pundits.  Well actually, it hasn't flown. They are already objecting to the feminist themes and the portrayal of men in this movie, but of course the oppressors don't want the oppressed to talk about their oppression.

Margot Robbie is the perfect Barbie.  She is a really good actress but also beautiful.  Funny moment when toward the end of the film, Barbie says "I'm not pretty anymore" and narrator Helen Mirren says "Note to filmmakers: Margot Robbie is not the actress to get this point across."

As for Ryan Gosling, at first I thought he was an odd choice for Ken.  I think of him as a serious, even grumpy actor, who would never deign to play Ken, but he is quite wonderful and, if anything, steals the show (and I'm not talking about his abs).  He is funny and all in (and those abs are real)! 

Funny story about Ken playing second fiddle to Barbie.  When our daughter was growing up, she had Barbies but one day came home from a friend's house and said, "She has the MAN!" So, Ken, you had some fans out there!

The Barbie Doll has been a controversial figure because of...well, her figure.  Some have said she gave little girls unrealistic expectations about womanhood, but Barbie was also a feminist icon that showed little girls that they could aspire to any role.  Barbie was an early female astronaut, a doctor, even President!

There are some great moments in the film with lot's of pop culture references but the opening sequence, homage to "2001: A Space Odyssey" is particularly funny as is Ryan Gosling's Bob Fosse dance number. Also Mattel makes fun of itself with its all male Board of Directors headed by the clueless (and very funny) CEO (Will Farrell).

The film was written by Greta Gerwig and her partner, Noah Baumbach, and directed by Gerwig. It was the biggest weekend opening for any female director, which happily plays right into the theme of this film which is female empowerment and a reminder that the Real World is still a male dominated society, but we women don't do ourselves any good living in a bubble wishing for perfection.  It's all about dealing with the vagaries of life and going for what we want.

Rosy the Reviewer says...it's very silly at times and uneven, but it's also vibrant and fun, the production values are fantastic and so is the message to young girls.  Mothers, take your daughters! (Now streaming on Max and available for rent or purchase on Amazon Prime). 

Oppenheimer (2023)

Biopic about J. Robert Oppenheimer, the inventor of the atomic bomb.

The younger generation probably knows little about Oppenheimer but also doesn't know much about The Cold War and what Baby Boomers went through during those years because of his bomb, how we had nuclear war drills at school which consisted of diving under our desks...like that would save us from an atomic bomb.  But the fear of a nuclear war was very real in those days and it seems we came very close during the Bay of Pigs.  But I'm not blaming Dr. Oppenheimer.  In the end, he actually felt guilty about his bomb.

But this film begins way before that.

J. Robert Oppenheimer (played by Cillian Murphy) is often called "The Father of the Atomic Bomb."  After getting a B.A. in chemistry from Harvard, he studied in Germany at the University of Gottingen where he received his doctorate and brought quantum physics to the U.S. He became a professor at UC Berkeley in 1936 and made significant contributions to theoretical physics. 

As portrayed in the film, Oppenheimer was highly intellectual and a brilliant scientist, but he was also arrogant and had a very messy private life. His wife, Kitty, played by Emily Blunt, was not a happy camper for a variety of reasons. 

And, in the end, Oppenheimer appeared to have had reservations about his part in dropping the atomic bomb on Japan to end WWII. To make matters worse, in the 1950's during the Red Scare, he was also denounced as a traitor because of his past with the U.S. Communist Party and his opposition to the development of the hydrogen bomb which led to the revocation of his security clearing. The film also gets into the whole issue of jealousy within the scientific community, especially related to his association with Lewis Strauss (played by Robert Downey Jr.), the Atomic Energy Commission chair, who turned out to be his arch nemesis.

So the film, based on the book "American Prometheus" by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin, does a good job of covering Oppenheimer's life and career, but, sadly, it was very slow to get going and was an hour too long. There just wasn't enough drama for such a long film. 

Writer/director Christopher Nolan seemed to realize he needed more drama, so it felt like he tried to drum up some drama with a distracting score that was sometimes so loud it obstructed the dialogue and special effects that were irritating.  And speaking of the dialogue, it was either the kind of snappy dialogue you find in a sophisticated comedy or it was overdramatic. The editing was also distracting as it jumped around from Oppenheimer's personal story to one Congressional or court hearing after another and changed back and forth from black and white to color, the purpose of which was fuzzy. There was a lot of scientific talk which we civilians sometimes can't quite understand, so a little less jumping around might have helped us process all the big words and concepts like molecular wave functions and neutron stars.

