Inside Out {Movie}

Why I'm watching
It’s got incredibly good reviews, and Tina Fey Amy Poehler is the main character/voice.

Where I saw the movie
Local theater with Alan.

Expectations
Family friendly fun. I was hoping for something on par with Pixar’s other fantastic works, like Up! and Wall-E.

So how was it?

Inside Out is the story of a young girl, Riley, during her move from the Midwest to San Francisco -- or, rather, the story of her emotions. Joy, along with Fear, Anger, Disgust, and Sadness, try to make sense of Riley’s upheaval by exploring the metaphorical landscape of her mind.

Recommendation
EVERYONE. Literally everyone should see this movie. Including people who have already seen it. Go. Now.

Okay, no, this isn’t really a movie for younger children. It’s not going to be scary, but it deals with concepts that young children might not understand. They'll be super bored.

And if you're depressed, it's a great message, but it will make you feel all the emotions.

Feels
It’s beyond hilarious, but it’s also sweet and upsetting in places… and no, not upsetting like Up! It’s pretty much teaching an entire generation of children (and adults!) the importance of acknowledging and listening to sadness.

Favorites
As an individual character: Anger. Anger is ridiculously hilarious. But the star of this movie is absolutely the relationship (both literal and metaphorical) between Joy and Sadness.

Least favorites
I know a lot of people loved Riley’s imaginary character, and I appreciate his role in the story, but I didn’t actually connect with him as a character.

So what did I really think?

Click "read more"... massive spoilers ahead!

Ant-man // Paul Rudd {Movie}

With more actual ants than anticipated!

Why I'm watching
We were bored, full of burritos, and didn’t feel like going home yet.

Where I watched the movie
Local cinema.

Expectations
Another fairly good Marvel movie. Didn't seem quite as good, but reviews have been positive, so I had no idea what to expect.

So how was it?

Your typical divorced, down-on-his-luck, great-dad-trying-his-best character -- in this case, a cat burglar trying to find gainful employment -- bumbles his way into superhero powers. He then faces down your typical bald, egomaniacal, high-threadcount nemesis, helped by your typical grumpy-but-moral washed-out old scientist guy, and your typical badass hot woman who resents him for most of the movie, then kisses him.

Now with more ants!

It’s definitely worth a watch, and the story is fun, but don’t expect anything on the level of the main Avengers movies (Avengers, Captain America, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc.)

Recommendation
Fans of more comedic comic book movies; for some reason, this felt 90s to me, or like a Jim Carrey movie.

Feels
Fun, funny, family friendly.

Favorites
It might be by-the-book, but oh my god this movie got the comedy right. The fight scenes manage to be both awesome and completely ridiculous. See this for the fight scenes if nothing else -- no, actually, see this for the sidekicks if nothing else. His friends provide a constant background of hilarity, and it actually works with the story (rather than being obnoxious “comic relief”).

Least favorites
Maybe it’s just me -- I’ve been noticing this with a lot of movies recently -- but it felt extremely heavy-handed. We don’t need six conversations, several longing looks, and a close-up on the hero writing out his own motivation in a notebook (“when I get to see Daughter”) to understand that he loves his daughter and needs money to support her. But, whatever, the movie doesn’t take itself too seriously for this to really put me off.

There's some great casting on certain characters, but on the other hand, other actors just dragged everything down. The villain was good, but either the actor or the script (or the director) overdid it. But the worst was Michael Douglas; he was just completely out of place. I don't know what went wrong there, but he was not good.

So what did I really think?

Click "read more"... massive spoilers ahead!

Imitation Game // Benedict Cumberbatch {Movie}

Why I'm watching
I could say that I think Alan Turing is awesome, and it wouldn't be a lie. But I’m really watching this because I’m (still) on a Benedict Cumberbatch kick. I love Turing, but a docu-drama probably wouldn’t normally interest me.

Where I got the movie
Borrowed from Greenwich.

Expectations
Nothing specific; Turing is awesome, Cumberbatch is awesome, Knightly is pretty awesome too. So… awesome. But tragic, all things considered.

So how was it?

Hmm. It pains me to say this, but… not so awesome.

I can’t believe this got an Oscar for screenplay. Worth watching for the acting, absolutely; but the story itself is painfully trite, romanticized, and nowhere near accurate.

The story follows Alan Turing (Cumberbatch), misunderstood mathematical genius, who applies for a job as a code-breaker during WWII. He works to break the German Enigma code, more or less single-handed, often having to fight the rest of his department to do so. The timeline sticks mostly to the WWII era, with a few flashbacks to childhood events, and a small amount of time on Turing's tragic end.

