ingrid goes west

If you are the kind of person who are always posting on Instagram, then this is the movie for you. If you are the kind of person who are always looking at other people's posts on Instagram, then this is the movie for you. If you are the kind of person who are tired of people who are always on Instagram, then this is the movie for you. If you are the kind of person who preach to people that Instagram is bad for them, then this is the movie for you. I'm surprised that this movie isn't just called "Instagram: the movie." Actually, maybe I should have wrote that as... "I'm #surprised that this movie isn't just called #InstagramTheMovie. #truth 

Part social commentary, part black comedy, part psychological character study, this movie goes from being a story that you want to laugh at, to a story that you want to laugh with, to a story that you really shouldn't be laughing at. Let's just say that I wouldn't be surprised if somebody was to call this a horror movie. It gets kinda dark, despite many moments of levity and stupidity. The premise of somebody who becomes obsessed with somebody she follows on Instagram, isn't necessarily the description of a light hearted comedy. Either way, it's quite the fascinating story, told through a rabbit hole of madness and sadness. 

At the forefront of this mentally unstable tale, is Aubrey Plaza as Ingrid Thorburn. This is a tour de force performance by her, and despite the craziness that is her character Ingrid, Plaza is able to give us some reasons to sympathize with her. She makes you want to root for her, even though you probably shouldn't. Elizabeth Olsen as Taylor Sloane is the object of Ingrid's obsession, and is perfect as the other perspective on the Instagram angle of the story. With these two leads, it's easy to say that the whole point of the movie is just to see what Ingrid does in reaction to what Taylor says and do. From spur of the moment trips to Joshua Tree, lying about who they are, to trying to be a VIP at a party, it's almost like watching a train wreck. 

"Ingrid Goes West" is definitely not for everybody, because like I previously said, it gets kinda dark. Uncomfortably dark. However, the story definitely has some merit to see it. From Aubrey Plaza's great work here, as well as it being a cautionary tale on what you shouldn't do with your life. 

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logan lucky

Can Steven Soderbergh just do heist movies? He makes entertaining heist movies. With "Logan Lucky," he pulled off giving us a different kind of heist movie, with a different set of characters and a different type of location, that are normally not associated with this genre. It's a pretty refreshing cast and setting to experience a story like this. Although I sometimes wonder if he chose this region of the USA as a form of parody or affection. I'd like to think it's the latter, just based on where the story goes. 

What I appreciated about this heist movie is that it actually takes it's time. There are a lot of seemingly small scenes with the characters, talking about innocuous subject matters. Once you get to the actual heist, the movie doesn't try and rush things there either, and allows us to experience it in a somewhat real-time way that adds to the excitement. There will likely be some people that might get impatient with the pacing, and with some scenes that seem to be created just to add character development. If you accept and allow the story to just breathe, you might feel even more invested with the film. 

The cast is good in this, with Channing Tatum, Adam Driver, and Daniel Craig, leading the charge. Tatum and Driver play their roles in an almost deadpan manner, that it does create some probably unintentional but welcome form of comedy. Craig on the other hand seems to be all in with the energy that his character is able to put on screen, and that creates some intentional bits of comedy. Lead or supporting characters, they are able to bring the right amount of entertainment to this movie. 

If I was to have a problem, it's that the conclusion of the story will potentially make or break a person's opinion about the overall movie. Some will argue that it goes on too long, and some will argue that it goes on too long. Oh wait, that's the same thing... The movie goes on too long, plus the narrative choices made at the final act is also a bit questionable for me. All in all, despite some issues I have, I really found "Logan Lucky" to be quite entertaining. 

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wind river

Starting off with the death of a young Native American woman, "Wind River" sets the movie up as a gritty crime thriller. Saying "thriller" however can be a bit misleading in some way, because this movie isn't exactly like a thrill ride a minute. If anything else, this is really more like a modern western, with it's deliberately careful pacing, a procedural quest to find those responsible for the crime, located in the vast isolated fringe setting of an Indian Reservation in Wyoming, starring a lead character who has to help solve the case while still overcoming a personal tragedy. Cold snow instead of dry dirt, and a hunter instead of a cowboy. Yeah, it's pretty much a western. 

Writer-Director Taylor Sheridan has a knack for giving us interesting premises with his films; coming off from "Hell Or High Water" and "Sicario." In this one, the team up of a composed seasoned Hunter, with a young but passionate FBI agent, to play the whodunit game is quite enjoyable to watch. Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen are excellent in this, and do a great job with their back and forth interactions, as the experienced local and the fish out of water outsider, respectively. It was easy to admire Renner's character as this epitome of a very capable man, but Olsen's character was also good to have as a direct contrast. 

In between the procedural aspects, the actual action sequences, and some humor as well, are scenes filled with compelling introspection and lamentation. The different kinds of characters, the Wyoming setting, and the authority figures, all have something important to add to the movie's narrative, which only makes the story feel even more alive and interesting. With the plot turns and reveals, you're going to want to see this through the end. While it does have a fantastic script, with some great set pieces (like a particular stand-off), there are still some moments in the movie that didn't ring true to me and keeps "Wind River" from being just perfect. While not flawless, this movie is still very much a must-see. 

