Today I have 3 very different movies to review before we bring 2019 to a close. I will be reviewing "Little Women" which is based on the classic novel of the same name, "Bombshell" which is based on the real life scandal regarding sexual harassment at Fox News, and "Black Christmas" which is the second remake of a horror movie by the same name. Before I get started, I'd like to give a shoutout to the Free Gamer's Alliance YouTube channel. Their videos cover everything from walkthroughs, glitches, easter eggs, and various amusing video game related content, all of which is delivered with some colorful commentary while they have buckets of fun doing it. Here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC03E6K3QHRMp7Vs0S6wHm6Q
Lets get this started with "Black Christmas." Here is the trailer:
- This movie has some really good ideas. None of them are executed very well but they are there nonetheless.
- The pacing of this movies is nothing short of brutal. It feels so much longer than it actually is.
- The acting in this movie is horrendous. I don't expect a lot in terms of acting in this genre but I would have appreciated it if anyone was at least pretending to try.
- There is an over reliance on so many horror movie cliches that your eyes will be rolling.
- There is also an over reliance on really predictable jump scares which is so overused that they are not only ineffective but end up just being irritating to the audience.
- Finally, the ending of this movie is really stupid. it feels super anti climatic and not really worth suffering through the rest of the movie.
"Black Christmas" has some good ideas but it executes them very poorly. It takes so many elements of the slasher genre that don't work and doubles down on them. I recommend skipping this complete waste of time.
Let us move on to "Bombshell." Here is the trailer:
- The acting in this movie is phenomenal. In particular, Charlize Theron is spot on as Megyn Kelly to the point where it is actually scary how she nails the way Megyn speaks and her mannerisms.
- This movie has to win some awards for costumes and makeup as they really nailed the looks for Charlize Theron and Nicole Kidman.
- I do appreciate that the movie makes it clear that while this is based on real life events that certain creative liberties are taken and the reason for those. I think that is really important when dealing with real events and not enough movies do that.
- This movie does have an important message (even if it could have gone deeper into it) that is very relevant to current events.
- There are certain elements of this story that could have been explored in more depth given the nature of the network involved and the general stances it puts out on situations like these.
- The pacing was a bit uneven. There are times when the movie drags on more than it should.
- Finally, I felt that the tone of the movie was not entirely appropriate for the subject matter. It tried to be a little too lighthearted about such serious subject matter.
"Bombshell" is not without it's flaws but it definitely gets it's message across even if it can be a bit simplistic about it. I'd recommend seeing it if this scandal fascinates you in any way. Otherwise, I'd wait to rent it or stream it.
​Finally, let us move on to "Little Women." Here is the trailer:
- The pacing in this movie is perfect. The movie isn't short but it definitely never feels like it is dragging on or overstaying it's welcome.
- This cast is incredible. Everyone really gives it their all. Saoirse Ronan should definitely be in the conversation for Academy Award nominations. I also thought that Florence Pugh, Timothee Chalamet, and Laura Dern also nail their roles.
- This movie absolutely nails the emotional parts. I have read the book (and wrote a paper on it in University) so I knew those parts were coming and I still really felt the impact.
- The characters are written in such a way that they are all easy to relate to. I actually think that the movie did a better job of that than the book, in particular when dealing with Florence Pugh's character.
- There are some great funny moments that definitely had me laughing out loud.
- The costumes in this movie are nothing short of breathtaking.
- Finally, this movie has so much great dialogue. Not only does it all feel really natural but there are a lot of iconic lines that are very quotable.
- I got nothing for this section.
"Little Women" is only the second movie from director Greta Gerwig but it further cements her status as a great director with a very bright future ahead. This movie takes a story that has been adapted so many times and manages to both nail the nostalgia and keeping it fresh and relevant for modern audiences. This is an absolute triumph of a film that will have you on an emotional roller coaster that you won't want to get off. I highly recommend seeing this movie!
Thanks for reading everyone! As usual feel free to leave a comment but please be advised that if you read any potential comments that spoilers may be present.