"The Edge of Seventeen" movie review

Before I talk about The Edge of Seventeen, I want to quickly discuss Hailee Steinfeld’s career trajectory, which I find interesting.  Hailee made her movie debut in 2010’s True Grit, which was a commercial and critical success; she earned an Academy Award nomination for her performance—a rarity for a debut.  Following this, the 13-year-old took a short break from acting and went into modeling for an Italian designer.  Hailee did return to acting in 2013, with varying success:  I liked her in Begin Again; the way her character is used in The Homesman (itself a terrible film) creeped me out; Pitch Perfect 2 was a terrible, godawful movie but Hailee wasn’t bad in it. 

None of the post-True Grit work is particularly interesting; what does fascinate me, however, is that in conjunction with Pitch Perfect 2, Hailee pursued a singing career.  Her debut single, “Love Myself,” is a song about masturbating masquerading as a female empowerment song; the song did well for a debut, peaking in the top 40.  Hailee is currently in the top 20 with her follow-up single, “Starving,” which is just as suggestive.

I didn’t know that I was starving till I tasted you

Don’t need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo

By the way, by the way, you do things to my body

I didn’t know that I was starving till I tasted you

I’m just saying:  it’s rare that an Academy Award nominated actress takes this career trajectory. 

Anyway, let’s talk about The Edge of Seventeen.  Hailee plays Nadine, a high school junior who is going through her fair share of teenage angst:  her father died unexpectedly just two years prior; her mother (played by Kyra Sedgwick) clearly prefers Nadine’s twin brother, Darian (Blake Jenner, unrelated to those Jenners); and Nadine walks in on her twin getting a handjob from her best friend, Krista (Haley Lu Richardson), which causes tension between the three.  To make matters even more dire, Nadine is attracted to an upperclassman who doesn’t know that she exists; meanwhile, Nadine has caught the attention of an awkward classmate named Erwin (Hayden Szeto).  Luckily for her (and unluckily for him), Nadine takes every opportunity to vent to her history teacher, Mr. Bruner (Woody Harrelson).

This movie plays out exactly as you’d expect.  Does the tension between mother and daughter get resolved?  Is Nadine’s friendship with Krista over forever?  Will the upperclassman notice Nadine, or will she end up with Erwin?  I think we already know the answers to these questions.

On the plus side, while the script is derivative of every teenage movie ever made, the dialogue is quite funny.  Hailee plays off Woody Harrelson well, and she has similar success with the rest of the actors.  Honestly, Hailee is the glue that holds this movie together in an inoffensive mold.  Sure, we know where the story is leading us, but during the film’s hour and a half running time, I didn’t mind the ride.

Note:  Last year I saw a forgettable teen movie called The Duff, wherein every character was played by someone in their late 20s or early 30s.  At the time of The Edge of Seventeen’s release, Hailee Steinfeld is 19, Haley Lu Richardson is 21, and Blake Jenner is 24.  Nadine’s two love interests—Alexander Calvert and Hayden Szeto—are 26 and 31, respectively.  I suppose if you want to see a Hollywood production where the young characters are being played by age appropriate actors, you’ll have to catch Stranger Things.

Rating:  C+

Here's what I plan on reading and watching this week (11/14 - 11/20)

Last week was the final week of the St. Louis International Film Festival, so I took advantage in seeing four more films—bringing my total that I saw this year at nine films, a new record for me.  Other than that, I’m blaming my reading slump on the presidential election results; I haven’t been able to concentrate on reading much since then, and the books I had to read were a graphic novel and a stage play.

Here’s what I read and watched last week:

Books

If I Stay by Gayle Forman:  C+.  I listened to this on audiobook, otherwise I’d probably still be reading it.  I enjoyed the premise and setup to the novel, but unfortunately the novel gets repetitive and cumbersome while stuck in the narrator’s headspace. 

Doug the Pug:  King of Pop Culture by Leslie Mosier:  I’m not giving this a letter grade.  I explained why in my review. 