However, the acting was first rate. 

Cillian Murphy was understated but fine and actually looked very much like the real Oppenheimer. Matt Damon, who played General Leslie Groves, the Los Alamos military advisor, was also good and believable, but I kept waiting for Robert Downey Jr. who I had heard was wonderful in this, and so was floored when I realized at the end of the film that he played Strauss!  I would never have suspected that it was he in a million years.  And it wasn't just the make-up.  In every way, he was someone other than Robert Downey Jr.  Expect Oscar nominations for him. Gary Oldman was also unrecognizable as Truman as was Florence Pugh in a small role that probably didn't really need to be in the film. Other big names came and went. But special kudos to the make-up department led by Luisa Abel.  

Rosy the Reviewer says...though I give this film props for its historical significance, all in all it was disappointing. There was not enough drama to sustain a three hour movie.  I would have enjoyed it more as a documentary (Streaming on Peacock Feb. 16).

Final thoughts: "Barbie" depicts a world run by women.  In "Oppenheimer," the world is run by men.  No bombs in Barbie's world.  I'm just saying.

Thanks for reading!

See you next time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer 

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critic Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

(NOTE:  If you are looking for a particular movie or series, check out this cool site: JustWatch.  It tells you where you can access all TV series and movies)

"No Hard Feelings" and a Couple of Other Good Movies You Should Know About

[I review the new Jennifer Lawrence comedy "No Hard Feelings" as well as two other films: "Moving On" and "The Quiet Girl")

No Hard Feelings (2023)

Maddie (Jennifer Lawrence) needs money to save her home so when she sees an ad to "date" a young man, she goes for it!

Where has Jennifer Lawrence been?  

Not sure how many people saw her 2022 movie "Causeway (I know I didn't)," and she had a two year break between "X-Men:Dark Phoenix" and "Don't Look Up."  Before that, she was the cool girl starring in those "Hunger Games" movies, but later, she was only doing one or two movies a year.  She herself admitted that she took a break.

But now she is back...and boy is she. This latest movie written by Gene Stupnitsky and John Phillips and directed by Stupnitsky, reminded me of just how much I had missed her and why.  She is not only a lovely actress but she has real acting chops and here shows her instinct for comic timing. And thanks to the writing, this movie is original and REALLY funny! I can't tell you how many supposed comedies I have been to and didn't laugh once. People, I laughed and laughed and laughed.  And I even shed a little tear at the poignant ending.

Lawrence plays Maddie Barker, a young woman who has lived in Montauk all of her life.  She lost her mother and her mother left her their house but Maddie is about to lose the house due to overdue property taxes. She doesn't want to sell the house because she is bitter about the "summer people," rich folks who take up space in Montauk and make it difficult for the natives to live there. And now her car has been repossessed.  Not good for an Uber driver who needs money.  And let's face it.  Maddie isn't living her best life. We learn early that she has been going from man to man, she has no problem doing whatever the hell she wants and doesn't appear to be looking to the future.  

So she is intrigued by an ad she sees.  A couple is offering a car to any young woman who will "date" their introverted son.  Notice "date" in quotes? Get it, right? 

Allison (Laura Benanti) and Laird Becker (Matthew Broderick) are those rich types that Maddie doesn't approve of.  Their son, Percy (Andrew Barth Feldman), is 19 and hardly leaves his room, he doesn't drive and has no friends. He will be off to Princeton in the fall and his parents are worried he won't make it there if he doesn't...okay, let's be clear here...if he doesn't have sex.  Laird has a fond memory of also being shy at that age but thanks to a young woman who educated him in the ways of the flesh, he was able to come out of his shell and enjoy college. He wants that for Percy. What a Dad!

The Beckers are your typical helicopter parents who do everything for their son.  They even know his passwords and track his phone. But I would say this is extreme helicoptering.  But it also makes for a very funny film.

Maddie goes for an interview with the Beckers. They were looking for a woman in her early twenties and Maddie has to admit she is 32 but manages to get the gig.  Now she just has to figure out a way to meet Percy, have sex with him and keep this deal with his parents a secret. She really needs that car!  Let the comedy begin.

Feldman is a relative newcomer to film acting, though he starred in "Dear Evan Hansen" on Broadway.  He took time away from his Harvard education for this film (I wonder how he feels about playing a future Princeton grad), but I predict we will see more of him.  He is very believable here as the introverted and romantically clumsy Percy.  And it's funny to see Broderick as a helicopter Dad when you remember he was Ferris Bueller.  The rest of the ensemble is also first rate.

