I love movies like this, where going in, I have some idea of what to expect, only for the movie to surprise me a few times along the way. Promising Young Woman is superb movie, that’s really hard to watch at times. It’s also a movie, that is difficult to discuss without spoiling most of it, as that’s where the brilliance lies. Every time I thought I knew where this movie was going, it went some way I didn’t expect and I honestly don’t want to spoil it for people, who haven’t watched it yet, so before I put the spoiler warning let me just say this.

Carey Mulligan is proving yet again she’s one of the best actresses of her generation, and this movie succeeds in making you feel uneasy for its entirety, which is the point – it manages to replicate how most women feel a lot of times. I know that from talking to lot of my friends, how aware they are when comes to things men don’t have to ever think about and I this movie will make you understand how it is to feel you are not being heard, you need to always watch out, always be on the lookout for what happens next, because you just never know. If this movie was no good (and trust me, it is) it 100% succeeds in replicating that feeling of anxiety, having to always be on the lookout, because then, if something happens to you, you were somehow “asking for it”. If you are in a mood for a movie, that’s pretty fucking brilliant, but quite hard to watch at times, and challenges plenty of ideas about what is right/wrong, this might just be a movie for you. So, without any delays…

Beware, SPOILERS are coming!

First things first, I love the fact somebody finally got the balls to give Carey Mulligan role like this, where in some scenes, she’s more anti, than hero. See, to me, the brilliance of this movie is, it understands that even though everything Carey’s character is doing is “the correct thing to do”, sometimes you can definitely tell she’s beyond the line, in a way where “ends justify the means”. She’s on this war path, where nobody ever changes, because if you’ve done one bad thing years ago, you definitely still are a bad person in her book. So sometimes, she needs to push her victims several times, before they are in the situation she wanted them to be in, so it justifies her actions. She becomes the literal “judge, jury and the executioner”, which is not anything remotely new. There are/were plenty of (mostly men dominated) movies, where one man takes the situation into his own hands and deals with it. But in here, it’s a bad ass woman and it’s Carey Mulligan. And I am here for it. I always love, when somebody isn’t afraid to cast people against their type, for example somebody, who seems (from the movies and interviews I’ve seen her in) so gentle and quirky, to transform for a role like this, to go to this dark place. And Carey nailed it. Even if she doesn’t win the 2021 Oscars, where she is nominated, it’s only a question of when will she win, rather than if, because she will definitely get at least one of those golden boys to her name. You just watch.

Let’s talk about the the story and ending, shall we? Because this is where the movie shines. For the most part, I thought this was a pretty great movie, but I thought I could see where this is going. This is where the first major twist happens and we see Bo Burnham (who even though he’s the most likeable guy in this, still has his past) in “the video”, even though he’s not doing anything, he’s also, you know, not doing anything. He’s there, part of the problem. From then on, I yet again thought I can see where this is going, until Carey’s character dies. And that genuinely surprised me. I admired the balls (or “the ovaries”? ;-)) on this movie to go someplace like this. And then, when the ending is happening, I yet again thought I could see what the film is doing, just to be surprised one last time. And I can’t even remember the last time, when movie took me for a ride so often in such a short amount of time. When it was over, and all the pieces landed where they were supposed to land, that’s when I knew I’ve just seen something great. If there is one thing I really admire, is when movie surprises me, at least once. This one did it 3times in a span of 30 minutes and on top of that, all those twists actually made sense. You can tell everything was meticulously planned, and also how smart Carey’s character was.

I think Promising Young Woman is a miracle of a movie, that manages to discuss the topic of rape and sexual violence not only without ever using those terms in the entire movie, but also honestly and openly. It never feels preachy, it never feels like it’s stuck in its own way. It’s a really focused piece of film, that is keen on having an open, yet uncomfortable discussion on what’s happening, without trying to be pretend it has answers to everything. Because here’s the thing – it knows, if things are to change, it won’t be easy, it won’t happen overnight, and it will take a lot of work, lot of unpleasant conversations, that need to take place.

The movie also leaves the question “does she have the right to be the judge, jury and executioner”? to each viewer to answer. There are definitely moments, where you feel like she’s consumed too much by this “quest” (even Nina’s mum, who’s probably more affected by losing her daughter, is telling her at one point, that she needs to move on, to forgive herself) and then something happens, when you feel like she does need to what she does. It’s definitely well told story and the movie knows exactly what it wants to say by actually saying too little. Because it would rather show you, let you be in her shoes, make you feel how Carey’s character is feeling and does it very effectively.

Overall, Promising Young Woman is not an easy watch. But it’s definitely well worth of your time. It’s a clever movie, that (unfortunately) won’t become dated any time soon, as the main subjects of this movie (sexual violence, believing women, men being excused as being “just kids”) won’t just disappear. This movie took it, ran with it and did it in a really inventive way. Plus, and I can’t stress this enough, Carey Mulligan is one hell of an actress.