Movies

Arrival:  B-.  Amy Adams is terrific in the lead role, and the visual effects are stunning.  My quips with the film lie in the script:  the plot contrivances that lead to the main character’s involvement felt silly, and the plot twist didn’t work as well for me as the director intended. 

Toni Erdmann:  A.  I desperately needed a laugh following the election results, and this film didn’t disappoint.  Toni Erdmann is able to handle broad, sophomoric humor and familial drama without coming off as overwrought and saturated in sentimentality.  This is my new favorite film of the year.

Long Live Death:  C+.  Fans of Dexter will appreciate the premise, but the cat and mouse serial killer film felt a little too by-the-numbers for me.

The Red Turtle:  B.  I avoided advanced knowledge of the film, so I wasn’t aware that it was without dialogue (barring some exclamations throughout).  The animation was terrific, and the film progresses well even without much plot. 

Jackie:  B-.  Natalie Portman’s much anticipated performance doesn’t disappoint.  I had a slight problem with her accent in the opening scenes, but it quickly evened out and felt appropriate.  My main problem with the film is in its structuring:  despite two framing devices, the film jumps from scene to scene with reckless abandon, edited to the bone to play off Portman’s strengths.  Also, the film suffers from ending fatigue, which is ironic since the 100 minute Jackie felt longer than the 163 minute Toni Erdmann.

I’m hoping to get out of my slump this week—but then again, I’m already at 81 books read for the year, so I can afford the break.

Books

Fences by August Wilson:  For real this time.  It’s due back at the library tomorrow, so I’ll have to finish it tonight.

Egghead by Bo Burnham:  Every now and then, I’ll decide it’s worth my time to binge watch some Bo Burnham videos on YouTube.  I wasn’t aware that Bo had published a book of poetry a couple years ago…

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling (writing as "Newt Scamander"):  Maybe.  The short story isn’t actually required reading before watching the film, so I may skip it.

Movies

20^th Century Women:  Another advanced screening; one of these days I’ll write a post about how easy it is to get invited to advanced screenings.  I’m excited to get some of the likely Oscar contenders out the way before December, that way I don’t have to rush and see everything in January/February. 

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them:  I’m cautiously optimistic, considering the advanced notice from critics.  At the very least, I’m hoping for something better than The Cursed Child.

Loving: [insert what I said seeing Oscar contenders before January here]

American Pastoral:  This may or may not happen, if I have a couple of hours this weekend.  The trailer excited me; the word of mouth made it obvious that this was a missable film. 

Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk:  I was really rooting for this movie a couple months ago!  The studio all but trashed it, halting its intended awards push when advanced word was that the film sucked.  I may hold off on this one for a bit.

"Doug the Pug: King of Pop Culture" book review

First attempt at a review:

Dog.

Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog.

Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog.

Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog.

Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog.

Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog.

Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog. Dog.

Dog.

Rating:  Dog/Dog

***

Second attempt at a review:

No.

I’m not going to do it.  I’m not going to review the Doug the Pug picture book, Doug the Pug: King of Pop Culture.  I’m not going to review it because to do so would be to put more effort into writing an analysis on something that was thrown together in ten minutes.  No, I'm not claiming that the poses and captions were half-assed; rather, they were originally posted on Doug's instagram account, and they are merely re-purposed in book form for a quick buck. 

My sister got me hooked on Doug the Pug early last year by linking me to the Facebook page.  It’s always a good way to kill some time:  along with the adorable pictures of Doug in awkward situations, there will be weekly videos clips, most of them parodies of popular movies or TV shows.  I find it amazing that Leslie Mosier—Doug’s handler—could quit her full-time job and work as the pug’s manager.  I hope it’s a business venture that lasts several more years.

That said, it was inevitable for the Doug the Pug brand to get its own book; the brand already has calendars, shirts, and every other conceivable tie-in. 

