March movie reviews

In theaters:

DUNE PART TWO

I had kind of the same reaction to this as I did to part one. On a technical level it is a massively impressive achievement. The fx, the sound, the cinematography, all top notch. Again though I just felt nothing watching the overly complicated story unfold. I just don't care about Paul Atreides being the messiah or not. I still liked the movie more than part one, cause this has the magnificent Florence Pugh, and a lot more Zendaya. 

LOVE LIES BLEEDING

The best film of 2024 so far, a hugely entertaining noir, centered on a lesbian romance between a never better Kristen Stewart and the fantastic Katy O'Brian. They don't make em this grimy and sleazy anymore. Movie is full of cool twists and colorful dialogue. Ed Harris is a scary villain with a grotesque wig. 

THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES

Boy, this was a misfire. Points for originality, as this mixes social satire, fantasy and romantic comedy. And I often really like films that mix disparate genres. But this doesn't work at all, cause the satire is completely toothless. I got a couple chuckles here and there and the romance is a little charming, but yeah, this is a miss. 

GHOSTBUSTERS: FROZEN EMPIRE

I really liked Ghostbusters: Afterlife. I thought it was a really good example of reviving a franchise in a new way. But I guess a lot of people hated it, and a lot of people hate this newest entry too. I liked this one too, though not quite as much as Afterlife. This one is a little lighter on the laughs and heavier on the main plot, which is okay. Still a very appealing ensemble, new and old, although I'm not sure we needed so many characters (did anyone need to see Peck again?). Dan Aykroyd is surprisingly poignant in this. 

IMMACULATE

Once again a Sydney Sweeney movie left me puzzled why she is getting such a huge push. In fairness, few actresses could have elevated such a dull, derivative religious horror movie like this. Sweeney is just so monotone and dull though. I get she's hot, but so are a ton of actresses who never got this kind of hype. Only the very end of the film is any good. 

Everything else: 

MAESTRO

Bradley Cooper's passion project about composer Leonard Bernstein got a bunch of Oscar nominations, including one for Cooper himself. It didn't do much for me, but in fairness the subject matter doesn't interest me. Carey Mulligan was nominated for her typicaly excellent work. 

NYAD

Look, I'm forever bitter that Natalie Portman got snubbed for a best actress nomination, and it's even more annoying when she was snubbed in favor of, for one, Annette Bening's performance here as an older woman trying to swim from Cuba to Florida. It's an annoying character and Bening is annoying playing her. Much better is the also nominated Jodie Foster, in her best performance in a very long time. 

THE BREED

MOVING MCALLISTER

So...got a weird relationship with these two obscure mid-2000s movies. The former is a very forgettable horror cheapie (that somehow got Michelle Rodriguez in the cast) about a pack of vicious dogs. The latter is a fairly likable road trip comedy featuring a peak level cuteness Mila Kunis. 

ANOTHER WOMAN

A lesser known Woody Allen film, this late 80s film is a full on drama, with Gena Rowlands as a woman dealing with a late midlife crisis. Good performance, but this thing bored me stiff. 

EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SEX* (*BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK)

A much better Allen film, this one from the early 70s, a collection of vignettes about various sexual topics. Not all of this works, and some of it is now deeply problematic, but when this thing hits it is sometimes hugely funny. The segment where Gene Wilder falls for a sheep is an all timer. 

AFTER SEX

Another obscure mid-2000s flick, this one also a collection of vignettes dealing with sex. None of this is great, but none is terrible. Best are the bits with Zoe Saldana and Mila Kunis experimenting, and the one where Emmanuelle Chriqui does her whole scene in her underwear. 

THE PURPLE ROSE OF CAIRO

Another unseen Woody Allen movie, this is the one where a movie character (fresh faced Jeff Daniels) steps off the screen into the real world and falls for a woman (Mia Farrow being super charming). I found this one just delightful and warm, with a dynamite bittersweet ending that struck a chord with me as someone for whom the movies have always been a balm in the bad times.