The Invisible Man (2020) directed by Leigh Whannell

One of my biggest worries about today's cinema when it comes to rebooting and remaking classic properties is the loss of the original style. While I knew this film was a much darker and horrific take on the classic Universal monster story, I was never really expecting it to slap so hard. Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man is an absolutely excellent horror film that derives its terror from so many different sources. Whannell's script is amazing, providing so many genuinely scary moments, whether there is an invisible man or not. The use of tension throughout Whannell's direction and the technical aspects really aid in making this movie as ridden with anxiety as possible. Cheesiness is one thing that I feel the original is known for and while that could have easily been the case, Whannell takes a step in the perfect direction to bring the terror of not seeing someone to the forefront. Bolstered, of course, by a fantastic performance from Elisabeth Moss, this film is one remake that I can wholeheartedly support and appreciate due to its fantastic new take on its story.

After living with her abusive boyfriend Adrian (Oliver Jackson-Cohen) for a few years, Cecilia Kass (Elisabeth Moss) decides that she has to get out of her toxic situation. She leaves him in the middle of the night still carrying the fear that he is watching her and this terror is heightened when she begins to suspect that Adrian has developed a way to be invisible, watching her at all times. Whannell's writing and direction throughout this film are stunning. He has proven himself to be one of the most promising horror filmmakers of today and I was continuously impressed at how well he managed this story. My biggest fear was how cheesy this film could end up being, given that the main antagonist is invisible, but the way that Whannell writes his story shatters that expectation. The script for this film is incredibly tight as well and while it might not provide anything substantially twisty or genre-bending, his writing works in conjunction with the form of the narrative incredibly well. What I love most about this movie, however, is how it functions both as a horror film about an invisible monster and a horror film about abusive relationships. The genuine fear that stems from both is equally terrifying and Whannell writes his characters with such authenticity that was refreshing to see. This movie might not exactly be a revenge thriller or anything too on-the-nose, but the focus on Cecilia's relationship often more than the invisible aspect made for some very scary scenes. His tension works very well and his clever writing makes for such an interesting dynamic throughout the film. While some only saw Cecilia as paranoid for thinking Adrian was stalking her, the almost invisible element of tension was obvious, as it is difficult to know in certain scenes whether or not he was actually there.

Whannell has proven that he is a master of classic storytelling and his direction exhibits just that. There is a scene about halfway through this film that completely alters the course of the film and its events left me shaking. While it definitely took a much darker turn, I adored how well this director handled the story in the second half. Stefan Duscio's cinematography and Andy Canny's editing work so well together in order to execute Whannell's vision. The way that Duscio frames every shot of this film to just summon tension from nowhere is astounding. Both of these technical elements were utilized just perfectly to create this unnerving atmosphere in absolutely still environments. There are some scenes throughout this film that just linger on a certain shot for a long time and because of Canny's editing, the long takes helped to manifest this crippling anxiety. Every creative choice throughout this film is thought through very well and creates the epitome of what I want to see in a horror film. Along with all of these fantastic elements, The Invisible Man solely relies upon the performance from Elisabeth Moss to sell what it is putting out and boy, is she a good saleswoman. Her performance is phenomenal and while I did not expect anything less, I was still floored by her multi-dimensional portrayal of Cecilia. Moss is one of my favorite working actresses and while I would like to think that she could do more types of genres, she is damn good at the ones she is currently working within. The way that she embodies both the grief of losing someone and the complexity of loving and despising them along with the horror aspects of this film is fantastic to watch and this was a role that truly no one else could have done.

What one can't see can actually be dangerous and Leigh Whannell's The Invisible Man helps in solidifying that statement. This remake of the classic monster movie is updated brilliantly for our modern culture and makes for an absolutely liberating conclusion for our protagonist. I was genuinely not expecting this movie to be as well-made as it was but this really only enhanced my experience. The more stressful yet impressive roles Elisabeth Moss can fill the better, but someone should also make sure to check up on her every once in a while.

My Rating: ★★★★½

Buffaloed (2020) directed by Tanya Wexler

Films about the money market and financing are an absolute bore to me and I have never understood the reasoning behind why filmmakers would want to align themselves with such scripts. However, when Zoey Deutch and Tanya Wexler are on your side, it is a completely different story. Buffaloed is a quick and simple yet fantastic look at this world of money that is never stretched out beyond what it's worth. Wexler is able to make a perfect little companion piece to other films such as The Wolf of Wall Street or The Big Short while making sure this one is much easier to digest. There is a lot of this film's substance that I would not normally enjoy but when it is carried by the extraordinarily eccentric and scene-stealing Deutch, it is difficult to not enjoy yourself. I did find some of the direction a bit lacking and much of the script to rely on financial terms and lingo but regardless, I never stopped enjoying this fast-paced and quirky movie. If a filmmaker can craft a story all about finances and debt collection and not make me want to shoot myself, then it must be an absolute hit.

Getting thrown in jail for ticket scalping is a strange thing for a teenager to go through but Peg Dahl (Zoey Deutch) is no stranger; growing up with a moneymaking mindset while having an unbreakable charisma is her specialty. As she gets out of jail and gets back in her old ways, she finds out that she has a large debt to pay and gets involved with debt lord Wizz (Jai Courtney), eventually becoming his competition in the small town of Buffalo. This script, written by Brian Sacca, is where I must admit I was most worried about this film from the very start. I have never enjoyed movies that delve deep into money or finance and while I am sure some much more capable and responsible people can derive enjoyment from them, it is nearly impossible for me. There is just nothing in the world about money that could make a story interesting. Perhaps it was because Deutch's character Peg breaks the fourth wall and practically teaches a class throughout the film about what she is doing, but I found this movie incredibly easy to understand and follow along with. This is very rare for these kinds of films and I found myself genuinely interested in the business that Peg was conducting. The way that the story builds is also excellent and the use of minimal characters to tell Peg's story was a very smart choice. And despite the film's short, 95-minute runtime, I actually cared for each one of the supporting characters because of how well they were each written. Each had their own personality, none of them were outright stereotypes, and the dynamic between Deutch and the rest of the cast was actually believable. And hell, I may have even learned a thing or two.

