When you are on almost a 14-hour flight, you try to get some sleep. And when, several hours later, you are all broken up because sleeping on the plane is as uncomfortable as it ever was, you try to watch some movies to help you take your mind off it. I was in that situation a few days ago and didn’t want to watch something “heavy”; I was just looking for a comedy I hadn’t seen yet. And Instant Family caught my attention as I have seen the poster before, but I don’t remember hearing about this movie too much. But it has Rose Byrne, Octavia Spencer, Isabela Merced and Margo Martindale, so surely it will at least be decent, right? Despite the presence of Mark Wahlberg, whom I don’t hate, I don’t really care for, I hoped for something good. And what I got was… excellent?!

This film starts like your stereotypical comedy. We have the sexy power couple (Byrne and Walhberg), who have everything they could want except for kids. So they decide to adopt some. And this was the first surprise, how much time the film spent showing us how the foster process isn’t as easy and how much you must do to get some kids into your care. Where many films would show us a montage supercut of that, Instant Family spends decent enough time on this portion of the film.

And then we finally meet the kids, played by Gustavo Escobar, Julianna Gamiz, and, the aforementioned, Isabela Merced. If you watch some “family comedies”, you know that more often than not, the kids might be cute, but they aren’t the best actors and can get annoying very quickly. But Instant Family won the lottery with these three, as each kid’s personality is different enough that it never gets stale. They all have delivered great performances, but most importantly, they always behaved like kids. Many times, movies (and TV shows) have a kid character that talks and acts like an adult because that’s easier to write. This film gives each of these kids their persona; each goes through a believable growth, and that’s what makes them getting closer to their foster parents so charming. You believe them when the kids either hate them or are not sure about them, and when the movie progresses, you also accept that these kids would farm up to them, and it never feels forced. All three were natural and had great chemistry amongst themselves and with their foster parents.

I have seen a quite few movies with Rose Byrne to make this claim – she might just be one of the most underrated and underused actresses of our time. No matter the film, she always delivers; no matter her scene partner, she elevates their work and does it effortlessly. It’s her and her relationship with all these kids (but mainly with Isabela) that’s the heart of this film, and if their mother-daughter chemistry didn’t work, this movie would have felt off. But they both delivered. Also, this movie might have cracked the formula regarding Wahlberg being an okay actor simply; surround him with better actors, and he won’t be as bad! 😉 On a more serious note, I thought Mark did fine in this role; he was funny and charismatic, and his bond, particularly with Gustavo’s character, worked. I never thought I would write this, but his chemistry with Rose Byrne worked much better than expected.

Here is the thing, I don’t cry during films (often). It only happened twice so far, the first time being Coco (2017) and the second CODA (2021, my review here). I don’t know whether it was because I was still tired or whether Instant Family was that great, but it almost made me cry on the plane. When the emotional beats hit, they hit hard and feel authentic. I would imagine it would partly be because the director and one of the writers of this film, Sean Anders, made this movie because he went through this situation and adopted three children. Maybe that is why those emotional moments never felt cheap to me; perhaps because of that, I enjoyed this movie much more than I had expected. I had a blast. I laughed a lot; I almost cried three times, and that should count for something. When a movie can elicit such a strong reaction (again, it’s unique for me to cry at films), I must give it the highest rating because I would be a hypocrite. Also, Character Actress Margot Martindale is that cool, loving grandma everyone would want to have.

Overall, Instant Family delivered much more than I expected. I went in anticipating a fine family comedy and left almost crying, but despite that, still in a great mood. This movie felt like a warm blanket on a cold Sunday afternoon. I never thought I would say this, but I love this movie. It shows the whole foster process whilst also presenting us with the perspective of the kids and the parents, making us understand all their characters. The heart of this film lies with Rose Byrne and Isabela Merced, who carry this movie alongside everyone else. If you want to watch something lighter with a big heart, Instant Family is the perfect choice.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

I still remember when First Man was about to come out in cinemas, and everything seemed to head its way. Damien Chazelle just had a massive success with La La Land (2016), both critically and financially and a biopic about Neil Armstrong seemed like it would continue propelling him forward. But I guess audiences expected your stereotypical “Murica, baby, fuck yeah!” biopic…? I remember some backlash regarding this movie not showing the flag planting, and based on this film flopping at the box office, my joke might not be that far from what happened. What hurts even more is this movie is so much more complex and deserves to be seen.