As for the accuracy, well... it's not. I didn’t know most of this when I watched the movie, but it still felt inaccurate because it was just such a textbook hero story. You can read a list of inaccuracies on Wikipedia. Slate also has an interesting article about characterization; I can't bring myself to blame the characterization problems on Cumberbatch, because the entire first half of the plot hinges on Turing being basically on the Autism spectrum. He couldn't have played it any other way (and indeed, when the plot stops harping on the Autism, he becomes a much more engaging character).

Recommendation
It's absolutely still worth the watch if you're interested in Turing's life, gay rights, WWII, cryptography, etc. Don't let my disappointment make this seem like a terrible movie. Just don't expect realism.

Feels
Deliberately classic. Insistently uplifting. Hollywood.

Favorites
Everything about the last few scenes. When Turing breaks down after the project is over, it’s heartbreaking. Apparently Cumberbatch was actually upset.

A police officer also finds him sweeping up cyanide from an experiment -- a nice reference to how historians now think he might have died.

I also appreciated the subtlety and dignity of Turing’s homosexuality. Somehow they got that right, when everything else is so ham-handed. Cumberbatch and Knightly have this fantastic non-sexual chemistry. He manages to deliver a desperate marriage proposal that has all this affection and honestly… and zero romantic interest.

Least favorites
The plot. It’s just so contrived. It tries so hard to be heartfelt, but you can't be heartfelt without being honest and human... which means not relying on a bunch of Heartfelt Tortured Hero tropes. The inaccuracies aren't just inaccuracies; they change the whole tone of the film.

So what did I really think?

Click "read more"... massive spoilers ahead!

Rush // Ron Howard {Movie}

Why I'm watching
We just watched Imitation Game, and needed to watch… something else. It was kinda disappointing.

Where I got the movie
Suggested by JR, and somehow magicked up from Alex’s server.

Expectations
Not very high, considering it’s a movie about auto racing, but it came recommended.

So how was it?

This was surprisingly good! It’s a semi-biographical story about two Formula One drivers, James Hunt and Niki Lauda. Hunt is your typical gutsy American party boy, and Lauda is a cool, cranky tech-head from Austria; they go head-to-head to win the 1976 Formula One season.

It’s not a fair comparison, since we just randomly watched the two movies on the same night, but I was far more impressed by Rush than Imitation Game.

Recommendation
Definitely not just for race fans -- it absolutely holds its own as a drama. I’d recommend it to just about anyone who likes dramas, especially dramas that don’t center around romance.

Feels
Real, conflicted, painful, funny. It’s clear that the actors are playing real people. Yes, there are racing scenes, but it’s not an action movie.

Favorites
Hunt punching out a reporter.

Least favorites
There wasn’t anything in particular that bothered me about the movie, but apparently (according to the wiki) they exaggerated the rivalry; they were actually pretty good friends. I would have liked to see more of that -- actually, all my favorite parts were the rare moments of friendship.

Peacock // Cillian Murphy {Movie}

Why I'm watching
Cillian Murphy is one of my favorite actors, so I’m slowly working through his filmography.

Where I got the movie
Amazon Prime (I think?)

Expectations
Cillian Murphy being ridiculously convincing in a dress; a more ‘traditional’ transexual/transvestite role (plus a healthy dose of crazy) since Kitten was closer to gender fluid. The synopsis and trailer don’t give a lot away about the plot, but it does suggest that he’s either hiding his cross-dressing or has split personalities.

So how was it?

John Skillpa (Cillian Murphy) is a bank teller in a small town -- and he’s got a secret (dun dun dun!). After a freak train accident in his backyard, his secret life -- Emma Skillpa -- is exposed to his gossipy small-town community.

Recommendation
It’s easy to boil this movie down to keywords (psychological drama, gender identity, multiple personalities) but it actually felt very accessible, like any mainstream serious drama.

Feels
Not a ‘fun’ movie in any sense of the word, but it was a lot more… playful? psychological? than I was expecting.

Favorites
Putting brown contact lenses on Cillian Murphy was a booooold move, but it allowed him to create a more inward and earthy character; his blue eyes are just too WOAH for someone like John Skillpa. I like that they put that much thought into the character.

Also, the breakfast scene.

Least favorites
I can’t separate out the parts that I didn’t like from the parts where Murphy’s super awkward insecure character (rightly) makes me uncomfortable.