"Can You Ever Forgive Me?" (directed by: Marielle Heller)
Normally, I turn around when I see a Melissa McCarthy movie, and this is because the brand of comedy she does just seems very cringe-worthy to me. Do I think she is a bad actress? No, but personally, her brand of comedy is not necessarily what I subscribe to. So, to see her take the leap into something a little different seemed like a time to give her a chance and watch the movie. Now, I missed this in theaters, but I was able to rent it on iTunes, so I am sure there are probably a few things I missed. But overall, the film itself was quite humorous.
The film is about biographer Lee Israel, and how she forged letters in order to get money, as she appeared to be falling on hard times in the movie. Whether this is true or not, I am sure we will never really know, but I started to get invested when she tried to get her cat looked after--I'm sorry, I own a cat, and if I brought her to the vet and was told I couldn't get her looked at or be able to give her medicine, I would probably resort to something drastic as well. So, suddenly I am invested, all over a cat. A FREAKING CAT! And there were quite a few times when I was almost yelling at my screen saying for her to take care of the cat! And yes, I cried when (spoiler alert) the cat died.
The banter between McCarthy and Richard Grant (who plays the very flamboyant Jack Hock) was quite witty, and had me laughing quite a few times. I do feel, however, that parts of the movie were rushed, especially when she started getting into stealing real letters, but seriously, how often can you really show trying to sell fake letters? Despite all the "wheeling and dealing" that they say goes on in the collectors world (and I would so believe it, because you see it ALL THE TIME in ANY collectible world), I would have liked to see more of the side of how the FBI got involved. It felt way too rushed after the initial set-up, and therefore got a bit boring too fast. Despite well-given performances by all, the script just went wooshing by, and didn't seem to allow for you to catch it.
"How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World" (directed by: Dean DeBlois)
I never saw the first two movies in theaters, despite eventually seeing them and seeing just how much Toothless is like my cat--seriously, my cat is Toothless, attitude and all. So, when I saw the previews for this, what actually hooked me was the Light Fury. Yes, I know, seems like a very silly reason to be hooked into going to a movie. But I am SO glad I saw this one in theaters.
This movie brings about the closure of the Dragon chronicles in such a way that it definitely feels like you got closure, with Hiccup realizing he has started something that might be detrimental to his home--overpopulating it with dragons he and his friends save. Now, while this might be a noble pursuit, it's not helping anyone on Berk. So, in order to help his dragon friends, they pack up and try to find the Hidden World, a tale that Stoick would tell young Hiccup about. Along the way, they have even more problems to deal with as another enemy tries to kill off Toothless and allow for all the dragons to be controlled.
First of all, the script is fantastic, along with dialogue that is wonderfully written, though I will be honest, my favorite line from all the films is still back in the first one, "Thank you for nothing, you useless reptile." There are quite a few witty remarks, as well as parts that made me cry. Not going to lie, the speech Stoick gave young Hiccup about love and loss had me in tears. Also, it seems that these movies have just set the bar WAY up in the air in terms of visual effects, because this movie was just STUNNING! Honestly, Dreamworks outdid themselves with this movie in terms of the visuals. And the little love story going on between Toothless and the Light Fury is just TOO FREAKING ADORABLE!
By the end of the movie, I had laughed quite a bit, and I had tears in my eyes all over again, and I really don't cry often at movies. It really was a truly wonderful ending to this trilogy, and I hope they don't ruin it by trying to go even further. Honestly Dreamworks, do yourselves a favor with this and go out on top!
"Green Book" (directed by: Peter Farrelly)
I had wanted to see this when I first saw trailers for it, and never got a chance to until this weekend. I am lucky that it was still in theaters, and that's probably because both Vigo and Ali (sorry, cannot spell his first name for the LIFE of me) were up for Oscars. And honestly, after seeing the movie, I can see why!
The movie talks about the real-life relationship between Dr. Shirley, a pianist, and his driver, Tony, as they go on a tour in the Deep South during the 1960s. Let that sink in for a minute. Think about the time frame, think about everything that could go wrong. And it does. Honestly, the racism and stereotypes are very much in your face in this movie, and while some make you want to shudder, others do make you giggle a little, although afterwards, I did not feel good about the giggling. Regardless of those moments, watching the real friendship that forges between Shirley and Tony is beyond touching and it's one of those that you know lasts for a lifetime (and it did, with them dying within months of each other in 2013).
The banter was great, and there were quite a few touching moments of friendship. There was even the moment when, in the downpour, Shirley questions his own identity to Tony, asking, "...then who am I?" There were times when I honestly thought I was watching like the male version of "Driving Ms. Daisy" and yes, I know that Morgan Freeman was in that one as the driver. But there were definitely some messages in this movie that should be felt even in today's day and age, that should be carried throughout life. "You never win with violence."
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