One thing Damien does well is subvert expectations. So, when a guy who doesn’t make anything “as expected” signs on to make a biopic about the first man who stepped his foot on the Moon’s surface, I should have known how much different this will be from anything anybody expected. How different? I could argue in good faith that the Moon landing and everything leading up to that is a secondary, possibly even tertiary, part of this film. This is a biopic in the truest sense of the word, and we get an intimate portrait of Neil Armstrong, but not the “cradle to the grave” thing we are used to. Also, it’s much less “American” and way more critical than I expected, and I will address both of these points separately, as those are the “meat and potatoes” of this story.

How do you make a biopic about someone who was not a “camera-ready” person? I understand why some might have thought First Man portrays Neil as a cold, emotionally detached, and very reserved man. Well, based on his children’s testimonies, this was the “most accurate portrayal of their father, Neil Armstrong and their mother, Janet Armstrong.” (source, IMDb trivia). And truthfully, I think Ryan Gosling nailed it. Not only in his portrayal of Neil but if you watch some interviews with him about this role, he said he approached him as playing a shy, reserved man who didn’t think of himself as a hero. He just wanted to do his job. And that’s already “strike one” with this biopic going against the convention – your hero should be likeable! Despite everything, right, I mean… It’s not like audiences can cheer for a regular guy who is simply a bit too reserved. I loved how (based on Neil’s children) faithfully they portrayed Neil, knowing very well he is not the easiest to root for. And yet, if you look deeper, you discover he was an emotional man; he simply kept his emotions to himself. It is weird to write what I am about to write about this movie, but I won’t spoil anything. But the scene on the Moon, and what he does there… If that doesn’t convince you what kind of person he was and that he is much more complex, I don’t know what to tell you. I will never understand how Gosling wasn’t nominated.

The same goes for Claire Foy and her portrayal of Janet Armstrong. Her role is not as flashy, but she had to be on the same page with Ryan, and more importantly, she had the difficult task of making us understand why she would stay with someone who is not the easiest to live with. You can see in some scenes how painful everything is for her character, and yet you can also see the love, admiration and, most importantly, understanding of Neil’s character. She was absolutely brilliant in this role.

Another aspect I appreciated was that First Man only covered a part of Neil’s life (specifically from 1961 to 1969). It must have been so tempting to do the “from cradle to grave” biopic, especially for such a complex character as Neil because I would assume many viewers would understand him better. It’s much easier to sympathise with a person if you know more about them, how he grew up, and what made him into the man he was. But First Man isn’t interested in that; instead, they give us a fully formed character without any backstory, as if the film says: “This is who you will follow for the next 140 minutes. Don’t try to understand him; try to feel what he feels.” And it is through that lens of us focusing on the present rather than the past that we can appreciate his character better, at least I could. Again, a lot of it had to do with that ending, where everything clicked for me.

That brings me to this movie being “anti-American”. And look, if you think it is anti-American because it doesn’t show the flag moment or because it portrays Neil in a more complex, nuanced way… Yeah, I guess that would make it anti-American alright. For what it’s worth I don’t think First Man is anti-American. I believe it is, again, more complex than that. Yes, it doesn’t have your “hooray, we DID THAT!” moment many would expect from a biopic about the first man who walked on the Moon. What this film shows us is all the hard work, determination and the number of failures it took them to get to the Moon. And how many people died before we ever got anywhere close to the Moon, and how the general public wondered whether we should go there in the first place. Chazelle’s choice of having the public discourse questioning whether we should spend the money like this entangled with the footage and song called “Whiteys on the Moon” hits hard. And again, I wouldn’t consider this “anti-American”. If you are making a biopic about a historical event, you should tell it with as much nuance as possible. And many people didn’t think it was necessary (especially in the midst of the Civil Rights Movement) to spend government money like that. Funny how times haven’t changed that much; now many a few even question whether we went to the Moon in the first place.