What is there to say about a picture book?  The typography is fun to look at, and the colors are crisp.  Otherwise, the pictures are all the ones you can see for free online—and the captions are silly puns for songs and movies that came out years ago (i.e. “Now you’re just some bunny that I used to know”). 

Still, the dog is cute.

I refuse to rate this—not because it’s just a picture book, but because there’s nothing to analyze.  The only thing I can say about this book, which is neither positive nor negative, is that it exists.

Here's what I plan on reading and watching this week (11/7 - 11/13)

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"Hacksaw Ridge" film review

To call Mel Gibson a controversial figure in Hollywood is to make an understatement as large as to suggest that contracting an STD is only a slight inconvenience.  Even if I steer clear of the drunken anti-Semitic rant (and the recent comments ten years later which won’t help his case) and focus squarely on Gibson as a director, his films are polarizing:  Braveheart won five Academy Awards including Best Picture, but critics chided the unnecessary homophobia, the historical inaccuracies, and the other shortcomings associated with the plot and acting; The Passion of the Christ became the most successful rated R movie of all time, but critics cried foul on the extensive violence and questioned Gibson’s tact.   

Hacksaw Ridge, Gibson’s comeback as a director, is faring well with critics.  The antiwar film is being praised for showing a portrait of courage we don’t typically see in films—that of a pacifist, who enlists during World War II as a medic.  Desmond Doss (Andrew Garfield) is so adamant about not participating in violence that he refuses to pick up a gun, risking a court-martial from his superiors for not obeying orders. 

While I agree with the critical consensus that it’s refreshing to see a pacifist as the protagonist in a Hollywood production—and I’m glad that the filmmakers don’t cop out from this premise halfway through—I’m not sold with the execution of the film.  Desmond’s pacifist morals are shown to the audience early in the film:  a young Desmond gets into a fight with his brother and gets a little too violent—striking his brother in the head with a brick, knocking him unconscious.  After apologizing to his mom, Desmond looks at the Ten Commandments hanging in the living room and vows to honor the commandments and never physically assault anyone again.

As the plot progresses, the character development is left on the cutting room floor. When Desmond decides to serve in the war as a medic, it's only because the plot says so, not based on a natural reaction shown to the audience. When Desmond's father stands up for his son's convictions during the court-martial scene, it's a drastic about-face from the character (Desmond's little brother, who enlists months beforehand, is kicked out of the house by the father during a family dinner for volunteering to serve in the army). Yet, beyond a meaningful look by the father (played by Hugo Weaving), the development is lost on the audience.

Speaking of the brother, the film promptly removes him from the narrative after being kicked out during dinner.  Did he die during battle?  Did he regret his decision to serve in the military?  Did he ever reconcile with his father?  These are questions left unanswered.  (I just looked up the real Hal Doss and not only did he live through the war, he outlived the rest of his family.)

As far as the acting goes, this isn’t the best platform for a measured performance.  Andrew Garfield is acceptable as Desmond, but he plays the character as a deer caught in the headlights in the first half of the film and doesn’t get the opportunity to show off his acting prowess in the second half.  I'm convinced Vince Vaughn, who plays the sergeant on Desmond’s squad, was told to watch Full Metal Jacket three times in a row in lieu of being given direction that he can use.  The other cast members are adequate, but they are all one-dimension characters who are designated antagonists to Desmond throughout, just so they can have the inevitable “I was so wrong about you, Desmond” moment in the climax.

The big set piece in the second half of the film—the Battle of Okinawa—is essentially an extended fight scene.  As a piece of choreography, it is impressive; as an edited piece of film, it fails:  the film cuts away at an alarming speed, leaving the carnage to become the faceless violence that Desmond Doss would certainly object to.

My biggest complaint with Hacksaw Ridge is that its screenplay is lacking the cohesiveness and credibility needed to make the film compelling to both Christians and non-believers.  I won’t reveal the ending, but afterwards the film spends at least three minutes interviewing the people who fought during the war, and they corroborate the film’s accuracy.  I can’t recall the last time a film needed to explicitly state that the actions taken happened in reality.  Perhaps if the filmmakers took the time to develop the characters, they wouldn’t need to be so defensive.