While the film itself is written decently well and provides a plethora of comedy and drama brilliantly blended together, the real standout is the performance from Zoey Deutch. She is such an amazingly talented actress that holds her own throughout this film like one could never believe. She is typically cast in films as a supporting character and I am just really hoping that this film gets a bit more attention so that audiences can see and appreciate just how stupendous Deutch is as a lead. Buffaloed definitely would not have carried its charming, indie spirit without her and she brings a whole other level of energy to telling this story. However, this film is not really anything special when it comes to its technicals like cinematography or editing. I found a lot of the choices to be fairly standard and its visual storytelling very limited. Wexler's direction also became noticeably weak towards the second half of the film. While plenty was going on in the lives of these characters, I could never exactly tell what this movie was building towards. I did, however, really enjoy the comedic route that Wexler took for its ending and thankfully, it was enough to keep me distracted from realizing how little it developed until the actual end of the film. While I did not feel as much anticipation for this film's climax as I had hoped, Deutch absolutely steals this story and provides a spunk to her character that's even more likable than protagonists of similar films.

Buffaloed is an incredibly solid film that is able to stand on its own in the seemingly popular film genre of money laundering and debt collection. I genuinely really enjoyed this film and seeing one of my favorite, up-and-coming actresses in the lead role only helped to enhance the experience for me. Deutch is an absolute superstar and while some may argue she carried this whole film, I was still impressed by Wexler's storytelling and her ability to actually keep me invested (pun intended).

My Rating: ★★★★

The Skeleton Twins (2014) directed by Craig Johnson

Every former Saturday Night Live star deserves their depressing, gay, drama moment and Craig Johnson's The Skeleton Twins provides just that. This film is a mediocre drama surrounding the lives of a brother and sister reconnecting and while the writing itself feels very bland, the performances from these leads definitely show off their range of skills. I knew nothing of this film before watching other than its title and so seeing these former SNL costars take on a much darker premise while still maintaining their trademark brands of humor and flexibility in their work is quite impressive. While I will most likely forget about the majority of this film rather quickly, it has definitely done nothing wrong. I'm sure lots of people will be able to connect with this film more than others but the dry, monotone blend of humor and drama seemed like something that the Duplass brothers would come up with. And sure enough, they turned out to be executive producers, which for better or worse depending on one's taste, will definitely show how well their work resonates with someone.

After narrowly avoiding death on the same day, twin siblings Milo (Bill Hader) and Maggie Dean (Kristen Wiig) reconnect after ten years of not speaking to each other. While they each individually deal with the relationships and troubles in their lives, they come to realize that they need each other more than ever, as much as they would both hate to admit it. The script for this film, written by Craig Johnson and Mark Heyman is extraordinarily passable. Which I say in the most optimistic of ways because while this story presents absolutely nothing new, it still manages to get its audience involved very well. The writing was not anything special and followed a typical drama and three-act route, just like Johnson did with his cookie-cutter direction. The way that Johnson shows these characters in the routine of their lives is fairly predictable in how their worlds came crashing down around them. While there was nothing utterly disrespectful or not handled well throughout this film, all of these elements simply play into its mediocrity. The progression of the characters and their arcs are perfectly adequate and the film does not do much to make the audience care that much more about them once the film is over, which is to be expected in something the Duplass brothers oversaw. Johnson works really well within his producers' signature, bleak, depressive style and this story goes along with that just as fine. The cinematography and editing were effective and while I can not stress enough how run-of-the-mill the filmmaking was, the movie itself still manages to be a bit more than mildly interesting.

Writing anything substantial about this film proves to be fairly difficult, as I was not impressed by much but not disappointed, either. While the dialogue and overall writing throughout the film were fine as is, this story is still a great vehicle for Hader and Wiig to show off their dramatic side. I'm aware of how cliché it is to praise a comedy star's turn into dramatic territory, but I will always continue to be impressed when actors and actresses show their multi-dimensionality. Hader and Wiig look surprisingly similar all things considered and their portrayals as siblings were just as believable. The one element that really sold this film to me was their chemistry together and even in the most troublesome of scenes or if they were fighting in the dialogue, they were incredibly convincing. Brothers and sisters personified in film always seem to exaggerate certain characteristics for the sake of the story but that is what this entire film was about. The dynamic between Milo and Maggie is wonderfully explored and the leads embody this bond with authenticity. I am an only child myself but from what I've learned over more than two decades of being on this planet is that siblings carry some of the most complicated relationships in their lives and this film was no different. The supporting performances from Luke Wilson and Ty Burrell were also fantastic. Wilson and Burrell's characters helped to enrich the story very well and added so much depth to Maggie and Milo's upbringing. This film is really just a big ol' showcase of comedy stars coming together and utilizing a different breed of humor to bring out a different type of story but thankfully, they all worked together excellently.

The Skeleton Twins is a very good watch for anyone who is looking to see the range of Wiig and Hader but not as good of a watch if that person is looking for an emotionally deeper story to resonate with. This is a very responsibly made film that touches on a few different important topics like mental health and parental issues, but just like many other films of the genre, it does not do much to set itself apart. I would still recommend this film but sadly, it is not nearly as special or outstanding as I wanted it to be.

My Rating: ★★★½

The Photograph (2020) directed by Stella Meghie

Continuing this trend of Valentine's Day romance releases, I was very excited for this film since its first trailer late last year. Stella Meghie's The Photograph is a movie that I desperately wanted to enjoy, despite me basically knowing that it was going to be a typical romance feature. What I did not know, however, was how predictable and typical it was going to be. This film is one of the most poorly structured and dull romance films as of recent and one that I just could not get invested in. There was nothing entirely wrong with its story or how these characters came to fall in love with each other and I did really enjoy the multi-generational aspect of the story, but the individual romances themselves were not interesting enough to make me care. I could tell what Meghie was going for with her slow-burn direction and thankfully, the performances from the two leads practically carry this movie's tender energy, but the incredibly slow pacing and extended sequences of nothing happening made me lose my interest and wonder when, if ever, I would get out of the theater.