The last point I would like to make is the time this movie was made and how perfect it was. And what I mean by that is that had this movie been made about 15/20 years ago, it would undoubtedly resemble the likes of Apollo 13 (1995). Your stereotypical “American exceptionalism” movie that uplifts you doesn’t ask any pressing questions and just exists to lift your spirits. And there is nothing wrong with that; don’t get me wrong, I love that movie too. But I am so grateful we now can make biopics that aren’t “just” celebratory. First Man is a sobering look at the space race, the many failures it took us to even get to the Moon and how it was achieved by this man, who many perceived as cold and detached. But there is so much more than that in here. I am so happy we can get biopics about “heroes”, these bigger-than-life people who still feel like people and are shown with all their flaws, quirks and attributes that made them who they were.

Overall, First Man is an excellent film that grabs you from the first second and won’t let you go. The direction is flawless, the acting is superb, and you get much more than “This is how went to the Moon”. Damien is definitely a fascinating character who always thinks outside the box and questions everything. And when he understands the craft of cinema to make it entertaining along the way for us, the viewers, I am all in. I can’t recommend this movie enough.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

To write about a movie like Blindspotting is a truly daring task. Why? Because this film is phenomenal, and no matter how many words I will write, I am afraid I will never do justice to this film. This film talks about many things, from race to identity, gentrification, responsibility and not only does it eloquently, but it’s also cinematic. Blindspotting isn’t just a brilliant film; it’s a beautiful and intriguing movie. And certain scenes will stay with you for a while.

The best thing about Blindspotting is how it takes formulas we know and tolerate (like starting your film with a countdown towards something) only for that something to happen and what you thought would happen does not happen. This film begins with Daveed Diggs going through a trial and ending up in prison just for him to be out and on probation, so we see the countdown until the probation is over. Any other movie would have ended with that day and how that person either went back to prison or just narrowly managed to stay free. But not this film; we not only go past that day, but the path Daveed’s character takes is also fascinating, and I was with him for his entire journey.

Then we have the character of Miles, played by Rafael Casal. He’s facing a different thing altogether; he is a white man, who has lived his entire life in the black community, his best friend is black, and his girlfriend is black, so he acts like a black man. And the film isn’t afraid to explore that, alongside the feeling of being a stranger in your own city/street where you grew up, only for you to suddenly feel like you are the odd one out.

I know, just reading this review, it seems like this will be one of those “important but not that exciting movies to watch”. And this is where you would be wrong. Yes, Blindspotting is not an “easy watch” by any means, and there is a variety of complex issues discussed by all our protagonists; nevertheless, the movie presents everything in a very cinematic, lively way. The best part about that was nothing felt forced. All the conversations the characters had, seemed real they didn’t feel heavyhanded or preachy. The other important aspect to mention is the characters often rap here. But they don’t do it in a “musical style” where we would stop everything just to have this rap verse; they incorporate it into the film, where it becomes almost second nature for them. And when you pull that off (having characters rap in your movie with no music and for it to come off natural), you’ve done something there.

There are two scenes that will stay with me for a while, the first for its visual and musical flair and the other for its sheer effectiveness. The first scene is the nightmare/court scene Collin (Daveed’s character) is dreaming about. Everything from the visuals (excellent play with shadows or the bullets coming out of Daveed’s mouth) to the editing of that scene whilst Rafael’s character was raping was breathtaking. You are in it until he wakes up, and you tense up; I can only applaud.

But the tensest scene of the film must be the best use of Chekhov’s gun I have seen in a while. I won’t spoil it too much because I want you to have the same experience I had, but the moment this gun shows up, you know something bad will happen. And when it finally shows up… I thought to myself: “Surely the movie wouldn’t go THERE. But then, if not this movie, which one then?” I know this isn’t descriptive at all, but trust me, when you see the movie, you will know exactly; what scene I am talking about.

And when you think there is no way this movie couldn’t get any tenser, the last 20 minutes happen. Again, I won’t spoil anything; I will simply state the performance by Daveed Diggs somehow kicked into another gear. I was on the edge of my seat because (again) I could see this playing out both ways, as you can feel the characters’ rage. Yeah, let’s make that three scenes (at least) I won’t forget any time soon.

