Summer Flicks 2018

Ah, summer. My least favorite movie season. A time of countless blockbusters and tentpoles, looking to cash in on people's free time and need to escape the heat. As cynical as I may be about movies this distant from awards season, there are always some exceptions to the rule. I decided to write this post to dissect the movies I've caught this summer- the good and the bad. Buckle up because I'm coming to you with mini reviews on EVERY film I've caught in theaters this summer!

Tully:

While "Tully" was one of the more indie, low-profile films over the summer, it certainly packed a punch. As soon as I heard Charlize Theron was starring in a new film, I was on board. She is an exceptionally gifted actress who is entirely dedicated to her craft, and I knew this movie would be no exception. "Tully" is a powerful psychological drama that centers around Marlo (Theron), a middle-aged woman about to have her third child. Well, at least I would classify the film into that genre. This film was marketed as a comedy, and while there may have been comedic elements to it, it certainly came across as a serious film to me. This film sheds light on the practical turmoils new mothers face. Marlo's brother sends her a night nurse to help her with the new baby so she can get some sleep. Marlo and the new night nurse, Tully, develop a bond. Throughout the course of their relationship, the lines between truth and fiction seem to blur. Without giving away one of the best plot twists I've seen in years, I highly recommend checking out this film for yourself. The ending completely shocked me, which is saying a lot when so many movies are coming out that are utterly predictable. Mainly because this film was branded as a comedy, I was completely surprised by what I saw. This movie was bold, twisted, surprising, intense, and enlightening. It is definitely dark, so don't be fooled by the comedic label! If you're in the mood for some great acting and a good shock, definitely check out this summer flick.

Book Club:

Ah, "Book Club". I don't even know where to begin with this one. Let me start by saying how much I adore the cast of this film. The stars include two of my personal heroes, my queens, Diane Keaton and Jane Fonda. I could write an entire separate post about what these two women mean to me, that's how much I adore them. They starred alongside Candace Bergen and Mary Steenburgen, who are also phenomenal. While I'm all for them having fun making a movie and taking a break from doing serious work, I was a little sad that such phenomenal actresses would stoop to this level. Now I know this movie wasn't made with the intention of winning Best Picture, but let me tell you... it was simply not good. You know those movies that you know are bad but you just love them anyway? This was not one of them. This movie is technically about 4 women who host a monthly book club- yet we only ever see them read the "Fifty Shades of Grey" trilogy. Therefore, it's a pretty safe bet that these older women explore their sexuality and work on defining their relationships with men throughout the film. Clearly this plot line in a comedy leads to juvenile jokes (despite it being made for a "mature" audience). I can maybe see enjoying this film more if you do happen to fall within the target demographic, but as a 22 year old, the humor was lost on me. A great point of comparison is Fonda's hit Netflix show, "Grace and Frankie". This show was made for the same target demographic. It, too, is a comedy that centers around redefining your life and exploring who you are at an older age. Yet unlike "Book Club," this show draws in young viewers- all of my friends watch and love it! "Book Club" tried and failed to reach this level. I love these women and I'm certain they enjoyed making this film, which is great, but it was not a home run in my book.

Adrift:

Now this film is a perfect example of a movie I know is far from great, yet I loved regardless. I've always been obscenely fascinated by survival stories. One of my favorite classes I took in college was called The Biology and Psychology of Survival. Because of that class,  I've gained my fair share of knowledge about how people conduct themselves in survival situations, as well as how the human body and psyche are influenced by them. I knew all along that "Adrift" may not be a priority in the land of film critics, but regardless I eagerly awaited its arrival to theaters. This film, which is based on a true story,  stars Shailene Woodley and Sam Claflin as a couple, sailing from Tahiti to San Diego. Their route goes off course as they mistakenly sail into a catastrophic hurricane. The film takes the viewer back and forth between their perilous journey and back in time, telling the story of these characters, Tami and Richard, falling in love. A survival story and a love story? Sign me up. While the alternating storylines somewhat irritated me at points, I didn't find very many faults with this movie. There are definitely points where the love story feels a little corny, but I genuinely loved how the film conveyed these characters handling their peril. I felt even more invested in the outcome since it was clear that these two people were so in love. I was impressed with the special effects, and particularly with Woodley's acting. Shailene Woodley has certainly demonstrated her broad acting ability recently (ex. "Big Little Lies"). By no means is this a perfect movie. It's a little color-by-numbers. That being said, I thoroughly enjoyed it and felt genuinely interested throughout the entire film. While the plot can be slightly predictable, Woodley certainly has an ability to pull the viewer in and really feel for these characters and their story. It was honestly everything I want in a summer movie.