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

Until next time,

Luke

When the first lockdown happened, there were solid two months of nothing but (below) average movies were coming out “on demand”, but nothing that would get any universal praise. And then I started to hear about Palm Springs and how for some people this was an early contender for a movie of the year, even though it’s “just a comedy”. So I was immediately intrigued and wanted to see it, as comedies nowadays are usually miss, rather than hit for me. Some time passed and I’ve noticed it was available to stream, so I immediately watched it and – loved it.

I knew the “twist” from the beginning and to be fair, I don’t think it’s that big of a spoiler, when even the official synopsis for the movie tells you straightaway what to expect – yes, it’s another of those movies, who take the Groundhog Day (1993) route, where character(s) is stuck in a loop of one day. There seems to be no way of getting out of it, so they just try to make it worth their while. But the reason I loved this movie, was it went places I didn’t expect, it did something slightly different with this concept.

Since I want people to see this movie, but also I don’t want to rob potential viewers from those few clever ways how this movie plays with the “stuck in the loop” idea, I need to place a spoiler tag here, so before that, let me just assure you that yes, Palm Springs is a great comedy, great film and definitely one of the highlights that came from 2020. It’s funny, it surprises you couple of times and it has a great story/metaphor that ties everything together really nicely. So without further ado…

Beware, SPOILERS are coming!

First things first, I really loved the pairing of Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti – if those two wouldn’t work as well as they do together, the entire movie would have fallen apart. They are the heart and soul of this entire thing. Both are amazing in this, but I do need to mention that I don’t think Andy Samberg gets the credit he deserves – he’s been consistently funny, he’s been involved with a lot of great, successful things, he’s had a big part in Saturday Night Live (1975 – ) and he did a lot for them to stay relevant. When the “shift” towards the Internet started to happen, here he was with The Lonely Island (if you don’t know them, just click on the link and enjoy yourself)… and I am sure I am missing out on 20 more things. The point here is, I really hope he starts to get recognized not just as an awesome comedian, who he undoubtedly is, but for being really “master of all trades”. To me, his goofiness, his sincereness, is the heart of this movie.

And if Andy is the heart of this film, then Cristin definitely is the soul. She’s the one, who’s pulled into the loop by him, even though by accident and he told her not to follow him, but she’s the one, who has the extra motivation of getting out of that loop, because every morning she wakes up, she wakes up to a biggest mistake she’s ever made. For me, that reveal wasn’t really a reveal, as it’s hinted at throughout the movie (very well, might I add) but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it, on the contrary. Since I’ve guessed it prior, I could focus on the little hints scattered throughout and understood even more of her motivation of getting out of that damn loop. And her spirit, her journey throughout this film, is definitely great one, where she arguably has the biggest growth towards the end of the movie. Plus, there is something enchanting about Cristin. You just can’t help and fall for her instantly.

Another thing I really liked, was the fact the film just goes right into it, as it (rightly) presumes this isn’t first movie about this topic you have seen, so yeah, we get the “explain the rules” montage, but nothing too long. It didn’t seem tedious, the movie gives us just enough information to let us know where we stand, confirms what we suspect (even if you try to commit suicide or die, you wake up and the day resets, or no matter how far you drive, once you fall asleep, you wake up at exactly the same place) and moves on. And has fun with it. Those were my favourite moments, where our two main protagonists were just having fun with the time loop. The scene, where they plant a bomb into a wedding cake, I genuinely laughed out loud, and that hasn’t happened to me in a while.

And that’s another thing – this movie is actually funny! Which is great, if you are watching a comedy, as if you have seen any comedies lately, you’d know that laughter isn’t always guaranteed. Usually, it’s mild chuckle at most. But in here, because of those two main protagonist, clever writing, a new spin on a well known and explored premise, this movie grabs you from the very start and doesn’t let go until the very last scene. But the movie also knows when the slow down, and has some genuine touching moments. The main idea behind this movie (and what Andy’s character finally understands at the end) that marriage is kind of like a being a stuck in a time loop and it’s only up to you, what you will do with it and who you bring along.

What I also loved very the mini-twists along the way – some less expected (inclusion of J.K. Simmons in the loop, his entire story and the great final scene in the middle of the credits) some more expected (the already mentioned reveal about Cristin’s reason, as to why she is so desperate to get out of the loop) and what surprised me the most, that this might be the first movie of this specific genre (would it be considered its own genre at this point?) that takes The Martian‘s (2015) route and “science the shit out of this loop”. Well, Cristin is. I really loved the scenes, where you can see her character’s determination of learning quantum psychics, educating herself, to the point she understands what she needs to do to escape it.