By the sound of my review so far, you might be compelled to think Blindspotting is just a series of great scenes stitched together, and I couldn’t blame you. Because I don’t think I will ever be able to describe precisely why I loved this film so much because there are so many different aspects. I swear, this film is more than just a bunch of great scenes; I loved it because, for almost 100 minutes, it pulled me into its story so well I forgot I was watching a movie. The best movies can drag you in so deep you forget about the time, place or even your life for that amount of time. I don’t know about you, but that’s how I know I am watching something incredible when I feel like the movie has just flown by, or I forgot it was “just a movie” because I was so deep in it. And Blindspotting is one of those truthfully exceptional movies that will do that to you if you let it. I am starting my 4K movie collecting journey soon, and you can bet this movie will be one of the first ones I will buy because I want to see it again, if possible, in the best quality currently out there.

Overall, Blindspotting is easily one of the best films I have seen this year, and I watched many great ones. It’s one of those “slice of life” movies that pulls you in, where by the end, you almost feel sorry for leaving. I learned that there is a TV show (Blindspotting 2021 – ?) tied in with this world, and some of the characters are also reprising their roles. So guess what TV show just got added and bumped to the top of my current TV queue? If it’s even half as incredible as this movie, I know I will love it too. For now, I would recommend this film with all my passion. What a movie.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

For anyone who grew up in the early 2000s, Eight Grade will hit uncomfortably close to home. I love movies I put on, and they immediately transport me to a different era, even if that “era” wasn’t that long ago. Well, in 20 years, when my memory of the 2010s isn’t as fresh, I will put this film on; and I will immediately remember so many things that happened that were “in” at this time because that’s how truthful this movie is. The funny thing is one of the movie’s subplots is a time capsule, which is fitting given this might be considered a time capsule for the pre-TikTok era of the Internet.

Written and directed by Bo Burnham, who also started on YouTube, this film has surprisingly a lot to say about growing up in this smartphone/Internet/always online era. That, by itself, wouldn’t be as strange if it wasn’t for the fact his protagonist is a teenage girl. Talk about writing something you know from a perspective you don’t. And somehow, it feels real, raw and honest. I would say part of it is because Bo grew up just on the outskirt of the Internet, young enough not to be “used to” having it around all the time but old enough to watch everything from a distance. And the other part is the brilliant performance by Elsie Fisher.

What she can do with just a few words is phenomenal. I often hear that great actors can say a lot without saying anything, and it’s definitely true here. Her speech patterns, behaviour, ticks, everything felt authentic because she belongs to the younger generation. Elsie is a bit younger than Bo or me (I am only a year younger than Bo). And don’t get it twisted, it might be “only” 13 years in between her and Bo but those matter because Elsie’s generation was born in a world where smartphones became “the thing”, where everyone had Internet. Kids nowadays are confused if something doesn’t have a touchscreen because they are used to everything having one. What I am trying to say is; a tiny portion of Elsie’s brilliance in this role is due to her age and being born when she was, but a massive part is just her being talented and natural. I hope this was only a sliver of things to come from her, and we can look forward to many other performances from her.

Where Eight Grade truly shines is in mixing the comedy with more serious scenes. We are used to “dramedies” by now, but this film had two sequences I didn’t expect, and both were chilling for different reasons. The first was the casual “active shooter drill” in high school; and how unfazed all the kids were. As a gun-loving European, I find this attitude towards guns baffling. And the movie knows what it wants to say, as it never gets preachy about it; it just shows it to you and moves along, leaving it up to you whether you will find this strange.

The second sequence that was chilling and uncomfortable to watch was the “Truth or Dare” car scene. Now, without spoiling anything, that was legitimately uncomfortable and heartbreaking to watch. What made it even more powerful was how minimalistic that scene was, with no over-the-top soundtrack (if I remember correctly, there was no music) and no unnecessary cuts. You almost felt like you were in that car with them, trying desperately to help Elsie’s character. Even the aftermath of that scene was effective, with little to no dialogue and yet, you understood everything.