Michael (Lakeith Stanfield), a writer for an online publication and Mae (Issa Rae), a photographer, live in New York City and meet when Michael is hired to write an article about Mae's mother who had recently passed away. Spanning the course of multiple generations, Mae and Michael learn to love each other despite their career paths and work to form a relationship through their personal hardships. Meghie's script and direction show that, at the least, she knows how to write an emotional and coherent story and tell it through the camera. This film is a very typical addition to this genre that is set up very basic, yet still manages to hit all the right notes. None of these notes were anything extraordinary, but the story itself holds on and is able to work within Meghie's direction mildly well. This film does fantastic when it comes to hitting all of the tropes of a romance film, such as the two lead characters having liberal arts careers and, of course, them living in New York City. The music throughout this film also added a lot to the environment and was great to see it utilized in a modern romance tale such as this. While the characteristics of these almost stereotypes were glaring, a nice change of pace was seeing a story about two black characters develop a genuine love for each other without conflict regarding their skin color or race issues. Stanfield and Rae are great together and this representation, despite the film itself being a bit lacking, is always fantastic to see. Both of their performances were excellent and their chemistry together is very authentic. These two definitely carried the film and seeing Stanfield flex his range, especially in the past few years, is always a welcome development.

The only aspect of this entire film that really makes it stand out amongst the others would be the use of multi-generational storytelling and flashbacks. It was so interesting to see how the two different love stories went back and forth and how Michael and Mae were able to learn more about themselves as they experienced the love story of the couple from the 1980s. However, if it wasn't for that element of the writing, this film would be a whole lot worse. This entire story is incredibly dull and took a lot out of me in order to finish. There would be long periods of time that I truly felt nothing of importance was going to happen and these sequences seemed to last forever. The individual stories of these characters and how they became who they were are not built up nearly enough and so I never felt like the problems Michael and Mae had in the predictable end of the second act were ever warranted. I started to not care at all about these characters and whether or not they ended up together because of this unbelievably slow storytelling. Meghie's direction quickly becomes intensely slow and whether or not that was intentional does not quite matter when I became uninterested so quickly. If Meghie's goal was to go about this film in a very laid-back and sluggish manner than she definitely accomplished that goal but at such a pricey cost. While this hurts the film's overall entertainment factor, I did appreciate how the story is not overly saccharine. Romance films that utilize cheesy tropes and dialogue in order to get emotions out of their audience annoy the ever-loving shit out of me and this movie still dipped its toes in that but did so with just a tiny bit more poise than the rest.

Stella Meghie's The Photograph is one that I really thought could make up for the expected slew of bad, studio releases in the first few months of the year but I can see now why it hasn't been much talked about. Despite the fantastic performances from Rae and Stanfield and some excellent atmospheric building on Meghie's part, the story itself is what needs to be front and center. The script could have easily been condensed down into a much shorter film but her choice of dragging the audience along for this story for almost two hours was the worst possible mistake.

My Rating: ★★½

Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) directed by Céline Sciamma

Romance is a genre that I find very difficult to get into because of its often glaring cheesiness and reliance on emotion to carry the story. While I can usually enjoy romantic films for what they are, there has yet to be one that physically and emotionally moved me until now. Céline Sciamma's Portrait of a Lady on Fire might just well be the greatest film about romance and desire ever made. This absolute masterclass in filmmaking shows how even in the most unexpected places, honest love will always prevail and along with the help of Sciamma's wonderful and heartfelt direction, this theme is portrayed excellently. The performances from both of these leads are simply some of the best acting I have ever seen, both verbal and nonverbal, and the stunning way that this film is shot and edited makes for such a powerfully moving experience. I can absolutely understand the hype behind this film now but even then, my expectations were blown out of the water. This has easily become one of my new favorite films and I was just astonished watching this film from the very first frame.

On an isolated island in the 18th century, artist Marianne (Noémie Merlant) is commissioned to paint the portrait of a young woman named Héloïse (Adèle Haenel), who is set to be married but refuses to pose for the artist. Héloïse's mother (Valeria Golino) wants Marianne to pretend to be her friend and paint in secret but as the two women become closer and spend more time together, they form an undeniable bond that proves to know no bounds. This film, both written and directed by the wonderful Céline Sciamma, has one the most genuine, funny, and lovely scripts to ever take place on the screen. Portrait of a Lady on Fire is the most beautiful and authentic love story I have ever seen and it is told with Sciamma's impeccable direction. The flawless flow from one scene to the next felt so unbelievably natural and this story moves along with gorgeous pacing. The profound emotion that I also felt from Sciamma's storytelling is astounding and the range of her script covers just about every base that an audience member could hope to cover. There is such a beautiful and timeless blend of comedy, romance, and emotional suspense that kept me on the edge of my seat. I always know that I'm watching something special when a film is able to make me feel butterflies in my stomach and smile like a fool and Sciamma accomplished just that. The undeniably relatable way that Sciamma writes these two women as they fall in love is mesmerizing and she is able to make this story feel universal. Desire is one of the most prominent themes throughout this film and while it is shown through just a breath of air or unspoken touch, I was left feeling weightless after the passion these characters went through. This is not only my new favorite romance film but one of the best films of this past decade without argument.