Overall, Palm Springs is definitely the surprise movie of 2020 for me – comedy, that came out of nowhere for me, made me laugh, made me think and surprised me with new ideas on the “same old” concept we’ve all seen done a few times. This could have easily been another average movie with some funny(ish) scenes, but Palm Springs wanted to be more. And because of the witty writing, great casting and the fact we all needed something uplifting during this weird time, it hits you differently. This is definitely a movie I will be more than happy to re-visit.

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

Until next time,

Luke

Every time I am writing a review, I try really hard to stay as objective as possible (but is there a such thing as being truly objective…?) where I try to put aside everything and focus on whether the movie/TV show/book is fulfilling it’s purpose. But when comes to Scoob!, I can’t do it. Because I have a very special connection with the original animated TV show and that is the main reason this film didn’t click with me at all.

My special connection is, I grew up watching the original animated show, that was my jam Above all the other animated shows, I loved Scooby Doo the most. I know what you are thinking – hey, that’s not that special, millions of kids grew up on that! Yes, but how many of them didn’t understand the language…? See, when I was growing up in Czech Republic, my grandma had a “satellite package” (good old 90’s, no Internet, had to pay plenty of money to get bunch of channels on your TV and most of them would be in English, language most Czechs don’t understand, especially older generation back in 90’s) so every time I would go to visit her, or to stay at her place for the weekend, that was the only place for me to watch Scooby Doo, Where Are You! (1969 – 1970) on Cartoon Network, as we didn’t have it back home. So there I was, really little Czech kid, watching something I was really, really loving, but not understanding a single word of what they were saying. But the power of animation and the straightforwardness of those stories were so great, I didn’t need to understand, because I’d always get what was happening (and I still have a theory that it’s because I grew up watching this show in English, I took to this language quite quickly, when I started to learn it properly in 2007) and loved it. And because of it, I had this TV show not only connected with my childhood, but also with my time spending at my grandma’s flat, you know, really happy times.

So that is where I am coming from, let’s go back to present, where I am watching the latest theatrical (or what was supposed to be a theatrical run before COVID-19 made a surprise appearance in everyone’s life) effort and truth to be told, the first 15 minutes or so weren’t bad! I was intrigued by how they managed to replicate the “opening credits” to give a nod/homage to the original cartoon, and even them as kids and how they all got together was fun for me. But then, we skip to the present and this is where the movie lost me. As they were trying to make this set in today’s day and time, so of course, we get plenty of smartphones, Instagram jokes, plenty of modern day lingo and I know I am going to sound like a purist, but that just doesn’t fit with the world of Scooby Doo and “vibe” of trying to solve mysteries.

I honestly would have preferred (and I strongly believe this would have made for a much better movie) had the film been set in “undefined” era, where the are no smartphones/technology we have today, but there might have been hints throughout to “when we are” (like cassette tapes, etc). Because I don’t think the comedy element works well for our gang to be in today’s day and age. What made Scooby Doo always so endearing to me was the fact they are just bunch of young people, who are trying to tell you to use your head and if there is something “supernatural”, usually there is a human behind it, who wants to fool you. From this, I really didn’t get the feeling like this movie went for it, as some plot lines here are simply resolved by “oh, I’ve just googled this” or “they just posted a picture on Instagram and this is where they are” and that just felt lazy and out of place.

To me, putting Scooby Doo into “our” current time period, is the same mistake as re-making The Flintstones and putting them in old Egypt, or medieval times. Sure, you can do that, but it changes the heart of the show so much, it ultimately becomes something else entirely. At that point, why not just name it something else…? Oh yeah, because then you wouldn’t have the name recognition of beloved cartoon…

Another reason Scoob! didn’t really click with me was simple – it just wasn’t funny. And again, big part of that is the story being set today, so most of the jokes don’t feel unique, they just feel like your old, tired “random equals funny” comedy formula, we often see in B animated movies, there are created purely for kids and there is nothing in them for adults. Most of the jokes here were not coming from the situation, so you could literally re-use them in a different animated movie and nobody would recognize it, that’s how little they in common with Scooby Doo. And I swear I can’t even see your average kid nowadays enjoying this, because believe it or not, kids nowadays are smarter than kids 20 years ago.

The only good thing I can say about this film, is the first 15 minutes were decent and the voice casting was pretty good, especially Mark Wahlberg as Blue Falcon surprised me, as it seemed like he was trying for something else. Also I really liked the choice of Daphne being voiced by Amanda Seyfried, I thought it fit very well and she’s also done a great job.

Overall, Scoob! is just below average animated movie, that’s trying to make you believe (based on the first 15 minutes) that the TV show you so fondly remember from your childhood is back, just with updated graphics. But it’s not, it’s just your “paint-by-the-numbers” animated movie, that I still can’t comprehend who it was made for. As fans of the original show won’t be happy with this and what is worse, I honestly believe most children will be bored by this too! As especially today, they have so many great animated movies to choose from, I would seriously wonder whether kids of certain age would want to watch Scoob! again, and again. But hey, maybe I am wrong.