Grade:  D+

Here's what I plan on reading and watching this week (10/30 - 11/5)

Happy Halloween!

I feel like every week I start with the best of intentions, and then slowly regress.  I was going to read and watch a bunch of horror content, but I cleverly watched several new movies (none of which fall in the horror genre), and rewatched one classic horror film.  My reading selections this past week all fell on the horror spectrum, though—so there’s that at least. 

Books

Hollow City by Ransom Riggs and Cassandra Jean:  C+.  I am glad I decided to continue reading this series with the graphic novels, because I feel like the story flows better and the visuals are better expressed than through intermittent black and white photos.  I didn’t like this as much as the original:  the exposition was clunky and contrite; the plot moves at a glacial pace; the conclusion should have ended about 5-10 pages before it did. 

The Birds by Daphne du Maurier:  B.  I’ve always meant to read a Daphne du Maurier story, and her novella The Birds is as good of a start as any.  It’s technically the source material of the classic Alfred Hitchcock film, but Hitchcock decided to base the film in the U.S. instead of Great Britain and changed every character to fit the standard Hitchcockian tropes.  In short, the film is an in-name-only adaptation that uses the same premise but deviates everywhere else.  They’re both great on their own; while I give a better grade to the film, the novella creates a slow-building phobia driven atmosphere, and never lets up until the heart wrenching conclusion.  I’m a big fan!

Psycho by Robert Bloch:  B+.  This is the book Alfred Hitchcock didn’t want you to read.  A 1959 release, right after Hitchcock secured the rights to have it adapted, he instructed his assistant to buy as many copies of the book as possible; he didn’t want the audience to know the film’s twists beforehand.  In contrast to Daphne du Maurier’s The Birds, Hitchcock faithfully adapted the source material.  There is a name change with one of the main characters, and Norman Bates is an overweight alcoholic in the book but is played by frail Anthony Perkins in the film.  Other than that, the film plays out exactly like the book does (except the book is even more violent than the classic horror film).  I do take points off for the way Robert Bloch tackles alcoholism and its relation to the plot twist at the end that everyone knows about, but otherwise it’s a tightly wound thriller that is worth your time—especially at this time of the year!

Movies

The Birds:  A-.  I decided to rewatch the film before reading the novella, and I’m glad I did:  the creepy factor is high in this film, and the special effects work even 53 years later.   

Hacksaw Ridge:  D+.  Oh, Mel Gibson!  I have a complicated relationship with Braveheart (which I mostly dislike, but I keep giving it multiple opportunities to impress me), and I like what he attempted to show through The Passion of the Christ even when it was hard to sit through.  Hacksaw Ridge is the kind of movie which has two halves, neither of which are very good—but both containing aspects that leave me unable to hate it.  I’m finishing up a full review for this film.

The Space Between Us:  D.  Dear Lord, I don’t think I’ve seen a movie as silly as this in a long time.  It is the most contrite fish outta water film you’ll run across.  If not for the charming screen presence of Asa Butterfield—who gamely plays the first person born on Mars like it’s a captivating story—I would have failed it. 

Christine:  A-.  This is the 2016 film chronicling the last weeks of reporter Christine Chubbuck, not the adaptation of the cheesy Stephen King novel which had a killer car as the villain; please don’t confuse these!  The only reason Christine Chubbuck is known these days is because of her on-air suicide, so it’s not a spoiler to reveal that the film dramatizes her descent into depression which triggers this result.  Rebecca Hall is revelatory as the title character.  I’m also fond of the screenplay, which had to work on a few factual pieces we are aware of and then create a two-hour drama with suggested content.  It’s a haunting drama that I won’t soon forget!