Love is often more nonverbal than anything and this film is a masterclass in proving just that. Both of the roles from Merlant and Haenel are easily some of the most believable performances I have ever seen and the love that Marianne and Héloïse discover with each other is portrayed excellently by these two. Their chemistry together is palpable and Sciamma writes these characters with such poise. What I loved most, however, was how nonverbal so many of their actions were. There is so much tension and desire teeming in this film in just the subtle motions or glances that these two give each other, even when not looking. The nonverbal communication between the two is just as, if not more, powerful than when they are actually speaking and I can almost not even put into words how well the bond between them works. Sciamma's sharp script and clever interactions between these characters only add to how lovable they are and this only goes to prove how phenomenal of performers Merlant and Haenel are. They infuse every scene with a grace that will quite literally take one's breath away. This is all underscored by the lack of score and the audio experience that this film provides is nothing short of magnificent. There is practically no score, save for one critical scene towards the end of the second act, but this choice literally leaves the audience in a trance as they gravitate towards the turn of a head or stroke of a brush. It would be a bit degrading to compare this film to something like ASMR but the way Sciamma crafts her auditory storytelling had such a keen effect on me.

Sciamma's love story was made even more gorgeous, however, due to the jaw-dropping cinematography from Claire Mathon and her use of colors. This remote island is shot in such a way that makes it seem endlessly expansive, yet still remains true to telling of the romance between these women. In the most personal scenes, the way that she centers the camera on Marianne and Héloïse to really hone in on their physical reactions between them drew me in so well and the long, lasting takes edited by Julien Lacheray help to really fuel this emotion. The gorgeous hues during the windy days and the lightly saturated touch in the darkest of scenes make this film feel so warm and inviting. Every frame of Portrait of a Lady on Fire is shot with perfection and the masterful way that Mathon composes these women in the limited locations never ceases to be fascinating. I also adored the period-accurate costuming and the inclusion of French culture in this story. The late 18th century might seem like a long time ago, but the modern take that Sciamma writes for these women gives them so much agency over themselves while still being able to fall in love with one another. Production and costume design were also a huge part of selling the atmosphere of this film and it only helped the overall visual experience. It is not a difficult task to fall in love with this entire story and Sciamma makes sure that her film is the vehicle to do so.

Portrait of a Lady on Fire is one of those utterly rare films that audiences will be thinking about for very long after they view it. I know I am, as Sciamma has created a story that is nothing short of a masterpiece and one that provides everything I aspire to create in my life. Crafting such a delicate and wonderful movie like this one takes so much obvious, tender passion and Sciamma's storytelling abilities and direction throughout this movie are unmatched. I could only dream of making something that moves people this physically, but thankfully we live in a time where we get the privilege of experiencing this once-in-a-lifetime film.

My Rating: ★★★★★

Sonic the Hedgehog (2020) directed by Jeff Fowler

Well, this is just about exactly as I had expected. Sonic the Hedgehog is one of this year's most widely anticipated releases and the newest live-action treatment of a beloved character. While I never thought a realistic version of this character could ever work, I was partially right, but Ben Schwartz and Jim Carrey have proven that I was also partially wrong. This film is very strange to me because while I grew up playing Sega games and adoring this character, I never really felt like I was watching a story about Sonic. Perhaps because it was set in the real world or perhaps because the script was quite awful, but there was so much potential to be had for this film that I feel like it completely missed. I enjoyed this movie more than any reasonable person probably would and while this film has plenty of problems (ones that a 3-month release delay because of fan backlash couldn't necessarily fix), there is still so much fun to be had with Sonic the Hedgehog and its new franchise.

After being forced to leave his alien home, a little blue hedgehog named Sonic (Ben Schwartz) retreats to Earth and spends his entire life growing up and adopting our customs. When Sonic causes a massive power outage throughout his town of Green Hills, the government hires nefarious Dr. Robotnik (Jim Carrey) to track him down while he's on the run with his new friend and local cop Tom (James Marsden). One of the biggest tropes of kids' films nowadays is taking an already-established character and introducing them to the real world. While it works for certain characters and franchises, I do not think this is one. This film opens up with Sonic on his home-world, a beautiful and expansive digital version of the classic Level 1 we all grew up playing. The entire world was gorgeous and I desperately wish that this film could have spent its entirety exploring it instead of forcing Sonic to adjust to human life. I feel like it would have been much more interesting for Robotnik to invade Sonic's homeworld instead of the other way around. This entire plotline made the main character not really feel that much like Sonic and instead, I feel as if I spent 90 minutes watching Paramount develop their own, strange, alien hedgehog. There is something about stripping the environment out of this character that pretty much rids him of his most famously notable characteristics.

Patrick Casey and Josh Miller's script was also quite lacking, as the writing was chock full of horrible clichés and cheap humor that easily could have been much stronger. There was nothing special about the story in this film at all and while I was not expecting it to be anything game-changing, it's a bit disappointing to see the misuse of potential. The visual effects backlash when the first trailer for this film came out did not help, either, and while I am glad they made Sonic's design much cleaner and less terrifying, it did not do much to save the movie. There are also so many product placements and obvious ad reads throughout this film that became very distracting and I feel as if all of this corporate promotion was to pay off the extra three months of work that these animators had to do. As for Jeff Fowler's direction, it was incredibly solid for it being his first feature outing and while none of the storytelling throughout this film was extraordinary, he proves to be a decently competent director.

I'm teetering on the edge of fandom and I do not want to be mixed in with the slew of die-hard fans but no matter how badly any studio could treat this character, I will still adore him. Which is why there is still so much enjoyment to get out of this. For one, audiences are finally seeing the return of Jim Carrey to the big screen, which is something to celebrate in itself, but they are also seeing an incredibly wholesome and fun family movie. It might not speak anything too profound or present anything new at all in terms of the script, but sometimes there does not need to be anything more than that. While much of this humor missed its mark (for me at least, as it is very much aimed toward the younger audience), some running gags and one-liners hit really hard. I love how this film attempts to explain some of the most glaring Sonic references like chili dogs and the nickname "Eggman." While there were so many other, better ways that this story could have gone, it was nice to see the writers at least try to incorporate what makes Sonic so lovable.