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

Until next time,

Luke

I should have loved this movie. After all, it’s made by David Fincher (his first movie since 2014’s Gone Girl) about one of the most influential movies of all time, Citizen Kane (1941). On top of that, the script was written by Fincher’s late dad Jack Fincher (the movie is also dedicated to him), Gary Oldman is giving one of the best performances of his career, Amanda Seyfried has, dare I say it, stolen the movie for herself and overall, Mank is working like a well oiled machine. So how come I didn’t absolutely love it? How come there was something, that simply didn’t click with me…?

I think there are two answers to this question – the first is “simple”. Mank is too much “inside baseball“, which is something I didn’t expect and the second might have been the fact that except the very last dinner scene, there was no standout for me. So, let’s start with my first point…

I know it seems almost too silly to complain about this film being so obsessed with one topic, as that’s literally what this movie is about, but it went too overboard/microscopic with that. I always like to claim that I am true cinephile (whatever that means) but even for me, who has heard some stories about what was happening “behind the scenes” of what many critics consider “the best movie of all time” this might have gotten too deep. And if I sometimes got lost in politics and the plot, what about the casual viewer? Let’s face it, plenty of people know of Citizen Kane, but how many of your casual movie goers know there was so much happening behind it? And how many of those would need little to no information about it and just be thrown into it all? Because that is what happens in Mank. You are kind of thrown in, without any warnings, into two storylines, where especially in the flashbacks, it can be a bit overwhelming to remember all the names, who is doing what, who is working where, why is this person saying this about this person… you always kind of get this is supposed to be a nod to something that’s happened, or someone who existed, but the movie isn’t interested in giving you more. It’s almost like it expects you to either go in with all the knowledge prior watching it, or banking on you having such a great time with this movie, that you will spend hour or so on Google, making sense of everything you’ve just seen. And again, I love the passion and the general idea behind this, but it’s really easy to get overwhelmed by watching it (and with the current IMDb ranking of 7.0/10, it seems like I am not the only one who thinks that).

The other major issue I had with this movie – it doesn’t really feel to “Fincher-y”. As I mentioned above, there is only one scene you will remember because it stands out, and that is the dinner scene towards the end. The rest kind of blends in together, where you have tiny moments that are great (like the scene where Seyfried’s character is having the heartfelt conversation with Oldman’s character, where they understand each other perfectly, yet they know it might not be for too long) but the movie kind of flows in one way, where yes there are no low’s, but also no discernible highs either.

Mank is definitely a performance driven vehicle, and as much I would love to say how everybody is great in this (and that is because they truly are) I need to single out two performers I really enjoyed – the already mentioned Oldman and Seyfried. With Gary Oldman, he’s been consistently great for his entire life, but in here, he yet again does something that feels familiar, yet totally different. You understand how witty his character is and yet you see how broken he is, especially when his ideals get shattered. But the real star to me was Amanda Seyfried. She (weirdly) reminded me what Brad Pitt did in Once Upon a Time… In Hollywood (2019) where from the start, it feels like “normal” performance, but the more we get into the story, the more you understand how Amanda’s performance is brilliant, because it’s not “shiny” by any means, yet it could have easily been. She shares her scenes mostly with Gary Oldman, but she not only stands her own, but is more than equal acting partner to him, where you understand that there is something about her that only Oldman’s character can see. And she’s subtly suffering, being silent, knowing fully well, she’s better than the movies her character is given to star in. That is why I loved the tiny moment these two share, as I described earlier. Mutual admiration, and yet there is a hint of everything going away, because that’s how this show they call business works, where she doesn’t want him to write what he’s written and even though he admires and respects her (and again, in the entire movie, he might be the only one!) he can’t just let it go, even if that means loosing her as a friend.

Overall, Mank is a great film I feel it might be great for you, IF you go in with your “research” done. As a bare minimum, I would (re)-watch Citizen Kane right before this film, as I believe it would have made it a great “double bill” feature. And then, (or maybe prior watching Mank, as I would imagine that would have helped you big time) go for one the documentaries about Citizen Kane (or Orson Welles), something like The Battle Over Citizen Kane or maybe a TV movie made in 1999 called RKO 281, as I’ve heard that definitely helps giving you more information about what is happening in this movie. I feel like when it’s time for me to re-visit this film, I will definitely watch some of these and only then re-watch Mank and who knows? Maybe I will fall in love with this movie. But as with everything, that’s focused on one subject in almost microscopic fashion, your enjoyment of this movie will directly corelate with the fact how much you know about Citizen Kane, Orson Welles, the studio system in late 30’s/early 40’s of last century… and of course, the man, the myth, the legend, Herman J. Mankiewicz himself.

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

Until next time,

Luke