But this is Lawrence's movie.

I always admire actors who are unafraid to let it all hang out when it comes to their characters and Jennifer literally let's it all hang out. When Percy and Maddie go skinny dipping in the ocean, some teens try to steal their clothes. Hold on to your seat as Maddie rises out of the sea, stark naked, and proceeds to beat the crap out of those kids to get their clothes back. Jennifer is one brave actress!

Rosy the Reviewer say...so glad you are back, Jennifer. I enjoyed this movie from beginning to end. This is a must-see summer movie! (In theatres and available on YouTube)

Moving On (2022)

Claire (Jane Fonda) and Evelyn (Lily Tomlin) are old friends who reunite at a funeral and get involved in a murder plot.

After seeing the latest "Book Club" movie, I had forgiven Jane and Lily for the abominable "80 for Brady." And being a "Grace and Frankie" fan, I was happy to see them together again here, just the two of them. 

Claire and Evelyn were college roommates but they had become estranged.  But when their friend, Joyce, dies, they see each other again at Joyce's funeral.  Claire is clearly agitated at the funeral and it turns out that something terrible happened between Joyce's husband, Howard (Malcolm McDowell), and Claire years ago.  She never told anyone because she didn't think anyone would believe her, but it affected Claire's life to the point that she became estranged from her friends, left her husband and had not been able to move on since that day.  

So Claire plans to kill Howard - she even tells him she is going to kill him - and she enlists Evelyn's help. Evelyn is a retired musician who speaks her mind and also has issues from her past causing her pain. She hates Howard too. The two embark on what turns out to be a series of often humorous failed murder attempts until the big reveal near the end of the film. In the meantime, there are some tender moments when Claire reunites with her ex-husband, Ralph, played by Richard Roundtree.

Fonda is poignant as Claire going from a tightly wound woman who has held everything in for years to one who can finally feel her emotions and Tomlin delivers her wisecracks in her usual funny dry monotone.  McDowell's Howard is creepy - you will hate him too - and Roundtree is wonderfully handsome.  He doesn't seem to have aged a bit.

By pairing Fonda and Tomlin together, the film is definitely cashing in on their real life friendship and chemistry as well as the "Grace and Frankie" series, but though there are comedic moments, this film, written and directed by Paul Weitz, is a far cry from "Grace and Frankie" in how it deals with the issues of aging, regret, loss of independence, revenge, privileged men and well...moving on. Their characters here do us older ladies proud, unlike the nutty old ladies they played in "80 for Brady."  So like I said, Jane and Lily, I have forgiven you for that. You have more than redeemed yourselves with this wonderful little film.

Rosy the Reviewer says...if you need a "Grace and Frankie" fix but one with a twist, you will enjoy this. (on DVD and for rent on most streaming platforms).

The Quiet Girl (2022)

Withdrawn nine-year-old Cait (Catherine Clinch) is sent away to live with her middle-aged distant cousin and her husband.

In the summer of 1981, shy nine-year-old Cáit is living with her three older sisters and poor and neglectful parents in rural Ireland. Her mother is pregnant again and her father is a drunk. Cait is struggling in school, bullied and must steal food from her classmates in order to eat because she is sent to school without lunch. For a reason not really explained, it is decided to send Cait away to live with a middle-aged distant cousin Eibhlín (Carrie Crowley) and her husband Seán (Andrew Bennett) on a farm in another county.

Unlike at home, Eibhlin treats Cait with warmth and love, teaching her how to do chores and buying her new clothes. Sean, on the other hand, is initially withdrawn and acts coldly towards Cait. 

One day when Eibhlín is away, Sean takes Cáit out to the far side of the farm to do chores. While he is busy, Cáit wanders off which causes Sean to panic when he notices she is gone. After finding her, he scolds her and tells her to never wander off again, but later Seán expresses remorse and begins to make an effort to bond with Cáit. He encourages her to run to get the mail, turning it into a game and timing her. Slowly, the two become close. Under the care of Eibhlin and Sean, Cait flourishes and she learns that life can be good. But one day when a neighbor is looking after her, Cait learns about a tragic event in the lives of Eibhlin and Sean, something they had kept secret.

Based on the story "Foster" by Claire Keegan and written and directed by Colm Bairead, this is a beautifully written, produced and photographed coming-of-age story spoken mostly in Irish with English subtitles. It is so thoughtfully presented, it is almost like a poem. Not much happens as the story unfolds but the film will pull you in and after it is over you will not be able to forget it, especially young Catherine Clinch's mesmerizing face. 

