It

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It is a retelling of the Stephen King classic, updating for modern day, in a way. Instead of the kids living in the 50s, they live in the 80s. This makes sense considering this film adaptation is being split in two. This first part focuses solely on the characters as kids, while the upcoming sequel will focus on the characters as adults. I would like to start with the negatives I had towards this movie because they were really just minor nitpicks. I wasn’t a huge fan of some of the slow motion used in the movie. It never really felt like it added to the story, or that it was even all that necessary. Other than that, I think this movie improves on the original just about every way possible. In the original, you only saw one group of bullies target all of these kids. In this one, you actually get a little more on how cruel middle and high school girls can really be in addition to the stereotypical bullies. A lot of the characters feel more fleshed out. You actually see and understand their fears a lot better in this movie. The scares work better because, in a lot of ways, they feel more psychological. It also helps that the kids who make up the Losers’ club genuinely feel like people you know, whether you knew people who were like them, or were a person who was like them. The main bully is done a lot better in this movie as well. They actually show why he is a bully at all, and make him somewhat sympathetic. Pennywise is a fantastic villain in this movie, and is played to perfection by Bill Skarsgard. He doesn’t appear that much throughout the movie in the grand scheme of things, but you can always feel his presence. I loved Tim Curry in the original, but he felt a lot more like a creepy guy dressed up like a clown. Pennywise in this movie feels more like an otherworldly creature that’s pretending to be human. It feels much more off-putting and creepy. Overall, It works because of strong characters and performances despite some minor nitpicks.

9 / 10

Dunkirk

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Dunkirk is directed by Christopher Nolan and features an ensemble cast that includes Tom Hardy, Mark Rylance, Cillian Murphy, and Kenneth Branagh, This is a movie that just kind of throws you right into the actual event, which is an intriguing way to go about things. The character development feels pretty thin for the most part. Admittedly, I don’t think this was necessarily important to the movie because the event seemed like the most essential element of the movie more than anything. Most of the character development that actually seemed to be there was involved in the scenes with Mark Rylance and Cillian Murphy. You understand Rylance’s character, a man who isn’t officially part of the military, but is still willing to do what he can to help. You also under Murphy’s character, a man who is traumatized by the events of the war, even if you never actually see exactly what he saw. Because of this, these two stood out to me among a cast that was great all around. Christopher Nolan’s direction is phenomenal, as should be expected. Nowhere is this more evident than in the battle scenes (especially the dogfights). There’s a genuine level of grit and intensity to them. This movie is under two hours, and I think that is the perfect length for this movie. This is due to what they wanted to accomplish with this movie. The pacing didn’t always work for me. There were times where I legitimately felt that it dragged, and moments where I was starting to feel antsy. That could be because there were only two characters who truly felt developed to me, and two characters were only I felt fully invested in. In my opinion, the opening and the climax are fantastic, and they serve as perfect bookends for this movie. Do I think Dunkirk is the masterpiece it’s been built up to be? No. Do I think this movie ranks among Christopher Nolan’s best work? No. Is this movie flawed? Yes. Is this a good movie that is still worth a rent? Yes.

7 / 10       

I, Tonya

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I, Tonya is based off of allegedly true interviews. The basis of the movie is controversial skater Tonya Harding (played by Margot Robbie). This movie could have easily just portayed Tonya Harding as a punchline, or the basis of a cheap joke. They really don’t, and I kind of like that. They actually show that she is a person herself. In a way, they actually make her more sympathetic. That is probably going to be the most controversial thing about this movie. I don’t know necessarily how much of this movie is true. What’s presented in the movie is a woman who seemed to face a lot of physical and emotional abuse from both her mother and her husband. I also kind of appreciate that they don’t necessarily make Tonya the most likable person either. There are several points in this movie where they break the fourth wall. This is something that can easily be off-putting to most people, but it never really bothered me. It adds to the dark sense of humor that is laced throughout the movie. A lot of humor works because there is a tragedy laced underneath a lot of it, and it never detracts from the overall movie or story. The acting in this movie is great. I feel like Sebastian Stan as Tonya Harding’s husband, Jeff Gillooly is going to be heavily overlooked, and I don’t feel that’s fair to his performance. Allison Janney is incredible as Harding’s mother, who pushed her to the brink, trying to make Tonya a better skater. As great as I feel Sebastian Stan and Allison Janney are in this, the movie belongs to Margot Robbie. She feels almost unrecognizable in this, making for what may go down as one of (if not the best) performance of her career. This is one of those rare movies where you see the characters, not the actors playing them.

10 / 10

Lady Bird

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Lady Bird is a film about the relationship between a teenage girl (played by Saoirse Ronan) and her mother (played by Laurie Metcalf). As a character, Lady Bird is actually really relatable and easy to understand. She has a strained relationship with her mother. She wants to go to school in New York, which her mother doesn’t necessarily agree with. In a lot of ways, I feel like I’ve been through the things Lady Bird has been through. High school has a lot of turbulent moments to it. This movie feels a lot like an image of high school. The dramatic moments feel real. The comedic moments feel real. A lot of the comedy in this movie is very dry and deadpan. It’s done pretty well, and almost always gets a laugh. The heart of this movie truly is the relationship between Lady Bird and her mother. The two actresses do a strong job in this movie. In all honesty, this is Saoirse Ronan’s movie. This is probably one of the best performances she has given in her career so far. Beyond acting opposite Laurie Metcalf as her mother, she does phenomenal acting opposite Lucas Hedges as a guy she has a romantic interest in. Hedges also does a fantastic job as a teenage guy struggling with his own sexuality. The pacing of the movie is fairly slow overall, and it can be generally pretty off-putting for most people. For the most part, it worked pretty well for me. There were points for the movie where I did feel the pacing a touch, but not very often. This doesn’t need to be a fast-paced movie because it’s about a teenage girl and the ups and downs of her senior year of high school. Greta Gerwig’s direction is pretty good too. She really understands how to balance the comedy and drama together. Overall, Lady Bird works as a character piece, telling the story of a teenage girl working her way through life. This is a movie that I really do recommend.

9 / 10

The Disaster Artist

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The Disaster Artist is based off of the book of the same name by Greg Sestero and Tom Bissell. It centers on Greg Sestero (played by Dave Franco) meeting Tommy Wiseau (played by James Franco), their friendship, and the eventual decision to make The Room. You believe the relationship that these two men build with one another. James Franco is phenomenal in this movie, from the standpoint of both acting and directing. This could have easily been a movie that took cheap shots at both Tommy Wiseau and The Room. But, Franco never does that. He gives a lot of humanity to Tommy Wiseau. Credit should also go to the movie’s screenwriters, Scott Neustadter and Michael H. Weber. Is it absolutely necessary to see The Room before watching The Disaster Artist? I don’t necessarily think so, but it does help a lot. There are a ton of celebrity cameos in the movie. They could have easily detracted from the movie, but I never really felt that they did. I like that you really see the effect The Room has on the people. Tommy becomes more and more eccentric and full of himself. Greg starts becoming dissuaded by Tommy’s actions and some of his own personal relationships. Seth Rogen plays the movie’s script supervisor (and secret co-director). He is severely underrated in this movie. You understand where a lot of his anger towards Tommy comes from throughout the movie. More than anything, this movie feels like a unique take on the American Dream. It’s about a man of questionable origins doing whatever it takes to make his dream come true. I don’t think I can give this movie a higher recommendation. If you get the chance to see The Disaster Artist, it is 100% worth it.

10 / 10