The Aftermath

Plot:

Set in post World War II Germany. Rachel Morgan (Kiera Knightly) is reunited with her husband Lewis (Jason Clarke), a British colonel charged with rebuilding Hamburg. When they arrive at their new home she’s shocked to learn that they’ll be sharing the house with its previous owners- a German widower named Stephen (Alexander Skarsgård) and his daughter. 

Pros:

•Kiera Knightly and Alexander Skarsgård were very good in their roles. The chemistry was certainly there and their relationship didn’t feel forced. 

•Most of the movie was beautifully shot. 

•While it moved at a slow place it kept my attention. Not once did I feel the urge to nod off. 

•It has Alexander Skarsgård in it for crying out loud! If nothing else, I had something nice to look at for an hour and forty five minutes. 

Cons:

•Instead of focusing so much on the love story, I wish they had spent more time going into post World War II Germany and what it was like for the people living there. I found it very interesting. 

•There’s a very minor sub plot involving the daughter that was totally unnecessary. They could’ve easily cut it. 

•The third act felt very rushed. 

•The ending was extremely predictable. Even made me a little mad. 

•While I’d say it’s worth watching if you’re into period pieces and/or romantic dramas, you don’t need to see it in theaters. 

My Rating: 6/10

Avengers: Endgame

SPOILER FREE I PROMISE!! 

After a much needed break for a few weeks, I’m back! And what a movie to come back and review. As with Infinity War, I’m just going to give a few very brief thoughts and my rating. 

So did I like it? FUCK YEAH I DID!!! 11 years and 22 movies has all come down to this. I thought I was emotionally prepared but nope. And neither will you be. This was everything I could’ve hoped for and then some. You’ll cheer, you’ll laugh, you’ll cry.... sometimes all three at the same time. 

I could go on all night about how much I love this movie but I promised I wouldn’t spoil anything. 

I know it’s only April but here you have it, my number one movie of the year. Seriously, it would be impossible for anything to top this. If I could give it a higher than 10 rating I would. Fuck it. It’s my blog/review and I’ll do what I want. 

My Rating: 11/10

Dumbo

Pros:

•The visuals are really good. I especially liked the look of Dumbo. The pink elephant scene was pretty cool as well. 

•Most of the actors are fine in this and did the best they could given what they had to work with. 

•While not Tim Burton’s best movie, it’s not his worst either. 

Cons:

•The script is VERY weak.

•The original movie is just over an hour. Here they’ve stretched it into nearly two. I really felt the length after awhile and had to fight the urge to fall asleep.  

•Colin Farrell’s accent in this.... wtf was that!!! 

•Michael Keaton’s character is your typical cartoonish villain. He’s good at it though. I mean of course he is, he’s Michael Keaton! 

•The movie is just kind of... there. If that makes any sense. 

•Do I recommend it? Ehhh.... I guess if you’re curious. I wouldn’t rush out to see it though. Honestly you’re better off watching the original. 

My Rating: 6/10

Us

This is going to be a super short review. Honestly I’m still trying to process what I just saw. Plus it’s one of those movies that you should go into knowing as little as possible. 

Get Out was one of my favorite movies the year it came out. So I was looking forward to Jordan Peele’s follow up. I’m happy to say that he didn’t disappoint. Us is such a well made and unique movie (with a surprising amount of humor). If only more horror movies put this much effort into them. 

That being said, I can totally see people not liking it. The movie is not without its faults. It does drag at times. And the ending is a bit predictable and underwhelming. 

Was it better than Get Out? Well, no. That’s not a knock on the movie at all. It’s more of a personal preference. I highly recommend you guys check this out. 

My Rating: 8.5/10

Captain Marvel

Pros:

•I wasn’t so sure about Brie Larson at first (although I do like her as an actress) but I thought she was terrific as Captain Marvel. I especially enjoyed her interactions with Samuel L. Jackson and thought they had really good chemistry. 

•They story was engaging for the most part and it was fun seeing how it connected to the rest of the Marvel universe. 

•Stan Lee tribute had me in tears. Very touching. 

•It’s always great seeing bad ass female characters. 

•As someone who grew up in the 90s I enjoyed hearing a lot of the songs I use to listen to (and still do). Even if they did go a little overboard with it at times. 

•A lot of the humor works. I got more than one genuine laugh while watching this. 

•Both scenes during the credits (one in the middle and one at the very end) were amazing for different reasons. 

•Looks pretty good on an IMAX screen. 

•While I wouldn’t say this was my favorite Marvel movie it’s definitely worth checking out in theaters. 

Cons:

•The third act felt a bit rushed. 

•While most of the visual effects were fine towards the end some of them looked pretty bad. 

My Rating: 8/10

Destroyer

Plot:

Erin Bell (Nicole Kidman), an LAPD detective,    must returned to an old case that ended badly when a gang leader suddenly reappears. 

Pros:

• Nicole Kidman does give a good performance where she’s nearly unrecognizable. It’s certainly different from anything else she’s done. She’s the only reason I’m not giving this movie a lower rating than I already am. 

•There was potential here for something interesting. 

Cons:

•Cliched and predictable story. I’ve seen tons of these types of crime dramas/thrillers but done way better. 

•Poor editing

•Extremely slow

•I understand that this movie was all about showcasing Nicole Kidman but they could’ve at least tried to develop some of the supporting characters. Didn’t really care about any of them. 

•Was about 30 minutes too long. 

•Can’t recommend seeing this in theaters. But I guess it’s worth a watch on Netflix if you’re curious. 

My Rating: 5.5/10

If Beale Street Could Talk

Plot:

A young, pregnant woman from Harlem named Tish (Kiki Layne) and her family struggle to prove her fiancé Fonny (Stephen James) innocent of a crime. Based on the book by James Baldwin. 

Pros:

•Powerful story that left me in tears. Tragic but at the same time hopeful. 

•Amazing direction by Barry Jenkins. He really brought James Baldwin’s story to life in a beautiful way. He’s quickly become one of my favorite directors. 

•Strong performances by the entire cast. Regina King I can definitely see winning Best Supporting Actress. 

•Stunning cinematography. 

Cons:

•None really. This is a movie I highly recommended everyone see. 

My Rating: 10/10