Best Picture Nominee Movie Catch Up: BlacKkKlansman

BlacKkKlansman (2018)

Directed by Spike Lee

Screenplay by Charlie Wachtel & David Rabinowitz and Kevin Willmott & Spike Lee

Based on the book, "Black Klansman" by Ron Stallworth

Stars: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Robert John Burke, Frederick Weller, Michael Buscemi, Ryan Eggold, Jasper Pääkkönen, Paul Walter Hauser, Topher Grace, and Alec Baldwin

Spike Lee's movies make you think about the state of the black experience. Most of his movies are thought provoking. This movie could have been great, but it dragged along.

Ron Stallworth (Washington) is a new hire at the Colorado Springs Police Department. He quickly goes undercover to infiltrate a local chapter of the KKK by talking to the members on the phone and his fellow officer, Flip Zimmerman (Driver) pretends to be Ron at the meetings.

I understood what Lee was coming from with incorporating the Black Power movement with the KKK meetings going at the same time. Cool. The problem with the movie is that it was focusing five different things at once. The story line with Ron, the one with Flip as Ron, the klan members being suspicious, the "romance" between Ron and Patrice (Harrier) and David Duke (Grace). I wish the transitions were smoother.

The pacing of the movie the biggest problem. The stakeout scenes were taking forever and a day. Okay. We get it. Move on. It needed some trimming. What was the scene with Alec Baldwin in the beginning? Why did the incident in Charlottesville needed to be in here? If the movie was two hours, I would have been great.

People were upset that JDW didn't get a Best Actor nomination for this movie. I thought he was fine. Not great like Adam Driver. Driver was solid in his role. Zimmerman had more to do than Stallworth.

Rating: 7/10

Best Picture Nominee Catch Up Movie: The Favourite

The Favourite (2018)

Directed by Yorgos Lanthimos

Screenplay by Deborah Davis and Tony McNamara

Stars: Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, Nicholas Hoult, Joe Alwyn, James Smith, and Mark Gatiss

Ever since Olivia Colman's surprise Best Actress, I wanted to see what the fuss was all about. I don't know what to say. I did not care for this movie.

Queen Anne (Colman) is ailing as a new servant Abigail (Stone) is brought to her services. Anne's close confidant is Lady Sarah Marlborough (Weisz) and also cousin to Abigail. The two cousins try to win favor for Anne's attention by any means necessary.

This type of movie would check all the boxes for me; gorgeous costumes, sharp dialogue, fabulous women and a lush score. It checked some of the boxes for me. The costumes were exquisite.

The problems I have with the film outweighs the positives. The score. Oh, dear. The repetitive chords drove me crazy. I learned that they were repurposed music from the musicians at the time period of Queen Anne's reign.

The fish eye lens shots were a terrible choice. I hated it so much.

The movie was billed a black comedy. I laughed once in the entire movie. The tone was all over the place. You have Queen Anne yapping like a chihuahua one minute and then you have one of the characters being poisoned and dragged. It was jarring.

The supporting performances by Stone and Weisz were far better than Colman. Colman's performance consisted of yelling, falling, stumbling, and being carted around. I don't get the hype with the movie.

Rating: 4/10

Book Club

Book Club (2018)

Directed by Bill Holderman

Screenplay by Bill Holderman & Erin Simms

Stars: Diane Keaton, Jane Fonda, Candice Bergen, Mary Steenburgen, Andy Garcia, Don Johnson, Craig T. Nelson, Ed Begley Jr., Richard Dreyfuss, Wallace Shawn, Alicia Silverstone and Katie Aselton

After the mood that I was in, I wanted to watch a comedy. Something that would make me laugh out loud. I found it in this movie. 

Four lifelong friends, Diane (Keaton), Vivian (Fonda), Sharon (Bergen) and Carol (Steenburgen) continues their traditional monthly book club with Vivian decides to let them read 'Fifty Shades of Grey.' The movie follows their adventures and misadventures of finding love and happiness.

When you have four fabulous women in the center of a movie-- regardless of how ridiculous the situations or the dialogue will be-- I will love it.

There were some genuine laughs here. The strongest story line here in between the romance of Diane and Mitchell (Garcia), the handsome pilot that can afford a mansion in Sedona with a private hangar. Diane's daughters were being very overprotective bordering on being full blown assholes.

The realistic story line is the one with Carol trying to find that spark with her husband, Bruce (Nelson). Those moments felt real and authentic.

Rating: 8/10