Hereditary:

"Hereditary" was definitely the most unusual film I saw this summer. I'm not the biggest horror movie fan in the world, hence why my reviews on them are few and far between. I'm all for some 80s classics, such as "Halloween" and "Nightmare on Elm Street," but I will say that I feel continuously let down by modern horror movies. They feel so forced and artificial, and I just don't have a strong connection to them. When news of "Hereditary" broke, it was positioned as a horror film that breaks the mold of what we've seen recently. This immediately concerned me, as my mind went directly to the film "Mother!" released last fall. I honestly should have written a post on my hatred of this film, but I didn't want to relive my experience of watching it. I feared that "Hereditary" would similarly stray too far from the mold, leaving audiences more confused than anything. That being said, once I saw the trailer for "Hereditary," I was definitely interested. "Hereditary" was released by A24, which is one of my all time favorite film distributers. There is rarely a film they release that I don't enjoy, so that definitely increased this film's credibility in my eyes. On top of that. this film stars Toni Collette, who is such a fantastic actor. I've been a long-time fan of her work. I knew that her acting would be a strong contribution to this film. "Hereditary" is about one family's eerie ancestry, opening with the matriarch of the family passing away. As the film progresses, the viewers learn how this family has sinister qualities passed down through their genes. In efforts not to spoil the plot, I will leave you with this: the performances in "Hereditary" are spectacular, unlike any performances I've ever seen in a scary movie. Toni Collette blows it out of the water. Man, the faces that woman can make are unreal. Alex Wolff, who plays the son, delivers a standout performance as well. He is notable for his role in the indie "My Friend Dahmer," and does not disappoint in "Hereditary". The first 3/4 of this movie I thought were superb and exceptionally compelling. They broke free of the typically unrealistic horror movie mold. The last quarter in my opinion got a little outlandish and forced the film to lose a little of its credibility. All in all, it'll definitely be worth a go come Halloween time.

Ocean's 8:

This one's for the ladies! If you're in the mood to watch some badass women in the most phenomenal costumes commit some crime, boy is this the film for you. I went into the theater for "Oceans 8" with fairly low expectations. I noted that the film had an exceptional cast, but expected it to be a so-so retelling of the classic Ocean's films. This movie certainly exceeded my expectations! It was compelling, fun, and full of incredible feminism. Now, I'm not saying this is an Oscar-movie film, but it was such a fun summer flick that did not disappoint. Let's start by breaking down this killer cast. This movie stars Anne Hathaway, Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Mindy Kaling, Awkwafina, Rihanna, Sarah Paulson, and Helena Bonham Carter, ~AKA queens~.  These women make the film. They are bosses. They get stuff done and look good doing it. By no means am I endorsing anyone pulling of a heist but dang they make it look cool. The whole plot of the movie centers around a group of women robbing jewels from the Met Gala. Sandra Bullock serves as the ring leader, playing Debbie Ocean, a recently released convict, sister of Danny Ocean. She and this group of women orchestrate a heist that, if they pull it off, will leave them with $150 million. I was a little worried that this would bore me, but the plot remains captivating throughout the film. It is a funny, witty, empowering film. Die-hard Ocean's fans may be slightly less enthusiastic about this version, but it personally kept me more engaged than the original Ocean's films. I think the entire cast was phenomenal, but I think Anne Hathaway was a standout. We haven't seen her very much on the big screen in the last few years, so it was great to see her pack a punch in this role. Once again, it's not a perfect film but it is just one of those quality summer movies! Heck, it should hold up through the next season as well.

Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again:

One of my favorite guilty pleasure movies is "Mamma Mia!". Few things beat a Friday night in college staying in with a bottle of wine, some good friends, and Meryl Streep. Let's be real, few things in life ever beat Meryl Streep. Before I go on a rant about my favorite human Meryl, let's talk "Mamma Mia!" and its sequel. I'll admit, "Mamma Mia!" is a far cry from a genuinely great movie. But it is just so fun! We all have movies like this that we love, ones that comfort the soul. I saw the original in theaters 10 years ago and have definitely watched it at least once a year since. When I heard that a sequel was coming out, I flipped. I was so excited to see what they would do with this and to hear more ABBA songs. When the day finally came, I booked it to the theater as soon as I could. I'm sure at this point no one will be surprised to hear that I loved the sequel! Let me tell you a secret- I still love the first one more. The major issue I had with the sequel is that it is lacking Meryl screen time. This is insanely biased of me, but I gotta have my Meryl. I will say, though, a scene of Cher singing "Fernando" nearly made up for that. The sequel is in fact mostly a prequel, showing Donna, the lead, in her youth in the 70s. It reintroduces us to the characters we know and love in their youth. I thought the music selection was great- there was a nice balance of repeat songs from the original, as well as different ABBA songs. I thought the casting was great for the most part. I didn't really love Lilly James as young Donna as much as I wanted to. I thought she did a pretty good job, but I just didn't believe her as the young version of Meryl Streep's Donna. Besides that, though, I think it was even better than I expected! I was pretty worried that it would be a flop, as sequels can be. But I really did love it! In fact, I've had the soundtrack blasting pretty much all summer. If you don't get bogged down on all of the plot inconsistencies, it's definitely a fun movie!

Eighth Grade:

If you're on the hunt for a good coming-of-age story, "Eighth Grade" will not disappoint. "Eighth Grade" is an independent film directed by Bo Burnham, who got his start as a Youtuber. It is about a thirteen year old girl named Kayla. Upon entering eighth grade, Kayla endures the social trials and tribulations many teens face at that age. She has her own Youtube channel, on which she dispenses advice on a range of topics, such as "how to have confidence". Despite the type of advice she gives others, Kayla is extremely introverted and has great difficulty finding her social footing in school. I can't speak on behalf of others, but I definitely personally connected to this film. 13 is a delicate age, and it certainly brought back any struggles I may have had at the time. A major focus in the film is on social media. It certainly made me glad this wasn't really in existence when I was that age. Throughout the course of the film, we see Kayla deal with a variety of social obstacles, such as pool parties, popular girls, crushes, befriending older kids, and more. It's hard for me to believe anyone had their life totally together at this age, so I definitely think there's something in "Eighth Grade" for everyone. It feels so genuine. It gives great insight into what it's like to be in eighth grade at this day in age. It also shows what it's like to be a single parent of a young teen. If I had to describe this film in one word, it would be honest. It is well worth the watch.

BlacKkKlansman:

Another Spike Lee joint. I've been waiting for a new Spike Lee movie for ages! "Do The Right Thing" is one of the best films I've ever seen. Lee is a super talented filmmaker, so I was stoked to see "BlacKkKlansman". This tells the true story of Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer who poses as a member of the KKK in order to gain intel. He sends a white colleague (played by Adam Driver) undercover, and they work together to infiltrate and expose the organization. I don't want to give much of the plot away, as it's much better to see the events unfold onscreen than to simply read what happens. I will say, though, that the acting is superb- Adam Driver is the shining star in my eyes. This story shines a light on a key component of our nation's history, while managing to be funny at the same time. It is clever and witty, and it's hard to believe this is a true story! It has an epic soundtrack, too, which is an added bonus. As I said, every single person should make an effort to see this story unfold before their eyes, so I don't want to reveal much plot. Put this at the top of your list! Spike Lee has done it again.


Crazy Rich Asians:

Last but not least, the final movie I saw this summer was "Crazy Rich Asians". I think a lot of people will agree that this was the standout film of the summer. It can be easy for critics to dismiss films classified as "romantic comedies" but this film refused to be ignored. In fact, "Crazy Rich Asians" was the most successful romantic comedy to hit the theater in nine years. This film is about a Chinese-American NYU professor named Rachel Chu who goes to Singapore with her boyfriend to meet his family. She finds out upon arrival that this family, the Youngs, are among the wealthiest families in Singapore. Not only does Rachel learn this, but she learns that Nick (her boyfriend) is one of the most eligible bachelors. The film deals with Rachel's struggles to be accepted into the family. Between the family and the women from Nick's hometown, Rachel finds herself targeted by the people around her. This film is the first Hollywood studio released film to have an all-Asian cast since "The Joy Luck Club" in 1993. This is a fundamentally important statistic and this film has been incredibly important to a diverse audience. The storyline is very entertaining- it's the perfect blend of meaningful and funny, and has just the right hint of romance. The entire cast is phenomenal and truly delivers. If that's not enough to drive you to the theater to see it, it's worth a watch for the opulence alone. You won't believe the wealth depicted on screen. This movie is full of glamour. The different dynamics between the family members are endlessly fascinating. It is a feel-good movie that shares important stories. It has integrity, passion, heart, and humor. Race to your theater to get the full experience!