Ben Schwartz as this titular protagonist did a stupendous job of voicing him and I very often forgot that it was him. The trademark spunkiness and charisma that Sonic is known for is personified by Schwartz beautifully and I do not think these casting directors could have found anyone better or more passionate about video games and 90s culture. The cast throughout Sonic the Hedgehog is absolutely perfect and along with Schwartz's fantastic portrayal of Sonic, Carrey definitely shines and this film was a perfect vehicle for him to exhibit his trademark goofiness. Slapstick and lighthearted characters have always been Carrey's forte and the way that he incorporates both of these into Robotnik is great. It is quite easy to tell that he is working well within the script, but he still makes this iconic villain work.

Sonic the Hedgehog is very solid for a kids' film but not as much when it comes to reaching any wider and honestly, it's unnecessary to ask for more. I really enjoyed myself watching this film and while I do not plan on revisiting it anytime soon, seeing this character on the big screen and done right was really nice. I sure would have liked to have seen an entire film set in the world of those first five minutes, but hey, a studio has to capitalize on the real world somehow.

My Rating: ★★★

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962) directed by Robert Mulligan

AFI Top 100: #25

We've all heard of it, we've all read it, and we've all suffered through countless high school English classes where we've studied it. However, I believe that looking at this story through a cinematic lens, especially nowadays, is incredibly refreshing. Robert Mulligan's film adaptation of To Kill a Mockingbird may very often be overlooked by people who think that it is just a part of their studies growing up but this film is actually a very well-made and faithful adaptation. All of the performances are fantastic, the message is told loud and clear, the cinematography is surprisingly intricate, and there are so many memorable scenes that will live in our minds forever. Of all the classic novels that we read growing up and their accompanying movies, this one is definitely one of the better ones. I genuinely enjoy this movie and Mulligan makes it very easy to fall in love with this poor family and their empowering ways of surviving the depressing era in which they were situated.

Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck), a lawyer in the deep South, is elected to defend Tom Robinson (Brock Peters), a black man who has been unlawfully charged with rape. As Finch faces the prejudice that comes with defending a black man, he must also fight to defend his children, Scout (Mary Badham) and Jem (Phillip Alford), from turning into the same kind of people he has fought his whole life against. This script, written by Horton Foote and adapted from the timeless novel by Harper Lee, is absolutely incredible. Foote takes all of the most impactful and important parts of Lee's original story and is able to translate them on the screen in such a beautiful way. This is undeniably one of the best adaptations of a classic novel in the past few generations and the way that Foote uses these characters and easygoing plotlines to get the message out is fantastic. Every line of dialogue and every interaction between these characters never ceases to feel so authentic and I truly believe that you can get as much from this story from this film as you can from Lee's novel. There is not much about this story's cultural impact that I can say that we haven't already learned about, but it is important regardless. The message of facing adversity and prejudice during this time period is such a critical topic for everyone to learn about and this was embodied perfectly by Peck as his character of Atticus Finch.

Despite Mulligan focusing more on the lives and stories of the children, I believe that Finch is the strongest and most well-developed character. The way that he stood by his moral code and values despite the entire town being against him is so admirable and inspiring. Peck's performance only boosts this character, as his stoic attitude and unflinching courage in the face of racism is just magnificent. His monologue in the courtroom and dialogue shared throughout that entire scene towards the end says more about him than anything else in this film. Peck has really become Finch in this film and he steals nearly every scene that he is in with wisdom and grace. The stories shared between these child actors are great as well, as Badham, Alford, and Megna all seem to have the greatest chemistry. They are all such talented child actors in this film and they convey the innocence of their youth flawlessly. While so many dark, evil, and unfortunately normalized things were happening in this town, the way that this film shifts from the drama to the lightheartedness of being a kid was incredible. Mulligan handles these transitions so well and is able to imbue an inescapable feeling of naivety through these children. The more they learn, however, the more they grow as characters and the development shown through this cast was amazing. It's very difficult to not want these children to go through hardships and just follow along with their lives, but knowing that they grow as people makes their journey worth it.

I have not personally seen this film since freshman year of high school, but To Kill a Mockingbird absolutely stands the test of time. While much of its substance has become obviously dated, the message that it conveys has not and Mulligan is able to make an incredible film out of his source material. I believe kids should still be studying this story as they grow up because it is the perfect combination of learning about the time period and how it relates to our culture today.

My Rating: ★★★★

Intolerance (1916) directed by D.W. Griffith

AFI Top 100: #49

The film that was included on the AFI's Top 100 list that I was most dreading was this one and I knew that I would have to just grit my teeth and make it through. To me, this initial perception was justified and to some degree, it makes me feel good knowing that I could not get myself to enjoy this. D.W. Griffith's Intolerance is a 3-hour and 17-minute silent film that turned out to be just as exciting as it sounds. Thankfully, the cut available on Prime Video is just over two hours and while this was a massive life-saver, it did not help how horribly paced and dull this entire story is. I absolutely love learning about film history and the techniques that the innovators of this art form used to tell their stories, especially this early on in the days of film. However, I also believe that there is plenty of room to both appreciate the way that a vast film like this was made and recognize that it is boring as shit.

Told throughout the course of many generations and time periods, this film revolves around a young woman (Lillian Gish) who has her baby taken away from her in a series of intolerable events. As she is separated from her family, other stories of injustice and cruelty towards people throughout history are interwoven in order to highlight how sometimes love and affection is not the cure for the disease of humanity. Hot on the heels of his film The Birth of a Nation, perhaps one of the most controversial and racist movies of all time, Griffith follows up with this film, which many argue was almost an apology for his previous work. While he has directly stated in interviews that it isn't, it is hard not to see this movie as him trying to make up for the reasonable backlash behind his other, infamous film. It actually surprises me that The Birth of a Nation was not on this Top 100 list, because even though it is incredibly difficult to watch, it is important to see how much farther we have come in terms of what is appropriate in film. It is a landmark in film history, as much as we could ever hope it shouldn't be, but makes Intolerance pale in comparison to its cultural significance. I had never even heard of this film until I began watching this entire list and there is good reason for that. Of course, this film provides a lot more context about its story than my synopsis above ever could, but my main issue with this movie is how little I cared about any of it. It is told in such a spastic manner that I could never really attach myself to any of the stories. Griffith's direction is completely all over the place and the use of unintelligible language to describe the most basic of events only made this movie all the more muddled. The script and title cards, written by seven different people, do not make these stories any clearer and I had such a hard time following what these individual stories were even supposed to be about.

