Some Dude Reviews Movies

I saw the trailer for Netflix's zany comedy, Coffee & Kareem  (2020), and I thought: "that looks like it could go either way." You know the kind: a movie that is either going to be brilliant, or an absolute piece of garbage? So, one night, with nothing else to do, we tuned it up to find out which way the wind was gonna blow. I. What Is It? This is the story of a kid and a cop on a wild ride through Detroit's seedy underbelly. And that description is actually more nuanced than this entire movie. II. Just Because None of the "characters" in this movie make realistic choices. They make choices just because. Why is a white cop dating a single black mother? Well, just because it would be kinda funny, ya know? Why doesn't a grade school teacher expell a student for sexually harassing her? Well, because. Why does a criminal in possession of video evidence of a murder he helped commit not immediately delete that video? Well,...

Malcolm X is a complicated figure. Or maybe history has just made him one. Or maybe white people are just uncomfortable with his legacy. He has long been a favorite of mine, though. Whenever I teach juniors rhetoric, I pull out "The Ballot or the Bullet" and take great pleasure in contrasting this man's vision with the standard MLK stuff that most kids are already familiar with. But even I don't fully understand Malcolm's arc. That he was more than just the violent yin to MLK's peaceful yang. Malcolm's vision and politics grew as he did, and evolved right up until his violent assassination. I was incredibly pleased, then, when after cruising through a few Spike Lee Joints, I found that Malcolm X (1992) was streaming on Netflix. THIS was a movie for me. So I settled in and prepared for an epic journey. I. What Is It? This is the story of a man and his evolution into one of the greatest civil rights leaders of our time. It...

There are very few films that I, when recommending them, insist that people know as little as possible going into a first viewing. There are movies that simply need to be experienced. They need to exist on their own merits without context or prior exposure. Bong Joon-ho's 2019 opus, Parasite , is one such film. *   *   * It is my intention not to spoil any of this movie's surprises: to that end, pardon a review that seems to give short-shrift to a truly masterful movie *   *   * I. What Is It? This is the story of a family that will do anything to survive. Saying anything more would border on spoilers. II. Three Movies in One The first act of this movie is a quirky family comedy. The second act of this movie depicts a con worthy of The Sting (1973). The third act is a horror film. That Bong Joon-ho slips from genre to genre so effortlessly and effectively is a marvel. With each new pivot, he left this view...

I've always kept Spike Lee at a distance. When I was younger, I was always a little intimidated by his politics. Or, rather, what I saw (at the time) as radical racial politics. I've come a long way since then. I've learned a lot since I was young. And I have just recently begun going back to Lee's seminal early works to see what "the big deal was all about." It turns out that I was very foolish. That I had kept from myself the work of one of America's auteur filmmakers. Give me a slice of humble pie. I'll have it a la mode . 1989's Do the Right Thing  is often heralded as Lee's greatest work. So I watched it. I. What Is It? This is the story of the hottest day of the summer in the Bedford-Stuyevsant neighborhood of New York. As the temperature rises, resentments fly, and hidden tensions in the neighborhood reach a boiling point. II. Art This is a piece of art, through and through. Spike Lee's dialogu...

I had heard about Portrait of a Lady on Fire  (2019). I'd heard it was good. Heard it was erotic and powerful. It has a 98% score on Rotten Tomatoes. Reviewers used words like, "stirring," and "thought provoking." Those words are like cinematic catnip to me. Then, last week, I read that it would begin streaming on Hulu. And, amid the great coronavirus lockdown, with ample free time, I talked to the wife about it, and she said, "Oh yeah, I want to watch that, too." So we did. I. What Is It? Marianne (Noemie Merlant) is sent to paint a young woman (Adele Haenel) without her knowledge. The two women begin to spend time together, and their relationship blossoms into something new. This is the story of a painter and her reluctant subject. It is a story of womanhood and love and friendship. And loss. II. Every Frame A Painting This is one of the most stunningly crafted films, from a photography perspective, that I have see...

There are a lot of classic war movies about World War II. And there are a lot of classic war movies about Viet Nam. It's strange that there aren't a lot of movies about World War I. I mean, there are certain standouts like Paths of Glory (1957) and All Quiet on the Western Front (1930 and 1979). But other than those, I can't really think of any stand out World War I movies. And it can't possibly be because those films said everything there is to say about that war. I think that WWI is a hard war to talk about because it wasn't glorious. Because it was humanity at our worst. Because it was one of the biggest moments of change in the history of the world. And maybe it's just hard, and unpleasant to reckon with that. So when it was announced that Sam Mendes was making a WWI movie, and that he had signed cinematographer Roger Deakins to his cause, I was immediately intrigued. When I saw the first preview, I knew for sure that I'd be b...

I have not read Louisa May Alcott's seminal novel, Little Women  (1868). I very vaguely remember the film from the nineties. Apparently there are six other film versions, including a modernized retelling from 2018. I am, however, a huge fan of Greta Gerwig, and thought her directorial debut (2017's  Lady Bird ) was phenomenal. When it was announced that she was writing and directing a version of this story, I was immediately interested. When word of the production's cast, which includes the likes of Saoirse Ronan, Florence Pugh, and Laura Dern, hit the web, the movie became a must see. After the big blockbuster hullabaloo of Star Wars, we needed something quieter. We needed something more subtle. Also, my wife demanded that we go. So go we went. I. What Is It? This is the story of the March sisters. It is the story of their love and loss and friendships. It is the story of women forging their way in the world. II. Domestic Epic Greta ...