T-minus 20 days until
Christmas!
I read more than one
book this week, which is a cause for celebration. Okay, so one was a picture book and two were
audiobooks—but I’ve already established that I have mentally checked out for
the year.
Here’s what I read
and watched last week.
Books
Scrappy
Little Nobody by
Anna Kendrick: B. Celebrity memoirs are a
mixed bag for me: either I find them
light and informative, or I find them insufferable. I only physically read a few—the others I
listen to on audiobook—because, frankly, the quality of writing in these
celebrity memoirs is spotty at best.
Anna Kendrick’s book is light and informative…which is to say it’s above
average.
Today
Will Be Different
by Maria Semple: B. Reviewed here. To be fair, I understand why this doesn’t
have the critical acclaim that Where’d You Go, Bernadette had. I just think those completely dismissing the
novel are short-changing Semple’s infectious writing style.
The
Book with No Pictures
by B.J. Novak: D. I read this picture book in three minutes. I hope its target audience finds it
enjoyable; however, I did not.
Movies
Before
the Flood: C-. Educational, sure—but no more than
what you find elsewhere. Leonardo DiCaprio's personality is a little too
vainglorious to be the centerpiece of the documentary. I don't think it will
change anyone's mind regarding climate control, making this a 90-minute sermon
to the choir.
Weiner: A-. I knew it was a critically acclaimed documentary, but I wasn't
aware that the filmmakers had exclusive access to Weiner during his infamous
bid for mayor. This is a thrilling fly-on-the-wall documentary about the fall,
slight rise, and even bigger fall of the former representative that Democrats
don't like to talk about. I know we aren't supposed to sympathize with Anthony
Weiner, but I liked that the filmmakers didn't paint him as a cartoon villain.
I also appreciated the tactful way the filmmakers treated the wife, Huma.
Eye
in the Sky: C+. I went in with zero expectations.
Honestly, if Helen Mirren wasn't getting cursory consideration for her work in
the film, and if I hadn’t known it was one of the last films finished before
Alan Rickman’s death, I wouldn't have known about this or bothered to watch.
The film takes a good 15-20 minutes before it finds its footing, before
settling on an intense morality dilemma. I thought it ultimately took the
overly sentimental route (those end credits were ghastly), but that doesn't
negate the good hour that I was on the edge of my seat.
Bad
Moms: C. I'm sort of amazed that this movie
worked at all for me in spite of the terrible Top 40 soundtrack, the
paint-by-numbers plot, and some questionable acting. The funny parts were very
funny, and I ended up liking it in the same low key way I like some sophomoric
Will Ferrell movies. It's the ideal movie to watch if you're on the couch with
your roommate on a gloomy Saturday and you resign yourself into turning off
your brain for an hour and a half.
Captain
America: Civil War:
C+. Kind of derails in the third act.
Running time is excessive, even for this genre. Overall harmless, and better
than Doctor Strange and (definitely) Suicide Squad. Could we collectively
take a break from superhero movies for a couple years? I got burned out seven
movies ago.
Other
People: A. How devastating was this film? After
it finished, I went to the grocery store and bought four donuts, because my
feelings aren't going to eat itself. Molly Shannon gives a career redefining
performance—quite frankly, I didn’t know she had this kind of acting range in
her. Jesse Plemons, whose prior work is on Breaking
Bad and the reboot of Fargo, is a
revelation. This film, which is impossibly a film debut for director Chris
Kelly, understands grief and familial alienation better than films directed by
industry veterans. The film is available on Amazon to rent; immediately after watching
it all the way through I skipped through to rewatch my favorite scenes.
And here’s what I
plan to read and watch this week.
Books
Maybe I should look
on Goodreads for a short audiobook that is Christmas themed. Maybe that will get me in the mood. I wonder what’s available…
The
Christmas Shoes by
Donna VanLiere: Oh, fuck. “The Christmas Shoes” is my all-time least
favorite Christmas song. I’ve seen the
movie (based on this book) and I thought the acting was terrible. The book is fairly short, so even if I hate
it, it’s not a big time waster. Who
knows—maybe I’ll love it?
Gemina by Amie Kaufman and Jay
Kristoff: I loved Illuminae, so my expectations for the sequel are high. Just like last time, I’m planning to listen
to the full cast audiobook while following along with the physical book.
Movies
Just like last time,
I’m not sure what will be available to watch this week, so this list will
definitely grow.
Why
Him: I have a screening for this tonight. Honestly, it looks silly, so hopefully it’s
funny in a sophomoric way. I hope Bryan
Cranston and James Franco play off each other well.
Life,
Animated: I’m continuing to trudge through acclaimed
documentaries I’ve been meaning to watch.
The
Beatles: Eight Days a Week: See above.
It’s a little longer, though, so I may wait for Christmas break.
No comments:
Post a Comment