I ended up watching six films and reading five books last week. I’m going to gradually slow down on the
reading for the rest of the year (I’m already past what I read last year), but
I’m going to keep up the movie watching so that I don’t have to scramble in
January/February.
Here’s what I did last week:
Books
Egghead by Bo Burnham: C+. I’ve been a fan of Bo’s comedy since I
discovered his YouTube channel in 2008.
Sure, there are plenty of times where I’m shaking my head at his jokes—he
enjoys provoking people with offensive humor—but I generally find him
clever. The poetry in Egghead is more of
the fratboy variety, but at times Bo still proves to be a wordsmith.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to
Find Them by J.K. Rowling (writing as “Newt Scamander”): C+. There really isn’t much to this guidebook,
outside of the notations by Harry, Ron and Hermione. It’s actually pretty dry in general—which makes
it a little harder to get through. You
definitely don’t need to read this before seeing the movie (more on that
later).
Point Your Face at This: Drawings by Demetri Martin: C+. You can copy and paste what I said about Bo
Burnham’s book, although I think I discovered Demetri in 2006 or 2007 while
perusing Comedy Central.
Fences by August Wilson: A-. I really enjoyed this play and how the
characters developed throughout. The
banter between husband and wife, and later husband and son, is on point and
conveys topics of faith, coming of age, race relations, and the patriarchy
better than most novels do. The
character of Troy is one I won’t soon forget.
101 Things to Definitely Not Do
If You Want to Get a Chick by Will Forte:
D. This is the fourth time I perused a bookstore
before a movie and saw this staring at me, so I took a half hour out of my day
to read this comic. While I’m a fan of
Will Forte’s, I don’t think I ever cracked a smile while reading this.
Movies
20th Century Women: B+. The ensemble is divine, as they all work well
as a cohesive unit, while all having their individual moments: Bening is touching; Gerwig takes the
traditional Manic Pixie Dream Girl character and gives it genuine pathos; Elle
Fanning continues to prove that she’s the most talented Fanning; newcomer Lucas
Jade Zumann has the presence of a veteran. I was pleasantly surprised at how
well Annette Bening's performance is sitting in my mind after nearly a week:
she plays up the warmth of the character without her typical loudness—which is
great for us, but I think an Oscar win for her work is entirely out of the
question. I liken the movie’s humor to The
Royal Tenenbaums having a monogamous relationship with Almost Famous, but straying one night to sleep with Beginners. I can’t wait to see this again.
La La Land: A-. First thing’s first: this film is gorgeous! The production design is top notch; the
costume design (mostly on Emma Stone’s character) isn’t too brash and works
well in context; the choreography is perfect.
I went with a friend who wasn’t a fan of the tonal shifts and with Emma
Stone’s singing, but I disagree on both criticisms: the tonal shifts after the first 20-30
minutes fit with the changing of seasons, and Stone’s singing is appropriate
given her character. Admittedly, this is
another case of a character acting as a crutch since the actor playing the
part isn’t a classically trained singer (see also: Renee Zellweger in Chicago, or Natalie Portman in Black Swan for a non-musical example). Honestly, I’m impressed by both Stone and
Gosling and how the marquee actors were able to lose themselves in the
demanding roles. Sure, there may be a
few qualms with the screenplay—and ultimately Damien Chazelle writes himself in
a corner and can only end the film the way he did—but I thought the songs were
pleasant, it was well acted, and it was expertly designed. I can’t wait to see this again.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to
Find Them: C. Ever since I read the
Harry Potter books, it became clear to me that the books were at a high level
and the movies were significantly lower, in my estimation. Still, I went into this film excited because
J.K. Rowling was the screenwriter. The
technical aspects are well done, and I liked some of the characters (Tina is no
Hermione but as the smart sidekick she’ll do in a pinch; Jacob Kowalski’s
character arc is adorable). Other than that, the film was a chore to get
through. I’m hoping Rowling and company
changes the formula a little if four more films in this universe are
forthcoming.
Indignation: B. It starts off like your typical coming-of-age
film, but ends up as a punch in a gut.
Even as the film got progressively darker, I didn’t think it was going
to conclude on such a bleak note that seems to suggest that conformity is
probably a safer route.
Loving: B-. I’m wishy-washy on the film as a whole: it’s a bit too dry and procedural, however I
appreciated the attempt to keep the focus on the couple in quiet moments
instead of focusing on loud courtroom scenes; Joel Edgerton will have plenty of
fans because of his performance, but I found him too stoic and was left wanting
more; Ruth Negga was quietly devastating.
Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk: C.
I didn’t hate this movie. I walked in with the lowest expectations that
I have in a long time, so maybe that helped.
I enjoyed the moral dilemma and the social commentary on the
expectations people have towards those in the military. Among the large cast, Kristen Stewart
probably works the best, even though her role is brief. Still, at times the way the scenes are
written and edited are misguided at best—and the film builds up to the titular
halftime show, which is easily the worst scene of the film. I’m curious to read the book and see how well
it works in comparison.
And here’s what I plan on reading and watching this week.
Books
The Sun is Also a Star by
Nicola Yoon: I was a fan of Everything Everything, and if I recall
correctly from her interview at Bookcon, the narrative of this book takes place
throughout the course of a day. This
condense plot intrigues me even more!
Are You My Mother? by Alison Bechdel:
For real this time.
Triangles by Ellen
Hopkins: I was encouraged to given Ellen
Hopkins another try (I hated Crank),
so I thought I’d try one of her adult books.
Movies
Hell or High Water: I missed it in theaters; luckily it comes out
on video tomorrow.
O.J.: Made in America: I have a break from work later on this week,
otherwise I don’t think I’d have the energy to tackle this seven-hour
documentary.
Rules Don’t Apply: I’ve always found Howard Hughes an
interesting figure in history, so I’m game.
Moana: Of course.
I may try to see others. The
indie theaters in St. Louis haven’t updated their schedules for the Thanksgiving
weekend yet, so I’m not sure what’s available.
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