The Shape of Water

The Shape of Water is the Best Picture Oscar winning story of a mute cleaning woman who falls in love with an amphibious man, being held captive at the facility that she works at in Baltimore, during the 1960s.

I found the story to be simple yet unique. It had a little bit of everything in it, sci-fi, romance and drama. The cinematography was very appropriate for the concept of the movie. There was this oceanic hue filter that was in each scene that really helped to keep that theme clear.

I thought that the script was well written and that the acting from the entire cast was entertaining. I liked that this was a female driven script with Sally Hawkins & Octavia Spencer taking the lead. Hawkins portrayal of the mute Elisa Esposito was phenomenal. Without words she was able to convey this very strong willed, curious, empathetic and courageous woman. Octavia Spencer played, Zelda Fuller, fellow cleaning lady, close friend, protector and confidant to Elisa. Though it felt a bit like a type cast for her, I still found her role to be full of depth and properly delivered. It was also nice to see fellow Boardwalk Empire alums, Michael Shannon and Michael Stuhlbarg in the movie. Shannon, I am noticing, is also starting to get type cast with his role as the ruthless and cruel Richard Strickland. Stuhlbarg played a more unique role as the as the smart and caring scientist, Dr. Robert Hoffstetler.

Even though I enjoyed this movie and I liked that it was different, I don’t know if I would have necessarily have awarded this film Best Picture. In part because I think the script had missed a key piece about the civil rights movement. There were a couple of hints made toward the movement and the ongoing segregation within the city of Baltimore, throughout the film, however it was never properly divulged into. I would have liked that backdrop to have had a clearer presence in the film and more of a discussion around how it affected the lives of the characters.

Although that historical detail was missed, I still think that those looking for something off the beaten path would definitely enjoy this one. Therefore, I would still recommend checking this movie out.

Anon

Anon is a Netflix released, futuristic crime/sci-fi/drama film starring Clive Owen and Amanda Seyfried. It tells the story of a world where technology has advanced to the point where there is no privacy or secrecy. Everything is recorded and can be seen though anyone’s perspective. When a hacker, who has figured out how to be hidden from police, goes on string of murders, it is up to detective, Sal Frieland, played by Owen, to figure out what is going on before it’s too late. 

I found the plot to be very unique and interesting. Additionally the script throughout had twists and turns, so it was hard to predict what would happen next and who the true villain would end up being.

I thought that the way the technology was portrayed on screen was like an evolved version of Minority Report. It was creative and cool cinematography.

Additionally, I thought that Clive Own and Amanda Seyfried did a great job playing off one another in their roles, both troubled in their own way, trying to run from their pasts, yet also very much in need of each other to solve the case at hand.

Overall, I really did like this movie. For those looking for an innovative, science fiction drama, I would definitely recommend streaming this one.

Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo: A Star Wars Story is the origins story for Han Solo. It stars relatively unknown actor Alden Ehrenreich as Han Solo.

I thought that the story line for this movie was great, and though some minor parts were foreseeable, the majority of the film was unpredictable. The movie was high action and fun to watch.

Additionally, the acting from the entire cast was well done. I especially enjoyed the fact that people you wouldn’t normally expect in a Star Wars movie were in this movie. Woody Harrelson, Emilia Clarke, Donald Glover and Thandie Newton were all surprise additions that did a fantastic job in their roles.

I thought that all of the women played strong roles who didn’t need men to save them or make their decisions for them. The scene-stealer with all the comedic one lies was again a robot, L3-37, voiced by comedic actress Phoebe Waller-Bridge. I thought that her script was really funny and progressive. I would have liked to see more of Thandie’s character, Val, but the part that she played was impactful. The person, however, who stole the show for me though, was Emilia Clarke, in her role as Qi'ra. She was mysterious, manipulative, and resourceful and was just an overall refreshing role.

I felt like watching some of the late 70s and early 80s Star Wars movies would have helped to add additional context to this movie but it wasn’t a requirement. This is the second origin story that I felt like was better than the new Star Wars sequels. In the end, even though, this wasn’t as good as Rogue One (the original origin story), I do think that this was another well done film that everyone can enjoy.

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom is the sequel to Jurassic World, which is a spin-off of the Jurassic Park trilogy from the 90s. This takes places a few years after Jurassic World ends. The Jurassic World Park has been abandoned, the surviving dinosaurs are roaming free, and the island is threatening to have a volcanic eruption. Because of this Claire (Bryce Dallas Howard) and Owen (Chris Pratt) are forced to re-unite as they are tasked with saving the surviving dinosaurs on the planet before the volcano erupts.

I found this movie to be entertaining and fun, yet very predictable. I’m not one to predict movies but this one was too simple. You knew who the bad guy was within minutes and you could figure out the way scenes would play out before they ended. The script was literally a photocopy of the last 4 movies.

The lack of creativity in this film made me disappointed that it will be getting another sequel in a couple of years. Due to that I really think that this series has run its course and really should stop before they get worse. For die-hard fans, you'll still enjoy it, but for everyone else I say this one could easily be skipped.

Chicago

Chicago is a 1920s themed comedy, crime drama, musical that stars Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger who enlist the talents of a shady lawyer, played by Richard Gere, to get them off for their respective murders.

Even though this movie came out 16 years ago, I thought that it was still very entertaining. The cinematography was well done and the score was catchy and fun. Additionally, the script was engaging and the choreography was very appropriate for the time.

