Category: 2019

REVIEW: ‘Uncut Gems’ is an unrelenting experience

Adrenaline. Anxiety. Intense. All of these words are accurate when describing “Uncut Gems.

Adam Sandler stars as Howard Ratner in this high octane film about gambling, crime, addiction and, to an extent, survival. Howard operates a jewelry store in New York City and lives life a mile a minute. On top of his business, where he often meets with big spenders like athletes, Howard is also addicted to gambling, and is constantly making bets, and side bets for that matter.

His actions haven’t made people too happy, though. His dealings have put tremendous strain on his family and it has also made several people angry, because he owes a lot of money. At the start of the movie he learns that he might just have a big break, though, as he gets a big new gem shipment, as well as a new rich customer in Kevin Garnett.

Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Uncut Gems’ is an unrelenting experience”

Best of the Decade: Romance

This is a series called “Best of the Decade.” It’s a list including 10 movies that I found to be the best in a specific genre from 2010-2019.

Several great romantic relationships were brought to the big screen over the past decade, with some getting more attention than others. Here were my favorites.

Continue reading “Best of the Decade: Romance”

Best of the Decade: Horror

This is a series called “Best of the Decade.” It’s a list including 10 movies that I found to be the best in a specific genre from 2010-2019.

If I had to describe the direction horror took in the past decade, I’d say it was revolutionary. There has been a lot of creative horror and thriller films from the last 10 years, and it doesn’t look to stop any time soon. Here were my favorites.

Continue reading “Best of the Decade: Horror”

Best of the Decade: Comedy

This is a series called “Best of the Decade.” It’s a list including 10 movies that I found to be the best in a specific genre from 2010-2019.

Whether they were based on TV shows or real life experiences, the past decade provided audiences with a good deal of laughs. Here are my favorite funny flicks from the 2010s.

Continue reading “Best of the Decade: Comedy”

10 Worst Movies of 2019

The year is coming to an end and it’s time to reflect. Specifically, it’s time to reflect on the the worst movies 2019 had to offer. From horror to romance, genres of all kind had some terrible films. Here are the worst I’ve seen.

Continue reading “10 Worst Movies of 2019”

Best of the Decade: Animation

This is a series called “Best of the Decade.” It’s a list including 10 movies that I found to be the best in a specific genre from 2010-2019.

A Disney resurgence and solid work from other studios meant that the past 10 years had a lot to offer when it came to animated features. Here are my favorites. Also I’m doing 11 for this because this is my list and I’ll do what I want with it.

Continue reading “Best of the Decade: Animation”

REVIEW: ‘Little Women’ is positively wonderful

There’s already been six adaptations of “Little Women,” so why not add another one to the list?

Actually making a new one was a good choice, because it turns out to be one of the greater book adaptations and one of 2019’s finest films.

Like other adaptations, “Little Women” follows the stories of Jo (Saoirse Ronan), Meg (Emma Watson), Amy (Florence Pugh) and Beth (Eliza Scanlen). They live in Massachusetts during the Civil War with their mother Margaret (Laura Dern) while their father is off fighting for the Union Army.

The picture explores their lives as teenagers living together as well as their time as young adults, where they’re off on their own adventures. For example, Jo, is working to become a steady author, while Amy is an aspiring painter in Europe.

Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Little Women’ is positively wonderful”

REVIEW: ‘Cats’ is crazy, but its music is catchy

Cats are not dogs. This is information the movie really wants an audience to know, so much so that Judi Dench turns directly to the camera to say it. That’s just one of the lessons one will learn over the course of the cinematic experience that is “Cats.” It truly is something to behold.

Based on the stage play of the same name, “Cats” is set in London and follows a group of felines who love to sing and dance. The main character we’re introduced at the start is Victoria (Francesca Hayward), who’s introduced to the Jellicle cats. The Jellicle cats all have their own traits, quirks, and even personalized songs that they sing.

Victoria meeting with the Jellicle cats happens to be a meeting of destiny, as it turns out it’s the night of the Jellicle ball, where a single cat is chosen to have their life thoroughly improved. Over the course of the film, different cats sing and perform with the hope of being the one.

Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Cats’ is crazy, but its music is catchy”

REVIEW: ‘The Two Popes’ has a pair of great performances, and not much else

“The Two Popes” combines two things that are supposed to be left off the table at family get-togethers: religion and politics. The two subjects are ripe for good acting performances, though, which is what this movie provides.

The movie mostly takes place in early 2013, just before Pope Benedict XVI (Anthony Hopkins) resigned and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio (Jonathan Pryce) was elected to the position. The film explores how Benedict came to his decision to resign, the first pope to do so since 1415, and his conversations with Jorge, now Pope Francis.

The drama mostly comes from Francis and Benedict being on opposite sides of what direction the church should go. Francis leans more toward a liberal viewpoint, and therefore wants to reform the Catholic Church. Benedict, meanwhile, was pushing a more conservative view, with an agenda to keep church traditions. The two, though, eventually find common ground.

Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘The Two Popes’ has a pair of great performances, and not much else”

REVIEW: ‘Parasite’ is a twisted, terrific film

“Parasite” is a heartwarming story about a close-knit family of four, who just happen to start a con on another family.

A South Korean film, “Parasite” follows the story of a family including the father Kim Ki-Taek (Song Kang-ho), wife Kim Chung-sook (Chang Hyae-jin), their son Kim Ki-woo (Choi Woo-shik) and daughter Kim Ki-jeong (Park So-dam). The family lives in a small, below ground level apartment and get by with low paying jobs.

Through a reference by one of his friends, though, Kim Ki-woo stumbles upon a tutoring job for a very wealthy family. Relying on quick thinking and street smarts, Kim Ki-woo ends up forcing out other staff who work for the wealthy family, the Parks, and gets jobs for his three other family members. Their con work gets off to a good start and the family becomes more comfortable, but as the movie wears on, a shocking discovery is made.

Continue reading “REVIEW: ‘Parasite’ is a twisted, terrific film”