I always try my absolute hardest to give filmmakers from this early period the benefit of the doubt when it comes to experimenting with what they can do with their newfound art form. However, being silent is not what deterred me from enjoying this film, but rather how inconsistent and unnecessary a lot of its storytelling choices were. Perhaps it's my twenty-first-century attention span that my entire generation holds, but I could not get myself to be interested in this story for the life of me. It is actually exactly what I expected, though, so I feel like I really did not lose much from watching this, other than two hours of my time. What I was not expecting, however, was the fantastic production design and costuming that every shot prominently displayed. Knowing nothing about this movie going might have been the smartest choice because even though I despise its attempted story and Griffith's storytelling abilities, the seemingly infinite world that he builds in some simple shots is extraordinary. Not since I had watched William Wyler's Ben-Hur have I been so entranced by the atmosphere of the sets that are designed for a film. All of this exciting technical prowess was still overshadowed, however, by the fact that this film is the opposite of entertaining. I really do not want to whine about the way that audiences from 104 years ago enjoyed themselves, but I can not wrap my head around what they could have found interesting about this movie. I suppose the technological advancements of film at the time were enough to get people to go see this newfangled experience but I feel so desperately sad for them that Griffith was one of the leading names they had to rely on. But that's just history, I guess.

D.W. Griffith's Intolerance is a very confusing film to rate. On one hand, I really love the style of this film and the production behind how it was made. It is so impressive that an expansive, audacious film like this one could be shot and edited more than a hundred years ago. On the other hand, I refuse to abandon my principle that films should have at least some kind of lasting entertainment value and this movie was the furthest from that.

My Rating: ★½

Horse Girl (2020) directed by Jeff Baena

The very first of this year's Sundance releases and I'm already massively disappointed. While this film never got any stupendous buzz or major awards, I was still expecting to like its weird and quirky premise. That was not the case, however, as Jeff Baena's Horse Girl is an incredibly strange and misguided story of mental health and alien abductions (?). This movie had a lot of potential from the very beginning with a few different possible genres to explore but the way that this film completely misses the mark on delivering anything satisfactory is much more prevalent. While I love Alison Brie and her tenacity in embodying this role, I just could not get on board with this film at all. I'm learning, mistake after mistake and film after film, that I just might not be a huge Jeff Baena fan, as I did not enjoy his previous work Life After Beth either. Baena definitely has a certain style that he has become known for and has connections to composing fantastic casts, but I feel like he has a while to go before he directs a film I genuinely enjoy.

Sarah (Alison Brie) is a lonely and estranged woman who gets by day after day working at a local crafts store run by Joan (Molly Shannon) and watching supernatural thriller shows in her apartment with her roommate Nikki (Debby Ryan). While she volunteers at a local horse stable, she also has an affliction for having strange dreams and as much as she fights to keep them out of her head, they begin to infiltrate her life slowly but surely. The script, written by Jeff Baena and Brie herself, is where I find the entirety of this film's problems. This movie starts out as more of a romantic-comedy and while its atmosphere seems weird, it suits well for the protagonist and how spacey she often seems. I was completely on board for this story of a strange woman finding love and herself, and who better to do that than the charming Alison Brie? However, the deeper into this film that the audience gets, it takes so many peculiar turns that never really pay off. Sarah's relationship with Darren (John Reynolds) is where I had to place most of my hope throughout this movie but only about halfway through, that is obliterated as the film turns into an almost paranoid thriller of its own. As Sarah becomes convinced about aliens and cloning happening to her, the film just digs its own grave deeper and deeper. I really wanted to like the character of Sarah but the choices she makes and unexplained plot points that revolve around her made me not care at all. The supporting characters are actually far more interesting, but I was supposed to be caring about Sarah's plot, which Baena and Brie made it extremely hard to do. To top it off, the movie ends with an ambiguous and strange ending that neither confirms nor denies anything that Sarah had been rambling about throughout the film. I wholeheartedly despise these kinds of endings with no context or attempted conclusion and Baena's direction once again proves to not be for me.

The color grading of this movie is beautiful and from the first, creative shot, I knew that I would at least enjoy the technical pieces. Which I thankfully still ended up doing, as the cinematography from Sean McElwee and score by Josiah Steinbrick and Jeremy Zuckerman are what keep this film from entirely falling apart. I liked a lot of the interesting shots that McElwee uses to tell Sarah's story and flesh out her world and the music helps to make the audience feel just as uneasy. This film, from the very start, is teeming with second-hand embarrassment, and while it might not exactly make one feel comfortable, Baena nails that tone well. It is obvious that is what he is going for and so I will give him props on that, but that would not have been accomplished as well without the performance from Alison Brie. Her character and choices might not be too relatable, but if there was anyone able to pull off the utterly weird and offputting Sarah, Brie would be the one. Having personal experience with horse girls probably did not help with my viewing of this film and I just could not escape the awkwardly eccentric characteristics that people like that portray. Cringey source material can be done right but with Baena in control, I don't actually know what I was expecting. Much more avant-garde and arthouse crowds will adore this film and treasure it just as much as Baena's previous works, but his writing abilities and translation onto the screen are just rough to watch. This kind of film is definitely not for me, but if one is able to truly connect with the vague and unlikable characters throughout this movie, then I tip my hat.

Horse Girl is as strange as the groups of women that the film is named after and while I desperately wanted to enjoy this, I could not bring myself to it. The first few months of 2020 are always very rough when it comes to new releases and I just can't wait to get this time period out of the way so I can start seeing some of my more anticipated films and not waste my time with forgettable stories like this one. I still love you Alison Brie, but please... no more horses.