That is why I loved this film; it wasn’t afraid to show us today’s reality. Unlike many teenagers on Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok and whatever platform will emerge within the next 10 seconds, this film has no filter. If Bo made a decision to shoot it as a mockumentary, I would 100% believe he was just following some teens around and documenting their struggles, hopes and lives. Everything from how they were talking, acting, and behaving was fitting for better or worse. And that is why Eight Grade will become one of the defining movies from this era about this era. What makes for a great time capsule is showcasing everything, not just the good things. I genuinely believe that what The Breakfast Club (1985) is for the previous generation, this movie will become for this one. I can see this movie improving on repeat viewings and will be declared a “cult classic” within the next 10/15 years because it faithfully showcases the very early age of the Internet and the struggles of the youngest generation; that was born into it.

Overall, Eight Grade was a delightful film I would recommend to anyone. There is no prerequisite knowledge required; it doesn’t matter if you are outside of the generation this film is about; you will understand the struggles of our heroine, even if you won’t understand why she was making those videos on YouTube. Eight Grade is a story about coming to terms with growing up, the world around you and most importantly, with yourself. As cheesy as it might sound, this film has something to say and knows what it is. And unlike other films, I would welcome a sequel, in a few years, with the same protagonists who need to overcome new challenges, especially if Elsie was playing the titular character again. This film might be one of the “easiest” recommendations; I believe there is something for everyone to enjoy here.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke

It’s been a while since a movie came out that was so universally panned and hated as Holmes & Watson. I remember hearing quite literally no positive opinions about this film. So naturally, I have avoided it, but there was a part of me that became morbidly curious about this movie. It is kind of like when something terrible happens, like a car accident, and you are passing it. You know you shouldn’t look, but you just can’t help yourself. When Holmes & Watson landed on one of the streaming services I subscribe to, my curiosity got the better of me, and I watched it. One of the single worst decisions I have made in my life… yet.

On the surface, the idea was solid, and some fun could have been had with the premise: “What if THE Sherlock Holmes wasn’t as brilliant?” Sure, it’s not the most groundbreaking idea of all time, but for a comedy starring two brilliant comedians, Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly, you think this might be something decent. But boy, you would be wrong, same as me. Holmes & Watson dares to ask you: “How much can you endure?” And then, it gives you ten times more cringe than you would ever suspect. How the mighty have fallen.

I honestly believe the biggest issue with this film was the premise because there is nothing more to this film. Sometimes, you can build a movie based on the simplest of premises, sure. But those films are rarely comedies, and even less often do they stay as one-note as this film. Remember when I wrote the premise was simple? Did I mention they literally repeat the same joke throughout the entire movie? The joke, of course, is: “Look what an idiot Sherlock is.” After the third or fourth time, I was thinking: “Surely, this won’t be like this for the entire movie, right…?” Nope, it was. Many variations on Sherlock being idiotic or people in this film referencing modern-day pop culture. This movie felt like a long, unfunny SNL sketch.

But you know what’s even worse than a comedy with an unfunny premise? A comedy with an unfunny premise that is full of talented performers. The already mentioned Will and John have been amazing before, but there are many more great people here, from Rebecca Hall, Ralph Fiennes to Hugh Laurie and Kelly Macdonald! And since they can only work with what they were given, literally all of them are wasted in this film. I wish I could say any of these performers stepped up and “saved” this film, but I can’t. It felt like this film was a curse that didn’t allow anybody to escape or, in this case, be funny. I can’t blame any of these talented people because I understand there is only so much any performer can do.

And this is Holmes & Watson in a nutshell. You watch a rejected SNL skit that somehow got stretched into an hour and a half movie that could be “mildly amusing” had it stayed a two-minute sketch. But it didn’t; we got 90 minutes of suffering while talented performers are making fools of themselves where you are embarrassed for them. I genuinely hope they at least got paid very well; imagine having this movie on their resume, making it for next to nothing, only to see the final result. How devastating would that be?

Overall, Holmes & Watson is an awful movie that should be avoided at all costs. For one “alright” joke, you get 23.358 others that simply miss, the plot is predictable, and you can’t believe your eyes. If you are like me and your morbid curiosity is telling you to check this movie out because surely, it can’t be that bad, can it? Yes, yes, it can. Be smarter than me, and even if you enjoy awful movies; avoid this one.

That’s all for this one! Did you see it? What did you think about it? Let me know!

Until next time,

Luke