Sorry to Bother You

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Sorry to Bother You!

Original image located here. Accessed 29th July 2022

I once saw a video on YouTube wherein the YouTuber proposed that that the movie Sorry to Bother You was better than Idiocracy. Now I haven't seen Idiocracy - I have heard a lot about it and have so far resisted - but I did see a challenge in this claim. And one worth rising to at that.

And this......

....it's a strange one.
On one hand there is decent satire with some delicious jabs taken at race, privilege and businesses that overwork employees. The surreal humour is also quite funny and there is indeed a excellent sense of creativity.
But on the other hand, there is a lot of meandering and the film seem directionless at times. Sure there are some good laughs to be had but when the movie slows down, it can be a chore to get through.
So yeah, not bad but could've been better....

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness!

Original image located here. Accessed 22nd July 2022

I have been following a lot of criticisms about the current phase (no.4) of the MCU. Chief among them is that the movies of this phase seem to lack a sense of direction and, after such a pay-off (Endgame) from years of build-up, there is nowhere left to go.
Personally I did enjoy the Eternals and Spiderman: No Way Home but even I will admit that the criticisms of being directionless are hard to ignore. After all, when you climb the mountain and find nowhere left to go, what do you do?

That being said, I did find this latest instalment to the MCU something of mixed bag. On one hand, there is so much continuity to cater for that the movie seems to groaning under it's own weight. Also, there is a lot going on here that the pacing seems to go at light speed and is therefore difficult to pick up. In addition, this isn't quite the horror movie I was expecting.
But that's for the first half: Maybe it's just me but once the second half kicks in, this movie remembers it's a Doctor Strange movie and plays into it's strengths: The creative & striking visuals and Benedict Cumberpatch. It's great to see Benedict playing different iterations of this character and some truly impressive visuals (the staircase immediately comes to mind). And I also must give credit to director Sam Raimi who is able to make his own stamp - especially when doing so isn't an easy task in the MCU.
So yeah, not a bad effort but the problem of 'where do we go from here' still persists....

Little Miss Sunshine

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Little Miss Sunshine!

Original image located here. Accessed 15th July 2022

I was planning to watch the latest Dr Strange movie but then I noticed this and realised I've been putting this off for far too long.

At first I had no idea what to make of this movie. At times I was left wondering if this was the comedy i was promised as it seemed to come across as more strange than bust-a-gut funny. The laughs seemed slow and what humour was there seemed very off the wall. But within time, this movie won me over: largely through this eccentric cast of characters and watching them facing adversity together. I cna only how many other people have watched this family and remarked: "That's just like mine..."
And there is something to be said that, in world that is divided into winners and losers, being yourself can be an act of defiance.

Also that unforgettable dance to Super Freak:
"What's your daughter doing?!"
"Kicking ass!!"

Reds

And this week's Friday night movie has been.....Reds!

Original image located here. Accessed 8th July 2022

Lets talk about Warren Beatty for a minute.
To me, he is a man of two sides. One is the actor/ladykiller/'i'll-bang-anything-with-legs' and the other is the filmmaker: One who can produce, direct, is willing to take risks and is willing to back his own projects in order to make them happen. Of course, it is the latter side that interests me and the one that seems to less prominent in the mind of the public consciousness (and as such, less difficult to shake off).
So we come to this: A three hour biopic from 1981 which snagged Beatty an Oscar for Best Director. It tells the story of John Reed, a US writer who chronicled the Russian Revolution and even became involved in it. And, as a major selling point, the movie includes footage of people of the era (then aged considerably) describing John and the era this movie portrays.

Perhaps it is fitting that i mention Doctor Zhivago in last weeks post because I feel this is working from the same template: A three hour epic on the Russian Revolution with a romantic framework. And much like Doctor Zhivago I found myself more interested in the Revolution than the actual romance.
And it is with that that Beatty's talents as filmmaker shines through: In the terms of a history this movie is compelling and having the interview footage adds a lot to it with humanity and historical documentation. It may be slow to start with but this movie does indeed gather steam the more it goes on. And it is fascinating to see Reed grow from a passionate idealistic to being defeated by the system he supported.
Have to wonder though: Just how much did Reed resonate with Beatty? Obviously enough to get this movie made would be a suitable answer - But it's a story that Beatty wanted to tell so I'll give him that much.

Lawrence of Arabia

And this week's Friday night movie has been... Lawrence of Arabia!

Original image located here. Accessed 1st July 2022

Well I'm in quarantine so now would a good time as any to address some of the longer running movies in my to-watch list.
I knew this movie on two fronts: a) it's a very famous movie and b) it was directed David Lean. Now I've already seen one of his works, Doctor Zhivago, and it seems to me his films are defined by two characteristics: a) they feature lots of exotic locales and b) they tend to be very long. So should I be put off by such a reputation?

No I shouldn't. Because it seems to me this movie's reputation is justified. It runs over three hours but it never drags. The locations are astonishing and the filmmaking techniques put to use are incredible. The battle scenes are great and there are plenty of unforgettable images. There is plenty of desert sure but the film does a clever job making you feel like you're there - which is saying a lot for a movie approaching it's 60th birthday.
And it's always nice to see a pre-Star Wars Alec Guinness.
I was told that this is one of cinema's achievements and now I see no reason to doubt it.