My Rating: ★★

Duck Soup (1933) directed by Leo McCarey

AFI Top 100: #60

Slapstick has never exactly entertained me, personally, as I find a lot of the comedy to be very tiresome. I much prefer cleverly written dialogue or ironic, dark comedy, but who better to change my mind about this opinion than the revered Marx Brothers and their hysterical film Duck Soup. I was genuinely surprised how much I enjoyed this film and I was also genuinely taken aback by the script and how strong the writers of this film had to be to take its slapstick up to another level. The incredibly quick comedy that pulses through this movie is something that I can not even frankly see being done today and while the plot of this film itself was not entirely captivating, it did not really need to be. With just over an hour runtime and nonstop entertainment from the very first frame, there is so much to adore about this little film. I am glad that my mind could be changed about comedy like this and it surprises me that humor like this was done almost 90 years ago.

The fictional land of Freedonia is undergoing serious financial restructuring and while the wealthy Gloria Teasdale (Margaret Dumont) is willing to help, her one condition is that Rufus T. Firefly (Groucho Marx) is named the new leader. While Firefly struggles to adapt to his newfound leadership role, the opposing country of Sylvania sends out two spies, Pinky (Harpo Marx) and Chicolini (Chico Marx), to gather information on Firefly and decide whether or not the love between him and Mrs. Teasdale is worth going to war over. Right from the very first frame of this film, I was engaged. Knowing that this movie was barely just over an hour long, I had no expectations at all. This film turned out to be a comedy masterpiece, however, as it takes its slapstick tendencies and political commentary and blends them together in the most effective of ways. The quickfire dialogue and one-liners that riddle this film like bullets are often hard to catch up with but provide for such an endlessly entertaining riot. Even in many scenes without the use of words, the choreography and planning involved to set up some of the jokes were very impressive. The Marx Brothers also want their audience to view politics as a silly little game run by goofy, unprofessional people and while I am certain this was only done back then in order to get some laughs, the relatability of a lot of their actions is astounding. Say what you will about politics, but the way that the Marx Brothers portrayed them in a slapstick manner is hilarious. I also really enjoyed the lightheartedness that is shown throughout this movie in the face of war and death. Horrible events like these have happened throughout history without many repercussions for the politicians involved but the way these comedians got right into the madness of the war was not only comedic to see, but often unheard of as well.

My one issue with Duck Soup would be the direction from Leo McCarey. While there is nothing prominently wrong and he gets this film done with style, I feel like a bit too much of the story relied on the chemistry between these brothers. A lot of the plot was brushed over with some funny lines and not given much focus, which I would have personally enjoyed seeing more of. But then again, that is what makes this family of incredible comedians so unforgettable is how well they can work together to load up a machine gun of comedy. The performances from all of these brothers were fantastic and I could really feel for each of their characters. I do think that some of their scenes were written to play into the plot a bit more than others, but they all performed their respective comedy in such interesting ways. The production design of this film and the accompanying musical sequences were also done very well. McCarey makes fantastic use of the limited locations that this film was shot in and the design of every inch of the sets is gorgeous. Not only does the beauty of the gala halls and palaces contrast the humorous bleakness of Groucho Marx's character, but it helps make the cinematography from Henry Sharp even more interesting. The musical scenes also came and went very smoothly and while I was not anticipating them whatsoever, they thankfully only enhanced the creative experience of this film. I actually had so much fun with this movie and while a lot of it might not exactly hit everyone as hard as it did me, I appreciate the playful attitude that these brothers brought to the table, especially in a film about war.

Duck Soup is a fascinating and hilarious film that utilizes the Marx Brothers in the best ways possible. While the title itself might be a bit misleading and not exactly live up to its name, the political and surprisingly relatable substance of the movie holds up even to this day. I genuinely loved this movie and it makes me believe that inoffensive comedy like this should absolutely make a comeback in some way or another.

My Rating: ★★★★½

M*A*S*H (1970) directed by Robert Altman

AFI Top 100: #54

The genre of war films has basically been around for as long as film itself has. While I am getting a bit tired of watching all of the different variations throughout the AFI's Top 100, there are the occasional exceptions that surprise me. Robert Altman's M*A*S*H is one of these: not because I was blown away by the filmmaking, but because of the way that the film went about exploring its topic. This movie is a comedic and much more lighthearted look at soldiers during the Korean War and the medics that kept them alive. While a much grittier drama would have focused on the hardships of the battlefield, it was so interesting to see Altman's take on a different perspective of the army as he focuses on the often bored medical workers and their everyday lives. While I do think this story was much better suited for TV, it is very interesting to see how the acclaimed television show was sprouted from this lackluster film of the same variety.

Amidst the gruesome horror and life-changing events of the Korean War, there lives a base full of army surgeons and medical professionals that are responsible for caring for these wounded soldiers. Among them are Hawkeye Pierce (Donald Sutherland), John McIntyre (Elliott Gould), and Duke Forrest (Tom Skerritt), medics who go about their days slacking off and making humor of the whole situation. When they get a new change of management, they are forced to deal with changing their usual habits. Adapted from Richard Hooker's novel, Ring Lardner. Jr. does a decent job of bringing this story into the cinematic world. The characters are all very well-defined, the humor is great, and the much more lighthearted take on this environment was very refreshing. It was strange at first to see these doctors and soldiers cracking jokes and making fun of each other while they were holding scalpels over a bloody patient but it quickly became commonplace. The contrast between their joking with each other and the horrible tragedies that they were witnessing created a fantastic sense of authenticity and really helped to legitimize much of this movie's setting. My biggest issue with this film, however, which is the main reason I was taken out of its experience, was the lack of plot and often laziness of its storytelling. Not much of importance actually happened in this film and it really just felt like a string of disconnected events. The humor was the main part, after all, but I just really wish that there was something much stronger connecting everything together to really make me care. I did not even end up caring much about these characters or their struggles because everything was so distant. They were all funny enough on their own to carry their scenes but overall, there did not seem to be much of a purpose behind this movie.