Certain Women:  B-.  It’s very rare that I’ll see something that I overall liked but I vehemently discourage anyone from seeking it out, but Certain Women qualifies.  The film, directed by Kelly Reichardt, is intentionally paced unlike the conventional Hollywood drama, and doesn’t have a plot as much as it is the camera acting as a fly on the wall as it drops in on the lives of three women in different stages of life.  This is something that can be called “boring” by less patient moviegoers.  The acting is appropriate for what the film is selling, but I’m unable to find a standout amongst the women.  Overall, I enjoyed the experience for what it was, and nothing more.

The St. Louis International Film Festival starts this weekend, so my reading and watching plans will have to adjust accordingly to how busy I’m going to be over the next two weeks. 

Books

Multiple Choice by Alejandro Zambra.  I’ve never heard of a book written as a standardized test, so I’m intrigued. 

The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Joshua Piven, et. al.  Does anyone remember this series in the late 90s and early 00s?  It was one of those gag gifts that you’d get for the holidays and then never read.  If I recall correctly when I’d flip through them in bookstores, they were sometimes clever.  I may regret requesting five of these at my local library.

I’m not sure if I’ll have time to read anything else.  I’ve been to so many author events over the past few weeks; if I do have time, I’ll read something from one of those authors.

Movies

I would like to catch a classic horror film in honor of the holiday this evening, but let's be real; I'll probably end up on the couch watch reruns of Chopped.

Moonlight.  This is getting serious Oscar buzz, and I’m glad to be able to see it, because the plot alone makes it one of my most anticipated. 

The rest of these are SLIFF movies that I’ll watch on Friday and Saturday:

Cold Moon.

Enclosure. 

Manchester by the Sea.

I don’t know much about the first two, but I’m really excited to see how they play.  Manchester by the Sea, another film with heavy Oscar buzz, it highly anticipated.  

Here's what I plan on reading and watching this week (10/23 - 10/29)

Next Monday is Halloween already?!

I’m not doing very well reading and watching scary things.  My media consumption included a thriller starring Ben Affleck (where his acting was the scariest thing about it), a documentary about the Duke lacrosse scandal, and a young adult book where the main character’s brother battles leukemia.  Okay, I take it back:  these things are scary—but it’s not the gory horror that I should be taking in.

Here’s what read and watched last week.

Books

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher:  B-.  Or, TH1RTEEN R3ASONS WHY, as the book cover is stylized.  I’m seeing Jay Asher with a friend this week, so I thought it was appropriate to read this beforehand.  It’s also my sister’s favorite book, so it’s good to see what she enjoys reading.  This book was fine.  I’m not sure what beyond the premise of the plot rubbed me the wrong way enough to only give this a B-.

Drums, Girls & Dangerous Pies by Jordan Sonnenblick:  C+.  This is the aforementioned leukemia drama written long before John Green made cancer trendy for young adult readers.  It’s a cutesy, innocuous debut novel that is written exactly like a debut novel—full of plot tropes and shoddy writing. 

The Emotionary by Eden Sher and Julia Wertz:  B.  Reviewed here.  I’m still baffled by The Fart Party.

I’m running short on time so I’m just going to list the movies I watched last week.

Movies

Love and Friendship:  B. 

American Honey:  B. 

The Accountant:  C.

Fantastic Lies:  B.

In honor of Halloween, the books and movies I plan on committing to are more of the horror variety.

Books

Psycho by Robert Bloch.  Psycho is one of my all-time favorite films, and while I was aware of its source material, I never got around to read it.  I found this on audiobook, so it should be quick.

The Birds by Daphne du Maurier.  Again with the Alfred Hitchcock source material, apparently.

Assorted short stories by Edgar Allan Poe.  This feels appropriate for the season.

Movies

The Birds (a rewatch).  I plan on watching this after reading the novella.

Hacksaw Ridge. I got an invitation to see this early.

I’m not sure what else I’ll watch—but I hope it falls in the horror genre.