This film did what films are supposed to do.  It created an experience for the viewer.  And I am not alone in my praise. It was critically acclaimed and was nominated for Best International Feature Film at the last Academy Awards, the first Irish film to be nominated for an Oscar.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a small film with a very big heart that you will not be able to forget.  The ending will make you cry. ( In Irish with English subtitles. (available on Hulu.  It is also on DVD and for rent on most streaming platforms)

Thanks for reading!

See you next time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer 

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critic Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

(NOTE:  If you are looking for a particular movie or series, check out this cool site: JustWatch.  It tells you where you can access all TV series and movies)

More Good Movies You Might Not Know About

[I review M. Night Shyamalan's latest film "Knock at the Cabin" as well as two British films: "The Phantom of the Open" and "Love Sarah."]

Knock at the Cabin (2023)

Eric (Jonathan Groff) and Andrew (Ben Aldridge) are on vacation with their daughter, Wen (Kristen Cui), at a remote cabin when there is an ominous knock on the door.  Uh-oh.

This is one of those "What if...?" movies as in what if you were having a nice vacation in a cabin in the woods - just you and your husband and your daughter - and four people knock on the door and then force their way into your life and tell you that if you don't decide to kill one of your family members, the world will end.

That's a big "what if...?" right?

Well, that's what is happening here. 

Eric and Andrew are on vacation in a remote cabin with their adopted daughter, Wen.  While Wen is outside capturing grasshoppers "to study," she is approached by a man who introduces himself as Leonard (Dave Bautista).  But after awhile he gives Wen the creeps and she sees three other strangers carrying weapons.  She runs inside to tell her dads about the man.  But before anyone can do anything, Leonard and the three others are knocking on the door and eventually break it down.  

Along with Leonard, we meet Redmond (Rupert Grint), Adriane (Abby Quinn) and Sabrina (Nikki Amuka-Bird).  They have come to tell Eric and Andrew that the world will come to an end if they don't decide to sacrifice one of their family members. Naturally, Eric and Andrew say, "uh...no..." But then Eric and Andrew are tied up as Leonard tells his doomsday story.

Leonard tells Eric and Andrew that they are not there to kill them, but if they don't make this sacrifice, they will live but will roam the earth alone after the rest of humanity has perished.  Leonard turns on the TV to show Eric and Andrew what is happening in the world - first a tsunami hits the West Coast, then a virus, then airplanes start falling from the sky. Is any of this true? Is it a conspiracy?  What will Eric and Andrew decide?

Leonard's menacing physique belies the fact that he is actually a gentle giant, a second grade teacher who has joined forces with Sabrina, who was a nurse and Adriane and Redmond (not sure what they did before becoming weapon-wielding prophets of doom), all of whom have had the same apocalyptic visions.

Through a series of flashbacks we get to know more about Eric and Andrew and the others, and the film briefly deals with same-sex marriage and hints at the discrimination that gays have experienced but it doesn't really go there. I wish it had explored that more.

Based on the book "The Cabin at the End of the World" by Paul Tremblay and directed by M. Knight Shyamalan (who also wrote the screenplay with Michael Sherman and Steve Desmond), Shyamalan is good at these kinds of horror films with preposterous plots.  Shyamalan has a knack for creating tension and making you question reality, so despite the outrageousness of the premise, I was hooked and it was tense.  I mean, really?  Is this for real? What is going to happen? 

Rosy the Reviewer says...yes, it's a crazy premise and sometimes the film is almost laughable, but, at the same time, it is gripping and makes us wonder, just what would we do to save others and that is the kind of movie that becomes a cult classic. (On DVD and for rent on Amazon Prime)

The Phantom of the Open (2021)

Maurice Flitcroft, a complete novice golfer, manages to get himself into the qualifying round of the 1976 British Open. True story.

No, I did not do a typo.  This was not meant to be "Phantom of the Opera."  It really is "Phantom of the Open," and it's all about a guy who couldn't play golf to save his life, but somehow he managed to get himself into the British Open ...and not once, but six times... using pseudonyms and disguises.

Maurice (the Brits pronounce this "Morris") Flitcroft (Mark Rylance) is a retired crane operator who needs to find purpose.  He had never attempted to play golf before but after seeing a clip of Tom Watson winning the British Open in 1975, just like that, he decides to take up golf and enter the 1976 British Open.  And through a fluke, he gets himself in as a professional and scores 121, the worst score every recorded at the Open by a so-called "professional golfer." 