I believe that this is also why M*A*S*H ended up being much better suited for television. The switch of this story from the film is definitely the smartest thing that the creators could have done for lots of reasons. While the cast of this film did not end up switching over to the television show, I believe that the TV version was much more effective. This film lacked so much plot and entirely relied on its characters, which is what television does. TV is the best medium for screenwriting and developing characters over longer periods of time and the plot points throughout this film that tried to get each scene to lead into the next could have easily been breaks between episodes. Television is character-driven and this film just did not make the characters work because of that. The humor in this movie is great in its timeliness but it is still a bit inappropriate, which is why I feel so many people resonated with this film back in 1970. It would be nice to see more films take bold approaches to comedy nowadays like this movie did back then but more often than not, well-written comedy is actually safe and more appealing to everyone whereas in this film, it is a bit narrower. The performances in this movie are also great and each cast member really gives their all for their character. The full-circle gags that the script utilizes are great and the way that many of the running jokes intersect with each other is very humorous. It was also very nice to see Altman's direction and how he took a different approach to a story like this. Having made this film relatively soon after the actual war is a risky thing in itself but I believe that he did a fantastic job with avoiding anything that could be considered too taboo by focusing on a mostly unnoticed group of soldiers.

M*A*S*H is a solid war film that utilizes its minimal locations and script in excellent ways. It is obvious to see why this was adapted into TV and how much more effective it is in small episodes as opposed to this longer, narrative story. I still enjoyed this film's humor, however dated it might be, and looking at this classic movie from today's lens creates a different appreciation for the translation of stories between film and television and how it should be done.

My Rating: ★★★½

Birds of Prey (2020) directed by Cathy Yan

While the fight for its production has been going on for years now, it is great to finally see Margot Robbie's vision come to life in the fantabulous Birds of Prey. Cathy Yan directs DC's newest superhero film about a group of women who might seem a little less than super. These antiheroes are all fantastic characters and are brought together in such a pleasantly simple plot. There might not be anything groundbreaking about this film's storytelling style, but the amount of glamour and charisma radiating from every element of this movie is very enjoyable. Some may argue that it borrows a bit too much from the aesthetic of David Ayer's Suicide Squad, in which Robbie made her debut, but this coherent script runs laps around that universally-despised corporate mess. Even though I have some issues with Yan's direction and the inescapable "DC-style", there is nothing but fun to be had. Only a month into the new year and this film is already an incredibly strong contender for the best blockbuster of 2020.

Gotham City's two most notorious and clownish criminals The Joker and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) have broken up. When Quinn decides to start her new life over, she finds out that she is wanted by a lot of people, including crime lord Black Mask (Ewan McGregor). She is not the only one under attack, however, and Harley teams up with Gotham superheroes Huntress (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), Black Canary (Jurnee Smollett-Bell), and Renee Montoya (Rosie Perez) in order to take him down. This comic book-adapted script by Christina Hodson is surprisingly well-written. This film is definitely not the standard superhero origin story or team film, as it has a lot of time to make up for and explaining to do within this cinematic universe. Hodson does a great job of picking up with Harley's story and filling in the ambiguous blanks since Suicide Squad. This was not a very easy task to do and working within Warner Bros. corporate style, Hodson was able to connect these dots while being able to write a genuinely funny and original story. While the plot itself is fairly simple and rather predictable, it is exactly what one can expect from a film centered around the raucous character of Harley Quinn herself. It's about time that Robbie gets the version of this character that she has been fighting to get for so long and this film proves to be exactly what she deserves. So many scenes throughout this movie perfectly encapsulate the goofier comic version that Harley really is and this can be seen with so many of the script's choices, including the roller derby in the beginning and the running gag of the egg sandwich. So many ridiculously creative choices were made throughout this film to really help and give it a voice of its own, including the stellar animation in the beginning and the comedic freeze frames throughout. The R-rating attached to Birds of Prey is also suited very well and while it is not entirely excessive about language or intense content, it has every right to be and utilizes its rating perfectly.

The only issue I had with this film that I feel really held it back from becoming an instant classic was Yan's direction. The way she handles this story is a bit wacky, as the pacing was all over the place. There were a few various subplots going on with the different women and how they all ended up together and this was handled very nicely but the use of flashbacks and Quinn's fourth-wall-breaking narration became a bit distracting. Certain scenes went on for far longer than I feel like they should have and the way that this film is framed to have Harley narrate her story is a smart choice as it focuses on her, but not as smart when it comes to developing the other characters. With a surprisingly short runtime, there was not much wiggle room for telling this overall story but I still think that Yan and Hodson did a solid job together. Birds of Prey also does not hold back on its action or enthusiastic performances whatsoever. The fight scenes and action sequences are some of the most creative and exciting ones that I have seen in a while. The stunt choreography is entrancing and using Harley's signature huge mallet and baseball bat, this film absolutely delivers with the colorful and completely bonkers fight scenes. The scene with the cocaine and baseball bat is especially memorable and the bone-crunching approach that Robbie takes to this more modern version of Harley is fantastic. Robbie's performance as this iconic Batman character is once again the best part of the movie. Her electric passion for this character is so obvious and she was definitely born to play this part (and hopefully will be forever). While I do wish some of the supporting cast like Winstead and Smollett-Bell were given more time with their own subplots, this movie is just purely a lot of fun. It is impossible to not fall in love with these comic book antiheroes and McGregor's flamboyantly eccentric villain proves to be just the right contrast.

Birds of Prey takes an already established universe of characters and improves upon them in every way imaginable. The plot might suffer from scrambling a bit much to recover from a few of DC's past films but the simplistic approach makes for a great, clean slate for its inevitable sequels. Margot Robbie is clearly having the absolute time of her life and if nothing else, at least we can all celebrate that (and her!).

My Rating: ★★★★