Morbius

Morbius (2022)

Directed by Daniel Espinosa

Screenplay by Matt Sazama & Burk Sharpless

Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona, Jared Harris, Tyrese Gibson, and Al Madrigal

I was not intending to see this movie. Since it was pushed its release date back five times, I knew it was going to be awful. I wanted to see how bad it was. It's not good at all.

A world renounced scientist, Dr. Michael Morbius (Leto) is trying to cure his rare blood condition. He travels to Costa Rica to try to find vampire bats to get their DNA to try to make artificial blood to make him a test subject. When this happens, he turns into a living vampire.

The movie felt like a episode of Lost where you follow the Smoke Monster around for almost two hours. The special effects were laughable. Every time Michael or Milo (Smith) Morbed out, I laughed. It was so stupid, but I loved it.

Leto has a reputation of going method on and off set. It didn't need to be that deep for this movie.

The other actors of the movie were either over being there like Tyrese Gibson or knew exactly movie they were in like Matt Smith. It doesn't make the movie an enjoyable watch. It feels that the Sony Marvel movies don't get it. At all.

Rating: 3/10

Pride Month Movie - Day Twenty Nine: Dallas Buyers Club

Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

Directed by Jean-Marc Vallée

Screenplay by Craig Borten & Melisa Wallack 

Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Jennifer Garner, Jared Leto, Denis O'Hare, Deneen Tyler, Michael O'Neill, Steve Zahn, Dallas Roberts and Griffin Dunne

This was a big deal at the time of its release. McConaughey was on an upswing in his career with The Lincoln Lawyer, Mud, and Killer Joe. This movie nabbed him the Best Actor Oscar along with Jared Leto for Supporting. Did I love this movie? No.

Ron Woodroof (McConaughey) is a down on his luck electrician that finds out that he has tested positive for HIV. He doesn't beleive it at first, because it was a gay disease. Then, he has a change of heart and researches everything about it. The CDC, FDA are trying to control a trial of AZT to treat AIDS symptoms. Woodroof circumvents the red tape to provide medicine for people not on the trial.

I have some thoughts. I was not rooting for Woodroof. In the context of the movie, he was extremely prejudiced and homophobic. The slurs that were coming out of his mouth would make you blush. You expect me to root for this awful man. Was he trying to make a difference in treating AIDS? Sure. Should I clap for him? No. He was the main character of the movie. That does not bode well for me. I wanted him to fail. I didn't care about him.

This movie was trying to be so deep with the wailing, "oh, look at me, I lost all this weight so I can get an Oscar" and all that. I wasn't falling for it. Why did this story need to be told? I read up that one of the screenplay writers put a whole bunch of misinformation in the initial script with conspiracy theories that HIV do not develop into AIDS or how the early drugs like AZT worked in human body.

I have to get this off my chest. There were too many characters in this movie. I was confused who from whom. I didn't know who was Tucker,  T.J. or Clint. They all looked the same; white men with mustaches. Get rid of them. I don't care.

Did McConaughey and Leto give good performances? Sure. Oscar winning? Not really. It did not elevate the material in my eyes.

Rating: 5/10

B.A.D. Movie of the Week: House of Gucci

House of Gucci (2021)

Directed by Ridley Scott

Screenplay by Becky Johnston and Roberto Bentivegna

Based on the book by Sara Gay Forden 

Stars: Lady Gaga, Adam Driver, Jared Leto, Al Pacino, Jeremy Irons, Salma Hayak and Jack Huston

I was looking for to the movie for the longest time when it was shooting early last year. Hearing the negative reviews about this movie, it made me stay away until now. This movie is a doozy.

This movie chronicles the time between 1972 to 1997. The film tries to focus of the relationship between Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) and Maurizio Gucci (Driver), but it bogged down with a lot of side characters that have nothing to do with anything.

Confusing. That's what this movie was. You have no idea where the movie takes place in. What time period are we in? Who was the person? Are they important? Why is the movie so gray? Why is Salma Hayak in this movie? Who cast Jared Leto in this movie? Why (in general)?

The movie was not cohesive. If it was about the trial with flashbacks to when Patrizia and Maurizio met, their marriage, Patrizia's ambition, her "affair" with Pina Auriemma (Hayak) interwoven. Something.

The movie was business meetings; endless business meetings about the Gucci brand, selling the company to XYZ person, avoiding tax evasions charges. I don't understand the purpose of this film. It was not entertaining. It was too long, tedious and boring.

Rating: 3/10