Based on the book "The Phantom of the Open: Maurice Flitcroft, The World's Worst Golfer," written by Scott Murray and Simon Farnaby (screenplay by Farnaby), this is based on a true story - yes, Maurice Flitcroft was a real guy. 

After the initial debacle that Flitcroft caused at the 1976 Open, the Open did what they could to keep Flitcroft out, but he continued to try to enter and often succeeded by using fake names like Gene Paycheki, Gerrard Hoppy, James Beau Jolley, Arnold Palmtree and Count Manfred von Hoffmanstel and by wearing disguises.  But despite his ineptitude as a golfer, he gained fame, or rather notoriety as "The World's Worst Golfer" and had the distinction of a golf tournament named after him in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Oh, those crazy Michiganders!

Directed by Craig Roberts, this is an enjoyable movie that pokes fun at the stuffy aspects of golf and shows where there's a will, there's a way, as Maurice doggedly follows his dream. Mark Rylance, one of those actors who can do anything and be anyone, embodies the ever optimistic Flitcroft, and likewise, Sally Hawkins as Maurice's loyal and supportive wife, Jean, is perfect.  If Maurice was the world's worst golfer, his wife Jean was the world's best wife.

Rosy the Reviewer says...a feel good movie that golfers will especially like. (Amazon Prime)

Love Sarah (2020)

When her mother is tragically killed right before realizing her dream of opening a bakery in London, 19-year-old Clarissa decides that with the help of her mother's best friend, Isabella, and her grandmother, Mimi, she will open the bakery herself.

Baker Sarah (Candice Brown) and her friend, Isabella (Shelley Conn), were going to open a bakery in London, but Sarah is killed cycling to her new bakery and Isabella is left holding the financial bag.  Not a confident baker herself, she decides to give up and sell the store until Sarah's daughter, Clarissa (Shannon Tarbet), talks her into going ahead with the bakery. Clarissa is a wannabe ballerina with some bad habits who has just broken up with her boyfriend.  She enlists the help of her grandmother, Mimi (Celia Imrie), a retired trapeze artist (I know, where did that come from?), not an easy feat since she has been estranged from her.

At first the women struggle to find their footing, but Mimi hones in on the idea of creating pastries and desserts that honor the diverse Notting Hill population, to give them a taste of home.  You want a Kringle from your home country of Denmark?  Sure, you got it!  Want a Japanese cake?  They will figure out how to make it!

Enter Sarah's ex-boyfriend, the handsome Mathew (Rupert Penry-Jones), who just happens to know how to bake and might just be Clarissa's father.  And there is even some romance for Mimi when inventor Felix (the veteran actor, Bill Paterson) enters the picture.

All of these characters come together to form a community. Wounds are healed as these three women of three different generations grapple with their grief and differences to honor Sarah. They name the bakery after her - Love Sarah.

All of the cast members are excellent, especially Celia Imrie, who is one of those ubiquitous British actresses who you recognize but you don't know her name (right now she is starring in the Netflix series "The Diplomat" and the movie "Love Again.")

Written by Jake Brunger (story by Mahalia Rimmer, Eliza Schroeder and Brunger) and directed by Schroeder, this is one of those small heart-felt movies that the Brits are so good at.

Rosy the Reviewer says...fans of the Great British Baking Show (aka "The Great British Bake Off") will particularly enjoy this (the Sarah of the title - Candice Brown - who is briefly seen at the beginning of the film, is one of the real life winners).  It's a film as sweet as the pastries made in the bakery and just like eating a delicious macaron, you will feel good after seeing this film. (Amazon Prime)

Thanks for reading!

See you next time!

If you enjoyed this post, feel free to like it and share it on Facebook, Twitter, or other sites; email it to your friends and/or follow me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/rosythereviewer 

And next time you are wondering whether or not to watch a particular film, check out my reviews on IMDB (The International Movie Database). Go to IMDB.com, find the movie you are interested in.  Scroll over to the right of the synopsis to where it says "Critic Reviews" - Click on that and if I have reviewed that film, you will find Rosy the Reviewer alphabetically on the list (NOTE:  IMDB keeps moving stuff around so if you don't find "Critics Reviews" where I am sending you, look around.  It's worth it)!

(NOTE:  If you are looking for a particular movie or series, check out this cool site: JustWatch.  It tells you where you can access all TV series and movies)