One of my favorite things about this movie was that it was led by two very strong leading ladies. The acting, dancing and singing from both Catherine Zeta-Jones and Renée Zellweger were fantastic. I also enjoyed Queen Latifa’s role in this film. The underlying message about girls coming together was also a great theme.

There were only a couple of things that I didn't agree with. For one, the movie was categorized as a comedy but I didn't find anything really funny about it. There were a couple of cheeky parts but not enough to really warrant a comedic categorization. Also, the main distraction in this whole movie was the singing from the males. Those couple of scenes should have been drastically shorted.

Overall though, I thought that this movie was timeless. If you haven’t seen it I’d definitely say that this is one to watch.

Pitch Perfect 3

Pitch Perfect 3 is the much needed final film in the Pitch Perfect trilogy. It follows the Barden Bellas, now college graduates, who are all unhappy in their new post-graduate careers. Still holding on to their World Finals Championship, they get together to complete one last time during the USO tour.

The things that I liked about the original Pitch Perfect movie were its originality, strong, diverse female characters, comedic timing and relatability. I thought that the plot in this movie was interesting and believable, to a certain extent. The acting from all of the women was entertaining and at times there were some really funny parts. I also liked how they wrapped up the end, with a really heartfelt message about not being afraid to take a leap of faith to try something new that will make you happy.

What I wasn’t a huge fan of is how toward the end of the movie the story just kept getting more and more extreme for no reason. Similar to the second Pitch Perfect movie, I thought that there were parts that didn’t make much sense and were just randomly thrown in for a cheap comedic affect.

This I really feel, is one of those movies that should not have had sequels. The first one was so original and fun they couldn’t really get better than that. Therefore I feel like, this movie is only for the true diehard fans. Those just passing by can easily skip this one.

Sierra Burgess is a Loser

Sierra Burgess is a Loser is another coming of age, romantic comedy from Netflix. When high school outcast, Sierra (Shannon Purser), receives a text from a cute boy (Noah Centineo) from another school, due to a case of mistaken identity, an unexpected friendship develops into something more. In order to keep this Catfish-like romance alive she decides to team up with her bully, the most popular girl in school (Kristine Froseth), to try to win her crush.

Netflix has been peddling a lot of the same Sixteen Candles esque movies lately. This movie unfortunately was not like their hit, To All the Boys I've Loved Before. Though it had a similar theme and a great 80s themed soundtrack, it missed the mark in quality acting, a coherent plot and diverse character development.

The acting from the main cast wasn’t very impressive. The lead, Purser, did a decent job until some of the dramatic parts hit. When she needed to show more emotion it wasn’t very convincing. Centineo, who I have seen twice now in the same love interest type role, really showed me how much he needs to expand his artistic range. 

Parts of the plot made zero sense and the script, at times, was not well written. There was also blow-back from the Catfish theme and what was perceived as members of the deaf community being made fun of. There were a lot of other stereotypes in the film as well, such as the most popular girl in school wasn’t very smart, the smart girl wasn’t pretty and the jock only wanted to peruse the cheerleader.

There was also a lack of overall character development among the cast and a shortage of diversity in the film. Loretta Devine's part was small but enjoyable. I would have really liked to see more from her character. Sierra's best friend, Dan, played by RJ Cyler was another character that had potential but was reduced to a smaller than ideal role. The 2 other minority actors in the film were co-leads that could have also had larger roles but instead were something so minimal that they might as well have not even been there at all.

Therefore, even though the theme was interesting and the soundtrack was great, it could not, in the end, save this movie. Because of that, I think that this one can be skipped.

The Immigrant

The Immigrant is a story based in 1920s New York, of Polish nurse, Ewa, played by Marion Cotillard, and her sister, Magda played by Westworld actress, Angela Sarafyan. It opens as they arrive to Ellis Island only to be separated. The story then follows Ewa as she has to navigate the manipulations of the men around her and making undesirable sacrifices to be reunited with her sister.


I thought that Marion Cotillard did a stunning job, portraying the role of Ewa. She mastered the Polish accent and language along with also portraying a soft spoken, desperate yet very driven character. I thought that the supporting actors, Joaquin Phoenix and Jeremy Renner, also did a pretty good job following in her lead.

The plot was interesting but a bit long and dry. It was also predictable from the beginning. Due to these things, I’d say that the movie was good enough to check out once, but not one that I would seek out again.

Crazy Rich Asians

Crazy Rich Asians is a romantic comedy based on the book of the same name. It follows Rachel Chu, played by Constance Wu, a NYU professor, and her boyfriend Nick Young, played by Henry Golding. When Nick asks Rachel to go with him to his friend’s wedding in Singapore she agrees right away. Not knowing that Nick is the heir to a famous Chinese dynasty and that some of his family members are not too keen to meet her.

I really enjoyed everything about this movie. I thought that the plot was really entertaining and relatable, the script was well written, it pulled at the heart strings, and at times was quite funny. I thought that the cinematography was stunning; it was the perfect promotion to encourage visitors to Singapore. The showcasing of Chinese culture throughout the film was also very fascinating. It was beautiful to see the traditions in a natural, non-stereotypical way, on a national stage. Additionally the character development was strong and the acting from the diverse all Asian cast was really great.

This is a movie that I would definitely see again and I hope that they make more of in the future. If you are looking for a beautifully filmed, super cute and fun chick flick I would recommend checking this one out.