Bombshell

Bombshell is the dramatized story behind the atrocious behavior and sexual assault lawsuits aimed at Roger Ailes. With an all-star cast, led by Charlize Theron as Megyn Kelly, Nicole Kidman as Gretchen Carlson, and Margot Robbie as Kayla Pospisil, they were able to showcase this horrible environment and how they were all able to fight back. 

This story is one that made headlines a few years ago but it was interesting to see the plot played out. It showcased all the toxicity behind the scenes, the harassing and downright creepy behavior that was encouraged from top to bottom by the men at Fox, the women bashing to protect Roger, and the sacrifices it took to start to make changes in that workplace.

I thought that the script was written well and moved at a proper pace; it kept me engaged throughout. The cinematography and specifically the editing were done well, it really elevated the anxiety of the situation. I appreciated how the story was told from the female perspective with three strong leads. The acting was superb from them and the rest of the cast, especially that from John Lithgow as Roger Ailes, Allison Janney as attorney, Susan Estrich, Kate McKinnon as Fox co-worker Jess Carr, and Connie Britton as Roger Ailes' wife, Beth. There was also great make up and costumes, especially for Charlize who looked just like Megyn Kelly.

Overall this was a story of women banning together to take the power away from a predator. Regardless of what side you are on politically you can relate to these women and feel for their situation. It was a compelling drama that was worth watching.

To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You

To All The Boys: P.S. I Still Love You, is the sequel To All The Boys I Loved Before. The story picks up right where the last one ended following the young budding romance of Peter and Laura Jean, reprised by Noah Centineo and Lana Condor, respectively. 

The plot was a mature, honest look at a complicated relationship, who you choose to be in those relationships, while finding confidence in yourself. There were great themes around friendship, trust, growth and love.

The acting from the entire cast was great again. You can really feel the connections between the performers because of the well written script and the strong character development, which helped in bringing out an emotionally charged and at times quite heartbreaking story. Lana Condor brought such beauty and style to her character and did another great job carrying this movie. I also appreciated the continuality of the diverse casting. I especially loved the addition of John Ambrose, played by Disney & Dancing with the Stars hunk Jordan Fisher. I thought that he did a great job playing the nice guy, the one you would be torn rooting for. Someone with honest, genuine feelings, who is just looking for love.

I enjoyed that they kept with the theme of the original film when it came to the soundtrack. It was another 80s inspired mix of hits intertwined with current pop tunes. Additionally, the cinematography was creative in how they transitioned from act to act. I also adored the costumes, especially those of Laura Jeans’, they were full of bright colors, fashionably bold choices and full of quirk, just like her personality.

From beginning to end this movie was engaging and full of some great twists. If you are looking for a proper coming of age, rom-com sequel that brings out all of the emotions, this is the one for you.

Uncut Gems

Uncut Gems is a crime thriller set in New York in 2012. It follows Howard Ratner, played by Adam Sandler, a shady jeweler and gambling addict, who is deep in debt with his loan shark which causes rifts with his family, business partners and friends. 

After the movies world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival, there was a good amount of hype for it and Sandler’s performance. He was able to really transform for this part. I didn’t see Adam the comedian when watching him, I really felt transported with his portrayal of a character that was loud, neurotic, and at times would make you so frustrated with all of the bad decisions he was making. The rest of the cast did great as well. There were some surprising additions to the group like, Kevin Garnett and Idina Menzel, who both did really well in their respective roles. Also a relatively unknown actor, in her first role, Julia Fox, did a great job as a driven, ambitious showroom sales woman and mistress.

The story was easy to follow, unpredictable and at times nerve-racking. I thought it was interesting how it was set in 2012, surrounded by real life events, but in a fictional screenplay.

In the end, even though the movie was interesting, I felt like it was dragging on too much and about an hour in I was checking to see how much time was left. Also, the editing at the beginning and the end was odd, and the costumes and soundtrack didn’t really fit the era. For me, this is one that I found was original in thought but, because of how it was executed, not one that I would want to watch again.