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the hitman's bodyguard

There's really only one reason to see this movie, and that's for Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L Jackson. The best bodyguard around has to protect the best hitman, which means that this is your classic oil meets water kind of team ups. As a buddy movie, it's entertaining enough. It's not the best of it's type, but it's also not horrible either. It's just average? Maybe slightly above average? Very oh so slightly? 

You should know what you are getting into when you see this movie. The plot progression is pretty standard. The narrative between the two main leads is pretty standard. The derivative plot cliches are pretty standard. The action sequences are pretty standard. The jokes are pretty standard. The story in general is pretty standard. As you can tell, I thought that it was a pretty standard movie. With that said, it's actually pretty enjoyable when it's at it's best, and just uninspired indifference at it's worst. 

Reynolds and Jackson work well together here. Watching them banter with each other is pretty fun, and that is the best aspect of the movie. A lot of nonsensical things happen in this film, but the two leads make it work anyway, because they were entertaining enough to carry the whole thing. Salma Hayek is also fun to watch, as the very cantankerous wife of the hitman, but unfortunately Elodie Yung is underutilized here. 

If you can forgive the very uninspired nature of the whole production, this movie should be entertaining enough to watch. I wouldn't necessarily recommend going all out of the way to see it, but "The Hitman's Bodyguard" does have moments in the movie that rewards you for giving it a chance. Just on the strength of the two leads, I really wouldn't mind seeing a sequel that continues their story. Maybe I should also leave things as is... 

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brigsby bear

Prior to watching the whole movie, the only thing I've seen regarding Brigsby Bear is the teaser trailer. Thankfully that's all the marketing I saw, because it might be best to go into this movie knowing as little as possible, as it will only help add to the weirdness that is this film (feel free to watch the "Evil Arielle Ending" clip from the TV show though). This is a fish-out-of-water tale, with quirky comedic elements, plus a moral story about friendship and family, that is mixed in with the world of Brigsby Bear. Basically, we definitely have an odd movie here. 

Without giving away the premise of this film, who is this made for? This is for anybody that is part of a fandom. This is for those who want to celebrate their fandom with other fans. This is for people who haven't fallen out of love for that TV show they used to watch all the time when they were just little kids. This is for inspired individuals who want to create something in honor of their fandom. This is for everyone that would love to make a movie with their friends and family. 

Part of the charm of this film is the low budget quality feel to it. There's a certain simplicity to everything, that at the same time makes it all a little bit clever as well. Scenes of innocent awkwardness and embarrassment adds to the comedic elements of the movie. While the scenes that contrast the harshness of reality with the attempts of trying to achieve your dreams, gives us a bit of commentary about balancing our idealistic and realistic goals in life.

Some people might argue that the story can be a bit too precious at times, and feels a bit too eager to wear it's heart on it's sleeves. Beyond the quirkiness and the oddness, one could also argue that the story is also not that unique, and have some derivative plot points. With a good cast, an entertaining premise, and a heartwarming core theme, I think most of the negative aspects of this movie can be easily ignored. It's Brigsby Bear, and that should be all the reason you need to check this out. 

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the glass castle

Based on the true life memoirs of Jeanette Walls, this movie covers a lot of ground. Dysfunctional family drama. Coming of age tale. Discussion about parenthood. Dreamers vs Realists. Money. The premise covers multiple decades, but the one thematic arc that will make or break this film for people is likely the one about parenthood. By the end of the narrative, it will ask you to feel a certain way about the parents in this story. The problem there, is that you may not completely agree with their messaging. It's definitely perfect for a lengthy discussion, but it may just be the primary reason somebody may or may not like this movie. 

While the movie has many scenes depicting happy moments that should make you smile, there's still a lot of darkness to what happens to the characters. I suppose that's the crux of this drama, and the most compelling aspect of the tale. You see this family go through a life journey, the good and the bad times. They face a lot of challenges in this movie, from dealing with how to get away from paying the hospital bill, to how long they can stay in a home before they get kicked out, how to teach a child how to swim, or how to make a meal out of butter and sugar.  

I myself was invested in what happened to these characters, and some of those heartbreaking moments were truly heartbreaking. One could argue that some of those scenes can be seen as derivative plot cliches, but I thought they were handled well enough to give me that emotional reaction. What I thought helped a lot with my attachment to the characters is the great cast. Brie Larson, Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts, were all as good as expected, but I want to in particular give kudos to Ella Anderson and Chandler Head for their fantastic performances as Young and Youngest Jeanette, respectively. 

There is quite a bit of idealism and sentimentality in this movie that will rub people the wrong way. I'm not even sure how good of an adaptation it is to the book, but I'm sure that will also rub people the wrong way. I think there's a case to say that this isn't as strong of a drama as it should be, but I thought it was good enough to get my full attention despite some flaws. 

