Movie Madness: Reviews and Critiques

Warning: Movie Spoilers Ahead! Interested? Watch the trailer above! Everything, Everywhere, All At Once (2022) perfectly summarizes itself in the title. The plot is quite literally everything. everywhere. all. at. once. The summary is an “... action adventure about an exhausted Chinese American woman (Michelle Yeoh) who can't seem to finish her taxes,” and I guess this is true, but wow does it take twists and turns. Every single time I thought the movie was over, it kept going. The movie is divided into thirds and - as you guessed it - each part is related to a section of the title, respectively. Honestly, this was not my favorite movie. I didn’t think it would end. But, I do have my reasons for reviewing it here and even going so far as to recommend it. Personally, I’m in agreement with movie critic Tom Shone, who said that this film was “exhilarating, funny and moving… [but] also messy, overstuffed and a trifle exhausting.” It is exhausting and messy and long - but it is also so ...

Warning: Movie Spoilers Ahead Interested? Watch the trailer above! Today’s movie-musical is a little bit different. Instead of being a movie based on an existing play, this movie is based on the entire discography of the 1970s band ABBA. Mamma Mia! (2008) is a musical all about fun. It’s literally impossible to watch the entirety of this movie and not dance along and have a great time. I’m not saying this movie is the best - it’s got a lot of different faults - but as a summertime or casual watch, this movie is practically perfect. It takes place in the Greek Isles and stars Meryl Streep, Amanda Seyfried, and Colin Firth. What a cast. And the premise? It’s all about a wedding and the bride’s desire to find her father, which is much harder than it seems. Her mother, Donna (Meryl Streep), has had a string of lovers all around the same time and it’s anyone’s guess which one fathered Sophie (Amanda Seyfried). The men, though, take it in their stride and elect to all act as Sophie’s father...

Warning: Movie Spoilers Ahead! Trigger Warning: Murder Interested? Watch the above clip! Welcome back readers! This week is my FAVORITE genre: musicals! Musicals can be hard to make, as they require triple threat actors, choreographers, and music directors, but when they’re done well they’re done really well. One of my all-time favorite musical-turned-movies is Chicago (2002), starring Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Richard Gere. The thing that I especially enjoy about this entire show is that it’s a movie based on a musical based on a play based on actual cases covered by reporters. The plot is simple: Roxie Hart (Renee Zellweger) is an aspiring Vaudevillian (the 1920s version of a showgirl) who murders her boyfriend and is ratted out by her husband (Yep. The morality is not strong in this one). While in prison, she meets Velma (Catherine Zeta-Jones), a successful Vaudeville performer who killed her husband and sister (they were having a secret affair). They have the same...

Warning: Movie Spoilers Ahead Warning: Mass Death, Suicide Interested? Click the above video to watch the trailer! I decided that I cannot do a movie blog with a romance genre and not talk about the iconic Titanic (1997). This film is a masterpiece for a multitude of reasons, the first one being: its run time of 3 hours, 26 minutes is exactly how long it took for the actual ship to sink. This minute detail alone shows the considerable amount of effort that the cast and crew took to pay homage to the survivors and respect to the dead. Secondly, this film is one of Leonardo DiCaprio’s groundbreaking roles that launched him into such a massively successful career. After all, who doesn’t love Jack? He’s sweet and romances Rose from their first meeting, when he persuades her to not commit suicide. While the audience knows that there is an enormous disaster coming - the film is indeed about the sinking of the infamous ship - the story of Jack and Rose is a sweet love story that slowly unfol...

Warning: Movie Spoilers Ahead Interested? Click the video above to watch the official trailer! Romance. I’d be lying if I said this was my favorite genre, but I’m determined to help everyone expand their film palates and that goes for myself too. When Harry Met Sally is a romance that I do actually enjoy, and I consider it as an autumn must-have. It’s funny and honest in a way that a lot of romance movies are not. Harry (Billy Crystal) and Sally (Meg Ryan) meet, but do not have an immediate romantic connection. In fact, their whole story is a push and pull, where they simultaneously can’t stand each other, but find themselves continuously stumbling into one another’s lives. In the end, of course, they end up together, but the story of how they get there is what makes this story so enthralling. A movie critic for The Hollywood Reporter noted that When Harry Met Sally “is a beautiful, brainy, touching and lilting romantic comedy that should touch the heartstrings of lovers and those y...

   Warning: Movie Spoilers Ahead! Trigger Warning: Abortion Interested? Click the video above to watch the official trailer! Dirty Dancing (1987). The epitome of a classic 80s romantic drama. It’s got dancing, summer vibes, Jennifer Grey and Patrick Swayze. What more could you need? Almost everyone has heard of this film, but the shocked response people have when they actually see the film tells me that it has not quite got the recognition it deserves for being a drama. After all, the driving force behind this plot is abortion and believing in one’s choices. When I showed my friend this film, she was shocked! She had heard about it, about “Nobody puts Baby in a corner” and the iconic dance scene to “The Time of My Life,” but never had she heard about the abortion plot that drives Baby and Johnny together! Especially in the political era we are in, where abortion rights and healthcare are being attacked, it’s important to watch this movie for what it truly is. Aside from being...

Warning: Movie Spoilers Ahead! Trigger Warning: Suicide, Graphic Death Interested? Click the video above to watch the official trailer! Whew. The Menu , starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Ralph Fiennes, and Nicholas Hoult, is nothing short of unexpected and it is a wild ride. This movie has been described as a dark comedy and a horror film, but I think it best fits in the drama category. At almost no point did I laugh, but I think horror is a bit of a stretch when it comes to this film. The suspense of this film is admirable, and definitely the best thing about the entire plot.  This film received a 89% on RottenTomatoes, a feat which it definitely earned, but the actual movie critics were a bit more mixed in their reviews. One critic, Candice Frederick of the Huffington Post , wrote “it’s easy to point and laugh at the rich, or feel a sense of vindication... But you still walk away feeling hungry,” a sentiment I do not agree with. The film is definitely trying to poke fun at the horror/thr...

   Warning: Movie Spoilers Ahead! Interested? Click the video above to watch the official trailer! Welcome back, fellow movie fans! This is the last post in the comedy genre, before moving on to drama next week. Today’s movie is Bridesmaids (2011), starring Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rebel Wilson, and Melissa McCarthy. This movie is predominantly a comedy, full of explosive laughs thanks to the talents of the supporting cast, but the heart of this movie is a bit more serious than my last post.  Kristen Wiig, playing the awkward and lovable Annie, is on a mission to discover who she is and how her friendship with Lillian (Maya Rudolph) will continue as new people come in and out of their lives. Because of this plotline, it’s hard to not be emotionally pulled by characters as they bond, fight, and make-up. The movie got mostly positive reviews, scoring a very solid 89% on RottenTomatoes, a notorious movie review platform.  Movie critic Yasmin Omar, of Harper’s Bazaar...