Gemini Man (2019, USA) | Rating: 2.5/5
A movie that I missed out in the theaters, but caught on DVD. I heard mixed things about it and after seeing it, I understand why. Will Smith and Ang Lee collaborate again for a sci-fi action flick and...it was okay. I enjoyed the action and cutting edge technology, but the story sadly didn't keep my attention. Maybe I would've enjoyed it a little more in the theater with no distractions, but for now it lacked something for me in dialogue and story. I had to read Wiki to understand what I just saw and honestly, it sounded just as uninteresting as the movie portrayed it. I give kudos for its effort because it looked really good!
The Lighthouse (2019, USA) | Rating: 3/5
I promised Buonaventura that I'd watch this with her and, oh boy, what a trip! I've heard nothing but good things about this movie, despite not knowing much about it. Buonaventura has shown me the trailer to it, but even that is a bit vague. For the most part, she was looking forward to Robert Pattinson battling a seagull. By the way, it was brutal! One way I can describe this movie is a slow burn of delusions. The situations mixes cabin fever, guilt, suspicion, and illusion. There's no jump scares or seial killers; it's just two men getting to know each other and questioning everything. If you've seen the director's previous work, The Witch, you kinda know his execution style for storytelling. It's definitely not for everyone, but I'm glad I gave it a watch with great company. If you're planning on watching this, cue up FoundFlix and have Wikipedia by your side. It'll help you understand things better, especially if you're unfamiliar with Greek mythology.
The High Note (2020, USA) | Rating: 3.5/5
I am no stranger to movies that feature music acts, even if they're fictional like Jem and the Holograms, Dreamgirls, and Josie and the Pussycats. No matter what, fiction or non-fiction, they tend to have a very similar formula to them and I expected that to be applied to this movie. Fortunately, it went a totally different direction than I thought. Sure, there are elements I have seen before with a producer or music industry person trying to make it, while navigating love at the same time such as the Pitch Perfect franchise. In this movie, we get to see some of the artist's life struggles along with the glamour, while also rooting for our main character to achieve her dreams in the music industry. The music was pretty good and the story was entertaining enough to keep my attention. I also enjoyed how much effort they put into Grace Davis's (Tracee Ellis Ross) character in the extras ala VH1 "Behind the Stars". It looked like the actors had a lot of fun with this concept and it shows, which makes me happy!
Aladdin (2019, USA) | Rating: 3/5
Ah~ Another unnecessary Disney remake of a classic movie. Like most Disney fans, I am tired of these needless live action remakes, but also like those same Disney fans, I'm curious how things are going to be executed in a different medium. So far, these remakes/reimaginngs have been hit or miss for me. There have been some that I've enjoyed, some I thought were subpar, and others I have yet to touch, but all of them I didn't need in my life. This movie falls in the former. I did enjoy the colorful world of this movie. Yes, it did hit pretty much the same beats as the original while adding a little more "girl power" to Jasmine's character...and kinda speeding up musical numbers and stripping Jafar of his evil flair, but I found it entertaining nonetheless. I don't know why they made the changes they did, but...oh well. I think this remake might be one of the few I'll return to for a third helping as I enjoyed Will Smith's take on the Genie, Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott are simply gorgeous human beings (and talented too), and it was pretty fun to watch. It definitely doesn't beat out the original in the least, but I wasn't completely insulted by the changes made.
Words on Bathroom Walls (2020, USA) | Rating: 4.5/5
I'm sure there's some group of people out there tired of sick teenage love stories based on young adult novels (i.e. Everything, Everything, The Fault in Our Stars, Five Feet Apart). I haven't seen them all of these types of movies, but I had an inkling that this would have a similar vibe to it. To my surprise, it kinda presented something a little different. This movie focuses on a boy dealing with schizophrenia and the struggles him and his family go through together on top of the usual drama. He does somewhat have a love interesting, but it's presented more as a very trusted friend, which it is nice. Out of the tiny handful of this genre of movies I've seen, I really enjoyed that Adam's mental illness is not romanticized nor falls into the typical portrayals of schizophrenia mainstream audiences are used it. It really gives us a very good perspective of what he sees and hears, which definitely adds to that emotional attachment. Definitely check this one out, if you like dramatic teen stories or an excellent depiction of mental illness!
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