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landline

Get ready for a lot of references to 1990s pop culture to fuel your nostalgia for that era, because this movie has a lot of that. It can be a little distracting and sometimes feels a bit forced when they make those references, but it does add to the setting of that time period. Good '90s themed soundtrack at least. 

Besides the fact this story is taking place during one particular decade, the theme of the movie transcends just one era of time. This is a story about the characters, on what makes them tick, and how they aren't perfect. This is also a story about relationships, be it about family, marriage, or the basic boyfriend girlfriend stuff. This can be called a coming-of-age drama, or a slice-of-life story. Many will likely call this a comedy, although I would say that it's more tongue-in-cheek humor, than a full on laugh out loud extravaganza. 

During the first quarter of the movie, I was actually a little bored with it. Seemed like your typical eccentric quirky indie film with a dysfunctional family, that doesn't seem to add anything really new to the table. The story does improve very quickly soon after though, and then by the half way point of the movie, I was definitely all in with the plot. Thank goodness for the cast too, as Jenny Slate, Abby Quinn, John Turturro, and the rest, automatically makes their characters come to life, which only helps gets us more invested in their well being; especially the characters of Dana and Ali. 

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an inconvenient sequel truth to power

You know how people say that movie sequels are not as good as the first one? Weirdly enough, I have to apply that logic to this documentary. I'm not saying there's a major drop off in quality since the first film, because I still consider this movie a must see. I'm criticizing this documentary for some of the decisions on how it was going to tell it's story. The messaging about the climate crisis is still very much an important element, but the narrative is questionably a bit unfocused and disjointed at times. 

I suppose my primary complaint might be an odd one to make, and it's that there's too much Al Gore in this one. He may still be great at trying to get the message out to the world, but it seemed unnecessary for the movie to give more focus on who he is as a person. That's a subjective opinion of course, but having a segment about Gore's family home seems like a distraction, when I just wanted more meat and potatoes to the actual topic at hand. I like Al Gore, but the segue to his personal background felt like filler exposition. 

There are still new data, charts, and videos, showcasing the case on the climate crisis, so it's not missing all that. Some of what was said felt redundant when considering what was already said in the first movie however. I did like that this documentary is more or less just an update to where we are at now in regards to climate change, the progress to fix the problem, and the detractors who would rather just ignore it. This movie might feel like a stretched out bonus feature for the first "An Inconvenient Truth," but everything involving the messaging of this documentary is still good enough to recommend seeing this film anyway. 

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lady macbeth

Based on the novel "Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District" by Nikolai Leskov; which is already inspired by the Shakespearean character of Lady Macbeth, the name of this movie should give you a hint of what direction it's going to go. If you have no idea why this movie is called Lady Macbeth, then please try not to spoil what this is all about. Just know that while the story seems typical enough, about a young woman in rural England who is in a loveless marriage with an older man, the plot progresses in ways you may not expect it to go. 

There's a lot of audacious and malevolent things that happen in this movie, and at the forefront of all that is actress Florence Pugh, in what is arguably one of the best acting performances of 2017. From scenes of her looking very vulnerable of being told to face a wall while completely naked, to montage sequences of her feeling bored, to her calm and composed ferocity as she discovers her own empowerment and ambitions. Pugh gets to show us some fantastic work in this film, in an unforgettable role, whose character does some unforgettable actions. 

Having the premise set in the mid 19th Century is a perfect setting for the story, as the patriarchal way of life in that era, helps add context to Katherine's reaction to everything that is happening to her; usually caused by men. Regarding the events that take place in the movie though, and without going into spoilers, you'll likely question what the moral of the story is by the end of the film. Either way, you're going to want to see how it ends. 

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annabelle creation

Alright, I think Director David F Sandberg definitely has a particular taste in the types of scary movies he wants to make. I say this because there are similarities between "Annabelle: Creation" and Sandberg's previous film; "Lights Out." Those similarities being a penchant to rely on jump scares; including the tense build ups to a jump scare, as well as lead characters doing stupid things. Needless to say, this isn't exactly an original entree to the scary movie genre.

Despite the movie's flaws, you'll likely still tend to watch some of the scenes in the movie between the fingers of your hand, as you try to cover your eyes. There is a level of enjoyment found in several of the scenes crafted for the purposes of creeping you out, and scaring you. From a kid's bedroom that has a dollhouse replica of the house it is residing in, a scene involving a bunk bed, to a hallway that's suddenly engulfed in pure darkness. Even though it's all a little bit derivative, I can't help but admire the set pieces in this movie anyway. 

Another strength that this movie has are the two female leads. Talitha Bateman as Janice, and Lulu Wilson as Linda. Those two actresses seem like they were born to be the new female faces of horror. Now if only their characters would make better decisions when trying to avoid a demonic entity that is stalking them. Until they figure that out, I'll just sit here and have fun watching how this movie attempts to make the effort to scare me. 

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